Snacks & Desserts

Healthier Pumpkin Pie

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A slice of pumpkin pie on a plate

Serves: 9

Preparation: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Use 100% pureed pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix which has added sugar! Substitute 1 cup fresh pureed pumpkin for 1 cup canned pumpkin puree.

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree*
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup low-fat milk (can substitute skim or unsweetened dairy-free milk)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. allspice
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 9-inch bottom pie crust

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and warm water.
  2. Make pie crust as directed.
  3. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  4. Make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, and salt. Mix until completely smooth.
  5. Pour mixture into pie crust.
  6. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until filling is no longer jiggly. Check every 20 minutes to make sure pie crust doesn't burn!
  7. Allow pie to cool completely before slicing.
  8. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Candy Corn Fruit Cocktail

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candy corn fruit cocktails

Serves: 4-8

Ingredients

  • pineapple, cut into bite sized chunks (fresh or canned in 100%  juice)
  • oranges, cut into bite sized chunks (or use fresh clementines or canned madarin oranges in 100% juice)
  • vanilla yogurt (low-fat or fat-free)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and warm water.
  2. In a clear glass or plastic cup, layer pineapple, then oranges.
  3. Top with yogurt and a few pieces of candy corn.
  4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Apple Monsters

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Apple monsters

Serves: 8

Try yellow or green apples for more color and fun!

Ingredients

  • 1 apple
  • 1/3 cup, plus 2 teaspoons peanut butter, divided (use soy or sunflower butter for peanut allergies)
  • Puffed rice cereal
  • 4 red grapes, each sliced vertically in half
  • 8 green grapes
  • 16 chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and warm water.
  2. Quarter and core the apple so you have 16 thin wedges.
  3. Spread 1 teaspoon peanut butter on each apple slice.
  4. Lay half of the apple slices on top of the other halves to create the "mouth."
  5. Push puffed rice "teeth" gently into the peanut butter.
  6. Place one red grape half in the center of each bottom slice to create the "tongue."
  7. To create the "eyes," slice the ends off the green grapes, then cut each grape in half horizontally. Using the tip of the knife, make a small slit in the top of each grape half, then place a chocolate chip, pointy-end down, into the grape, pushing the point into the slit you cut.
  8. Place two dabs of peanut butter on the top portion of each "mouth," then gently press a grape "eye" onto each dab.
  9. Enjoy immediately, or store in the refrigerator for an hour or two before serving.

Healthy Halloween BooNana Ghost Pops

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Ingredients

  • 3 bananas
  • ¾ cup vanilla yogurt (not Greek yogurt)
  • 12 mini chocolate chips
  • 6 wooden ice pop sticks

Directions

  1. Line a 9-inch baking pan with waxed paper.
  2. Peel the bananas and cut them in half crosswise at a slight angle. Insert a wooden ice pop stick into the cut end of each banana and push it about halfway up.
  3. Put the yogurt into a small bowl. Hold onto the pops by the wooden sticks and roll each banana in the yogurt to coat the surface. Let excess yogurt drip back into the bowl. Lay the pops in the baking pan. You will have leftover yogurt.
  4. Push the pointy top of 2 chocolate chips into each banana to make the eyes of the ghosts.
  5. Place the pops in the freezer to firm up, at least 3 hours.
  6. Remove pops from the freezer. Use a knife to trim any yogurt that dripped and froze along the sides of the banana.
  7. Serve straight from the freezer.

Apple Butternut Squash Cobbler

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Ingredients

Apple Mixture

  • 3 medium size apples, cored and sliced
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, diced small (Microwave squash on HIGH for about 5 minutes to soften before cutting.)
  • 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup flour

Topping

  • 1 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 cup canola/vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Grease a 9"x 13" pan.
  3. In a bowl, combine all ingredients listed above the line for the apple mixture and pour into the baking pan.
  4. In another bowl, combine all ingredients listed below the line for the topping; spread the topping over the apple mixture.
  5. Bake for 40 minutes.
  6. Slice and serve.

Apple “Donuts”

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apple donuts

A fun and healthy snack you and your child can make together!

Ingredients

  • 1 medium apple 2 Tablespoons nut butter (Nut allergy? Try soy or sunflower butter)
  • 1 1/2 cup oats

Optional toppings

  • Chocolate chips
  • shredded coconut
  • fruit
  • granola
  • raisins

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm water and soap.
  2. Rinse the apple.
  3. Cut the apple into 6 slices.
  4. Cut out the centers with a small cookie cutter or knife.
  5. Spread 1 teaspoon of nut butter on each apple slice.
  6. Add toppings and enjoy!

Spiced Apple Muffins

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt (not Greekstyle)
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 cups peeled, cored and finely chopped baking apples (about 2 large apples)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. Beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy (1-2 minutes).
  3. Add the egg and mix well, stopping to scrape the bowl if necessary.
  4. Beat in the yogurt (the batter will look grainy).
  5. Add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Beat on low speed until just combined (the batter will be very thick).
  6. Add the chopped apples and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
  7. Use an ice-cream scoop or large spoon to divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. The cups should be full.
  8. Bake the muffins for 25 to 30 minutes.
  9. Remove the muffins from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn them out onto a rack to finish cooling completely.

Apple  Sandwiches

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Ingredients

  • 1 medium apple
  • 2 Tablespoons nut butter (Nut allergy? Try soy or sunflower butter)
  • 1 Tablespoon raisins

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm water and soap.
  2. Rinse the apple & cut it crosswise into 6 rounds Cut out the core and then cut each slice in half (you should have 12 apple halves).
  3. Spread 1/2 tsp of nut butter on one side of each apple slice.
  4. Put 4-6 raisins on top of the nut butter on six apple slices.
  5. Top with another apple slice, nut butter side down. Squeeze gently to make a sandwich.
  6. Continue with remaining apple slices.

Cornbread

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cornbread in a basket

Perfect with warm chili or a Thanksgiving Day feast!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk (Or make your own! Add 1 Tbsp white vinegar to 1 1/4 cups milk and let sit for 10 minutes.)
  • 2 Tbsp butter, melted but not hot
  • Optional add-ins: 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, diced jalapeños, 1 cup blueberries or strawberries, 1 cup corn, 2-4 Tbsp fresh herbs

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Add cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, then whisk in honey, buttermilk, and melted butter.
  4. Butter an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan. Pour batter into pan and place pan into preheated oven.
  5. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden on top and cooked through, or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Cut into 9 pieces and serve while warm. Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Pumpkin Muffins

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1⁄2 tsp. salt
  • 1⁄2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3⁄4 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
  2. Mix together dry ingredients (flour through nutmeg) and set aside.
  3. Beat oil, eggs, and pumpkin together until well blended.
  4. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients all at once.
  5. Stir until moistened; fold in cranberries.
  6. Spoon into paper lined muffin cups.
  7. Bake at 400° F. for 15-30 minutes.