I had so much fun prepping for our Day of the Dead themed Halloween party! Not only was it fun to lay out the decorations and style the table, but I loved coming up with fun and festive food to serve.
I planned carefully to create snacks that reflect the season and are fun – food that fits right in the spirit of Halloween! The Halloween table – like all dining tables – is meant for everyone to be included – for me, fun, festive and inclusive food is especially important because my oldest son’s food allergies sometimes leave him without a candy option as he trick-or-treats. As such, I needed to serve things that are food allergy-friendly. And themed, safe food can be hard to come by.
First, I put our pumpkin innards (“pumpkin guts”) to good use. We scooped and separated out the seeds. In a bowl filled with water, we strained out the rest of the pumpkin core and dried the seeds in a kitchen towel.
Above, you’ll see two versions of pumpkin seeds – both are nearly everything-free.
The Classic:
Pumpkin seeds (approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups)
2 Tablespoons dairy-free butter, melted
pinch of sea salt
Preheat oven to 300 F degrees.
With your pumpkin seeds already in a bowl, pour the melted butter substitute over the seeds and stir to combine.
Arrange the seed mixture on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the seeds slowly, stirring occasionally. At 25 minutes, add salt. Roast for another 15-20 minutes, bringing the total roasting time to approximately 40-45 minutes.
Salty Sweet Pumpkin Seeds:
1 1/2 – 2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 Tablespoons dairy-free butter
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
With your pumpkin seeds already in a bowl, pour the melted butter substitute over the seeds and stir to combine.
Arrange the seed mixture on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the seeds slowly, stirring occasionally. At 15 minutes, add sugar mixture and stir. Roast for another 20-30 minutes, bringing the total roasting time to approximately 40-45 minutes.
Next, I threw together some easy, no-brainer jello. Good ol’ fashioned jello. But check these out…
…using the Skull and Crossbones mold, I made fun shapes that my kids gobbled down. Tip: spray the inside of the mold with cooking spray before pouring in the jello. Use a little less liquid than recommended to keep the jello firm. My larger sized box called for 2 cups of water – I used 1 1/2 cups instead.
And, finally, my favorite snack of all…. Stay tuned! It’s worth the wait!
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