Secretly Healthy Halloween Cookies [Your kids won’t know!]

Delicious, but healthy Halloween cookies are the perfect treat to balance out all the candy and chocolate that comes along with trick or treating. Kids (and adults) will never guess this tasty cookie is made with chickpeas!

This recipe was originally published in October 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.

I first published this post on the blog, back in October of 2018, the weekend before my youngest son’s first birthday party. Since he was born only a few days before Halloween, we went all out with a Monster Bash!

There was monster cake, monster decorations, pin the eye on the monster, and of course, these monster cookies. And boy oh boy, were they a hit!

Each birthday since then, and each Halloween party, I make another batch of these healthy Halloween cookies, and guess what? A hit, EVERY, SINGLE, TIME!

No child or adult ever guessed these are made using chickpeas.

This wholesome treat is soft and chewy in texture, naturally sweetened, nutty, and delicious.

How are they healthy?

We’ve already established that these yummy cookies are made using a chickpea base. Chickpeas are a wholesome source of protein and dietary fiber, and somehow make an amazing base for cookies!

There’s also a hefty amount of ripe banana in these cookies and even some unsweetened applesauce to sweeten these treats and provide a nutrient boost.

Plus, there’s no flour or gluten, making these dietary friendly for gluten-free eaters.

AND, there’s no refined sugar (except the candy eyes) as these are sweetened using banana and just a touch of maple syrup.

I promise, your kids won’t know!

Plus, with all the chocolate and candy in surplus around Halloween, these healthy Halloween treats boasting hidden veggies are a great way to provide some balance!

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these delicious and wholesome cookies.

Instructions

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Add everything except the food dye (if using) and candy eyes to your food processor. (photo 1)

Process everything until smooth. (photo 2)

Add the food dye (if using) OR use the spinach option in the recipe card below. (photo 3)

Scoop the cookie dough onto a baking sheet and use a spoon to gently press them down. (photo 4)

TIP: Use a spoon OR damp fingers as the batter will be sticky and wet hands help prevent sticking.

Bake the cookies until the edges are slightly golden, approx. 16-18 mins. (photo 5)

Optional: Press the candy eyes into the cookies while they’re still warm. (photo 8)

Just look how cute and fun these are! Guaranteed to be a hit.

Plus parents everywhere can rejoice that their children are eating chickpeas (and spinach)! 😉

Storage

These cookies can be made ahead, and leftovers will keep well for 2-3 days at room temperature.

However, if using the candy eyes, they may melt a bit if stored in a sealed container in warmer temperatures.

Instead of tightly sealing them, place them on a tray and loosely cover them in plastic wrap or a clean dish towel.

To freeze, make sure they’re cooled first, and then freeze them airtight for up to 3 months.

Expert Tips

• Use VERY ripe bananas that are spotted brown, since there’s not much added sweetness.
• Shape and press your cookies before baking, as they don’t spread much in the oven.
• If using the candy eyes, make sure to press them into your cookies, immediately after removing them from the oven, while they are still warm.
• These cookies are naturally vegan, but most food colouring is not. To keep these vegan, choose vegan food colouring, OR use the spinach option.

More healthy kid-friendly treats

If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito

Rosa

📖 Recipe

Healthy Halloween Cookies [No One Will Know!]

Healthy Halloween cookies are the prefect treat to please kiddos and adults, alike!

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes minutes

Total Time: 26 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Servings: 26 Cookies

Calories: 63kcal

Author: Rosa

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 cups chickpeas cooked or canned
• ▢ 2 medium ripe bananas (weighing 230 grams with peels on)
• ▢ ¼ cup maple syrup
• ▢ ½ cup peanut butter homemade or store bought (or sub soy butter for nut free)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• ▢ ¾ cup rolled oats gluten free if preferred
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder

Optional

• ▢ 3 large handfuls baby spinach or green food dye ***see notes
• ▢ ¼ cup extra rolled oats ONLY IF USING THE SPINACH
• ▢ candy eyes

US Customary – Metric

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350℉/176℃ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Add everything EXCEPT the optional ingredients to your food processor and process until smooth.
• OPTIONAL: Add the spinach AND additional ¼ cup rolled oats and process until smooth. (The spinach adds more moisture, so the extra oats are needed.)

  OR

  Add 25-30 drops of green food dye, and pulse a few times to mix through.
• Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the batter onto your baking sheets. You'll get about 26 cookies. Then use slightly wet hands or the back of a spoon to press the cookies down and shape them into rounds. The batter won't spread much, so shape them before baking.
• Bake for 16-18 minutes, then remove from the oven and gently press the candy eyes (if using) into your cookies while they are still warm. Then let them cool.

Notes

For green cookies:

• The cookie batter is very beige in colour so you’ll need a fair bit of food colouring OR spinach to get them green. CHOOSE ONE OPTION. For food dye-free, stick to the spinach option.
• For the spinach option, (my preferred choice) you need the extra ¼ of oats to balance the additional moisture from the spinach. (YOU WON’T TASTE THE SPINACH.)

Additional Tips:

• Use VERY ripe bananas that are spotted brown, since there’s not much added sweetness.
• If using the candy eyes, make sure to press them into your cookies, immediately after removing them from the oven, while they are still warm.
• These cookies are naturally vegan, but most food colouring is not. If you need these to be vegan, make sure to choose vegan food colouring, OR use the spinach option.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.