Halloween is getting closer, and we’re getting pumped-kin. We want you to know that you don’t need to have cruelty on your plate in order to enjoy celebrating the holiday. Stay kind and on theme with these easy vegan Halloween recipes! So grab your parents, and let’s get started.

Frankenstein Toasts

Now, you can be just like Dr. Frankenstein and make your own green monster (that you can eat!).

Ingredients:
1 sheet dried seaweed
1 avocado, mashed
2 slices bread, toasted
2 olives, cut in half
1 grape or cherry tomato, cut in half
4 sesame sticks or stick pretzels

Directions:

• Cut the sheet of seaweed in half horizontally using a zig-zag cut. Set aside.
• Smear the avocado onto the toast. Place 1 piece of cut seaweed “hair” at the top of each slice.
• Apply the olive “eyes,” tomato “mouth,” and sesame stick “neck bolts” to each piece of toast.

Makes 1 to 2 servings

Stuffed ‘Eyeballs’

These are the creepiest snacks ever! The blood on these plates isn’t real, but the thought of gobbling down an eyeball can still frighten anyone.

Ingredients:

1 10-oz. pkg. whole button mushrooms, rinsed and de-stemmed
1 block extra-firm tofu, drained, not pressed
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 5-oz. can black olives, sliced
Optional: Sriracha or other hot sauce, for decoration

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Place the mushroom caps upside down on a baking sheet.
• Purée the tofu, garlic, lemon juice, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• Place the mixture into a piping bag (or a large sandwich bag with the corner cut off) and pipe even amounts into each mushroom cap, filling to the top. Place an olive slice on top of each.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mushroom caps start to wrinkle.
• Drizzle with Sriracha (or another favorite hot sauce) for a “bloody” touch.

Makes about 5 servings

Mummy Dogs

Nothin’ dead to see here! Just some veggie dogs wrapped in the most delicious costume ever—crescent roll dough. ?

Ingredients:

1 can vegan crescent roll dough
1 pkg. veggie dogs (try Smart Dogs)
Condiment of your choice, for decorating (we used mustard)

Directions:

• Roll out the crescent roll dough and cut into thin strips. Wrap around the veggie dogs until almost entirely covered, leaving room to make “eyes.”
• Bake according to the directions on the crescent roll package, or until the dough is golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and use the condiment of your choice to add “eyes” to each “mummy.”

Makes about 8 servings

‘Diseased’ Apples

Ingredients:

1 cup vegan chocolate chips (try Trader Joe’s)
1 tsp. coconut oil
2 popsicle sticks
2 green apples
1 cup pomegranate seeds

Directions:

• Combine the vegan chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted.
• Push a popsicle stick into each apple and dip into the melted chocolate.
• Immediately roll in the pomegranate seeds. Set aside until the chocolate has hardened.

Makes 2 apples

Scary Stuffed Bell Peppers

This recipe lets you carve another “pumpkin”! Yippee for the Halloween season. ?

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Cut off the tops of the bell peppers and remove the seeds, then rinse. Carve out triangle “eyes” and a “mouth” on each.
• Place on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
• Place the cooked quinoa in a large pot over low heat. Add the black beans, diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until any liquid has evaporated.
• Spoon the mixture into the hollowed-out bell peppers, filling to the top.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the bell peppers are soft but the filling isn’t too dry.

Makes 4 servings

Black Widow Cupcakes

Wipe the cobwebs off your Halloween spirit. You can start by making some spider cupcakes. Now that’s livin’ in harmony! The black licorice “legs” will spice things up and give this cupcake that eerie touch.

Ingredients

1 pkg. vegan chocolate cake mix (try Duncan Hines)
3/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup oil
1 pkg. black licorice
1 can vegan chocolate frosting (again, try Duncan Hines)
Chocolate sprinkles, for decorating
24 vegan chocolate chips, for decorating

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place black cupcake liners in a 12-cup muffin pan.
• In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, applesauce, and oil until smooth. Pour into the cupcake liners, dividing evenly among the cups. Bake for 18 to 21 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool.
• Cut each licorice piece in half, then cut lengthwise into thin strips. You will need 8 pieces per cupcake.
• Spread the frosting onto each cupcake and cover with sprinkles. Top each cupcake with 2 chocolate chip “eyes” and attach 4 licorice “legs” to each side. Enjoy!

Makes 12 cupcakes

Cosmic Quesadillas

These “cheesy” and delicious cosmic quesadillas truly are as out of this world as they look. ?

Ingredients:
4 spinach tortillas
1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese (try Follow Your Heart)
1 handful whole, pitted black olives

Directions

• Cut the tortillas into alien head shapes.
• Slice 2 black olives in half to create “eyes” and cut the remaining olives into smaller pieces for the “mouths.” Set aside.
• Divide the vegan cheese evenly among 2 tortillas, then top each with 1 of the remaining tortillas. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat, flipping once to melt the cheese evenly.
• Arrange the sliced olives on the quesadillas to form faces.

Makes 2 servings

Halloween Marshmallow Pops

No matter how you decorate these marshmallow pops, we know they’ll come out just bootiful!

Ingredients:

Cake pop or lollipop sticks
1 bag vegan marshmallows (try Trader Joe’s or Dandies)
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, melted (try Enjoy Life)
1 black icing pen

Directions:

• Insert a cake pop or lollipop stick into each marshmallow.
• Pour the melted chocolate into a zip-top sandwich bag with the corner cut off. Drizzle over half of the marshmallows.
• Use the black icing pen to draw ghostly faces on the remaining marshmallows.

Makes 10 servings

Tarantula Web Tostada

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegan refried beans
1 tostada shell
1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese
1/4 cup mashed avocado
3 Tbsp. vegan sour cream (try Tofutti’s)

Directions:

• Microwave the beans for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until desired warmth is achieved.
• Spread on the tostada, sprinkle with the vegan cheese, and top with the avocado, spreading smoothly.
• Fill a pastry bag with sour cream and pipe a spider web design on top. Tip: If you don’t have a pastry bag, a plastic bag with a small hole cut in one corner will also work.

Makes 1 tostada

Ghoulish Chips and Guacamole

This may not be the scariest recipe, but what’s cuter than dipping tiny “ghosts” into guacamole?

Ingredients:

10 white corn tortillas
Spray oil (try olive or coconut)
Salt, to taste
2 ripe avocados, mashed
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tomato, chopped
Pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Stack 3 to 4 tortillas at a time and cut with a ghoul-shaped (or other Halloween-themed) cookie cutter. (We got 2 shapes out of each tortilla.)
• Place on a cookie sheet, lightly spray the tops with oil, and lightly salt.
• If making ghoul shapes, poke holes with a knife tip to make “eyes.”
• Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, then flip and bake for another 1 to 2 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix together the avocado, onion, garlic, cilantro, and tomato. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Makes about 1 cup of guacamole

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

If pumpkin pie is one of your favorite fall desserts, you must try this smoothie. It tastes just like a piece of pumpkin pie—in a cup!

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin purée
1 cup vanilla nondairy milk
1 frozen banana
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
5 ice cubes
Optional: 1 Tbsp. agave nectar 

Directions:

• Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Do a taste test and add a bit more agave nectar, if using, for a sweeter taste.

Makes 1 serving

Vegan Candy Googly Eyes

Unfortunately, store-bought candy googly eyes aren’t animal-friendly. But you can still have fun and add eyes to your spooky treats by making your own. Our favorite recipe for these is from the blog Fork and Beans.

*****