Trick-Or-Treat: Halloween Keto Style
/Recipe and Content Contributor: Taylor Parrish, RDN, CLC, LD
Halloween is just around the corner! The stores have an abundance of all things Halloween (candy, costumes, treats, props, etc.) tempting our little keto warriors. Holidays can be a time of mixed emotions for keto kiddos because they see so many things they cannot have on their ketogenic diet.
However, there are still some great alternatives, so your child does not have to go without. There can be treats, there can be candy, and there can be fun Halloween-type activities. Our hope is that these recipes help make Halloween and Fall time more enjoyable for your epilepsy warrior.
To get started, check out some of these great Halloween themed equipment:
Dash Mini Waffle Maker (available in pumpkin, spider web and skull)
Recipe 1: Charlie Foundation Blueberry Macadamia Nut Waffles using the spider web Dash waffle maker
Ingredients
• 50 g raw egg, mixed well
• 21 g macadamia nuts, ground into butter
• 8 g coconut oil, melted
• 20 g frozen blueberries, unsweetened
• optional: 3 drops liquid stevia, a pinch of salt
Directions
Pre-heat a waffle iron or non-stick pan. Combine the egg, macadamia nuts and coconut oil, stir until very well combined. Add the frozen blueberries and optional ingredients to the macadamia nut batter. Stir to evenly distribute the blueberries. Pour the batter into a waffle iron, filling each mold about 3⁄4 of the way full. For pancakes, use a tablespoon to pour small pancakes onto a non-stick pan. Make sure to scrape all the batter out of the mixing bowl! For waffles, cook until the steam begins to slow down, ignore any indication lights or alarms! For pancakes, cook the first side until the edges begin to look dry, flip and cook the second side until cooked through and slightly browned. Top with fresh blueberries and butter to meet your child’s ratio (for a 2.5:1 ratio, add 32 g fresh blueberries and 1 T (14 g) butter on top). Serve immediately or freeze in plastic wrap.
Check out these other great Halloween recipes from the Charlie Foundation:
Recipe 2: Super Easy Pumpkin Seed Snack
Ingredients:
• 130 grams (1 cup) pumpkin seeds
• 25 grams (2 Tablespoons) coconut oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325F. Wash seeds in colander, don’t worry if there are a bit of “pumpkin guts” still on the seeds. Dry seeds and place on pan. Melt coconut oil in microwave for 45 seconds. Pour oil over seeds, add salt, stir, and pop in the oven. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring once. Divide this into 4 servings.
Nutrition Information (per serving): 250 calories, 1.5 grams net carbs, 22 grams fat, 9 grams protein (2:1 ketogenic ratio)
Recipe 3: Ghost Tortilla Chips by KetoCook
Ingredients:
• 1/2 low carb tortilla (Mission whole wheat carb balance)
• 2 T olive oil
• pinch sea salt
Directions:
Cut tortilla into shape of choice (ghost, pumpkin, etc.). drizzle with olive oil and mix well to coat the
tortilla. Sprinkle with sea salt. Line parchment paper on baking sheet and payout the tortilla
without overlapping. Bake in oven at 320°F for 8 minutes (or until crisp).
**Can serve with keto cheese sauce (cheddar cheese, cream, and butter), guacamole/avocado or with
hummus dip (Haig’s Baba Ghannouge brand is very low in carbs and you can add extra olive oil for more fat).
For some other great Halloween recipes from KetoCook check these out:
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Recipe 4: Spooky Pesto
Ingredients:
• 1⁄2 cup cooked spaghetti squash
• 1/4 cup Classico pesto sauce
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 oz mozzarella cheese (cut from a “log” or use the mozzarella balls)
• 2 black olive slices
• 1 red pepper slice
Directions:
Combine pesto and olive oil. Stir into cooked spaghetti squash. Add mozzarella and olives to make eyes. Add pepper slice for nose.
Nutrition information (per serving): 465 calories, 8 grams net carbs, 9.5 grams protein, 42 grams fat (2.4:1 ketogenic ratio)
Fat Bomb & Candy Recipes:
Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Ghost
Ingredients:
• 8 oz cream cheese, full fat, softened
• 1⁄2 c butter, salted, softened
• 1 c MCT oil powder
• 1 cup Lakanto Powdered Monkfruit sweetener
• 84 Lily’s Chocolate Chips
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
• 1⁄4 tsp ground cloves
• 1⁄4 tsp ground nutmeg
Directions:
Using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese, butter, MCT oil powder and monkfruit sweetener on low-medium speed until well combined and no clumps remain. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, blend spices into cream cheese mixture. Add mixture to a piping bag with a circular wide nozzle (or put in a plastic baggie and cut the edge). Use piping bag to create ghosts. Reserve 3 chocolate chips for eyes and nose on each ghost. Chill for 30 minutes and serve. This recipe makes 28 ghosts (~23 grams each). May store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition information (per ghost): 100 calories, 0.5 grams net carbs, 10 grams fat, 1 gram protein (6.7:1 ketogenic ratio)
Peanut Butter Fat Bomb
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup (108 g) coconut oil (melted)
• 3/4 cup (192 g) Skippy NSA PB
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
• 3 - 4 drops liquid stevia
• Chocolate Ganache
• 1 T (5 g) cocoa powder
• 6 T (84 g) coconut oil
• 1 - 2 drops liquid stevia
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the coconut oil, peanut butter, salt, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia (or another
no-calorie sweetener). Whisk until smooth and creamy. Line a 6-muffin tray with muffin paper cups. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the peanut butter mixture into each cup. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight, to set. While the peanut butter layer is chilling, whisk together the ganache ingredients until silky smooth. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of chocolate ganache on top of each fat bomb.
Chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information (per fat bomb): 271 kcals, 2.2 grams net carbs, 27.5 grams fat, 3.6 grams protein (4.7:1 ketogenic ratio)
Pumpkin Pie Patties
Ingredients:
• 2 1⁄2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1⁄2 cup coconut oil
• 25 drops stevia (such as Sweet Leaf)
• pinch to 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup pumpkin puree, unsweetened
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1⁄4 teaspoon
• pinch ground cloves
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with two 12-count mini muffin silicon molds. Set aside. Add shredded coconut, coconut oil, stevia, and salt to the bowl of your food processor. Process on high for 5-8 minutes until drippy. You may have to remove the lid a couple of times and scrape the chunky bits from the side of the bowl. Once smooth, remove 1⁄4 cup of the coconut mixture, leaving the remaining coconut mix in the food processor bowl. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth again. If you use cold pumpkin puree, the coconut will harden. No worries - just process until smooth again. The texture of the pumpkin mixture will be like apple sauce. Divide the pumpkin mixture into the muffin cups. Press down with fingers or the back of a spoon until completely flat. Then, top with reserved white coconut mixture. Transfer baking sheet to the freezer and freeze for 1 hour. Serve!
Nutrition Information (each mini muffin cup): 187 calories, 2.3 grams net carbs, 19 grams fat, 1.3 grams protein (5.25:1 ketogenic ratio)
Chocolate Coconut Candy
Candies
• 1⁄2 cup coconut butter
• 1⁄2 cup coconut oil
• 1⁄2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3 T powdered Swerve (does contain sugar alcohols)
Chocolate Topping
• 1 1⁄2 oz cocoa butter
• 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1⁄4 cup Swerve
• 1⁄4 cup cocoa powder
• 1⁄4 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Line a mini muffin pan with 20 mini paper liners. Combine coconut butter and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted, then mix in the shredded coconut and sweetener. Divide mixture between muffin cups and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. For the chocolate coating, combine cocoa butter and unsweetened chocolate in a bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (or use a double boiler). Stir until melted. Stir in powdered sweetener, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Spoon chocolate over the chilled coconut candies and let set, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Information (per 2 candies): 166 calories, 2.5 grams net carbs (subtracting 90% of carb from erythritol), 17 grams fat, 1 gram protein (4.9:1 ketogenic ratio)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Candies
Chocolate Coating
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 3 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 2 T powdered Swerve
• 2 T cocoa powder
• 1⁄2 tsp vanilla
• 12 drops stevia extract
Peanut Butter Filling
• 1⁄2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 3 T powdered Swerve
• 1⁄2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Combine butter, unsweetened chocolate, and powdered Swerve in a small saucepan over low heat.
Stir until melted, then mix in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and stevia. Let cool 5-10 minutes until
somewhat thickened. Use the back of a small spoon to spread 3⁄4 of the chocolate mixture (reserving the rest for later) on the bottom and up the sides of twelve 1 1⁄2-inch silicone candy molds. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. Divide mixture between muffin cups and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. In a microwave safe bowl, warm peanut butter for about 30 seconds at 50% powder until melted
but not hot. Stir in vanilla and powdered Swerve. Remove chocolate cups from the freezer and fill almost to the top with peanut butter mixture, leaving a little room on top for the remaining chocolate. Return to freezer for another 10 minutes until firm. Rewarm remaining chocolate and spoon over the peanut butter filling. Freeze again until set, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information (per 1 candy): 138 calories, 3 g net carb (subtracting 90% of carb from erythritol), 13.5 grams fat, 3.8 grams protein (2:1 ketogenic ratio)
We hope these recipes make your keto kiddos Halloween and fall season a little bit tastier! Please share your tips and tricks for thriving during the Halloween season when navigating a ketogenic diet.