Well, folks, it’s that time of year again: Halloween is upon us, an occasion for costumes and— more importantly—candy. It’s important to confront one of the scariest things about Halloween: figuring out what your late-night snack is going to be. Enjoy my favorite recipes for fall-themed vegan treats that are appropriately spooky for late October, with ingredients that won’t make you scream.

Popcorn Snack Mix

Skip the candy corn that always gives you a sugar hangover and opt instead for a scrumptious popcorn snack mix. This sweet and salty recipe makes enough to share, or to consume all by yourself. If you have good hand-eye coordination, you can even stuff some in your pocket before going out and break up awkward silences with the classic party trick of tossing popcorn pieces into your friend’s mouth.

Ingredients

● 13 1/2 cups popped popcorn (1 standard microwave bag, or 7 tbsp. unpopped kernels)
● 2 cups of those bat- and pumpkin-shaped pretzels that you always find at the grocery store before Halloween
● 1/4 cup coconut oil
● 2 tbsp. organic sugar
● 2 tbsp. salt (if popcorn is unsalted)
● 1 tbsp. cinnamon (optional)
● 2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
● 1 cup peanuts
● 1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

1. If solid, melt coconut oil by microwaving on high for 10-second intervals.
2. Combine popcorn and pretzels, and top with melted coconut oil. Stir to coat evenly.
3. Mix sugar, salt and cinnamon together, and add to popcorn mixture. Stir again to distribute spices.
4. Mix in chocolate chips, peanuts, pumpkin seeds and whatever additions your heart desires!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

What screams “Fall” more than pumpkin spice? NOTHING, that’s what. These muffins are delicious, pretty healthy and perfectly Instagrammable alongside your go-to Pumpkin Spiced Latte. They’re also a fantastic carbo-load before a night of Halloween fun. If you didn’t have the foresight to carve a jack-o’-lantern and save the pumpkin guts for baking purposes, the canned stuff works great too. Fun fact: Canned “pumpkin” is usually a combination of related squash varieties including Hubbard, butternut and Golden Delicious! So, if you have any orange-y winter squash lying around, feel free to use that instead for an extra homemade touch.

Ingredients

● 1 1/2 tbsp. ground flaxseed*
● 1/4 cup warm water
● 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. pumpkin or squash puree
● 1/2 cup organic sugar of choice*
● 1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
● 1/4 cup coconut or olive oil
● 1/2 cup almond milk or water
● 1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
● 2 tsp. baking soda
● 1/4 tsp. salt
● 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
● 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice*
● 1 cup rolled oats*
● 1 1/4 cup flour of choice*

For streusel topping:

● 2 1/2 tbsp. organic sugar
● 3 tbsp. flour
● 3 tbsp. rolled oats
● 1 1/4 tbsp. coconut oil
● 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 12-muffin tin or insert muffin liners.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix ground flax with warm water and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
3. Add pumpkin puree, sugar, liquid sweetener, oil, almond milk and vanilla to bowl and whisk until well-mixed.
4. Stir in baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
5. Add oats and flour, and stir until the batter is well-combined but not smooth.
6. Divide batter among muffin tins. (And if some of the batter happens to make it onto your spoon instead of the pans, hey—no eggs, no salmonella, no problem.)
7. In the same bowl (#fewerdishes), combine sugar, flour, oats, oil and pumpkin pie spice for streusel topping. Sprinkle evenly onto each muffin.
8. Bake for 27-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
9. Remove muffins from oven, let cool and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Ground flax can be found at most grocery stores these days, including United Provisions!
*White, brown, coconut, or muscovado sugar can all work for this recipe.
*Pumpkin pie spice is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. If you don’t have it, feel free to substitute more cinnamon for ~spicier~ muffins.
*For chunkier muffins, leave oats whole. For a smoother texture, grind oats in a food processor for 15 seconds.
*Use all-purpose flour for fluffier muffins, whole-wheat flour for a heartier texture, or a gluten-free blend if desired.
*Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker.

Apple Crisp

This recipe is perfect to use up all of the apples you picked at your annual sorority bonding event that are still in the Eckert’s bag, ready to rot away—why did you pick so many apples in the first place? If you’re not in this particular predicament, someone on your floor undoubtedly is. Anyway, this apple crisp is just like an apple pie but without the effort of making a crust. It’s warm, gooey and perfect to eat right out of the pan, with a spoon, by yourself, at 2:00 a.m.—I won’t tell.

Ingredients

●6-7 apples, thinly sliced
●1/4 cup sugar or sweetener of choice
●2 tbsp. lemon juice
●1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
●1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
●1 tbsp. flour of choice or cornstarch
For topping:
●1/3 cup organic sugar of choice
●3/4 cup rolled oats
●1/4 cup flour of choice
●1/4 tsp cinnamon
●1/8 tsp salt
●4-5 tbsp. coconut oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9×9” baking dish with melted coconut oil.
2. Combine apples, sweetener, lemon juice, cinnamon, nuts and flour in a bowl, then transfer to baking dish.
3. In the same bowl, mix sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon, salt and oil until a crumbly texture is achieved. Spread on top of apple mixture.
4. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until apples are soft and topping is crispy.
5. Remove apple crisp from oven, let cool (or don’t) and dig in!

Oreos

Shockingly, Oreos contain no animal-derived ingredients. Eat as many as you desire and feel totally guilt-free—in one sense of the word, anyway. And definitely take advantage of the holiday season to score some snack packs of mini Oreos because they somehow taste way better than the full-sized ones. Happy Halloween!