Spooky Vegan Treats for Little Cooks

Halloween may be a little different this year but that doesn’t mean it needs to be any less fun.

Baking some healthy treats is great way to start to the festivities and introduce your child to the joys of cooking. Here Little Cooks Co, the subscription based recipe kit providers for kids, share two of their favourite vegan recipes for the ultimate spooky treat.

Spooky Spiders!

These spooky spiders are perfect to serve up this Halloween

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 7 minutes

Serves: around 15 spiders

Allergens: Nuts

Tasty Tip: Make sure you pack these spiders tightly so they don’t crumble!

Ingredients:

·      80g almond butter

·      80g maple syrup

·      50g coconut oil

·      40g hazelnuts

·      30g puffed quinoa

·      30g puffed brown rice

·      20g buckwheat groats

·      20g raw cocao powder

·      10g milled flaxseed

Implements:

·      Baking tray

·      Food processor/blender

·      Mixing bowl

·      Spatula

·      Saucepan

·      Muffin cases

Cooking instructions: 

1.    Preheat the oven to 180c (160c fan assisted)

2.    Scatter the hazelnuts and buckwheat groats on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 7 minutes

3.    While they are toasting make your sauce by melting the almond butter, maple syrup, raw cocao powder and coconut oil in a saucepan on a low heat, stirring regularly

4.    Tip the sauce into a mixing bowl

5.    Next place your toasted hazelnuts and buckwheat groats in a food processor or blender and blitz until ground

6.    Pour into your mixing bowl and add the milled flaxseeds, puffed quinoa and puffed brown rice

7.    Stir really well until all the sauce is combined with the dry ingredients

8.    Next, place a muffin case in your palm and put a large tablespoon of the mixture in it. Push the mixture down firmly with the back of a spoon – this is an important step that will stop your spiders crumbling later. Repeat until all the mixture is finished

9.    Place the muffin cases in the freezer for 10 minutes and then remove and decorate as spiders! Store in the fridge for up to 5 days

Spooky Witches Fingers!

Who’d have thought witches fingers could taste so good?!

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes (in freezer)

Serves: 15-20 fingers

Allergens: Nuts

Tasty Tip: If you are using coconut oil then it tastes best using an unscented version

Ingredients:

·      50g coconut oil at room temperature (20g + 30g)

·      35g maple syrup (20g + 15g)

·      2 teaspoons of vanilla essence

·      70g pitted dates 70g cashew nuts

·      70g ground almonds

·      20g buckwheat groats

·      15g chia seeds

·      15g flax seeds

·      15g raw cocao powder

·      Flaked almond ‘nails’

Implements:

·      Small bowl

·      Food processor/blender

·      Teaspoon

·      Plate/tray for freezer

·      Saucepan

·      Wooden spoon

Cooking instructions:

1.    Soak the dates in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes

2.    While they are soaking add the buckwheat, cashew nuts, ground almonds, flax and chia seeds to your food processor/blender with 20g coconut oil, 20g of maple syrup and 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence

3.    Strain the dates and pop them into your food processor too and then blitz for a few minutes until the dates and cashew nuts have fully broken down

4.    Ask an adult for help to remove the blade and then start rolling your fingers! Roll a small smount of the mixture (about the size of a 50p coin) into a long finger shape

5.    Pop the fingers onto a plate or small container and place in the freezer while you make the chocolate coating

6.    Gently melt 30g of coconut oil in a saucepan with 15g of maple syrup and then stir in the raw cacao powder until fully combined

7.    Take the chocolate off the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes

8.    Remove the fingers from the freezer and use a teaspoon to coat one half of each of them in chocolate!

9.    Lastly add an almond flake to the chocolate end as a nail and then lay flat on a plate/tray and store in the fridge for up to a week 

Little Cooks Co is a monthly subscription-based recipe kit that’s posted through the letterbox, direct to kids, in a neat 100% recyclable box with compostable packaging. The box is packed with all the natural and healthy dry ingredients of that month’s delicious and nutritious recipe for kids to bake in the home. Prices start from £8.33 a month. littlecooksco.co.uk