Hosting a Halloween party for grown-ups? Here’s some fun snack ideas!

Are you in charge of the snacks for a Halloween party at your senior center or community clubhouse? Here’s some fun recipe ideas from the Dole Food Company that your grown-up guests are sure to love! For more original Dole recipes, nutritional insights, and other information, visit www.dole.com.

Sparkling Ghouls Mocktails

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey 
• 1/2 cup water 
• 2 pieces (2 x 1-inches each) fresh ginger, sliced 
• 3 cups diced DOLE® Tropical Gold® Pineapple 
• 6 cups ice cubes 
• 1 liter plain seltzer 
• Cranberry “Blood” (recipe below)

Directions

1. Stir together honey, water and ginger in small saucepan. Heat mixture until honey melts without bringing it to a boil. Remove from heat and cool completely. Remove ginger before using.
2. Combine pineapple and honey-ginger syrup in food processor or blender. Cover; blend until smooth.
3. Fill six tall glasses with ice cubes. Divide pineapple mixture between glasses, about 2/3 cup in each. Pour in 2/3 cup seltzer and stir. Dot some Cranberry “Blood” in several spots along inner edge of the glasses, making sure “blood” touches glass. The “blood” will swirl as it falls to the bottom of the glass!

Cranberry “Blood”: Choose frozen cranberry concentrate without corn syrup. In a small saucepan, simmer 1/2 cup thawed cranberry concentrate until reduced by half, about 4 or 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. If Cranberry “Blood” is made ahead, refrigerate and then bring to room temperature before adding it to the drinks.

Orange and Green Meanies

A citrusy salad dressed in orange makes for an amusing Halloween centerpiece. Hand-carved oranges are filled with a fresh mixture of DOLE^® Organic Spring Mix, papaya, lentils, pumpkin seeds and hazelnuts, tossed in an orange vinaigrette. Top with alfalfa sprouts to complete this spooky look.

Ingredients

• 6 large oranges
• 1 pkg. (5 oz.) DOLE^® Organic Spring Mix
• 1 cup diced red papaya
• 1 cup cooked red lentils
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
• Orange vinaigrette (see recipe below)
• 2 cups alfalfa sprouts

Directions

1. Cut jack-o’-lantern face into each orange. Cut off top and hollow out flesh inside, reserving flesh and juice for the vinaigrette. Set aside.
2. Toss together DOLE^® Organic Spring Mix salad blend, papaya, lentils, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts and orange vinaigrette. Fill each hollow orange with one cup salad mixture. Separate sprouts into six bunches. Press one bunch into the top of each orange, like wild hair. Arrange on a platter or table!

Orange Vinaigrette Dressing: Whisk 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tips & tricks

Hollow out the oranges and cut each one into a fun jack-o’-lantern face. Cover them with a damp towel until you are ready to fill them. They will hold beautifully in the refrigerator for about a week.

Crazy Eyes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup natural strawberry preserves 
• 1/3 wheat baguette, cut diagonally into 1/4″ slices, toasted (12 slices) 
• 1/3 cup almond butter 
• 1 small DOLE® Banana, cut into 12 slices 
• 12 DOLE Blueberries

Directions

1. Heat strawberry preserves in small saucepan. Strain into a small bowl and cool. Spoon preserves into a small plastic storage bag, snipping off one corner. Set aside.
2. Spread a teaspoon of almond butter on each bread slice. Place a banana slice on top for “eye ball”. Use a dot of preserves to attach blueberry “pupil”. Pipe preserves onto almond butter to resemble bloodshot eyes.

Pumpkin Spice-Sweet Potato Dole Whip

Ingredients

1 cup peeled and chopped DOLE® Sweet Potato
1¾ cups chopped DOLE® Pineapple, frozen
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsweetened refrigerated coconut milk
¾ teaspoon gluten free pumpkin pie spice
Chopped pecans and/or coconut chips for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Heat potato and 2 tablespoons water in a medium microwave-safe bowl, covered with plastic wrap with 1 edge slightly open to vent, in microwave oven 3 minutes or until very tender. Drain potato; cool completely.
2. Purée pineapple, syrup, milk, ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and potato in a food processor on high until smooth, scraping down bowl occasionally. Makes about 2 cups.
3. Divide pineapple mixture into 4 bowls; sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and top with pecans and/or coconut chips, if desired.

Spooky Halloween Fruit Platter

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons gluten free white chocolate chips
• ½ pound DOLE® Green Grapes
• 2 teaspoons gluten free mini dark chocolate chips
• 6 whole DOLE® Mandarin Oranges
• Black edible marker
• 4 ripe DOLE® Bananas, peeled and halved crosswise
• 1 large DOLE® Red Apple, halved, cored and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons caramel topping
• 2 tablespoons chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

Directions

1. Heat white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl in microwave oven on high 40 seconds or until melted, stirring every 20 seconds; transfer to small zip-top plastic bag and snip bottom corner with kitchen scissors.
2. Pipe white chocolate onto grapes for white part of “eyeballs”; place mini chocolate chip in center of each for “pupils”. Dry completely
3. Draw jack-o’-lantern faces on oranges with marker; dry completely.
4. Press chocolate chips, pointed side down, into bananas to make “ghost faces”.
5. Arrange apple slices on a serving platter; drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with peanuts. Arrange “ghost bananas,” “eyeball grapes” and “jack-o’-lantern oranges” on serving platter.

Read more: Carve a Pineapple Jack-O’-Lantern and fill it with a Bountiful Fruit Salad with Orange-Mint Dressing