Tangerine Pumpkins & Banana Ghosts

Happy Halloween! There are so many fun things you can do with your kids to celebrate this spooky holiday. Let's start off by making some Tangerine Pumpkins and Banana Ghosts!

This recipe is perfect for any age because it's easy to make with no baking required - just hands on fun (great for fine motor skills, too!).

I love this recipe because you can customize it per your child’s food interests and imagination. These can easily be made dairy-free, nut free, gluten-free, etc. Just use brands that work for you and your family. We are allergy-friendly in our home and I love Enjoy Life Foods® chocolate chips.

Have a happy, healthy Halloween!

Ingredients

2 Bananas, peeled and cut in half at a slight angle. Bananas should be ripe but not overly ripe (avoid bananas that are already starting to brown, if possible)
1 stalk of celery, cut in thirds or quarters (pending size of the stalk), with each quarter cut lengthwise into strips to form the pumpkin stems
5-10 Clementines or tangerines (I used Clementines and recommend seedless for younger kids), peeled, but kept whole
Choices for coating the bananas (you can choose one or all, or opt not to coat):
- ¾ cup chocolate chips for melting and decorating (ghost eyes/mouth)
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips for melting and decorating (ghost eyes/mouth)
- 6 oz. Plain vanilla yogurt for coating the bananas (not Greek yogurt)

Optional: 4 wooden popsicle sticks (if you double, triple, etc. this recipe, you need 1 popsicle stick per half of banana)

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper (to prevent the chocolate or yogurt from sticking when cooling). If making banana pops, insert banana halves on popsicle sticks. If coating bananas with chocolate or yogurt follow steps 2 and 3, otherwise skip to step 4.

2. Melt white chocolate or brown chocolate for the banana ghosts in a double boiler or heat resistant glass bowl. Do not overheat chocolate – it should be melted gently – and avoid burning. But do not let cool! It needs to be melted for dipping. Alternatively, put the yogurt into a bowl.

3. Hold onto the base of the banana half or popsicle stick. Roll each banana into the melted chocolate or yogurt to coat. Let excess chocolate or yogurt drip back into the bowl (you can use your fingers to make this easier – and what’s great about this is that it doesn’t have to be perfect because any lines will create a ghostlier effect).

4. Before cooling the coated bananas, while the coating is still soft, insert the pointy side of the chocolate chips into the banana to create ghost eyes and mouth. I used dark chocolate chips for white chocolate or yogurt ghosts, and white chocolate chips for dark chocolate ghosts. If you did not coat the bananas, simply insert the chocolate chips!

5. Lay the coated banana ghosts on the wax paper or parchment paper. Immediately refrigerate until chocolate or yogurt coating is firm, about 1-3 hours. You can freeze for longer storage periods. The uncoated bananas may be refrigerated, frozen, or consumed immediately (avoid leaving at room temperature for too long because they will brown).

6. While bananas are cooling, insert one celery stalk into each peeled tangerine or clementine to make the pumpkins.

7. When ready, remove banana ghosts from the refrigerator or freezer (you can trim off any excess chocolate or yogurt).

8. Serve and enjoy!

Modifications

Instead of dipping the banana in melted chocolate, insert chocolate chips into the banana to make the eyes and mouth of a ghost. Simple!
Instead of celery for the tangerine/clementine pumpkin stems, you can use pea halves, green beans, or similar vegetables (you can also mix it up and use varied veggies).

Tips

To prevent/reduce browning of bananas, you can store the bananas in an airtight bag or container. If making them shortly before serving, you can sprinkle with a bit of clementine juice – the vitamin C helps slow the browning process.
If you make banana pops by putting the banana halves on popsicle sticks, these can then be readily frozen and enjoyed at any time. See Katie’s recipe for more details.

Fun, Healthy Food Facts to Share with your Kids

Clementines and tangerines are a great source of Vitamin C which is timely for immune-boosting as cold and flu season approaches.
Bananas are a rich source of potassium, an important nutrient to help our muscles grow.
Celery has high water content to help us stay hydrated!

Note: This blog post is updated from a post I originally wrote for O2 Fitness Clubs and can be accessed at: https://blog.o2fitnessclubs.com/healthy-halloween-treats

References

1. McCord C. Tangerine Pumpkins Banana Ghosts. Weelicious.

2. Morford K. BooNana Ghost Pops. Mom’s Kitchen Handbook.

3. National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Food Search: Full Report (All Nutrients): 45363190, Clementine, UPC: 845857020036. USDA Food Composition Databases.

4. National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Food Search: Basic Report: 09040, Bananas, raw. USDA Food Composition Databases.

5. National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Food Search: Basic Report: 1143, Celery, raw. USDA Food Composition Databases.

Hi! I’m Beth.

I’m a registered dietitian nutritionist and mom of three. I believe that everyone can feel more confident in feeding their families and themselves. My mission is to help clients find food freedom using the principles of Intuitive Eating so that they can heal their relationship with food and body. Eating and feeding should should be joyful, positive experiences that make us feel good. Create a happier home environment where everyone feels at peace with food and their bodies. Get in touch! Contact | Welcome to FTSN! (fromthestartnutrition.com)