Halloween Party Foods with Protein to Fuel Ghouls!

Whether you’re hosting a Halloween bash or just planning to pass out treats, these last-minute Halloween recipes from TheFitFork.com are killer.  Plus, they aren’t packed with sugar – in fact, you can flex your monster muscles even more because they are all a good source of protein thanks to ingredients like nuts, cottage cheese or protein powder. From spooky snacks to hearty mains, these tasty, fit Halloween party food recipes will sustain your energy through all the frightful festivities!

These clever deviled eggs look like little autumn pumpkins, but contain no squash – only eggs, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and turmeric for the signature orange hue of the season. Low in calories, high in protein – a smart snack for Halloween, Thanksgiving or any fall festival.

Turmeric Deviled Eggs that Look Like Pumpkins: So cute and clever, this protein-packed snack could bring a smile and new life to even the most dead of zombies. High-five for Halloween protein!

Like Chex Mix, but homemade and super addictive! Whip up a big batch of this salty, spicy-sweet snacking treat with your favorite pretzels, crackers and nuts. Use gluten-free or seeds, if needed! Hot Honey Snack Mix is 0erfect for parties, lunch boxes, movie night, road trip munching – plus, it’s as economical as it is delicious!

Hot Honey Snack Mix: This spicy-salty-sweet snack mix will be a hit with all the monsters who love to munch! You can sub in gluten-free pretzels and crackers, depending on your needs. It disappears quick, I’d make double batch for Halloween party food!  

Beef Bone Broth Chili: Warm up your bones with this hearty beef chili that is PACKED with protein thanks to lean ground beef, beef bone broth and kidney beans.

These easy protein pumpkin peanut butter cups are the perfect nearly sugar-free swap for Reese’s Cups, one of America’s favorite candies. Rich chocolate envelops a creamy center filled with protein and seasonal flavors. No bake, no guilt and a favorite homemade swap for Halloween candy.

Pumpkin Protein Peanut-Butter Cups: Put a seasonal, sugar-free spin on one of America’s favorite candies, with this easy-peasy recipe that celebrates pumpkin spice – the macros are so nice in this sugar-free Reese’s Cup makeover.

Garlicky Roasted Pumpkin Seeds can be made in the air-fryer or oven and are a quick, easy and economical snack you will love this fall season.

Garlic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: Easy and economical – I mean, why throw the guts of your Jack o’ Lantern away! Make this tasty, addictive snack in the air-fryer or oven and use garlic salt – or the other seasonings of your choice!

Pumpkin spice makes me nice so I'm all about these pumpkin protein snickerdoodle cookies! Easy to make, nostalgic, yummy and only 67 cal, 6.5g carb with 3g protein per cookie!

 Pumpkin Protein Snicker Doodle Cookies: Capture all the vibes of the fall with these simple snickerdoodle cookies rolled in cinnamon-sugar and baked with buttery-crisp edges and a soft, chewy center. Protein powder – choose your favorite variety – pumps them up with protein.

Whip up a batch of these amazing autumn-inspired pumpkin spice cookies in under 30 minutes! Lower carb, gluten-free plus, soft, chew and amazing flavorful -- especially with the coffee glaze!

Low Carb Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies: No protein powder in this sugar-free, gluten-free pumpkin protein cookie, but still boasts about 5.5g protein per pieces. Ahh, and that pumpkin spice latte drizzle is everything!

Hot Honey Snack Mix

Looking for a snack that’s perfect for all of life’s munching moments? Whether you’re road-tripping, throwing a party, settling in for movie night, hiking your favorite trail, or packing lunchboxes, this spicy-sweet snack mix has you covered. The star of this mix is a glaze made with hot honey and butter, which pulls together a delicious combo of oats, pretzels, cracker bits, and Spanish peanuts into a crispy, salty-sweet treat.

What’s great about this snack mix is how customizable it is. If you prefer different nuts, want to kick up (or down the spice), or need gluten-free crackers, go for it! You can tailor it to your dietary preferences with ease. Personally, I love making my own snack mixes because they taste so much better than store-bought options. Plus, it’s a more economical choice, and I get to control every ingredient, ensuring there are no unwanted additives or preservatives.

So, whether you’re looking for a satisfying snack for a long car ride or something to share at your next gathering, this snack mix delivers bold flavors and crunchy textures that will keep everyone reaching for more!

Hot Honey Snack Mix
Prep Time
10 mins
 
Like Chex Mix, but homemade and super addictive! Whip up a big batch of this salty, spicy-sweet snacking treat with your favorite pretzels, crackers and nuts. Use gluten-free or seeds, if needed! Perfect for parties, lunch boxes, movie night, road trip munching – plus, it’s as economical as it is delicious!
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Keyword: cereal, chex mix, peanuts, pretzels
Servings: 30 1/2 cup servings
Ingredients
  • 8 cups rice squares cereal
  • 1 cup mini pretzel twists
  • 1 cup mini pretzel sticks
  • 2 cups small, or broken crackers of choice (I used oyster crackers)
  • 3 cups raw Spanish peanuts or any nut, nut mixture, or seeds of your choice
Sauce
  • ¾ cup melted butter
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ cup hot honey*
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • *if you don’t have hot honey, use regular honey and add 1 tsp cayenne pepper and 1-2 tsp chili powder
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F
  2. In large bowl, add cereal, pretzels, crackers and nuts; toss together.
  3. In microwave-save bowl, melt butter, then stir in Worcestershire, honey and spices.
  4. Drizzle seasoning sauce over dry snack mix. Gently stir everything around until coated.
  5. Transfer coated mix onto rimmed baking tray and spread out into an even layer. Bake for up to 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring up ever 15 minutes for even cooking.

  6. Remove mix from oven. Let cool completely before transferring to storage bags or containers.

Spicy Sweet Ancho Roasted Spanish Peanuts in Air Fryer (or Oven)

Summer’s here I’m snacking on peanuts more than ever. Recipes like these Spicy Sweet Ancho Roasted Spanish Peanuts make a quick, easy and economical snack that will curb the hangries and keep the whole family filled up on road trips, hikes, long days at the park and more.

Get your hot peanuts here! Raw Spanish peanuts are roasted in air fryer or oven after being coated with butter, sugar (or alternative), salt and a mildly spicy chile powder. An easy, economical and low-carb snack.

This sweet savory peanut recipe uses raw Spanish peanuts – make sure you are using RAW nuts, not those already roasted and salted. Raw Spanish peanuts are typically a great deal compared to other nut options and can be ordered in large bags* or you can pick up from the bulk bins in the exact amount you want at your market. *If you have more raw peanuts than you will use right away, keep remaining raw Spanish peanuts in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 6 months, to ensure freshness.

Get your hot peanuts here! Raw Spanish peanuts are roasted in air fryer or oven after being coated with butter, sugar (or alternative), salt and a mildly spicy chile powder. An easy, economical and low-carb snack.

I used Ancho Chile Powder for a mildly spicy, sweet vibe – but feel free to sub another spice like a hotter chile powder or cinnamon even pumpkin pie spice! This is YOUR snack!

When prepping for the Ancho Roasted Peanuts recipe, all you may wonder if you need to remove the red skin from the Spanish peanuts. No, that’s no necessary!  In fact, peanut skins have an abundant amount of natural antioxidants and a high content of dietary fiber, so I always leave them on!

I made this spiced Spanish peanut recipe in a large, oven-style air fryer. If using a smaller, drawer-style air fryer you will need to do in two batches. Also, you can roast red skin peanuts, including this recipe, in a traditional oven. The details are in the recipe card below.

This roasted red skin peanut recipe makes about two cups, serving eight (about ¼ cup per each). Leftovers store great, just keep in an air-tight bag for a month or so – if they last that long! Also, check out my Heavenly Cinnamon Honey Roasted Peanuts based on a recipe from my Cooking for One for Dummies book.

Get your hot peanuts here! Raw Spanish peanuts are roasted in air fryer or oven after being coated with butter, sugar (or alternative), salt and a mildly spicy chile powder. An easy, economical and low-carb snack that sustains -- perfect for hikes, road trips, post workout and more!

Post contains Amazon affiliate links. Visit my Amazon store for more products I love to use in my recipes.

Spicy Sweet Ancho Spanish Peanuts Roasted in Air Fryer
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
13 mins
Total Time
18 mins
 

Get your hot peanuts here! Raw Spanish peanuts are roasted in air fryer or oven after being coated with butter, sugar (or alternative), salt and a mildly spicy chile powder. An easy, economical and low-carb snack that sustains — perfect for hikes, road trips, post workout and more!

Course: Snack
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: ancho, low carb, peanuts, snack
Servings: 8 1/4 cup servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups raw Spanish peanuts red skin still on
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp sugar or equivalent low-carb granulated sweetener
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ancho chile powder or can use another type of chile powder or spice like cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, etc.
Instructions
  1. In medium bowl, stir sugar, salt, and chile powder until combined.
  2. Add peanuts (leave skins on), stir until coated. Pour out onto air fryer tray lline with parchment paper for easier clean up.
  3. Air fry at 300F degrees for 5 minutes, stir around with spatula. Then air fry at 350F degrees for an additional 8 minutes (so 13 min. combined).
  4. Or, roast in 350F degree oven on a rimmed baking sheet, for about 15 minutes (stirring up every 5 minutes).
  5. If desired, while still warm you can sprinkle with a little more sugar and salt. So yummy warm. If you have leftovers, let cook and store in a zip-top bag.

Heavenly Cinnamon Honey Roasted Peanuts for One

Nuts, nuts, get your hot peanuts here! Heavenly Cinnamon Honey Roasted Peanuts is a quick and easy snack recipe from my Cooking for One for Dummies cookbook that will satiate and satisfy those salty-sweet cravings.

This honey-roasted peanut recipe is so much better than store-bought varieties, so fresh and warm and addictive – nothing like the smell of hot nuts in the air-fryer or oven. plus ready in under 10 minutes to snack on whenever the craving hits!  I like the fact that the recipe is a single serve portion, so I don’t mindless snack on more than I intended.

Cinnamon Honey-Roasted Peanuts for One are a quick and easy snack, so much better than store-bought.

Just a few simple ingredients, like melted butter and honey, are mixed up with raw Spanish peanuts. (Note: use raw peanuts for the best result). Spanish peanuts (aka: redskin peanuts) are a great source of protein and fiber, plus they also have resveratrol, a plant compound shown to regulate blood sugar.

After coating the peanuts in the honey butter mixture, just roast ‘em up in an oven or air fryer (I really love my oven-style air fryer) Then, while still warm, they are tossed with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon and salt. My original recipe calls for sugar, today I made them with a granulated sugar substitute (in a 1:1 measure equivalency) and they turned out great. The purpose of the sugar-cinnamon-salt coating is to add a bit more flavor, add texture and keep them from being too sticky.

The portion size is pretty generous on this honey-roasted peanuts for one (1/2 cup), so if you have leftovers, they will stay fresh for a few days in an air-tight container or baggie. On the flip side, if you want a bigger batch, this is an easy, no-fail recipe to multiply up – no need to change any cooking time, just make sure peanuts are spread out in a single layer.

5 from 5 votes
Treat yourself to a single-serve batch of honey-roasted peanuts dusted in cinnamon -- all for you, you don't have to share (although, it's a generous portion, if you'd like too). This all-American snack satisfies those salty-sweet cravings, offers protein and fiber and tastes so much better than store-bought -- made in only 10 minutes!
Heavenly Cinnamon Honey Roasted Peanuts
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Treat yourself to a single-serve batch of honey-roasted peanuts dusted in cinnamon — all for you, you don't have to share (although, it's a generous portion, if you'd like too). This all-American snack satisfies those salty-sweet cravings, offers protein and fiber and tastes so much better than store-bought — made in only 10 minutes!

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer, honey, peanuts, walnuts
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 395 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp butter melted
  • 1 tsp honey
  • ½ cup raw Spanish peanuts also called redskin
  • 2 tsp sugar or granulated sugar substitute 1:1 measure equivalency
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat air-fryer or oven to 325F.
  2. Stir honey into melted butter. Pour peanuts; stir until evenly coated and then spread out on small rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, parchment or a silicone baking sheet (to make clean up easier).
  3. Air fry for 5-6 minutes or bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring up halfway through. Watch closely near the end, as sugared nuts will start burning fast once they reach the “tipping point.”
  4. Remove from heat. In small bowl, stir together sugar (or sugar substitute, cinnamon and salt); sprinkle over peanuts while still warm; toss to coat. Let cool a couple minutes before eating.
Recipe Notes

Mediterranean Walnut Picadillo | Plant-based Pantry Recipe

Disclaimer: I received free samples of California Walnuts mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Walnuts and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Because grocery shopping is challenging right now, my recipe for Mediterranean Walnut Picadillo makes use of pantry items and basic ingredients commonly stocked in most kitchens. Mediterranean Walnut Picadillo - Plant-based Pantry Recipe

Plus, this easy savory walnut recipe is plant-based and suitable for a variety of diet types including vegan and gluten-free along with Paleo and Whole30 if you drop the rice it’s served on. Read on to learn how to make a walnut meat alternative and create this tasty dish! Continue reading