Though Halloween is the one time of the year to dress in spooky outfits, the only thing scary about most Halloween food is the amount of sugar your kids are going to eat over the next week. Sure, you can add some orange lights and cobwebs to your front lawn, but if you really want to throw some scares at your Halloween guests, you’ll need some spooky treats. And if you want to serve up some bites full of fright, treats made of bugs are the best way to get shrieks.
While it may sound too gross to consider, you’d be surprised at the number of everyday foods – even your favorite ones – that contain bugs. More than 80 percent of the world’s population eats insects, and bugs can make a tasty addition to your Halloween treats. If you need some inspiration, you can probably find plenty from your local pest control company, and you can purchase your creepy crawlies at a pet store or feed store. Below you’ll find a few recipes that are sure to make guests look like they’ve just seen a ghost.
Cricket and Bacon stuffed Mushrooms
- ½ Cup of Roasted Crickets
- 1 Package of bacon
- 1 8 oz Package of Cream Cheese (room temp.)
- 2 Quarts of whole Portabella Mushrooms
Combine the cream cheese and roasted crickets in a bowl. Wash mushrooms and remove stems from caps. Fry bacon until crispy and chop, then add to the cream cheese mixture. Place the mushroom caps on a covered cookie sheet and spoon the cream cheese mixture into the mushroom caps. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Scare-amel Apples
- Apples
- Caramel
- Skewer sticks
- Waxed paper
- Frozen mealworms
These are just caramel apples with a garnish of roasted mealworms that add a crunchy, nutty burst of flavor. Rinse and roast mealworms on a lightly oiled cookie sheets for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees until golden and crunchy. Then, push sticks through your apple of choice. Melt a handful of caramels in a small pot, dip apples until coated and then roll in the bugs. Refrigerate until cool and then serve on sticks or in slices.
Chocolate Covered Bugs
- Insect of choice (mealworms and crickets work best, again)
- Milk chocolate or white chocolate
Melt your chocolate of choice in a small pot over medium heat. Use tongs to dip your bugs into chocolate and allow them to cool on wax paper. Most guests won’t even realize they’re biting into a new treat.
Meal Worm Funnel Cakes
- 1 box of funnel cake mix
- 1 funnel (make sure the funnel is big enough for the meal worms to pass through)
- ½ cup of meal worms
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Sliced Strawberries
- Vegetable oil – Deep fryer or 2 inches deep in a skillet.
Follow directions to mix your funnel cake, and then add in the mealworms. Fry your cake in the oil on each side until a light brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Top with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries for a creepy twist on a carnival favorite.
Mike Cushing is a freelance writer for Florida Pest Control, which has been offering pest inspection and pest management services in Florida for more than 60 years.
