Because Halloween is a sugar-filled candy holiday by design (wait…what holiday isn’t?), I tried this year to come up with snacks and treats that balanced that out a bit. This one combines air popped popcorn (yay for fiber!), no-sugar added apple chips (hooray for more fiber!), and roasted peanuts (three cheers for protein!), all tossed in a hot sauce of raw honey and peanut or almond butter. So, not to fool you, this technically isn’t “caramel”, but when you combine those flavors, it sure does taste that way!
A couple of tips that helped me:
– These can be formed into squares by pressing the mixture into a 9×13 pan and letting it cool, or it can be shaped into balls and then cooled.
– spray your knife with nonstick spray before cutting the squares. It will be easier and cut cleaner!
– add ingredients that your kids like! Dried coconut can easily be added, or sliced almonds can be swapped for the roasted peanuts, etc. Someone asked about using fresh chopped apple – I think that would be great! I have not tested it though, so just know that if you try that, you will be experimenting. Please let me know if you do.
These squares are perfect for a fall party, and as a healthier snack/dessert for little fingers! Have an awesome Halloween week, friend!
Annessa
I created this recipe for Albertsons Safeway.
Ingredients
8 cups air popped popcorn
2 cups apple chips
1 cup chopped unsalted dry roasted peanuts or almonds
1 cup raw honey
1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter
Preparation
1. Combine popcorn, apples and nuts in a large mixing bowl. Set aside
2. In a small pot on high heat bring honey to a boil. Allow boil for 3-5 minutes until very bubbly. Remove from heat. Add nut butter and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour over the popcorn and mix with a spoon.
4. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and spread evenly, patting down just a bit to form them into the pan. (Also – I love to use parchment paper to line the pan that way there is no messy clean up, and the coated popcorn easily comes out before cutting into squares.)
5. Let cool completely and cut into squares.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes, plus about 30 minutes for cooling
Serves: 12
Serving size: 1 square
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Serving Size: 1 square
Amount Per Serving
Calories 250, Total Fat 11.6, Saturated Fat 1.7, Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5, Monounsaturated Fat 5.7, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 39.3 mg, Potassium 96.1 mg, Total Carbohydrate 40.1 g, Dietary Fiber 3.8 g, Sugars 29.2 g, Protein 5.9 g
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