So, Halloween is almost here and I can’t help but create lots of scrumptious treats! I felt like I somewhat overdid it and crossed that line into Uhealthy-ville with my Paleo Candy Corn. I mean it was full of unprocessed sugars but it still felt like it was going a little too far. So I came up with these super cute Ghostly Halloween White Chocolate Apples that are also toddler friendly. I decided to use Granny Smith apples because they are so tart but a sweeter, crisp apple such as a Pink Fuji would also work so well.
These Ghostly Halloween White Chocolate Apples are made with a creamy sugar and dairy free raw white chocolate coating and dusted with shredded coconut for the ultimate healthy Halloween treat.
The white chocolate coating is 100% dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan so this is great for those party guests that struggle to find things to eat. I decided to use a mixture of powdered xylitol or erythritol over raw honey or maple syrup as I wanted the white chocolate to be as white as I could get it. Also xylitol is just brilliant at cleaning your teeth, and with the amount of harmful fruit acids in apples, it really was a no-brainer!
The great thing about this recipe is that you can just make it your own! Mix up that white chocolate a little by adding some orange or almond extract, or add natural food dyes such as turmeric and beet juice to create orange coloured pumpkins! If your little ones don’t like shredded coconut just leave them plain, or add raisins to create ghost faces. Basically just have some fun with this recipe and if you’re making it with the kiddies just let them be as creative as they like.
Wooden skewers or lollipop sticks work well for skewering apples but you could be a little more adventurous and cut some thick, tough twigs from some trees for a more authentic feel. Just be sure to wash them in soapy water, rinse, then leave to air dry before using. I actually used Wilton’s Tree Branch Treat Sticks which are reusable and just amazing. They also come in black but I could not find anywhere that sold them in the UK. I literally bought several packs as I just know that they’ll last me a lifetime. However, they seem to be out of stock absolutely everywhere (I originally bought them on Amazon).
The raw white chocolate isn’t overly sweet or sickly, rather just sweet enough to counterbalance the tartness of the apples. I opted for almond extract as it’s such an autumnal taste for me and I am a huge fan of marzipan and frangipane. Speaking of which – if you LOVE marzipan like I love it then you might want to check out my Marzipan Severed Zombie Fingers (be warned they’re pretty gory!).
By the way, please don’t feel that this recipe is simply restricted to Halloween – you could easily turn these into snowmen at Christmas, or just leave them as they are and call them snowballs. At Easter you could even decorate them in several pastel colours or leave them be and pop some marshmallow ears on top to create cute little bunnies! The options are quite literally endless! You just need a little creative flair and that’s about it really.
These also pair up well with my dark black and decadent Poison Toffee Apples to create a beautiful showstopping centre-piece!
- 135g cacao butter (grated)
- 100g coconut manna (a.k.a. coconut butter)
- ¼ cup coconut milk powder
- ¼ cup powdered xylitol and erythritol or raw honey
- 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract (optional)
- 6 small Granny Smith or Pink Fuji apples
- 6 lolly sticks/skewers/tough twigs
- 2 cups desiccated/shredded coconut
- Wash your apples and remove any stems by twisting them off. Gently skewer your apples with your sticks, firmly gripping the apple and pushing the stick no more than ⅔ of the way in to the apple. If any juice leaks out from the apple, blot with kitchen towel until the juice has gone. If you don't do this then you will find the chocolate will not coat your apple evenly!
- Add all of the ingredients for your white chocolate (except for the almond extract) to a bain marie and place over low heat. Be sure to stir the mixture frequently in order to ensure that the ingredients melt thoroughly and evenly.
- Once melted remove from the bain marie and leave to cool until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This could take anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Whilst you are waiting for your chocolate to cool, place your skewered apples into the freezer. This helps the chocolate to dry evenly once dipped.
- Meanwhile, line a baking tray with waxproof paper or non-stick baking parchment.
- Add 2 cups of shredded coconut to a wide bowl and place to one side. Once the white chocolate mixture has cooled remove your apples from the freezer.
- Dip an apple into the raw white chocolate mix, allow some excess to drip from the bottom, then immediately grab a handful of shredded coconut from the bowl and tip over the dipped apple. Keep sprinkling but rotate the apple as you go along to coat it evenly.
- Transfer the apple to your lined baking tray and repeat for all of the apples. You can then leave out at room temperature for 30-50 minutes until solid or just refrigerate until set, about 10-15 minutes.
Please note that the prep time includes 30 minutes cooling time for the raw chocolate mix and another 30 minutes setting time.
* All cup measurements used are UK cup measurements and so 1 cup = 250ml.
** If making your own powdered sugar blend ⅛ cup of erythritol and ⅛ cup xylitol granules to yield ½ cup.
2 Comments
Irena Macri
27th October 2016 at 2:48 pmI love these! I’m a fan of chocolate over caramel, so these are perfect. I also love the ghostly look. Well done 🙂
greensofthestoneage
28th October 2016 at 4:36 pmOooh thank you so much Irena! I really love the chocolate over caramel/toffee – no sugar rush at all. Thank you for your kind words and Happy Halloween! <3