Halloween has to be one of the most playful times of the year when it comes to the kitchen. Whilst you might think it’s reserved for trick-or-treating and sweets after dark, there’s plenty of fun to be had starting the day with a delicious, easy Halloween breakfast. For kids and adults alike, discover our favorite Halloween breakfast food ideas below, including ghost pancakes and pumpkin cookies.
Ghost pancakes
Pancakes are one of the best breakfasts and definitely a superb weekend treat or special dish for a day like Halloween. What’s even better about this recipe, is that you already know how to cook it. Simply make your pancakes from scratch as you would, and then place the batter into a squeezy bottle. Then trace the batter into the pan in the shape of a ghost of your choice, when you're ready to cook. Melted chocolate can be used to dot eyes onto the ghosts and then they’re ready to serve. A guilty treat in kitchens the world over, to perfect your pancake recipe you can find inspiration from the top chefs making their favorite pancake recipes too. And if ghosts don’t do it for you, then try making bat-shaped pancakes or pumpkin-shaped pancakes instead.
Pumpkin cookies
No Halloween is complete without a pumpkin carving contest, yet there’s no need to throw away the pumpkin flesh once you’ve finished. For extremely indulgent Halloween breakfast food, pumpkin cookies are an inventive way to use up the inside of your pumpkin. Ready in an hour, these cookies are a brilliant baking activity for kids the night before, ready to enjoy for a Halloween breakfast the day after. In the recipe we’ve shared, we’ve suggested using plain white icing to finish the cookies, but you could decorate the cookies with sweets or pipe coloured icing onto the top in the shape of your favorite monster’s face. A great way to keep the kids busy and entertained during breakfast time.
Halloween barmbrack
A Halloween barmbrack is a traditional dish for Halloween breakfast recipes, that’s eaten in Ireland to celebrate and mark the holiday. Essentially, it’s an Irish fruitcake, with an item placed inside the bread that’s said to tell your fortune. Common items baked into the cake include a coin which is said to bring wealth, a ring to predict a marriage, a bean for poverty, a matchstick for an unhappy marriage, and a thimble fortelling that you’ll be single for life. Whether or not the Irish Barmbrack can actually tell your fortune remains unclear, but what we do know is it’s an appetizing start to the celebrations and a memorable interactive dish to enjoy with friends and family. Make sure you bake this one the day before, as you’ll need to allow time for the fruit to soak first to get the best results.
Pumpkin pudding
A pumpkin pudding makes for a very indulgent breakfast, but it is Halloween after all. Best made with a Hoikaddo pumpkin, the result is a fluffy, sweet pudding dusted with icing sugar for the presentation. We’ve shared a fairly simple recipe, but you can experiment with adding spices like nutmeg and cinnamon to lean into the fall flavors. This recipe also features bread, as a twist on a classic bread and butter pudding. Some chefs will omit the bread to create a pudding more like a soufflé in texture, but we like the soft and fluffy texture the bread brings to the bake. Once you’ve mastered this pudding for Halloween, you can make it again for Thanksgiving dessert as a classic dish for both holidays.
Cinnamon buns
It’s hard to walk into any bakery these days and not stumble across freshly made cinnamon buns. Though the exact origin country of the bake may be disputed, it’s clear these breakfast treats originated in Scandinavia and are now popular the world over. For a more traditional breakfast on the day of Halloween, cinnamon buns are delicious to make at home, and easier than you might think. As with all bread-based dishes, you’ll need to allow enough time for the dough to rise, so we’d recommend making these treats the day before, given they’re tasty when eaten cold anyway. You can save the icing for the morning of your Halloween breakfast, however, so they don’t go soggy overnight. For a Halloween-twist on your recipe you could dollop your favorite red jam over the top, or even color the icing black or orange for a more festive decorative touch.
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Looking for new dessert ideas? Try this easy grape cake recipe: learn how to make a soft white grape cake, perfect for your Autumn meals and breakfasts.