How do I make Halloween Apple Monster Bites?
Quick answer: Cut each large, crisp apple into eight wedges and pair them up. Brush every cut side with lemon water and pat it dry. Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or sunflower seed butter on a bottom wedge, add a strawberry tongue and about six sunflower seed teeth, then put a second wedge on top. Stick on two candy eyes with small dots of filling and chill the tray for about 20 minutes. Three apples make 12 bites. Plan on about 45 minutes in total, but you may need more or less time.
How apple monster bites work
Each monster mouth is two apple wedges with a spoonful of filling between them. A strawberry slice makes the tongue, sunflower seeds make the teeth and two candy eyes go on top. You don't need to cook anything. Most of the work is cutting the apples, and the decorating goes quickly once the wedges are ready.
These bites are a snack, not a meal. If your party runs over a mealtime, serve something more filling as well, and don't assume guests have already eaten lunch.
Check both the start and finish times before deciding whether these bites are part of a snack table or a meal. If the party runs through lunchtime, plan lunch as your starting point. See whether the party start time means serving a meal.
When you work out how many to make, count everyone you expect to eat from the snack table: the birthday child, any siblings or other household members, and any adults who are staying. Count each person only once. For example, if 10 children are invited, the birthday child and one sibling are not on that list, and three adults are staying, that's 15 people. The 12-bite recipe would not give everyone one bite, so you could make the 24-bite batch and serve it with the other snacks. These numbers are only an example. Base yours on your own guest list and menu.
Ingredients for 12 or 24 apple monster bites
For each monster, you need two wedges, 1 tablespoon of filling, one strawberry tongue, about six seed teeth and two candy eyes. You'll also need a cutting board, a knife, a pastry brush, a clean towel and a flat serving tray.
A ¾ cup of filling is 12 tablespoons, so you have one tablespoon for each mouth. Keep a little extra filling for sticking on the eyes. Apples and strawberries vary in size, so make one mouth first to check that the wedges pair up and the tongue fits before you assemble the rest.
- Each extra large apple gives you eight more wedges, which makes four more mouths. Add filling, tongues, teeth and eyes to match.
| Ingredient | 12 bites (3 apples) | 24 bites (6 apples) |
|---|---|---|
| Large crisp apples | 3, cut into 24 wedges | 6, cut into 48 wedges |
| Cold water and lemon juice | 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice | 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice |
| Peanut butter or sunflower seed butter | 3/4 cup, plus a little extra for the eyes | 1 1/2 cups, plus a little extra for the eyes |
| Medium strawberries | 3, each cut into 4 long slices | 6, each cut into 4 long slices |
| Shelled sunflower seeds | 1/4 cup (about 72 seeds used) | 1/2 cup (about 144 seeds used) |
| Candy eyes | 24 | 48 |
Which apples should I use?
Quick answer: Use large, crisp apples so you can cut eight wedges from each one and pair them into four mouths. Green and red apples both work, so choose the color you like.
Red apples give the monsters red lips, and green apples give them a green monster look. Use three large apples of either color, and still brush them with lemon water. Choose by color and flavor. Don't count on one color staying unbrowned longer than the other.
Before you assemble all 12, check that the wedges are a good size and that a bottom wedge sits level on the tray.
How to put the monster mouths together
Follow these steps in order. Brush the cut apple before you add any filling, because the filling covers the cut side of the bottom wedge.
- Cut the apples. Wash them, cut each one into quarters and remove the core. Cut each quarter in half to make eight wedges per apple. If the apple is big enough, aim for wedges about 1/2 inch thick. Pair the wedges up.
- Brush the cut sides. Mix the lemon juice and cold water, brush it on every cut side, then pat the wedges dry.
- Flatten the bottom wedges. Shave a thin slice off the rounded skin side of half the wedges so they sit flat. Put them on the tray and check that they don't rock.
- Add the filling and tongue. Spread 1 tablespoon of filling on the cut side of each bottom wedge. Lay a strawberry slice along the front edge so the tip sticks out.
- Add the teeth and close the mouth. Press about six sunflower seeds into the filling along the front edge, then put a second wedge on top. Leave the tongue showing.
- Stick on the eyes. Put two small dots of extra filling on top of each mouth and press a candy eye onto each dot.
- Chill the tray. Start with about 20 minutes in the refrigerator, then check whether the filling is holding the decorations in place. Some fillings stay softer than others.
- Fix any problems. If a mouth tips over, check that its bottom is flat before you add more filling. If an eye slides, use a smaller dot of filling and press the eye back on. Lay the mouths in a single layer with space between them.
How do I keep the slices from turning brown?
Quick answer: Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 1 cup of cold water. Brush it on every cut side of the apple, then pat the wedges dry. It also helps to cut the apples as close to assembly time as you can.
The lemon water slows browning, but there's no promise that the apples will stay the same color for a set time. Cutting the apples shortly before you assemble them is the most practical way to keep them looking fresh. If you're making 24 bites, double the mixture.
What you can swap or change
You can change the filling, teeth or tongue, but every swap changes what's in the bites. Update your ingredient information whenever you make a change.
Use a filling that's thick enough to stay on the wedge. If your natural peanut butter is runny, one option is to stir in 2 tablespoons of powdered milk. That adds milk to the recipe, so list milk on the label. It won't suit every guest.
If a guest needs to avoid milk, leaving out the powdered milk isn't enough on its own; check the rest of the recipe and products with the family. Our guide on how to plan dairy-free party food covers confirming food needs ahead of time.
| Swap | How to make it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Mini marshmallow teeth | Use 4 per mouth, so 48 for 12 bites. Set aside about 1/2 cup and count the pieces, because sizes vary. | Ingredients on the marshmallow package |
| Slivered almond teeth | Set aside about 1/4 cup for 12 bites. | This adds almonds. Keep almonds off any tray you made without them. |
| Fruit leather tongues | Cut 12 tongues from a sheet of fruit leather and press the ends into the filling. | How big the sheet is before you buy for a larger batch |
| Cream cheese filling | Mix 3/4 cup whipped cream cheese with 1 tablespoon honey for 12 mouths. | Check with caregivers before serving it to their children, list both ingredients and follow the refrigeration directions on the package. |
| Yogurt-dipped wedges | Set aside about 1 cup vanilla yogurt. Dip the wedge ends and freeze for 30 minutes as a first try. | Check the coating before serving. The setting time isn't guaranteed, and this takes longer than the 45-minute example plan. |
| Apple wedges with dip | Skip the faces. Serve brushed wedges with a bowl of filling, using about 1/4 cup extra filling as a starting amount. | Put a spoon in the dip and keep the ingredient information next to it. |
What can I use instead of peanut butter?
Quick answer: Use the same amount of sunflower seed butter, which is 3/4 cup for 12 mouths plus a little extra for the eyes. You could also try the cream cheese and honey filling.
Changing the filling doesn't by itself make the whole tray suitable for a guest's food needs. The seeds, candy eyes and any other decorations are still on the tray. Check the specific packages with the guest or the child's caregiver, and agree how you'll prepare and serve their portion.
If the swap is because a guest avoids nuts, check every package and how the food is prepared with the family. Give their agreed portion its own tray and serving tool, and tell the serving adult. See planning party food when a guest avoids nuts.
On the label, write sunflower seed butter as the filling instead of calling the tray nut-free.
When to make apple monster bites
Gather your supplies and make your labels before party day, while you still have the packages to read from. Cut and assemble the bites closer to serving time.
If you'd like to prepare anything earlier, make one test mouth with your chosen ingredients and watch how it looks and how the filling holds up. A test can help you plan how the tray will look, but it doesn't tell you how long the bites are safe to keep. Follow the handling and storage directions on each ingredient.
Example plan for serving at 3:00 p.m. (only an example; start earlier if you need more time): this plan allows 25 minutes to cut and assemble, then 20 minutes to chill, which adds up to 45 minutes.
| When | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Before party day | Buy the ingredients, ask about any food needs and make the tray labels. | Whenever suits you |
| 2:15 to 2:25 p.m. | Mix the lemon water, cut the apples, brush and dry the wedges, flatten the bottoms and slice the strawberries. | 10 minutes |
| 2:25 to 2:40 p.m. | Add the filling, tongues, teeth and eyes, keeping the mouths in a single layer. | 15 minutes |
| 2:40 to 3:00 p.m. | Chill the tray, set out napkins and check the labels. | 20 minutes |
| 3:00 p.m. | Check the mouths, then serve. | Serving time |
How far ahead can I make them?
Quick answer: Get your supplies and labels ready ahead of time, then cut and assemble the bites closer to serving. The example plan allows 45 minutes before the party.
The 45 minutes is how long the preparation takes. It doesn't tell you how long the bites can be stored. Follow each ingredient's storage directions when you decide what to prepare earlier.
Once the bites are out, keep in mind that the FDA advises keeping cold food at 40°F or below. It also advises leaving perishable food at room temperature for no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's above 90°F. That advice doesn't give a fridge life for this recipe.
Note how long the bites were out before deciding whether any can be kept; this recipe has no set fridge life. Bites left out past the limit should be discarded. See what to do with leftover party food for a simple sorting checklist.
Checking food needs and young children
Label each version of the tray with what's actually in it. If you used peanut butter, say so, because it contains peanuts. Keep the candy eye package nearby so you can answer questions.
If you're making more than one version, such as peanut butter and sunflower seed butter, put each label next to the right tray and don't swap decorations between them.
Can I serve these to toddlers?
Quick answer: Ask the child's caregiver about the apple shape and each decoration before you include these bites in a young child's food. Then serve the child whatever you and the family agree on.
The CDC lists hard raw produce as a choking hazard for young children, and apple wedges are hard raw produce. That's why leaving off the seeds and candy eyes doesn't make the rest of the mouth suitable for a young child. Don't come up with your own changes to make it safe. Let the family decide what their child should have.
For a young child, ask their caregiver what fruit they can eat and how it should be prepared, and plan that option separately. Our guide on preparing fruit and vegetable trays covers asking caregivers first, rather than a cutting method that suits every child.
Serving the bites and a final checklist
Lay the bites in a single layer with space between them, and put the labels and napkins next to the tray. To make a fuller Halloween snack table, add one or two other treats that go with the rest of your menu, such as strawberry ghosts, caramel apple slices or decorated pretzels. You don't need to make all of them.
- Count everyone who will eat from the snack table, including the birthday child, siblings and staying adults, without counting anyone twice.
- Choose the 12-bite or 24-bite amounts and check the apples are large and crisp.
- Ask guests or caregivers about any food needs and make labels with the actual ingredients.
- Mix the lemon water and brush every cut side, then pat dry.
- Flatten the bottom wedges and make one test mouth before assembling the rest.
- Chill for about 20 minutes and check that the decorations are holding.
- Keep the candy eye packaging and the labels next to the right tray.