Humane Halloween: 22 Quirky, Fun and Bewitching Recipes for the Spirit of the Season

Hello fiends! I know it's been a minute, but I wanted to pop in and share a frightfully fun Halloween recipe ebook that I received to preview. It is called Humane Halloween, and it features 22 spooktacular recipes that are perfect for the season. Within its pages you will find eerie appetizers, sinister snacks, dreadful dinners, and macabre meals you and your family can enjoy to celebrate the scary season! 

Halloween 2019 at Trader Joe's

One of the things I look forward to the most every autumn is the release of Trader Joe's Halloween food! They always have the ghoulest snacks and I stock up on their frightful food every fall. And their vegan options are always to die for (though I wish a few more of their items were vegan - I'm looking at you, pumpkin spice cream cheese!).

Unfortunately for me, I'm hundreds of miles away from a Trader Joe's at the moment. However, I took a recent trip up to Oregon and Washington and made it my mission to seek out Trader Joe's stores up there so I could indulge in some of my favorite fall foods! I got lucky and the Trader Joe's I visited were already filling their shelves with Halloween treats, so I snapped a few pics so I could share all the vegan goodies they have this year.

Take a look at their vegan Halloween food below:

Sprouts Farmers Market 2018 Pumpkin Products

The autumn foods are popping up all over right now (check out my pumpkin finds from Trader Joe's), and I found some pumpkin products at my local Sprouts Farmers Market grocery store a few weeks ago I'm just getting around to sharing with you (better late than never, right?!).

Disclaimer: I can't get enough pumpkin, and admit I'm a sucker for anything with "pumpkin" in the ingredients as long as it is free of animal ingredients. If someone slaps a pumpkin sticker on a label, I'm drawn to it faster than a trick or treater to a candy bowl! During this time of year, my eyes are immediately drawn to anything orange in the store and I scour shelves and end caps for any hidden autumn products.

When shopping at Sprouts Farmers Market (a grocery store chain here in SoCal) a few weeks ago, I was pleased to see that they had started putting out their pumpkin products! Not everything was out yet (I am waiting on that Daiya Pumpkin Cheezecake!!), but I did want to share what I did find with you since I know you love autumn foods as much as I do! Check out the pumpkin products and other autumn items Sprout's Farmers Market has on shelves now (note: all items shown are vegan; prices may vary by region):

Fatally Yours Halloween 2018 Chocolate Box Available Now for Pre-Order

The deliciously decadent, gorgeously gothic Fatally Yours vegan chocolate box is back for Halloween and Vegan Treats has unveiled all the spooky, scrumptious details of the 2018 Halloween edition of their boo-tiful box, which is available for pre-order now. Visit Vegan Treats' online store to pre-order these creepy chocolates (they sell out so fast it's scary, so don't delay - order today), and check out the full description below for their Limited Halloween Edition of the Fatally Yours chocolate box (they also have an ultimate edition that has a few more treats in it) from Vegan Treats:

Creepy Crunch Halloween Cookies

Photo by Kendy aka MissMuffCake

Today, I have special guest Kendy aka MissMuffCake sharing her recipe for Creepy Crunch Halloween Oreo Cookies! I have been an admirer of Kendy for quite some time now. I've been reading her website for years and love her vegan recipes, beauty posts, and more. She also writes several zines, is a champion for mental awareness, has killer style, and has written for Super Cute Kawaii and VegNews. I am thrilled to have her on the blog today to share the recipe for these delectable Halloween cookies. Check out her recipe for them below:

Trader Joe's 2018 Seasonal Pumpkin Products

The time has arrived, for pumpkin everything and I couldn't be more excited! I am a pumpkin fiend and will inhale anything pumpkin-flavored (as long as it is vegan, of course). From early September onward, I start stalking stores waiting for pumpkin products to start sprouting from shelves.

A few weeks ago, I popped into Trader Joe's and was delighted to discover a cornucopia of pumpkin food and other autumn items lining the shelves! This isn't everything they are releasing this year, but I did want to give you a peek at what I found so far, check out all the pumpkin-y goodness (as well as a few other autumn items) below!

The Curious Confectionery's Pumpkin Spice Popcorn Balls

Popcorn balls are a timeless treat that we don't see enough of nowadays! They always remind me of autumn and Halloween, so I was extremely excited when The Curious Confectionery released their limited-edition Pumpkin Spice flavor this year. I was lucky enough to receive this flavor for review, and I couldn't be more pumped! First, a little more about the delightful duo who run The Curious Confectionery...

Spooky Halloween Leftovers

Whew, it's hard to believe Halloween season is over and that November is already half over! This Halloween season was a little rough on me (not to mention being hit with some bad post-Halloween blues), so I'm taking a break to reset and focus on goals for next year. I need some time to focus on the smaller things, spend time with myself and family, and get inspired for next year.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of my Halloween leftovers with you all, which are basically just a random bunch of pictures from the Halloween season I haven't yet shared here. Looking back at what I did this season is a big help in getting me excited about next Halloween season, believe it or not! And hopefully they will help me (and maybe you) beat the Halloween blues.

Check out some Halloween 2017 leftovers below:

Make a Vegan Jack-o-Lantern Burger for Halloween

Enjoy a vegan Halloween burger this October (and beyond)!

If you're like me, you like to add Halloween magic to everything, and that includes food! I mean, I don't have the time to get too fancy, but a few fearsome flourishes can add Halloween spirit to any meal. As you can see from my pic above, sometimes the simplest trick makes for a festive treat! Turning a vegan cheeseburger into a Halloween cheeseburger is really easy, but I'll walk you through how to do it below.

Halloween 2017 at Cost Plus World Market

I'm still catching up on posts about Halloween shopping I've done at stores in the last few months, eeek! One of the stores I visited that I haven't posted about is Cost Plus World Market, which is one of my favorite stops during the Halloween season. I usually don't buy a lot of their decor, but they usually have some Halloween snacks and beverages that are also vegan and I'm always on the hunt for those! I visited Cost Plus towards the end of September, and they had lots of goodies out. I loved their big section of Halloween sodas, Halloween pretzels, and vintage-inspired decor. Take a peek at what Cost Plus World Market has in stores this Halloween 2017:

Fatally Yours Chocolate Box Returns for Halloween

Guess what just dropped from Vegan Treats?! Their ghoulishly gorgeous Fatally Yours Gourmet Chocolate Box! This all-vegan chocolate box comes in a to-die-for Ouija-inspired heart-shaped box embossed with "Fatally Yours" in pumpkin orange and filled with a variety of premium, handmade, and delectable treats. Spoil yourself or someone you love this Halloween with this killer concoction - full details of what is included in this boo-tiful box below:

Trader Joe's 2017 Seasonal Pumpkin Items

I look forward to Trader Joe's seasonal pumpkin food items every autumn, and they rarely disappoint! They have a great selection of pumpkin and autumn food, many of which are vegan. I start stalking their stores for pumpkin items in mid-September, and when I finally find all their seasonal stuff out, I go a little nuts buying all my faves!

My local Trader Joe's finally put out most of their autumn food items, and while there aren't many new items, I was stoked to be able to stock up on my old favorites. Check out all the vegan pumpkin foods and other fun autumn items I found at Trader Joe's this year below:

Daiya Pumpkin Spice Cheezecake

Daiya Pumpkin Spice Cheezecake! 

This past March at the Natural Foods Expo I had a chance to try Daiya's Pumpkin Spice Cheezecake, and I've been dreaming about it ever since (it was one of my top 10 picks from Expo!). Fall is finally here, and I was so ecstatic to finally find the seasonal cheezecake at Sprouts Farmers Market (along with a lot of other seasonal pumpkin food items - see more in my roundup)! Check out what I thought of it below!

Organic and Vegan Halloween Candy at Target

Target's Organicals (lol) - Organic Halloween Candy

Last year Target had so many rad organic and vegan Halloween candy options, so I was looking forward what they had on shelves this year. So far, the selection is kinda limited, but I'm hoping they add more as the season progresses. At my local Target (Tustin, California location if you're interested) I've only seen the YumEarth and Black Earth Organic brands at Target that are both organic and vegan. Check out the different varieties they have below:

Whole Foods' Vegan Halloween Candy and Pumpkin Items

Also spotted my first pumpkins at Whole Foods!

While shopping for Beyond Burgers at Whole Foods the other day, I was excited to see that they had started stocking their end caps with Halloween candy and pumpkin food items! After scrutinizing all the labels, I was so stoked to find that many items were vegan! You can check out my autumn food finds below...

Sprouts Farmers Market's 2017 Seasonal Pumpkin Items

Remember when I tried the new Daiya Pumpkin Spice Cheezecake way back in March at the Natural Foods Expo? Ever since then I have been dreaming about getting my claws on this yummy treat this pumpkin season. My dreams have finally turned into reality as Sprouts Farmers Market has this delectable vegan cheesecake, as well as many other pumpkin items to get excited about!

When I visited yesterday they had just started stocking their endcaps with pumpkin goodies, so I expect a lot more to pop up in the next couple of weeks. I found a lot of items that were vegan while I was scoping out their offerings, check them out below!

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte at Peet's Coffee

Vegan PSL from Peet's! Don't mind my lipstick stain on the cup, I couldn't

wait to try it!

I don't believe I've had a pumpkin spice latte from a coffee shop since going vegan nearly 10 years ago! I love pumpkin spice everything, so when September rolled around and everyone was posting PSL selfies, I usually made my own or relied on store-bought items like Califia Farms' Pumpkin Spice Latte Cold Brew Coffee (read my review). However, this year I was delighted to hear that Peet's Coffee has a non-dairy pumpkin spice latte, so even vegans can enjoy this delicious treat! 

Now, you're probably wondering if another big coffee chain's PSL is vegan, since that is the one that gets the most attention this time of year. Sadly, the Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte is NOT vegan, nor can it be made vegan even when requesting non-dairy milk. The PSL sauce itself contains condensed milk (ick), so until it is removed from the formula, the Starbucks PSL will not be vegan. I hope they take a clue from Peet's soon and start offering a vegan PSL. Keep reading below for how to order the drink at Peet's so that it is vegan!

Halloween Stuffed Peppers, or Pepper-o-Lanterns

Pepper-o-lanterns! I made a fanged fiend and a kitty cat!

How adorable are these Halloween stuffed peppers?! These boo-tiful babies are so fun and easy to make that I wanted to share my quick recipe for them here. Also, these don't have to be just for Halloween - when you are really missing the autumn season, these are perfect to make and you can find the ingredients at any time of year! And, as always, they are all vegan!

These vegan pepper-o-lanterns use only a few ingredients, can be customized to whatever your palate desires, and are fast to prepare, which means they are perfect for busy October nights where you just want to kick back and watch some scary movies with your boo. All you need is a few ingredients and about 20 minutes to make these precious pepper-o-lanterns! Find the recipe below:

Halloween Edition of the Fatally Yours Chocolate Box Available Now

Vegan Treats' Halloween Fatally Yours Chocolate Box!

The to-die-for Fatally Yours gourmet chocolate box is usually on everyone's wish list for Valentine's Day, but now a special Halloween edition has been released by the talented Vegan Treats Bakery so we can have it in time for our fave holiday! It comes in a gorgeous orange and black Ouija box and is filled with sinfully decadent treats! Trick or treat will never be the same with these exquisite treats available!

Check out details on the boo-tiful box below, which is available as an ultimate edition (with extra goodies from Vegan Treats included) or the regular limited edition:

Trader Joe's 2016 Seasonal Pumpkin Items

I LOVE how Trader Joe's goes all-out during autumn and makes pumpkin EVERYTHING! I haunt their stores all September waiting for their seasonal pumpkin items to hit the shelves, and when they do I go a little crazy trying all their vegan pumpkin options! 

I feel like this year is better than ever, with tons of new pumpkin food and old favorites returning! I took pics in-store of all the vegan options I found and I'm sharing this year's Trader Joe's pumpkin extravaganza below: