13 Vintage Halloween Treats Just like Grandma Used to Make

October 06, 2020

Oh the good old days! Remember getting popcorn balls in your trick-or-treating bag and making candy apples with your Grandma? While homemade hand-outs might be a thing of the past, you can recreate the nostalgia with these throwback recipes for caramel apples, popcorn balls, roasted pumpkin seeds and more Halloween treats.

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Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

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All you need are four simple ingredients to make healthier crispy peanut butter balls that kids and grownups will love. Make this easy recipe for a bite-size treat, on-the-go snack or easy homemade gift. You can swap the peanut butter for almond butter or even sunflower seed butter to make it nut-free.

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Caramel Apples

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These fall treats have just enough caramel to give a nice hit of salty-sweet flavor in each bite.

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Chocolate Pretzel & Cherry Popcorn Balls

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These popcorn balls are made with agave nectar and peanut butter and are spiked with chocolate covered pretzels and dried cherries for a special treat. 

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Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

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This healthful snack takes advantage of the pumpkin seeds you scoop out of your jack-o'-lantern or cooking pumpkin. We had the best results when we first roasted the seeds until lightly toasted and then tossed them with egg white, which makes the seasonings stick, and cinnamon sugar.

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Ghost Meringue Cookies

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These lightened-up ghostly Halloween cookies are scary cute! Serve these meringue cookies as-is for a fun Halloween treat, or use them to top a Halloween cake. 

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Caramel-Raisin Popcorn Balls

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This simple recipe for caramel popcorn balls with raisins is fun to make for Halloween.

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Burnt Sugar Lollipops

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No special equipment or fancy molds are needed for these gorgeous jewels--just a little patience and steady hand to pour out the hot sugar syrup. Wrap the lollipops individually in large, clear lollipop bags and seal with a silver twist-tie or a piece of ribbon. 

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Tropical Popcorn Balls

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These popcorn balls are held together with a flavorful combination of agave nectar and peanut butter. Macadamia nuts and coconut give them a delightful twist. They make a fun treat for Halloween.

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Caramel Apple Cookies

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Kids and adults alike will love these fall caramel apple cookies. They are crisp on the bottom and chewy in the center with bits of apple and just a hint of spice. The caramel glaze takes them over the top!

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Sesame-Ginger Popcorn Balls

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Caramel popcorn balls made with crystallized ginger and sesame seeds are a fun twist on the original recipe. 

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Cranberry-Raspberry Jellies

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Deliciously addictive, these simple fruit candies have an intense cranberry-raspberry flavor and a consistency vaguely reminiscent of soft gumdrops. The individual candies are normally rolled in granulated sugar, but for a different, frosted look and smooth consistency, you can roll them in sifted powdered sugar instead. 

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Gingerbread Marshmallows

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This gingerbread-flavored homemade marshmallow recipe is a fun, naturally gluten-free alternative to cookies—and you won't believe how much better homemade marshmallows are than traditional store-bought marshmallows until you taste one.

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

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Be sure to save the pumpkin seeds from your Halloween jack-o'-lantern so you can make this crunchy, healthy snack.

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