How To Avoid Watching That Horror Movie

You don’t need me to give you another list of easy, peasy, creepy, sneezy snacks. You want something that’ll keep you yelling “I’ll be in there in a minute!” until the horror movie is finally over and the Charlie Brown halloween special comes on. So charge up, this’ll take a minute. An added plus: these recipes are vegan, because aren’t we all tired of the easy vegan meal hacks? Where’s the elbow grease?!

1) Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese

This recipe, adapted from cookingwithcurls, is too cool. It’s festive; it’s creative, and being an actual meal, it takes ample time.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup unsalted vegan butter

• z⅓ cup all-purpose flour

• 2 ½ cups soy/coconut/cashew milk (almond milk isn’t as thick)

• ½ tsp. sea salt

• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

• ¼ tsp. paprika

• Pinch cayenne pepper

• 8 ounces vegan cheddar cheese

• Package frozen spinach (thawed and drained)

• Green food coloring (optional)

• 1 lb. pasta, cooked and drained

• 1 head fresh cauliflower (steamed)

• ELBOW GREASE

Instructions (serves 6)

• Melt butter in large pan/dutch oven over medium-low heat

• Add flour and whisk to combine. Simmer (and constantly stir) for 1-2 min

• Pour in milk and whisk until smooth

• Add salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, and stir until combined

• Continue cooking for about 6-8 minutes until mixture starts to simmer

• Remove from heat and add grated cheese

• Stir until combined and melted

• Add drained spinach. Stir until combined

• Optional: add a few drops of the green food coloring

• Add the drained pasta and stir until combined

• Stir in steamed cauliflower

• Serve immediately

2) Cheesecake Ghosts

Doesn’t everyone like cheesecake stuff now? Cheesecake ice cream, cheesecake pie, cheesecake hand soap; cheesecake is hip. Like you. Even though you’re not watching sewer clown movies. Remind everyone of that by making these. (Adapted from Beth Jackson Klosterboer ‘s recipe on hungryhappenings blog)

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil to coat molds

• 16 ounces softened vegan cream cheese (I like the Daiya brand version)

• ⅔ cup beet sugar

• ⅓ cup full fat coconut cream

• ½ cup pureed tofu

• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

• Candy eyes

• Black sprinkle dots

• ELBOW GREASE

Instructions (makes 18-22)

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees

• Spray/spread vegetable oil in molds

• Mix cream cheese until smooth

• Mix in sugar until light and fluffy

• Mix in cream, tofu, and vanilla until combined

• Set brownie pop molds on baking sheet

• Fill 18-22 brownie pop molds with cheesecake filling

• Bake for 22-25 minutes until set

• Allow to cool at room temp. for one hour, then freeze for at least 3 hours

• Unmold and serve

3) Monster Cookies

They’re not spooky, they’re fun. Like cooking instead of watching another Exorcist. (Adapted from Kristyn’s recipe on Lil’Luna)

Ingredients

• Box of yellow or vanilla cake mix

• ½ cup vegan butter softened

• ½ tsp. Vanilla

• 1 cup vegan cream cheese

• ¼ cup pureed tofu

• Green food coloring

• Candy eyeballs

• ELBOW GREASE

Instructions

• Mix butter, vanilla, tofu, and cream cheese until fluffy

• Mix in cake mix

• Add in green food coloring and mix until desired shade is reached

• Chill for 30 min

• Roll into balls and bake at 350 for 10-12 min

• While warm decorate with as many eyeballs as desired

4) Vanilla Ghost Smoothies

So it’s really a milkshake, but no one needs to know that, or that you don’t like horror movies. (Adapted from Kristyn’s recipe on Lil’Luna)

Ingredients

For the milkshake

• 4 cups vegan vanilla ice cream (see SO Delicious or Trader Joe’s Soy Creamy for starters)

• 1½ – 1¾  cups vanilla-flavored soy/coconut/cashew milk

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• Elbow grease? Idk, doesn’t seem that difficult.

For the topping

• 1 cup full fat coconut cream

• 3 tbsp. Organic powdered sugar (organic so it’s not bleached with bone-char, as much sugar is)

• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions (3-4 servings)

• Blend ice cream, milk, and vanilla extract in a blender until smooth

• Beat cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in mixer into stiff peaks form

• Divide the milkshake in (festive!) cups

• For the topping, cut the corner off a ziploc bag and add a coconut cream swirl on top

• Serve immediately

5) Nutter Butter Ghosts

Truth be told, these probably aren’t that time-consuming. But if you take time to sample while you prepare… (Adapted from Emily Hill’s recipe on isthisreallymylife)

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz. package of nutter butters

• Vegan vanilla frosting (see a recipe here)

• 2 tbsp. Shortening

• Black icing

• Elbow grease (optional, if you like, workout while you’re making these)

Instructions (serves 16)

• Place frosting in microwave-safe bowl

• Microwave on for 30 seconds and continue until liquidy

• Use a fork to carefully dip nutter butters into melted frosting. Turn to coat evenly

• Let excess frosting drip back into bowl before placing nutter butter on parchment paper to set

• Refrigeration may be necessary to harden melted frosting

• Decorate with black icing or food coloring markers

• Store in an airtight container

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