Halloween can start with breakfast, and it does not need a complicated bake. A banana becomes a ghost, a round waffle gets a pumpkin face, and a bowl of yogurt turns into a little spiderweb. These three ideas use familiar ingredients and a few small finishing touches.
Each idea below serves two. Choose one for a small breakfast, or make a little tasting table by sharing all three. The toast and waffles are best assembled just before eating; the yogurt web is quick enough to finish while the toaster runs.
Before you start
Set two plates and two small bowls on the counter before starting. Have a teaspoon, a small food bag and a clean toothpick nearby. Put the raisins and chocolate chips in separate little dishes so you can finish the faces without searching through packets.
If you are making the whole trio, stir the pumpkin spread and cocoa sauce first. Then divide the yogurt between its bowls. Toast the bread and waffles last so they arrive warm and still have some texture. The decorations are small: a few clear shapes work better than covering the food with toppings.
1. Banana Ghost Toast
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 slices of bread, toasted
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 banana
- 6 mini semisweet chocolate chips
Method
- Spread the peanut butter over the toast. Peel the banana and halve it crosswise.
- Stand one banana half, cut-side down, on each slice of toast. Add two mini chips for eyes and one for the mouth. Serve straight away.
A thick slice of toast gives the banana a steady base. Press the chips gently into the fruit; using six small chips gives each ghost two eyes and a mouth. If the cut base is uneven, trim a very thin slice so it sits flat.
2. Pumpkin Waffle Faces
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 ready-made round waffles
- 2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp pumpkin purée
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp raisins
Method
- Toast the waffles according to their packet instructions. Mix the cream cheese, pumpkin purée and maple syrup until smooth.
- Spread the pumpkin mixture over the warm waffles. Arrange raisins into two eyes and a little curved mouth on each waffle. Serve immediately.
Use plain pumpkin purée rather than pumpkin-pie filling. The small amount of maple syrup sweetens the spread without making it runny. Let the waffles stop steaming before adding the topping so the faces stay neat.
3. Spiderweb Yogurt Bowls
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 300 g thick plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp milk
Method
- Divide the yogurt between two bowls. In a small cup, stir the cocoa powder, maple syrup and milk into a smooth, thick sauce.
- Spoon the sauce into a small piping bag or food bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Pipe three concentric rings onto each bowl. Drag a clean toothpick from the centre outwards in six to eight lines to make a web. Serve straight away.
Thick yogurt holds the design more clearly than a pourable version. Keep the cocoa sauce thick enough to sit on the surface. Wipe the toothpick between lines so the white spaces stay bright.
Make the morning feel easy
The three ideas have different jobs. The banana ghosts are the quickest little characters; the waffle faces add a warm pumpkin flavour; the yogurt bowls are a good place to try a simple piping pattern. You do not need to produce a perfect matching set.
Keep the measured ingredients for the recipe you choose together. A batch for two does not need the whole packet of chips or raisins. Set aside the small amount first, finish the faces, and put the packets away. If a web becomes a swirl, it is still a bowl of yogurt worth eating.
More ideas for your table
3 Easy Halloween Chocolate Bark Ideas: Ghosts, Spiderwebs and Pumpkin Seeds
3 Cozy Apple Desserts for Two: Skillet Apples, Crumble Cups and Shortcakes
For more seasonal food ideas, browse the Halloween party menu.
