This Chocolate-Banana Smoothie Is the Perfect Halloween Breakfast Treat

My five-year-old (and, by proxy, his two-year-old brother) lives for Halloween. As soon as the holiday is over, he’s already brainstorming next year’s costume. By July, he’s insisted we work on decorating a bag that can hold his trick-or-treat loot.

While I also loved Halloween as a kid, my relationship with All Hallow’s Eve in adulthood is a bit more fraught. I enjoy the costumes, the community, the excitement on my kids' faces. But I could do without all that candy. And it’s not just me—my kids’ teachers have commented that the day after Halloween is often one of the most challenging days of the year, as they try to get the kids to focus amidst sugar hangovers.

In an effort to balance my inner grinch with my inner child, I’ve taken to coming up with ways to give my little ones food that feels like a treat but is actually nutritious. My secret weapon? Chocolate milk.

If I tell my kids there's chocolate milk in something, they go nuts. And if they get chocolate for breakfast? Well, they might as well have won the lottery. They don’t need to know how good it is for them. Real milk—even chocolate milk—is full of high-quality protein, which gives us energy and helps build and repair muscle. It's also an incredible source of calcium to build strong, healthy bones and teeth, and it’s got plenty of potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamins D, B12, and A.

So for Halloween, I like to mix things up and get a little silly by making some of their favorite breakfast foods with chocolate milk in place of white milk.

We make a lot of smoothies using white milk, so, for a hauntingly healthy Halloween swap, I use chocolate milk instead. If they’re going to be eating candy for lunch—and, let’s be honest, maybe dinner—then the least I can do is start their day off right with a healthy, nutrition-packed, filling breakfast to fuel them through the treat extravaganza.

For this smoothie, I mix chocolate milk with banana; peanut butter (almond or sun butter would be great, too!); ground flax; pumpkin pie spice, for an autumnal edge; and a touch of honey. How easy is that?

Of course, if I want to get really spooky, I might also purée some frozen raspberries to make antioxidant-packed "blood." You can dip the rim of their cup in the purée for just a hint of it; you can pour a little in, then swirl the glass around to coat the sides; or you can just add a few spoonfuls to the glass. Then, when you pour in the smoothie, it'll mix with the raspberry purée to create various spooky effects. Plus, the raspberry flavor is absolutely delicious with the smoothie.

However you serve it, this chocolate-milk smoothie is sure to be a hit with your kids and keep them energized through all the Halloween festivities.

Chocolate-Milk Banana Smoothie

Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: Makes 12 ounces total, serving 2
Special equipment: Blender

Ingredients
1/2 cup (2 ounces) frozen raspberries (optional)
2 tablespoons (30ml) water (optional)
1 cup (240ml) chocolate milk
1 banana
2 tablespoons (32g) creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon (15g) honey
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1. For the Raspberry "Blood" (optional, but highly recommended): In the jar of a blender, blend the raspberries and water until fully puréed. The purée should be thick, but loose enough to drizzle. You can dip the rim of each cup in the purée for just a hint of it; you can pour a little in the glass, then swirl it around to coat the sides; or you can just add a few spoonfuls to the glass. Set aside and rinse out blender jar.

2. For the Smoothie: Place remaining ingredients in blender jar and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared glasses and serve immediately.