A Boo-tifully Healthy Halloween Treat from Little Hearts Cookery Club
These Spooky Banana Ghosts are a frightfully fun, wonderfully simple Halloween treat, perfect for little chefs who love getting creative in the kitchen.
Inspired by friendly ghosts, magical moonlit nights, autumn adventures, and all things Halloween, this recipe transforms simple bananas into the cutest little ghosts, ready to float their way onto your kitchen table!
Don’t let their spooky appearance fool you! Underneath those ghostly white coats is naturally sweet banana, a creamy dairy-free yoghurt coating, a little sprinkle of coconut, and some tiny chocolate eyes to bring each little ghost to life.
Made with simple, plant-based ingredients and requiring no baking, these little ghosts are perfect for children to make alongside their grown-ups. Little hands can help dip, sprinkle, decorate, and give each ghost its own funny personality.
Perhaps you’ll create a friendly ghost, a cheeky ghost, a sleepy ghost, or even a ghost who loves nothing more than floating around the kitchen looking for its next banana snack!
Because at Little Hearts Cookery Club, we believe that food is about so much more than what we eat. It’s about connection, curiosity, creativity, and making magical memories together.
Ingredients
- 4 ripe bananas
- 100g dairy-free yoghurt (coconut or soya yoghurt works beautifully)
- 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
- A few dairy-free dark chocolate chips for the eyes and mouths
- Optional: wooden lolly sticks
- Optional: a little extra coconut for sprinkling
Method
1. Prepare Your Little Ghosts
With the help of a grown-up, peel the bananas and cut each one in half across the middle to create eight little ghost bodies.
If you’re using lolly sticks, a grown-up can carefully insert one into the flat end of each banana piece.
Place your little banana ghosts onto a lined tray or plate.
And just like that, our spooky adventure begins!
I wonder what our little ghosts will look like when they’re finished? Will they be tall and wobbly, short and chubby, or somewhere in between?
Every little ghost is different, and that’s part of the fun!
2. Give Your Ghosts Their White Coats
Spoon the dairy-free yoghurt into a little bowl.
Invite your little chef to gently roll or spoon the yoghurt over each banana piece until it has a lovely white coating.
It doesn’t need to be perfect. Some ghosts might have thick coats, while others might have thin, wobbly ones!
That’s part of the fun.
Talk together about how the yoghurt feels, how it looks, and how it moves around the banana.
Is it smooth? Is it creamy? Does it remind you of fluffy clouds floating across the sky?
Encourage your little chef to explore at their own pace. Some children will love getting their fingers involved, while others might prefer using a spoon.
There is no right or wrong way to join in.
3. Sprinkle on Some Ghostly Magic
Now for the coconut!
Sprinkle a little desiccated coconut over each yoghurt-covered banana.
Watch as the little ghosts become fluffy and white, almost like tiny clouds drifting through a magical Halloween sky.
Little chefs can use their fingers or a small spoon to sprinkle the coconut, exploring how much they need and how it changes the appearance of their ghosts.
Some might need a little sprinkle.
Others might need a whole ghostly snowstorm!
There are no wrong answers when imagination is in charge.
4. Give Your Ghosts Their Faces
This is where each little ghost begins to develop its own personality!
With a grown-up’s help, gently press tiny pieces of dairy-free dark chocolate into the banana to create two eyes and, if you like, a little mouth.
Will your ghost have a big surprised mouth?
Perhaps it’s a sleepy ghost with tiny eyes.
Maybe it’s a cheeky ghost who’s just discovered that bananas are delicious!
You could even give each ghost a name before placing it on the tray.
Meet Boo, Casper, Wobbles, and Little Flo!
For younger children, use age-appropriate decorations and avoid small, hard pieces that could pose a choking risk. You could instead use a little smooth fruit purée to make the faces with a grown-up’s help.
5. Chill Your Spooky Creations
Place your finished ghosts on a lined tray and pop them into the fridge for around 10 minutes to help the yoghurt coating settle.
If you’d prefer a frozen treat, you can freeze them until firm for a more ice-cream-like texture.
Then it’s time to gather everyone together and admire your wonderfully spooky creations!
Perhaps your ghosts would like to float around a Halloween party, visit a magical pumpkin patch, or gather together for a little ghostly feast.
Just remember to enjoy them while fresh if refrigerated, or allow frozen ghosts to soften slightly before eating.
Cooking with Heart
These little banana ghosts offer so much more than a simple Halloween snack.
They invite children to:
- Explore colour, texture, smell, and taste.
- Practise peeling, dipping, sprinkling, and decorating.
- Develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
- Discover how simple ingredients can be transformed into something exciting.
- Build confidence and independence in the kitchen.
- Explore new foods in a playful and pressure-free way.
- Express their individuality through creative choices.
- Enjoy laughter, connection, and a little bit of Halloween silliness.
For children, the kitchen can become a wonderful space to explore the world through their senses.
The squish of a banana, the coolness of the yoghurt, the softness of the coconut, and the excitement of creating a little face all offer opportunities for discovery.
And when we allow children to explore without worrying about everything being perfect, we give them the freedom to learn at their own pace.
Sometimes cooking doesn’t need to be perfect.
Sometimes it just needs to be fun, messy, and full of giggles.
Little Hearts Tip
Every little chef knows that the best recipes need a little imagination.
As you make your Spooky Banana Ghosts, why not invite your little chef to create their very own friendly ghost character?
Not a spooky ghost hiding in the shadows, but a little ghost who is full of personality, kindness, and a little bit of Halloween magic!
What would your ghost look like?
Would it be fluffy and round, tall and wobbly, or covered in colourful spots?
What would you call it?
What makes your ghost smile?
Perhaps it loves helping others, making people laugh, dancing in the rain, or giving the biggest, fluffiest hugs.
You could even ask your little chef what their ghost might say to someone who is feeling a little sad.
Would it tell a funny joke? Offer a kind word? Or simply sit beside them so they know they aren’t alone?
There are no right or wrong answers. Every little ghost can be different, just like every little person.
For younger children, this might simply mean choosing a name, picking a favourite colour, or giving their ghost a happy face.
Older children might enjoy creating a little story about their ghost and the kind things it likes to do.
Sometimes, the simplest activities open up the loveliest conversations.
And who knows? Your friendly little ghost might become a much-loved character who joins your family on many more creative adventures.
Because at Little Hearts Cookery Club, we believe that a little imagination can help children explore feelings, express themselves, and discover the magic of being themselves.
Our Little Hearts Printable Activity
To accompany our Spooky Banana Ghosts, we’ve created a little Create Your Own Friendly Ghost activity for your little chefs to enjoy.
Once your banana ghosts are ready, find a cosy spot together, grab some colouring pencils, and let those imaginations wander.
What will your ghost look like?
What will you call it?
What makes it special?
Perhaps your ghost loves helping others, telling silly jokes, or making everyone smile.
Our printable invites children to colour their ghost, give it a name, and think about one little kindness their character could share with the world.
It’s a lovely opportunity to explore creativity, individuality, kindness, and feelings in a gentle, playful way.
For younger children, simply colouring and naming their ghost is a wonderful starting point. Older children might enjoy writing a few sentences about their character or drawing a picture of their ghost doing something kind.
You could even invite your little chef to create a whole family of friendly ghosts, each with their own personality, favourite colour, and special little talent.
And when your little creation is finished, why not display it alongside your Spooky Banana Ghosts?
A simple recipe, a little creative activity, and a lovely opportunity to connect.
Because sometimes the simplest activities open the door to the most wonderful conversations.
Download your free printable here https://mailchi.mp/charliella-rose.com/my-friendly-ghost-printable
Cooking with Curiosity
When you return to the kitchen, take a moment to explore the ingredients together.
Where do bananas grow?
What makes a banana soft?
Why does the yoghurt stick to the banana?
What happens when we sprinkle coconut over the top?
Can we make a ghost without using chocolate?
What might happen if we used strawberries, kiwi, or another fruit instead?
You don’t need to have all the answers.
Sometimes the most meaningful learning happens when we explore a question together, make a little prediction, and discover what happens next.
Cooking can offer children a wonderful opportunity to develop curiosity, practise problem-solving, and begin to understand the world around them.
It can also offer something equally important: a moment to slow down.
In a busy world, preparing something simple together can create space for conversation, connection, and shared enjoyment.
There is no need to rush.
No need to make every ghost look the same.
No need to worry if the yoghurt drips, the coconut scatters, or one little ghost ends up looking more like a snowman!
These are the moments that make cooking memorable.
A Final Little Thought from Little Hearts Cookery Club
These Spooky Banana Ghosts remind us that healthy, plant-based food can be playful, imaginative, and full of joy.
Children don’t always need complicated recipes or elaborate ingredients to have a wonderful time in the kitchen.
Sometimes all it takes is a banana, a little yoghurt, a sprinkle of coconut, and the freedom to imagine.
A simple snack can become a ghostly adventure.
A little bowl of yoghurt can become a fluffy white coat.
And a few pieces of fruit can become characters in a story that continues long after the kitchen has been tidied.
Because at Little Hearts Cookery Club, we believe that cooking is about nourishing more than little bodies.
It’s about nurturing curiosity, confidence, creativity, connection, and a lifelong love of exploring food.
It’s about giving children the space to express themselves, explore new ideas, and discover that even the smallest moments can hold a little magic.
So gather your little chefs, embrace the mess, share a few giggles, and let your imaginations float away.
Because food doesn’t always have to be serious.
Sometimes it can be spooky, fluffy, fruity… and completely boo-tiful!
Remember, every little adventure begins with a sprinkle of curiosity, a little imagination, and perhaps one very hungry banana ghost.
Enjoy your spooky creations!
With love,
Charli Ella-Rose
Little Hearts Cookery Club
Part of The Little Hearts Collective
