Fall Menus for Seniors: Festive Halloween Desserts

In the fall, enhance food menus for seniors by celebrating the season’s fun and festivities.

Trick-or-treating may be for kids, but Halloween sweets can easily become a part of your any nursing home or assisted living food menu. Adding special treats to your regular meals is a great way to add a celebratory feel, and one you can easily accomplish without adding extra cost or preparation.

Add Seasonal Flavor to Menus for Senior with Pumpkin Spice Desserts

Nothing says Halloween like the taste of pumpkin spice, and this seasonal flavor is a favorite among seniors.

Pumpkin is simple to incorporate into a variety of recipes and, because it is rich in vitamins, fiber and antioxidants, it is a nutritional powerhouse. This makes pumpkin the perfect seasonal addition to menus for seniors.

Pie is a popular choice, but pumpkin can also be used to create many other delicious desserts and sweet treats. Why not try serving pumpkin pancakes or muffins at breakfast? Or offer slices of moist pumpkin bread or soft-baked cookies with lunch or snack time.

For an even more delightful Halloween dessert, consider a pumpkin roll topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

Haunted Baked Desserts Bring Fun to Senior Menus

If you prefer to stick with your standard menu program, you can make small changes to your regular desserts, to add a touch of spooky fun.

You can use Halloween cookie cutters with sheet cakes and brownies, to create festive shapes. Decorate your brownie bats, witch hats and pumpkins with orange icing, and add sprinkles for garnish.

Or, for an interactive treat, leave the decorating fun to your senior residents. Use cupcakes or Halloween-shaped sugar cookies and provide colored icing, sprinkles and other goodies. Turn this into a facility-wide party, inviting family, friends and locals from the community to meet the residents and celebrate the holiday. Provide the residents
with bowls of candy and encourage grandkids and youngsters from the community in for Trick-or-Treating.

Candy-Corn Inspired Treats Liven Up Your Menus for Seniors

Candy corn is an iconic Halloween treat but, since it is exceedingly high in sugar content, it doesn’t make for a healthy treat. So, instead of serving the candy itself, use its iconic design as inspiration for other delicious desserts.

Candy corn Jell-O is a simple and fun crowd pleaser. Layer lemon and orange gelatin, then top with whipped cream. Seniors also enjoy frozen candy corn pudding pops, made with layers of vanilla pudding that have been tinted with food coloring. Or you could have your food service staff try their hand at a candy corn cake, created with
tinted vanilla or white cake mix and iced with white frosting.

These festive fall tips are brought to you by the Grove Menus team. Grove Menus provides menu planning solution systems for nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes. Our food menu program provides a proven suite of solutions that reduce food service costs while improving quality and nutritional values.