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October 28, 2021

WITCHES’ FINGERS BREADSTICKS WITH ‘BLOODY’ RED PEPPER DIP

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Looking for a last minute vegan friendly Halloween appetizer recipe? Then these spooky witches’ fingers breadsticks are for you! Not only do they make an impressive statement for your Halloween party table, they’re also super easy and fun to make with the kids. Pair them with a red pepper & sun dried tomato dip for that ‘bloody’ mess! Vegan & gluten free.

Witches’ finger breadsticks on a black plate with red pepper dip

I know it’s pretty last minute, as Halloween is upon us in just 4 days… Boo! But I though I can’t not share this super easy, fun and spooky Halloween appetizer recipe with you. It’s been highly requested on my Instagram, so here you go.

Why you’ll love this spooky Halloween appetizer

  • It’s super easy to make. The only time consuming things is shaping up those knobbly fingers but this bring us on to the next point…
  • It’s fun to make! The kids especially love making these knobbly witches fingers, so if you have any, make sure to get them involved. They can compare whose witches’ fingers are the scariest /fattest /skinniest /knobbliest /ugliest. It’s Halloween after all!
  • You’ll need just a handful of ingredients to make these bread fingers.
  • It’s an impressive spooky Halloween appetizer for your party table.
  • It’s vegan and gluten free.
Witches’ finger breadsticks on a black plate with red pepper dip

Key ingredients and substitutions

For the witches’ fingers breadsticks we just need 4 ingredients:  

  1. Ready to roll shortcrust pastry (make sure it’s vegan and gluten free, if required). You can also use pizza dough, which makes the breadsticks a little softer. Personally, I prefer shortcrust pastry because it gives the breadsticks a good crunch.
  2. Whole blanched almonds for the ‘nails’. Almonds with skin on won’t have the same effect. They’ll turn too dark and are likely to burn whilst in the oven.
  3. Vegan egg wash. You can use a number of things, depending on what’s available in your kitchen: almond, soy or rice milks work well, as well as melted dairy free butter, olive oil or aquafaba (the liquid from the chickpea tin). I used a tiny bit of melted dairy free butter in this recipe.   
  4. Grated vegan Parmesan for a savoury twist (I like using this brand).
Witches’ finger breadsticks on a black plate with red pepper dip

The red pepper & sun dried tomato dip only takes 5 minutes to prepare and consists of:

  • A jar of roasted red peppers. I use jarred peppers for quickness. If you have time, you can roast red bell peppers in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and salt & pepper.
  • Sun dried tomatoes. Make sure to use the dry version of the tomatoes, not a jar.
  • Seasoning & spices: salt, pepper and smoked paprika
  • Coconut sugar & lemon to counterbalance sweet & sour flavours
  • Fresh basil  
  • Dry red chili flakes (optional), if you like a bit of spice and heat.
Witches’ finger breadsticks on a black plate with red pepper dip

How to make witches’ fingers breadsticks. Step by step.

Step 1

Roll a small piece of pastry to the length of a finger, around 8-10cm. Bear in mind that the ‘fingers’ will puff up and expand during baking, so make them thinner to allow for this.

Step 2

Press your thumb into the top of the finger to make an indentation and firmly place an almond for the ‘nail’, making sure it sits tight and secure.

Step 3

Shape up the ‘knuckles’ in the fingers.

Step 4

Using a sharp knife or a toothpick, gently score lines across the ‘knuckles’.

  • Scoring lines in a witch finger breadstick

Step 5

Finally, gently brush the fingers with vegan ‘egg wash’, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and they’re ready for the oven.

Witches fingers on a baking tray before going to the oven

To watch a recipe video on how to make witches’ fingers breadsticks, play the clip below.

Recipe tips

  • Take the shortcrust pastry out of the fridge half an hour before making the recipe to allow it to get to the room temperature. It makes the dough easier to work with.  
  • Make the fingers a little thinner to allow the pastry to puff up and expand during baking.
  • When making a ‘fingernail’, make sure you press the almond firmly into the dough, so it doesn’t come lose once it’s baked.
  • Use blanched almonds instead of almonds with skin on.
  • Don’t skip the ‘egg wash’, otherwise the witches’ fingers will look really pale.
  • If you want to make the fingers even more spooky, use tomato paste to brush around the ‘fingernail’ of the breadstick (before baking) to imitate ‘fake blood’.
 Witches’ finger breadsticks on a black plate with red pepper dip

How to store

These finger breadsticks will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Whether you’re making these witches’ fingers breadsticks for a Halloween party or as a fun Halloween activity with your kids, I’d love to see your creations! Drop a comment here on the blog, tag me on Instagram @fit.foodie.nutter #fitfoodienutter, Pinterest or Facebook.

Oh and by the way, should you have any witches fingers and red pepper dip left, you can make a spooky Halloween toast, just like I did here:  

Spooky Halloween toast with bloody red pepper dip and witches' fingers

Looking for more vegan autumn recipes for your Halloween party?

Try some of the readers’ favourite recipes below:

  • Mummy chocolate bars – spooky Halloween treat
  • Healthier pumpkin & chocolate chip cookies
  • Mushroom & avocado brushetta

Happy Halloween my friends.

Healthfully yours,

Tania

Witches’ finger breadsticks dipped into red pepper dip
Witches’ finger breadsticks on a black plate with red pepper dip

WITCHES’ FINGERS BREADSTICKS WITH ‘BLOODY’ RED PEPPER DIP

Tania Pilcher | Fit Foodie Nutter
If you’re looking for a last minute vegan friendly Halloween appetizer recipe, look no further. Not only do these spooky witches’ finger breadsticks make an impressive statement for your Halloween party table, they’re also super easy and fun to make with the kids. Pair them with red pepper & sun dried tomato dip for that ‘bloody’ mess! Vegan & gluten free.
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine British
Servings 17 fingers

Ingredients
  

For the witches’ fingers:
  • 300 grams vegan shortcrust pastry block at room temperature
  • 20 whole blanched almonds
  • 50 grams grated vegan Parmesan cheese
  • 10 grams melted dairy-free butter for vegan egg wash substitute
For the dip:
  • Jar of roasted red peppers, drained (drained weight 350g)
  • 50 grams sun dried tomatoes soaked in boiling hot water for 10 minutes and drained
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoon coconut sugar or to taste
  • A bunch of fresh basil leaves
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon dry chili flakes

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 190C /170C Fan / Gas Mark 5 / 375 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • To make the witches fingers, cut the pastry into 17 equal finger-length pieces. Shape up each piece as a ‘knobbly’ finger (refer to the blog post for instructions). Place an almond on the end of each finger for the ‘nail’. Using a sharp knife, gently score lines across the knuckles. Brush each finger with melted butter, sprinkle with vegan Parmesan and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Once baked, let cool down slightly.
  • To make the dip, place all ingredients apart from the lemon juice in a food processor and blitz until smooth, for 3-4 minutes. The vinegar content of jarred red peppers varies greatly, so taste the dip at this stage to see if it needs more sharpness. If it does, add the lemon juice. If the dip is too acidic, use more coconut sugar to counterbalance the acidity.
Keyword Halloween witches’ fingers breadsticks, Halloween vegan appetizer, Halloween vegan recipes, vegan snacks
Making this? I’d love to see!Tag your snaps @Fit.Foodie.Nutter and #fitfoodienutter

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Filed Under: Gluten free, Recipe, Snacks, Vegan Tagged With: Halloween party food, Halloween snacks, Halloween vegan appetizer, Halloween vegan recipes, Halloween witches’ fingers breadsticks, vegan snacks

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beth Sachs says

    October 28, 2021 at 5:08 pm

    5 stars
    These look so real! I’m going to make this for my kids on Halloween!

    Reply
    • Tania says

      October 28, 2021 at 5:19 pm

      Good luck Beth! I hope the kids will love it as much as my daughter did!

      Reply
  2. Jess says

    October 28, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    5 stars
    How fun are these?! Perfectly creepy for our Halloween dinner.

    Reply
  3. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

    October 28, 2021 at 5:46 pm

    5 stars
    These look amazing! Far too realistic so they are perfect for parties – thanks!

    Reply
    • Tania says

      October 29, 2021 at 12:15 pm

      Thank you Amanda!

      Reply
  4. Kay says

    October 28, 2021 at 6:22 pm

    5 stars
    These are the perfect addition for my Halloween buffet table at my party on Sunday!

    Reply
    • Tania says

      October 29, 2021 at 12:15 pm

      I’m so glad to hear Kay! Have a great party!

      Reply
  5. AISilva says

    October 28, 2021 at 6:49 pm

    5 stars
    What a creative and spooky idea! Those witches fingers breadsticks with bloody red pepper dip look SO realistic with the almond nails. Great job! I can’t wait to make these for my next halloween party!

    Reply
    • Tania says

      October 29, 2021 at 12:15 pm

      Thank you so much for your kind words Anneke!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Tania! Here on my blog I share delicious, healthy & easy to prepare vegan & vegetarian recipes for nutritious and wholesome meals, as well as my passion for healthy, mindful living and travel. Thank you for stopping by and happy browsing. Read More…

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