these Bell Pepper Jack O Lanterns are fun for all ages! Carved Bell Peppers make a great Halloween night dinner and a fun party activity!
the original Halloween Bell Pepper recipe published October 31, 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Halloween Bell Peppers
This Halloween, we bring you the best Bell Pepper Jack O Lantern recipes. Over the years, we have made all kinds of vegan and gluten free ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner on Halloween!
not a stuffed pepper fan? You’ll love our Deep Dish Pizza Pot Pies with a familiar Halloween face…
See our Vegan Candy List for Halloween ideas – candy and candy alternatives!
Bell Pepper Jack O Lanterns
The first year I carved peppers for Halloween, they quickly went viral with the help of Paul Reubens.
Yep – PeeWee Herman shared my jacks on his Facebook page, and we broke the internet – so many of you had carved bell peppers for Halloween dinner!. They also snagged first place in a contest back in 2011, and third place in an online contest.
I have fun with these Carved Bell Peppers every year, sometimes choosing a scary type face, other years opting for more… friendly? Most of these recipes are perfect for lunch and dinner, and we have one breakfast (or breakfast for dinner?) Halloween Stuffed Pepper.
I’d enjoy ANY of these for breakfast…
Male Vs Female Bell Peppers
Female bell peppers are usually the ones I choose for my Bell Pepper Jack O Lanterns, because they stand up better! This is because female bell peppers have four sections or lobes on the base. The Male bell pepper has three lobes on the base.
The male bell pepper also has fewer seeds.
To make these Bell Pepper Jack O Lanterns, I usually choose the orange, yellow or red peppers. These are sweeter and I prefer them, plus the orange pepper makes a great pumpkin for bell pepper carving. The green peppers are less sweet and in my opinion, taste better grilled or cooked.
When I am making a Frankenstein Monster style Bell Pepper, I will choose the green color.
Tips To Make Bell Pepper Jack O Lanterns
My first tip is about choosing the right pepper. I usually choose the female bell pepper if I can, because it has four lobes in the base. This makes a more stable stuffed pepper that stands up better.
I carve the bell pepper before I start cooking the filling. See my tips on carving Bell Peppers below.
Once the bell pepper is carved, I place the empty pepper into the dish I will cook it in. A loaf pan size baking dish fits 2 bell peppers, and an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish fits 4 or 5 peppers, depending on size.
Once the bell peppers are carved, prepare whatever filling you are making. Most of the recipes below involve some cooking of the filling, from polenta to quinoa and beans.
The filling options are endless for these Carved Bell Peppers!
How To Carve Bell Peppers
Slowly and carefully, that’s how.
I usually use a small paring knife or a knife with a serrated edge. One year we hosted a bell pepper carving party, and we had pumpkin carving tools for everyone to use. These tools vary from a Basic Carving Set to a more Deluxe Carving Set.
Just like pumpkin carving, it is fun to come up with a template beforehand. (See our Pumpkin Carving Ideas for inspiration!)
You can even draw the face onto the pepper for a guide, or just freehand the carving.
Spooky or sweet, your Bell Pepper Jack O Lanterns will be a dinnertime hit.
Did You Make A Halloween Bell Pepper?
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Bell Pepper Jack O Lanterns
these Vegan Stuffed Peppers are a fun party craft idea AND a hearty Halloween dinner before trick or treating! with endless flavor options, kids of all ages love these. carve silly or spooky faces - your choice!
with quinoa and black beans, these are a flavorful and hearty meal that will fuel a full night of tricks and treats!
who loves pizza? *raises hand*
these whimsical pepper jacks are stuffed with a tasty pizza flavored polenta mixture everyone loves.
everyone's favorite appetizer is now a flavorful and filling entree - carve a spooky face and stuff it for dinner tonight!
wake up to fun on Halloween! carve a face while your scramble cooks for a satisfying way to begin the day.
stuffed with essential cool weather comfort food, these peppers are great for Halloween parties and Halloween night!
we've taken the Midwest classic and stuffed it into a carved bell pepper - a Halloween dinner hit.
baked tofu and coconut cream quinoa make these protein rich stuffed peppers a little less scary...
the ultimate comfort food is what cold Halloween nights are all about!
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more…
spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Daire says
These are so awesome, and I love all the variations you’ve provided. I can’t wait to make these for dinner Halloween night – I’m thinking the frito pie version! I just featured this recipe on my Halloween Foods roundup on my blog!
Nicole Dawson says
So much cuteness going on , I dont know where to start.
Megan says
So fun to have so many kinds of fillings. It’s tough to pick just one!
Alisa Fleming says
OMG Kristina, I didn’t realize you had created so many pepper jacks! What a delicious flavor line-up and they are all so darn cute! Jealous of your pepper carving skills.
Amanda says
I love the imagination both in the carving and the fillings. These are so cute!
Sharon Wong says
Congratulations! You’ve had some really cool wins and endorsements with these cute pepper jacks. I love that they’re are so cute. 🙂
Chrystal @ Gluten-Free Palate says
Oh my gosh! These pepper jacks are adorable, and so creative!
Molly J says
so cute and clever!! my kids will love these, I’ll make Halloween night.
Erin Haldous says
these look so fun!
Maggs says
I hope I remember this for next year. Though red and green peppers at Christmas might work too.
January says
oh Kris! outdone yourself again! I want to hang out in your kitchen! making this week.