Halloween Quesadillas: Easy “Jack-O-Lantern” Pumpkins

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These Halloween Quesadillas in the shape of a Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin are the cutest and most delicious dinner idea for fall. They are sure to bring a smile to your face and are perfect for kids or festive get-togethers. Filled with cheesy goodness and pumpkin between whole wheat tortillas, they are irresistible! 

I’m a huge fan of cute Halloween food. Whether you’re making fun treats for the holiday, or trying to figure out how to make a festive Halloween dinner, I love finding recipes that not only taste fabulous but are also super cute too!

With Halloween coming up, I wanted something that would get the kids excited, was fun and delicious, and that they could help make too.

These Halloween quesadillas are so adorable and are likely to become a tradition during the fall in many households. They’re super easy to make and I promise, even picky eaters will gobble them up!

The kids loved cutting out the pumpkin shapes and putting them on the griddle pan. With only 3 ingredients, they’re the most simple, tasty quesadilla recipe you will find!

Our whole family loved them. Even if you aren’t a huge Halloween person, if you love pumpkins, these little beauties are just what you need. It’s a Mexican vegetarian recipe with a Halloween twist!

🎥 Latest Recipe Video!

👩‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• Perfect for a Kids Halloween Party
• Sugar Free Halloween Recipe
• Easy Way to Prepare an Autumn Inspired Dinner
• Simple Ingredients
• Quick to Make
• Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Quesadillas make a healthy and fun kids recipe!

🥘 Ingredients

This super easy quesadilla recipe uses just 3 ingredients! For the detailed ingredients and instructions, follow the recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Tortillas: Whole Wheat, Sprouted Wheat, Spelt, or White Whole Wheat Flour tortillas would all work well
2. Pumpkin Puree: Just a couple of tablespoons adds a bit of creaminess and sweetness to these quesadillas. Make sure you’re getting 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling!
3. Cheese! Because what are quesadillas without cheese 🙂 We used Monterey Jack but you could use a Mexican shredded cheese blend or even just pure cheddar cheese would work great.

🍽 Equipment

• Measuring Cups & Spoons
• Pumpkin Cookie Cutter or other Halloween cookie cutters
• Chopping Knife
• Cutting Board
• Large NonStick Skillet or pan 

📖 Variations

• Add protein: Add a few black beans to give yourself a boost of protein and nutrients. Plus, the beans taste really good with the cheese and pumpkin. You could do whole black beans or refried black or pinto beans.
• Change up the cheese: Adjust the variety of cheese you use. We most often use Monterrey Jack, but you could also go with mozzarella, a Mexican cheese blend, cheddar, or even Pepper Jack if you want some spice added to yours. 
• Add heat: If you are feeling a little extra festive and want some spice, add in some chopped chili powder, jalapeños, hot sauce, or green chiles.
• Add herbs: Toss some fresh herbs on these pumpkin quesadillas. Cilantro, oregano, or parsley would all taste great and add some color too. 
• More veggies! Feel free to chop up some yellow bell peppers or poblano peppers, tomatoes, and baby spinach and add them into these cheese quesadillas.

🔪 Instructions

Cut Tortillas: Use the cookie cutter to cut out 8 pumpkin-shaped tortillas. 

Make Jack-O-Lantern Face: Use a sharp knife to cut a jack-o -lantern face into four of the pumpkin-shaped tortillas. 

Assemble: Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. When the griddle is hot, place the remaining four pumpkin tortillas (without faces) on the griddle. Spread a little less than 1 tsp of pumpkin puree on each tortilla, top with shredded cheese.

Stuff with Cheese: Place the pumpkin tortillas with faces on top of the cheese. 

Cook on Skillet: Cook for five minutes, or until cheese is melted, then flip and cook an additional two to three minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving. 

❓ Recipe FAQs

🧊 How To Store

To Refrigerate: I have found the best way to store leftover Halloween Pumpkin Quesadillas is by wrapping them up in plastic wrap. Then I put each Halloween quesadilla in a plastic or glass food container. They typically last around 3 days in the fridge. 

To Freeze: Do a flash freeze on the quesadillas, so when you store them in the freezer, they don’t stick to each other. To do that, place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for 2-3 hours. Then remove off the baking sheet and put it in a freezer-safe container. They last up to 2 months. 

👪 How To Serve

Serve these adorable jack o lantern quesadillas as is with pumpkin and cheese. Or serve with a side of sour cream, salsa, and green onions. These would also taste great alongside refried beans for added protein.

💭 Expert Tips

• It’s very important not to overstuff these easy quesadillas with ingredients. If you do, you will have a mess, and they will likely spill out as you are cooking them. 
• It’s best to divide up the filling, so you make evenly stuffed quesadillas. They will cook better when you have the correct amount of filling too!
• Keep your skillet on medium low heat so that the cheese melts evenly and you get that nice crispy outside without burning your tortillas.
• If you have kids, get them involved in the kitchen! There are lots of easy steps to this recipe that kids as young as 3 years old can participate in – they’ll have a blast making and then eating these quesadillas! These make for an easy dinner or after school snack for kids!

🎃 More Fun Halloween Foods!

• Halloween Monster Cookies
• Monster Munch Instant Pot Popcorn
• Vegan Rice Krispie Treats
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
• Pizza Mummies from Weelicious

📋 Recipe Card