Hocus Pocus Snack Board

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If you love all things Halloween, you are going to love this Hocus Pocus snack board. I pay tribute to the Sanderson sisters and recreate their likeness using rice cakes and colorful fruits like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and peaches. In just 15 minutes, I have a healthy and fun snack that looks like it was made with a touch of sorcery.

Halloween snacks do not have to be loaded with candy to get the kids excited, and this Hocus Pocus snack board is proof. All I need is fresh fruit, rice cakes, and a few small decorative pieces to turn a platter into a stunning and edible version of the witchy sisters. As soon as the leaves change color, my kids know they will have an array of fun seasonal snacks like Thanksgiving inspired cheese quesadillas to look forward to. Make sure you do the spooky season right, and try this snack board.

I originally made this board as a way to give my kids a Halloween activity that they could help assemble after seeing how much fun they had making funny face Halloween apples. There was no strict design originally, and the boys were making all kinds of weird and wonderful characters. But after I realized that I had all the colors to recreate one of my favorite childhood movies, I got to work perfecting this snack board.

🥘 Ingredients

For this Hocus Pocus snack board, I select fruit by color and shape since each ingredient has a very specific job in creating the Sanderson sisters. This is what I use:

For the faces

Plain rice cakes: I use 3 round rice cakes as the base for the sisters’ faces. Their flat shape makes it easier to arrange the small facial features. 

Blueberries: Blueberries are perfect for creating the eyes for the sisters. Their small size makes them easy to position without needing anything sticky. 

Cashews: I place 1 cashew in the center of each face to create the noses. If I am serving anyone with a nut allergy, I swap these for small carrot pieces. 

Pepper slices: I use small pieces of red or orange bell pepper for the mouths. I cut them small enough to fit beneath the blueberries without covering too much of the rice cake. 

Olive slices: I use thin slices of olives for the eyebrows. 

For the Hair

White peach: I slice one white peach very thinly to create Sarah’s long, flowing blonde hair. 

Raspberries: These work well to create Winifred’s bright red hair, which I shape into 2 pointed buns.

Blackberries: I arrange blackberries into Mary’s swirling cone-shaped hair.

For the bodies

Concord grapes: Purple concord grapes create Sarah’s dress, which I arrange beneath her face in a triangular shape.

Green grapes: These form Winifred’s green robes, and I add enough to create a full shape.

Red grapes: I use red grapes for Mary’s dress and arrange them in the same triangular style as her sisters.

🔪 How To Make

The real artistry is in the way I arrange the fruit on this Hocus Pocus snack board. This is how I bring the Sanderson sisters to life:

Prepare fruit: I wash and thoroughly dry the fruit before I arrange the platter. 

Make the faces: Next, I arrange 3 rice cakes on my platter, slightly staggering them rather than placing them in a perfectly straight row. I add 2 blueberries to each face for the eyes, then position a cashew for the nose, a small pepper piece for the mouth, and olive slices for the eyebrows.

Add the hair: For Sarah, I layer thin peach slices from the top of the rice cake down toward the middle to create her long hair. I arrange the raspberries above Winifred’s face in 2 cone shapes, starting with 4 raspberries on each side, followed by 3, then 2, then 1. For Mary, I curve the blackberries into a swirling cone and use a few blueberries or concord grapes to fill small gaps.

Add the robes: I start Sarah’s dress with the concord grapes, arranging them in a triangle beneath her face. I repeat the same shape with green grapes for Winifred, followed by red grapes for Mary.

Fill in the background and serve: Next, I use any remaining space to add extra Halloween details. Black olives can create a night sky across the top, while pretzels work nicely along the bottom as the ground. When I have small pumpkins available, I scatter a few around the platter for another seasonal detail.

📖 Variations

I have changed the fruit for this Hocus Pocus snack board depending on what is available at the grocery store:

Tropical Sarah: If I cannot find white peaches, I use thin pineapple slices for Sarah’s long blonde hair. And if you cannot find pineapple, peeled and sliced apples, brushed with lemon juice, also work very well. My kids love using a mix of fruit for her hair. 

Veggie dresses: I use 1 cup of sliced cucumber for Winifred’s dress, 1 cup of thin red bell pepper strips for Mary, and 1 cup of sliced purple carrots for Sarah. When I make this version, my kids always ask for hummus on the platter. 

Spooky decorations: To fill the background in a fun and edible way, I use pitted black olives to create spiders. I cut them in half, then use thin slivers of olives for the legs. I use a slice of orange or lemon to create a full moon in the background, and use mini bat-shaped cookie cutters to cut shapes out of citrus peels. You could also melt vegan marshmallows in the microwave and pull them apart to make sticky spider webs. 

🍽 Serving Suggestions

This Hocus Pocus snack board makes a stunning centerpiece for a snack table at Halloween parties. I recommend surrounding it with some Halloween Jack-O-Lantern quesadillas and Halloween monster cookies. If you are making it for an adult party, you have to make a witches brew cocktail for your guests. 

The last time I made this snack board, I wanted it to be the center of attention, so I selected other sides that still fit the Halloween theme but did not detract from the fruity witches. I served glasses of bright red strawberry juice along with vegan pumpkin cupcakes and bowls of vegan caramel popcorn. Everything was delicious, and the kids hardly touched any of the candy that I had laid out. 

🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating

Refrigeration: I cover the completed fruit tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. I can assemble the board up to 1 day ahead of serving. If I have leftovers, I store the fruits individually and use them in fruit salads and smoothies. 

Freezing: I do not freeze this snack board as the fresh fruit and rice cakes become soggy once thawed. Leftover fruit can be frozen and stored for up to 3 months and used in smoothies. 

Reheating: No reheating is needed here. This board is best served chilled or at room temperature.

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