I’ve seen a lot of candy corn-inspired food lately. And since I’m the world’s biggest candy corn addict, I thought I should jump on the bandwagon.
Last year for Halloween, my sister made super easy dessert treats, layering pineapple and mandarin oranges and topping them with whipped cream. These candy corn fruit cups were a healthy alternative to all the Halloween candy.
So I decided to make something similar, but less healthy. It is Halloween after all.
To make my version, you’ll need:
4 8-ounce cans pineapple chunks
2 15-ounce cans mandarin oranges
1 yellow or pineapple cake mix package, plus ingredients for baking
1 8-ounce container Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
1 container prepared vanilla frosting
1 package of candy corn (for nibbling while making this recipe)
Drain the pineapple chunks and reserve the liquid. Set aside the pineapple chunks.
Prepare the cake mix, substituting the water with the reserved pineapple juice. For example, if the cake mix calls for 1 cup of water, substitute it with 1 cup of pineapple juice instead.
Bake the cake as directed on the package.
While the cake is baking, drain the mandarin oranges and set aside.
Whip together the thawed Cool Whip and the vanilla frosting. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Once the cake has baked and cooled, cut it into small cubes.
Now you’re ready to assemble the candy corn-inspired layers!
In clear glasses or clear plastic cups, make the first layer with the pineapple chunks.
Top the pineapple with a layer of cake cubes.
Put a layer of mandarin orange slices on top of the cake.
Lastly, finish off the top with a layer of fluffy Cool Whip frosting. How cute!
Such a fun treat for Halloween. This recipe will make about 16 servings, depending on the size of your cups. You might have some cake cubes leftover (or you might not, if you got hungry while assembling the cups).
If you want to make these for a Halloween party, feel free to make them in advance and store them in the fridge.
Trick or Treat, friends!
