What to do with all that CANDY?

I was asked this week to write about “What to do With Your Halloween Candy.” 

My answer: “umm… how about, eat it??” 

As I looked around the room of this amazingly wonderful new generation of working, multitasking, gluten free, vegan, organic, bean loving, hand sanitizarama mamas, I suddenly felt like that was perhaps the wrong answer….(insert cricket sounds).

I realize that I’m starting to sound like my mom:  “Well, back in my days, we ate our Halloween candy.”  Although, hers was more of a different context: “Well honey, we used to walk up hill to school in the snow, both ways, in the snow – with no shoes.”

In my search for someone to side with my logic, a fellow candy lover directed me to a recent post on the Scary Mama blog: 

Back in the day, we ate ourselves senseless and gorged on things like Butterfingers, ghost-shaped marshmallows, candy corn, and a plethora of other treats derived from processed goodness. That’s right –– I said processed!  Do you want to know how I plan on spending Halloween? I’m kickin’ it old school. I’m going to coach my kids on the ABC’s of a good Halloween. A) Always trick or treat where the rich people live (duh). B) Binge (and binge and binge again). C) Coconut is for chumps. We’re going to target the houses that give out the Costco candy (that’s right, the whole effing candy bar!). Raisins on Halloween will cause a Zombie apocalypse. True story.

I had a good giggle at that. 

However, if you don’t mind risking the “Zombie Apocalypse,” here is what the world wide web says are the top 10 things to do with your Halloween Candy:

Send it to the troops. There are several organizations that let you donate your leftover Halloween candy to the troops. This is a special treat for the troops and can even help them in handing candy out to locals to build trusting relationships.
 

Donate it. You can donate your leftover Halloween candy to a local nursing home or women’s shelter or food bank. This is something worthwhile that you and your children can do to help others while also getting those sweets out of the house.
 

Bake with it. There are so many recipes that can be found online for leftover Halloween candy; some of our favorites include Butterfinger Cake, Tootsie Roll surprise cupcakes and cookies topped with M&Ms.
 

Bring it to the office. Your coworkers will love the extra treats, and the sugar rush will make everyone that much more productive.


Stuff a Piñata with it. Whether you are having a party or just for an afternoon of fun, you can stuff a piñata with your leftover Halloween candy and let the excitement commence.


Use it for stocking stuffers or gifts. You can purchase holiday themed bags at your local craft store and fill them with your leftover Halloween candy. Most candy will still be good to eat in December.
 

Use it for candy-themed crafts. If you do not want to eat your Halloween candy but don’t want to throw it away either, you can use it to create wonderful candy-themed crafts, such as Tootsie Roll wreaths or candy corn picture frames. These handmade crafts make perfect holiday gifts.
 

Freeze it for later. Most candy freezes well. You can freeze candy in small plastic bags to use for baking or special treats later. You can organize your candy before you freeze it by type, color or your child’s favorites. You can even use your thawed out candy to decorate a gingerbread house in the winter.
 

Use it for party decorations. . You can save your leftover Halloween candy to be used for party decorations. You can create a candy buffet or simply put your candy out in decorative bowls. Your guests will love it.
 

Use it for teacher’s gifts. At holiday time most people are searching for something to give to their child’s teachers. You can have your child help you package up your leftover Halloween candy in handmade bags or boxes to make the perfect gift.

 Have a safe and playful Halloween!