The Candy-Loving Mom’s Guide to Leftover Halloween Candy

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Halloween has a tendency to leave a very full bag (or two, or three or more, depending on how many kids you have) of not-so-nutritious sweets lurking in your house. I have a brood of four which quadruples the sugar take away, but there is A LOT left. What to do, what to do? Here are some pro tips from a sweets-savoring mom about how to enjoy, utilize, and empty the sugary temptation that is leftover Halloween candy.

Halloween Candy

Eat it: Duh. So much goodness. So much variety. Get in my mouth!

Cocoa Candy Slam: Did you know that many candies that are coated in chocolate create an air tight seal? This means if you bite off a small amount on each end of a Kit Kat®, Snickers®, or other chocolate sealed mini bar you can use it as a straw and suck hot cocoa, coffee, and the occasional tea right through it. This heats up the center of your confectionous morsel, and when you slam it into your mouth you end up in melty chocolate heaven.

Bar over Biscotti: Not feeling adventurous enough to try the slam? Simply dip the Halloween candy bar in your coffee. You might need a napkin, but they say it’s bad to drink coffee on an empty stomach anyway, right?halloween-leftover-candy

Candy Stuffed Crepes: Candy for breakfast? Yes, please. You can throw the small sweetness into crepes, pancake batter, or roll it up in croissant dough.

Cookies: Anything you can put nuts or chocolate chips in you can put Halloween candy in. However, this mostly applies to chocolate candies. Those fruity candies become like glue on your cookie sheets and rarely work out.

Chore Rewards: Reward is a much more pleasant word than bribe. Hold that bag hostage and reward those precious ones as they clean the home, do their homework, or complete other unwanted tasks.

Carry It with You: It is bite-sized, pocket-sized, and purse-sized. You only need a little space for a quick blood sugar fix or movie snack. Forget paying $4 for a box of Butterfingers when you have a bag of leftover Halloween candy joy at your disposal. Shhhh…don’t tell the cineplex manager.

Ice Cream Topping: This is the best option I have found for those fruity candies, like Smarties, Skittles, or lollipops. Bonus child-friendly activity: Candy crushing! Put the lollipops and other hard candies  in a sealable plastic bag and give your child a rolling pin. Let them go to town crushing all the candy!

Wine/Candy Tasting Party: Gather your friends and figure out what pairs best with what, but sip and snack wisely. If you can no longer taste the difference between a Starburst and a Reese’s, go to bed, you’re done. Need some suggestions try these pairings.

Throw It Away: Wait! Why would you do that? Your kids worked so hard, you stood out in the cold, this only happens once a year! Actually, this is probably a healthy option, but to be more eco-friendly you may want to choose to give it away. Take it to the office, a party, trade it in at the dentist, or find a candy-loving mom and give it to her. Maybe she will give you some veggies in return. She doesn’t want those anyway.

What creative things do you do with your kids’ leftover Halloween candy?