Halloween is almost here! I love Halloween so much – the decorating, the spookiness of it (though you won’t catch me wandering through haunted houses), and the excitement the kids have to be whoever they want. This year, I will be trick-or-treating with Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Elsa (need I say more?), and a zombie.
If your kids are anything like mine, then they probably will end up getting more Halloween candy than they could possibly eat in the next few months. That could mean several pounds of candy that I don’t want them to eat, and yet, feel bad throwing away. What to do with all of it? I have some leftover Halloween candy ideas that will help.
Leftover Halloween Candy Ideas
- Freeze it: Use it throughout the year to add to baking, milkshakes, ice cream, cookie dough, or to thaw and eat.
- Keep a small stash in your purse to use a bribes when you’re out and about and the kids need something to occupy them
- Make trail mix
- Take it to Thanksgiving get- togethers
- Use the candy to make homemade advent calendars
- Know a child with an upcoming birthday? Use the candy in a pinata!
- Make candy necklaces or bracelets – use licorice as the “string” or candy popcorn
- Take it with you to work or send it to work with Dad
- Make a holiday card using the candy (Dear Grandma, Here is a kiss (put a Hershey’s Kiss where the word “kiss” would normally go.) Get creative and have fun!
- Or, like most people do, stash it and eat if for the next several months.
- Dig out all the chocolate and enjoy it with coffee or wine (for you, not the kids)
Still looking for more ideas?
Pretzel Cookies
You can use up Kisses and M&Ms to make pretzel cookies in no time at all!
Make Vodka
At our house, the chocolate always goes first, which leaves lots of hard candy like Jolly Ranchers and Starbursts. So why not take any hard candy and turn it into vodka?
Just put 12 of the same flavored unwrapped Jolly Ranchers in a pint sized mason jar, fill it up with vodka of your choice, and then let the candy dissolve (it took about 6 hours or so). And that was it! It makes a unique and fun Christmas gift for those hard-to-buy-for friends and family.
Beware: the vodka tastes more like candy than like alcohol. (Gummy bears work too!)
Donate It
One of my favorite leftover Halloween candy ideas: donate it! Groups like Operation Shoebox, which supports our troops, take donations. Operation Gratitude is another resource and explains how to send candy to our troops. Your tax deductible donation pays for the assembly and shipping expenses of $15 per care package.
What does your family do with leftover candy?
Natalie is a wife, mom of a seven year old son and five year old twin girls, wannabe foodie, lover of wine and of all things social media. She blogs at Mommy of a Monster and Twins and also works as a freelance writer and social media manager. You can find her tweeting as @NatalieHoage, Facebooking on her page and pinning more recipes than she can ever possibly try.
