I love Halloween. LOVE. IT. It’s the days after that I am not a huge fan of. There’s always tons of leftover candy, both from the kid’s loot and the stuff you didn’t peddle out. Kids get so much sugar that it’s hard to just let them have at the candy with reckless abandon. Sure, I always let the kids indulge a bit, but I never saw any reason to let them get to the bottom of that monster-sized collection bag.
So, here’s what I propose: Dole some of that candy out to the critters and get clever with the rest. Some for now, some for later, some for someone else. Boom! Just like that, the threat of a diabetic coma has been downgraded.
Numero uno: contact local dentists. They loathe the sugar game. It means rotten teeth and broken braces. Usually they participate in a candy exchange. Your sweet bundle of energy brings in candy, it is weighed, and in exchange for said candy {which the dentist usually sends to the troops overseas}, your kid gets cash.
No dentist? No problem. Organize a neighborhood donation situation. Make a care-package for one of your local troops that is currently overseas. Split the shipping costs {usually a flat rate deal for military}, and you have yourself a do-good moment.
Separate out the good chocolate. Like the special dark or plain milk chocolate. Now, stash that somewhere for an adult night later down the road. It’s wine, chocolate and games, and it’s on you…and the neighbors who sprung for the candy in the first place.
Save it for Birthday Pinatas. Listen, I get this is cheap, but seriously, it is totally unnecessary to buy more candy when you have perfectly good candy available. Who cares that it is all in orange and black wrappers?! I for one, do not.
Make trail mix. Stir all of those M&M’s into a healthy trail mix. Your kids don’t fill up entirely on candy, but they do get a little something, something sweet. It’s the best of both world.
Freeze it to use in milkshakes, cakes, and baking throughout the year. Come March, a snickers milkshake will sound delightful…and free.
Save it for the Gingerbread house decorating. Come Christmas, you won’t have to buy an expensive kit, and you’ll have plenty of brightly colored candy for the kids to glue on with frosting.
How do you use up Halloween candy?
~Mavis
Lana says
There are so many preservatives in all that candy that it will keep for a LONG time. We are not opposed to eating Halloween candy in July (of next year)!
We have a dentist friend who dressed up his 6 month old daughter and went trick or treating to get candy fro himself! LOL!
Mavis says
Haha! I love that.
Sarah G. says
Sine my kids are still young enough to believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa, we have the Switch Witch come on Halloween night. We let the kids pick out their top 10 things from their bag of candy, and then when they’re asleep the Switch Witch comes, take the rest of the candy, and switches it for a toy (usually Lego).
Mindy says
I made these Halloween candy treats last year, and plan on making them again this year for teachers. 🙂
http://rindymae.blogspot.com/2014/11/halloween-candy-cookie-bars.html
Mavis says
Those look delicious…
Jane says
Chop up those candy bars and throw them in the freezer. Then use them cookies instead of chocolate chips or in ice cream sandwich cake this summer:-)…http://www.thyhandhathprovided.com/2009/02/ice-cream-sandwich-cake.html
Jamie says
I’ve followed your blog ever since Mavis mentioned it here years ago. I especially love your bee posts.
I made your ice cream cake in a bread loaf pan I lined with plastic wrap, then iced with Cool Whip. It looked so professional and everyone loved it!
Julia says
We use ours on the gingerbread house. That’s after we eat all the chocolate!!
Patty says
Mavis, be careful about suggesting that we send items to our soldiers overseas. Most packages have to be labeled with a specific name. No longer are deliveries made when packages are labeled “any soldier” due to the danger of threats to our soldiers.
Mavis says
Good to know, Patty. How sad is it that we live in a world where we can’t just do a random soldier a kindness anymore?!
Kimberly says
At the end of Jimmy Kimmel’s 2015 “I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy” video this year I saw this organization who will accept leftover candy and send it to our troops in care packages. How cool is that?! https://opgrat.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/halloween-candy-for-the-troops/
“And for fun, Jimmy Kimmel’s 2015 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1pTZTHZF4E“
Jamie says
We left Beijing and I’m in Hong Kong for a couple more days before we go home. They have such fun candy, I’ve been buying for all my nieces and nephews. We also went to Europe this summer and I bought candy everywhere we went there too. For Christmas everyone is getting two movie tickets and candy from England, Germany, France, Ireland, China, and Hong Kong.
It’s a one size fits all gift and means my holiday shopping will be just about finished. I’m so excited!!!