5 Creative Ways to Use Leftover Halloween Candy

It's the week after Halloween, and the festivities are over. The costumes are put away (or added to the rest of the dress-up clothes), and the candy has been collected. Despite the mountains of candy your kids may have consumed after trick-or-treating, you might still have a ton left over. So what are you supposed to do with it?

If you ended up with more candy than your family knows what to do with, doling it out to your kids for months isn't the only option. There are many creative ways to use leftover Halloween candy, whether you're just trying to get rid of it or you want to restrict how much candy your kids consume. Here are our 5 best ideas for creatively using the leftover candy at the bottom of the bucket.

Ways to Use Leftover Halloween Candy

Before we dive into the 5 most creative ways to use leftover Halloween candy, if you've got a couple of kids who would gladly consume the entire Halloween candy stash in one night if you let them, you're not alone.

However you decide to get rid of your candy is up to you — but if you have little ones who aren't interested in candy, or you have way more candy than you expected, try one of these creative ideas instead of letting all the treats go to waste.

Bake Some Goodies

If you've got some leftover Hershey's chocolate, M&M's, Reese's Cups, or other candy sitting in the cabinet, one of the best ways to get rid of it is to bake some tasty treats. There are so many Halloween candies you can use as a topping for cookies and cakes, or add to brownies and popcorn balls. With December right around the corner, you can even save the candy for baking Christmas cookies.

Here are some of our favorite ideas for treats to make with leftover candy:

• M&M cookies
• Candy Corn Rice Krispies Treats
• Reese's brownies
• Candy bark
• Ice cream sundaes

If you're looking for something other than desserts to make, you can also try adding leftover candy to homemade granola bars, trail mix, or oatmeal for a sweet surprise.

Add It to a Treasure Chest

Many parents choose to teach their young children by using a behavior chart or another kind of reward system. If your children work towards earning something, you can add the leftover Halloween candy to a treasure chest in your home. When your kiddo earns a certain number of tokens or stickers, depending on the system you use, they get to choose a candy or two from the chest.

To spread out the amount of candy they're eating, the chest doesn't have to be filled with only candy. You can also buy small trinkets, toys, stickers, activity packs, and other fun items to motivate your kids.

Donate the Candy

If you're looking for a way to get the leftover Halloween candy out of the house, the best option is to donate it. There are lots of options when it comes to donating candy. You can try organizations that donate it to a good cause, such as Operation Shoebox, Operation Gratitude, or Soldiers' Angels. These three organizations allow you to donate candy to first responders or military communities.

Some other options are donating candy to a local organization. Places like children's hospitals, community centers, and libraries may accept candy donations.

Make Goodie Bags

The good thing about wrapped candy is that it stays good for a long time. Another creative way to use leftover Halloween candy is to make goodie bags for your co-workers, friends, neighbors, or even to pass out to delivery drivers during the holiday season.

Once we get closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas, many people are working harder than ever. Individuals who work in retail, food service, or delivery service are usually extra busy and often have to deal with customers who aren't always kind. Leaving a goodie bag on your porch for your Amazon driver or passing out goodie bags to your favorite baristas can brighten someone's day this holiday season.

Try the Switch Witch

The last, and most creative, way to get rid of leftover Halloween candy is through a tradition known as the Switch Witch. It's unclear where the tradition originated, although it became more popular when the children's book, The Switch Witch and the Magic of Switchcraft, by Audrey R. Kinsman, was released in 2015.

The idea behind the Switch Witch is that kids get to swap their candy for a book, toy, or other item that doesn't involve candy. Before the Switch Witch comes, kids choose which candy they're going to give away, and they leave it in a designated spot for the witch to pick it up. When your kids are sleeping or preoccupied, swap the bags of candy for some items you know your kids will love.

A Balanced Approach to Halloween Candy

There are plenty of opinions out there about how parents should handle Halloween candy after the holiday. Some parents are more restrictive, only allowing their kids to have a couple of pieces before getting rid of the rest. Other parents let their kids eat as much as they feel like, since Halloween only comes once a year.

No matter how you choose to handle Halloween, remember — like most parenting choices, taking a balanced approach can be beneficial. You can determine what works best for your family, no matter what anyone online tells you to do. Enjoy this time with your kids, and don't forget to pick out your favorite Halloween candies before giving the leftovers away!

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