Draven Jackson
Blogger | Teacher
Twitter

While we all love Halloween, the night after the spooky holiday always comes with a big problem: What do you do with all the leftover Halloween candy? For those not looking to ruin their diets and don’t want their little ones hyped-up on sugary sweets all the time, it can be a real trial trying to figure out how to utilize all the extra candy.
For those moms and dads who need new ways to useall their extra sweets, here are some great ideas for how to reuse (and reduce) your extra Halloween candy!

Mix it With Your Favorite Salty Snacks

There’s no better flavor combination than salty and sweet, and extra Halloween candy makes for the best way to create a yummy salty/sweet treat. So what are some ways that you can utilize your candy to create the perfect snack?

First, you can mix your leftover chocolate bars into your favorite buttery popcorn. I usually go with M&Ms or Reese’s for this option, but anything with a chocolatey coating is fine. This will not only help you reuse your candy, but it will also amp up your movie night snack options!

Another way we always mixed candy with salty snacks at home was when my mother would put a Rolo on top of a pretzel twist, bake it in the oven for a few moments, and create the perfect combination of salty and sweet as well as soft and crunchy. If you want to take this option even further, add a walnut, pecan, or almond on top of the Rolo and let it melt down to sit snuggly in the chocolate. (P.S. don’t bake it so long the Rolo melts completely – you just want it to be nice and softened on top of the pretzel.)

Add Something a Little Extra to Your Cookies and Brownies

One of the classic ways to reuse leftover Halloween candy is to incorporate the sweets into your standard cookie or brownie. Time to forego the simple chocolate chip and move on to something more daring and exciting (because everyone loves an M&M cookie).

Kit Kat bars, Butterfingers, Snickers, and Milky Ways make the perfect addition to your cookie or brownie recipe. Or, if cookies and brownies aren’t your speed, use the extra candy to make candy bark or as a topping to your favorite cheesecake. The possibilities are endless (as is your candy)!

Make It into a Dip

Candy Dip made from extra Halloween candy? That’s a yes from me! While some people may not be aware of the deliciousness of a dessert dip, being from the South, I used to make yummy sweet dips all the time!

My top ways to use candy in a dessert dip is by taking my favorite chocolate bars and incorporating them into a sweet cream cheese dip. There are so many recipes for dessert dips online to help you make your decision, so don’t feel limited in your sweet dip endeavors!

Make sure to serve with graham crackers, pretzels, or sliced fruit.

Melt It Down for Some Fun Fondue

Need to get more use out of your leftover chocolate Halloween candy? Melt it down to make a fun fondue! This works best with larger chocolate bars (although I’m sure you can make M&Ms or small chocolate pieces work as well).

Make sure to stock up on fresh fruit slices, small pieces of cake or cookies, and graham crackers, and use them to dip into your new candy fondue!

Reuse It in Gift Bags at Your Next Party

Another great way to recycle your leftover Halloween candy is to use all the extra sweets to make gift bags for your child’s next birthday or Christmas party. No one has to know that the candy came from Halloween, and the kids will just love getting all the little treats in their goodie bags!

The great thing about goodie bags is that the candy for each one doesn’t even have to be the same – one bag can have a Snickers bar while another has some Skittles and the kids will be happy all the same!

Candy Makes for the Perfect Mad Science Experiment

If you’re not looking to eat your leftover Halloween candy but still need a great way to reuse and recycle it, turning your candy into hands-on science experiments is the perfect option for you!

There are so many great science experiments online that will make use of your extra sweets, so don’t be afraid to get a little “experimental” with it!

Whether you use the candy for gumdrop sculptures or to help your little ones practice their sorting and pattern recognition, using your leftover candy for fun experiments is not only an innovative option, but it’s also lots of fun!

Use It for Game Prizes

Need fun prizes to help spice up your family game nights? The extra Halloween candy sitting in your kitchen is the perfect option! Using the candy as fun prizes will encourage a fun competition for your next round of trivia or board games.

Plus, if you want to go even farther, you can invite more of your child’s friends over for a fun game night that everyone can love and enjoy. And who doesn’t love winning prizes? A sweet treat is the best reward I can think of for winning a round of Uno.

A Gingerbread House Needs Its Decorations

With winter and Christmas just around the corner, one holiday’s leftovers can become another holiday’s decorations! For those Christmas lovers who enjoy starting their festivities early, you can use your Halloween candy not only as a sweet snack but also as decorations for your gingerbread houses!

No need to go out and buy more gum drop bushes, Twizzler rafters or M&M door handles – you already have all the supplies you need in your child’s leftover stock of Halloween candy!

Sneak Some Away to Share at Work

No need to let your diet get ruined all alone – a classic way to get rid of extra Halloween candy is to take it with you to work and share it with all your coworkers! Kids aren’t the only ones who love candy, so all the adults in your life who weren’t able to go trick-or-treating will appreciate the extra sweet treats in their day!

Do you know of more ways to use your leftover Halloween candy? Tell us in the comments!

About Draven Jackson

Draven is an avid writer and reader who enjoys sharing her opinions on movies, books, and music with the rest of the world. She will soon be working as a teacher in Japan and hopes to use her experience to connect with other teachers and students around the globe. Draven spends most of her time at home with her family, her dogs, and her ferret.

To see more, view all posts by Draven Jackson here.