Parents everywhere are thinking, "What are we going to do with all this Halloween candy?!?" (Besides snack on it, that is. We all know parents eat just as much or more of it, right? Maybe just me?) Anyway, no one wants to throw the extra away and waste food. It's actually quite expensive as well. Luckily, these sweet treats tend to have a long shelf life, and be used in many different ways.
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So a few ideas I have are ...
1) Lunchbox treats - I let my kids bring one candy in their school lunch from now until they get out of school on Nov 17th for Thanksgiving break.
2) Save some for gingerbread house decorating. Hershey's kisses, licorice, and M&Ms are great for this.
3) Include some in Thanksgiving treats. I have seen quiet a few table treats for Thanksgiving using candy on Pinterest. Enough cute ones that I have an entire article on it here.
4) Does someone in your family have a special day coming up? Candy wreaths are cute additions to birthday décor and double as a gift! Check out this one from Sparkles to Sprinkles.com
5) Take some to share at your workplace.
6) Bake and Share! Here are a few unique recipes that I think are perfect for Halloween leftovers.
Mini Rolo Banana Bread
This recipe looks great for some Sunday baking. Even though it uses candy, it's not an overload of refined sugar.
Dark Chocolate Halloween Bark With Quinoa
Quinoa and dark chocolate chips are healthy right? Add a little nutrition to your candy with this colorful bark.
Leftover Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza
When I saw this recipe I knew my kids would flip! If you're going to indulge, this is the way to do it! I am going to make this one night for dessert for sure!
Candy corn cookies
I'm not a huge fan of candy corn, but you know what? I have a lot left over because I used them in decorations. If you are in the same boat, I think these cookies would make them a lot more enticing. And, if you are like my 5 year old, who loves this little orange and yellow treats, it will make having a sugar cookie, extra sweet.
Milky Way Blondies
When I'm digging through the candy basket, honestly, I will rarely choose a Milky Way. In fact, we usually have quite a few left...which is great because look at these blondies!! These would not be skipped over on any dessert table!
Snickers Salad
I can't think of anything that would balance out a snickers bar better than a fresh apple. Apples and caramel are a match made in heaven. As I type this, I find myself wishing I had some of this salad in the refrigerator right now!
Peanut Butter Pies
I saw two different peanut butter pies using Reese's Cups, and I couldn't pick just one. No bake pies are totally MY THING! (While you're perusing recipes, check out my no bake mini apple cheesecakes.)
Mini Butterfinger Pies
I have always loved butterfingers, and I almost never eat them except around Halloween when I come across some minis! These mini pies look so divine I want to make them for myself, but they would also be a crowd pleaser!
Need more ideas? Check out some of these links.
Happy Fall Everyone!
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These are great ideas! I love the baking idea!
love those bake and share ideas!!! so yummmm
Loved these. OMG. I love the creations. Especially the pizza.
One other suggestion I would make is to share with teacher friends! We use candy all the time and getting gifted candy for the kids helps!
Thank you for this helpful list! We did a couple trunk or treats before Halloween so I put a bowl full out with a sign that said “help yourself” while we were out trick or treating. Almost all was gone when we got home and we still have 2 full buckets left.