Leftover Halloween Candy Hacks That You Need To Try

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in Candy Blog

We spend a serious amount of time getting ready for Halloween. From the decor to the costumes, candy collecting to party planning alot goes into making the spookiest night of the year one to remember. If you’re like me, Halloween night looks a little something like this…

Eat 3-4 pieces of candy before the trick-or-treaters start coming around—you know, to get the sugar flowing.  

Pop a few more while I wait for the second wave of candy carnivores to come through my neighborhood. 

Down a glass or two of apple cider (to really kick up the nostalgic vibes). 

Inhale a hotdog from my neighbor, get one final whiff of the fall campfire, and call it a night. 

Upon going inside, I am faced with the question most of us never have the answer two, “what am I supposed to do with all this leftover Halloween candy.” 

You could continue gnawing on sweets like some sort of candy creature, you could throw it all away (which would be considered a sin to some candy lovers), or you can dish it out to those friends at work who really don’t want your leftover candy, but can’t say no. 

While all of these are valid options for your residual Halloween candy, I figured that you might want to try a few other options that will elevate the flavors of your treats and take them to another level that will have your taste buds going wild. 

Next time you’re faced with a large collection of Halloween candy after the big night, give one (or all) of these Halloween Candy Hacks a try...

1. Top some ice cream with your favorite Halloween candy. 

This first idea is simple enough—take all that remaining candy and convert it into ice cream toppings. If you’ve ever been to a Coldstone Creamery before, this is exactly what they do! They curate, crunch, and crack all of your treats down into bite-sized morsels you can top on any flavor of ice cream—so why not make it at home?! 

I personally like to take my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfingers, and Mr. Goodbars, and combine them into one ultimate peanut butter ice cream topper that delivers an outrageous crunch and creamy texture you can’t get from regularly flavored ice cream. 

2. Break your Halloween candy down into baked goods. 

If you want to go the opposite direction of eating something cold, there’s another way to get all those sweet flavors of Halloween into one dessert dish everybody loves—spooky baked goods! 

Take all of the chocolate treats you got left from Halloween, throw them into your food processor, or if you’re like me and want to exhaust some frustration from eating too much candy on Halloween night, you can throw it in a ziplock bag and hit it a few times with your rolling pin.

Once you’ve got all of your candy bars crunched to your chunky liking, take them and mix them in with your favorite baked good batter. It can be cookie dough, brownies, even a cake if you’re feeling really creative. The point is to pack all that wonderful flavor into an epic dessert that brings all your top candy choices together. 

Check out this Witches Brew Brownie Recipe from HomeMade Interest if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to use up all that extra candy. 

3. Customize your own candy bark. 

With the holiday season coming right around the corner, it’s never too early to start whipping up some dessert bark with your Halloween candy in it. Whether you’re a fan of chocolate and peppermint, like the classic Christmas bark, or you’re feeling something different, like peanut butter caramel, you can customize your bark to your liking. 

The key is to make sure you combine complementary candies with one another inside this bark. If you’re going with a Caramello candy bar, consider sprinkling in a few pinches of sea salt to transform that candy bar into an elegant dessert that tastes amazing. 

Give this quick and easy Leftover Halloween Candy Bark Recipe from I Heart Eating if you want to make it for yourself at home. 

4. Toss some Halloween candy in a hot beverage. 

We’re already into the full swing of fall which means hot drinks are always on deck. From coffee to hot chocolate, cider to tea, everyone loves to cozy up on the couch and sip a warm beverage while you watch a movie. 

Next time you’re whipping up one of those dessert drinks, consider throwing your favorite pieces of candy in there and letting it melt away in your beverage—you’ll be shocked at what happens. I swear by it, take any caramel candy and just wait for the flavor of your drink to permeate your nose then give it a sip and tell me that doesn’t change your life. 

5. Donate to your local food bank or charity. 

As always, sweetness is best served to others and we like to encourage those who have leftover candy to donate it to their local food bank, shelter, church, or non-profit of your choosing. There are a lot of people out there whose day can be made a little brighter by tasting some candy that reminds them of a sweet time in their life. 

If you’re looking for a food bank in your local community, check out Feeding America where you can find the closest places to drop off all your leftover candy near you.

That’s it, now you’ve got 5 new ways to repurpose that Halloween candy and keep the spooky vibes around a little bit longer. Happy Halloween!

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