10 Things To Do With Your Left Over Halloween Candy

We have some fun ideas and things to do with leftover Halloween candy. Don’t toss it; check out our Halloween recipes and other things to do with your extra candy from trick-or-treating! From delicious leftover Halloween candy recipes to fun activities for kids, holiday crafts, and ways to share the candy with others, there are so many creative ways to put your Halloween haul to good use.

What to do with your leftover Halloween candy

If any of you are trick-or-treaters like we are, you know that we receive massive amounts of candy! Between Halloween parties, school events, and neighborhood trick-or-treating, it doesn’t take long to collect more candy than anyone can eat.

We always have lots of invitations to events, so by the time we’ve finished trick-or-treating and going to various parties and events, we are all candied out! Some years, we have so much candy left (we love making these Halloween ghost lollipops with some of the extras) that we don’t really know what to do with it all. If you’ve got a ton of leftover candy this year, don’t trash it, USE IT!

10 Things To Do With Your Leftover Halloween Candy

There are lots of things you can do with leftover candy you get from trick-or-treating. Instead of letting all those mini candy bars and colorful sweets sit in a bowl for weeks and go to waste, why not turn them into something fun? You can bake them into brownies and cookies, use them to decorate holiday treats, save them for a birthday party, or even freeze some of your favorites for later.

So, if you’re asking, “What do I do with leftover Halloween candy?” check out our ideas below. Here are some easy things to do with leftover Halloween candy, plus plenty of creative ways to reuse your extra candy and make the most of your Halloween stash!

1. Learning with candy: craft, count, sort, and match

Help young children learn by using various candies to count, match, and sort colors. M&M’s, Skittles, Starbursts, jelly beans, and other colorful candies are perfect for this!

Have your kids sort the candy by color, count how many pieces are in each group, or create a repeating pattern. Older children can practice addition, subtraction, or simple graphing by comparing the number of candies in each pile.

You can also use wrapped candy for a guessing game. Ask everyone to estimate how many pieces are in a jar, then count them together to see who gets closest.

2. Save your leftover candy for holiday decorations

With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the bend, you’re bound to head to a family gathering or have company at your own home. Set out a bowl of candy for guests to enjoy; you can even save our favorites for a holiday gingerbread house.

Kids will love using their Halloween candy stash to decorate gingerbread roofs, make candy pathways, and add colorful details to their holiday creations. You can even use suitable candy pieces to decorate cookies, cupcakes, and other festive desserts.

3. You can make leftover Halloween candy recipes

If you are thinking about what to make with leftover Halloween candy, cakes, cookies, pies, and all sorts of goodies, use candy as ingredients. Ever heard of Snickers Pie? Maybe Reese’s Pieces cookies, fresh-baked brownies, candy bark, or a trail mix? The possibilities are endless here.

Here are a few recipes with Halloween candy ideas to get you started:

• Leftover Halloween candy brownies – Fold chopped Snickers, Twix, or peanut butter cups into brownie batter.
• Halloween candy cookies – Add chopped chocolate bars or candy-coated chocolates to your favorite cookie recipe.
• Candy bar cupcakes – Use small pieces of candy in the center of cupcakes or as a topping.
• Halloween candy bark – Spread melted chocolate on a lined baking sheet, sprinkle with chopped candy, and let it set.
• Candy bar milkshakes – Blend a few pieces of chocolate candy into a milkshake.
• Ice cream sundae bar – Set out bowls of chopped candy so everyone can create their own dessert.

We have a few more cute Halloween candy ideas: Make Thanksgiving Turkey Donuts with candy corn, or try these Almond Joy cupcakes, flaky coconut with a delicious bite-sized candy bar in the center. We have also made monster candy bark with candy pieces all over the top!

4. Bring the candy into the office

Bring candy into the office, and it will be gone in no time. People swear they are staying away from candy, but when they see those chocolates in the basket, they are bound to snag a couple of pieces!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in the office looking for a little chocolate treat during the afternoon. A few leftover mini candy bars can be just the thing to brighten someone’s day!

You could also put together a small candy bowl for a community group, club meeting, or other gathering. Just check whether the location accepts outside food and keep the candy in its original packaging.

5. Give it away for GOOD

There are plenty of places that will take your Halloween candy and do something great with it! Dentist offices often have a candy buy-back where they offer various stuff in return, or you can give your candy to an organization that puts together fun care packages for our serving troops who are away. To learn about donating Halloween candy, check here to see how to send Halloween candy to troops.

Alternatively, you could reward your favorite teacher, mailman, police officer, or fireman with a fun holiday “thank you” package full of holiday stuff and Halloween candy.

Another idea is to put together a little thank-you bag for a teacher, neighbor, or local community helper. Add a handwritten note and a few individually wrapped treats to make it extra special.

6. Freeze your Halloween candy for later

Can you freeze Halloween candy? Yes, you sure can! Pop your leftover candy in the freezer and use it in the future for milkshakes, ice cream toppings, or just when you want a bite of a little something sweet.

If you need to know how to store Halloween candy leftovers, keep chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, and other freezer-suitable candy in airtight packaging or a freezer-safe container. If the candy is already individually wrapped, you can keep the wrappers on and place the pieces inside a sealed bag or container. When you’re ready to use it, let the candy thaw while still wrapped to help reduce condensation. You can then chop it up for brownies, cookies, milkshakes, or ice cream toppings.

Keep in mind that freezing may change the texture of some candies, especially gummies, caramels, and other chewy treats. Check the package storage guidance, and discard anything that’s damaged, spoiled, or past its usable date.

7. Use it in a birthday piñata

If you have any birthday parties planned at the end of the year or the beginning of next year, you can put Halloween candy leftovers in your next piñata! Most wrapped candies have quite a long shelf life and should last for a future party – just be sure to check the labels first.

Individually wrapped candy can be a convenient addition to a birthday celebration, classroom party, or family gathering. Separate the candy by type and keep it in a sealed container in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to use it.

If you’re making a piñata for younger children, choose age-appropriate treats and consider adding stickers, small toys, or other non-food surprises, too.

8. Add your candy to a bowl of ice cream

There’s nothing better than hot fudge and toppings on ice cream, so why not put your Halloween candy leftovers to good use and eat it on top of your favorite scoop? Crush up some mini candy bars (Twix, Kit Kat, Reese’s cups, and Snickers bars are sooo good in ice cream!) and add those M&M’s and other candies to your bowl.

Want to make it a family activity? Set up a DIY ice cream sundae bar with several bowls of chopped candy, sprinkles, sauces, and other toppings. Everyone can build their own creation, and you get to use up some of that Halloween candy stash at the same time!

9. Use leftover candy as holiday stocking stuffers

You can use the wrapped candies and treats for stocking stuffers in December. Fill the stockings of your loved ones with delicious chocolate treats – just make sure all of the candies are fresh and not expired.

10. Make a hot chocolate bar with candy toppings

Set out small bowls of suitable chopped chocolate candies, mini marshmallows, and sprinkles for a cozy hot chocolate station. It’s especially fun during the holiday season – people love hot cocoa, and adding their own candies on top adds to the celebration!

How to Store Leftover Halloween Candy

If you plan to save your Halloween candy for later, proper storage can help maintain its quality.

• Keep candy sealed. Store individually wrapped treats in their original packaging or place them in airtight containers.
• Choose a cool, dry place. Heat and humidity can cause chocolate to melt and some candies to become sticky.
• Separate different types of candy. Chocolate bars, gummies, hard candy, and chewy treats can have different storage needs.
• Check the packaging. Follow the manufacturer’s storage recommendations and best-before dates.
• Freeze suitable candy. Some chocolate-based treats freeze well, but texture may change depending on the type of candy.

Wondering how long Halloween candy lasts? It depends on the type of candy, its ingredients, packaging, and storage conditions. Check the package for guidance rather than assuming every piece will stay fresh for the same amount of time.

What do you do with your extra Halloween candy?

Now that you have plenty of ideas for what to do with leftover Halloween candy, you don’t have to let those extra treats go to waste! Whether you turn them into brownies and cookies, save them for holiday baking, create a DIY ice cream sundae bar, or share them with friends and family, there are so many fun ways to use your Halloween candy stash.

Our favorite idea might just be turning those little chocolate bars into a delicious dessert. But if you’re all candied out, freezing suitable treats or saving unopened candy for a future party can be an easy alternative. Enjoy!

Subscribe: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube