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Halloween Candy Overload: What To Do With All the Extra Treats

Nine ideas for what to do with excess Halloween candy

By Erika Veduccio October 15, 2019

Halloween is all about the costumes, the boos, and of course the C-A-N-D-Y!

Going door-to-door dressed in costumes with family and friends is fun and a great tradition, but let's be real -- it's all about those fun-sized treats! Plus, did you know Halloween is the ultimate day  to indulge without the guilt? But sometimes the kids bring home buckets and pillowcases full of candy. It can be overwhelming and, let's be honest, we can't sneak and eat all of it -- right? So what can we do with all of those sweets?  

Here are nine ideas for what to do with extra Halloween candy you want out of your house:

  1. Ship to our troops! There are a few organizations out there that can help you ship sweets to our soldiers. One of them, Soldiers' Angels, lets you search by zip code to find a location near you to donate
  2. Support a good cause. Many charities take candy, not just after Halloween but after Valentine's and Easter too.
  3. Find a candy buy back program near you. There are businesses -- it seems to most often be dentists -- that have a candy buyback offer post-Halloween
  4. Make a trail mix -- just add chocolate, candy corn, raisins, pretzels, and other leftover goodies!
  5. Christmas is right around the corner. Save your leftover Halloween treats for decorating a gingerbread house.
  6. Freeze leftover candies to add to your holiday coffees or hot chocolates for a little bonus flavor. 
  7. Have an ice cream playdate and use the leftover candy for ice cream toppings.
  8. Chop and add into cupcake, cookie, or brownie recipes. 
  9. Save it to fill a piñata for a fall or winter birthday.

Have an idea to add to our list? Email us at eats@macaronikid.com with "Halloween" in the subject line. We'd love to hear your ideas!

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