What to do with leftover Halloween candy – the question that haunts all parents of trick-or-treaters. If you’re one of those people who have a hard time saying no, then don’t worry! We’ve got you covered with these five creative ways to use up your leftovers.
Send it to troops abroad
The USO provides shipments of treats to troops deployed overseas through their Operation Buy Back program. As Halloween comes to an end, many parents are looking for ways to clear out their leftover Halloween candy, and what better way to do it than by sending it to our service members stationed abroad?
There are multiple ways you can donate your leftovers to our troops.
- Put your leftover candy in a box and dropping it off at your local post office.
- Visit the USO’s website, and click on “Candy Buy Back” to donate your candy.
- Call 1-800-SEND-HELP to speak with a service member who will send you a shipping label. You can then place it into any standard #10 envelope and drop it off at the post office or mail center of your choice.
Use a Halloween candy buyback program
This one may not be as well known, but if you have several pounds of old candy that you don’t want contact Candy Buy Back! They will pay you cash for your unwanted candy. To find a location near you, visit their website and enter your zip code and see if they have a location near you.
CandyBuyBack.com has been around since 2011 and has paid more than $2 million to people around the United States. It is a simple, hassle-free way to turn your Halloween candy into cash and even donate it if you choose.
Eat your leftover candy for breakfast
Eating candy for breakfast may sound crazy, but nutrition experts are saying that most low-sugar candies make excellent treats in the morning. One of the main reasons is because sugar refuels your body after you’ve burned through all of your glycogen stores during exercise. If you’re on a diet or have diabetes then you might want to stay away from this tip though!
Treat kids with cancer
Many kids who are in the hospital for Halloween won’t get a chance to trick or treat. Consider sending your leftover candy to them. You can visit Extra Life to find a hospital near you that needs your candy.
Donate it to another family with kids who are in need
Are you still looking for ideas on What To Do With Leftover Halloween Candy? If you don’t want to just throw out extra candy, consider donating it to another family who is in need. There are many families out there that could really use the extra treats. An organization called The Children’s Wish Foundation is one place you can consider if you are looking into donating. All you have to do is contact them and they can tell you if your donation will be useful or not and give you more information about their program (i.e., what types of candy they accept).
Create new gifts from old treats
If your kids are like mine then any amount of leftover Halloween candy means new things to decorate with. Consider adding leftover candy to cupcakes or other baked goods to create some fun new treats. Why not try making some decorated Rice Krispie Treats and adding a few Hershey’s kisses or some M&Ms for an extra special treat?
Freeze it and save it for later
If you have leftover candy from last year, stock up on freezer bags and store them for up to 5 years in a deep freezer. Pull them out later in the year for birthday party treat bags, movie night with the family, or as a special treat.
Eat it yourself
Maybe a little bit guilt-ridden about the whole thing but not wanting to part with your sweets? Then just eat away! But beware that with Halloween now over some of the novelty has worn off and eating pounds of old candy may get boring pretty fast; so you might not consume as much as you think you will.
As you can see, there are so many ways to put all those leftover Halloween candies to good use. Whether you’re just looking to have a little fun, or if you want to do some good for others in need use this helpful list to plan out what you will do with your leftover treats. If you know someone else who is also looking for ideas for What To Do With Leftover Halloween Candy, consider sharing this post.
