If you’ve got lots of leftover Halloween candy – and let’s face it, most of us with children do – you may think your options are limited to hiding it, trashing it, or sneaking some of it for yourself. We have what we think are some better alternatives, five of them in fact, for repurposing it. 

Before we share these options, we’ll remind you of the importance of bringing your family to our North Knoxville, TN office or exams and cleanings at least twice a year. It’s the best way to keep your crew’s smiles healthy. We may recommend fluoride treatments and/or dental sealants for additional protection against cavities. To schedule your next visit, call us today at 865-947-2220.

Consider using your leftover Halloween candy for:

• Charity
• Holiday decor
• Fun way to fool the kids
• Making treats
• Making art

Make Candy Part of Care Packages for Soldiers

You can add a charitable element to your post-Halloween candy sorting by earmarking some of it for soldiers. Two organizations who collect it and see it gets to them are:

• Operation Gratitude – Sharing leftover candy with soldiers has been this organization’s mission since 2007.
• Soldiers’ Angels – Visit this organization’s website to find locations where you can take your candy to local businesses for collection. 

Set a Festive Holiday Table With Leftover Halloween Candy

We know it seems hard to believe, but Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before you know it. We love the idea of using your leftover candy for festive holiday decor. 

For Thanksgiving, you can combine favorite Halloween treats with Oreos or similar cookies to make these fun Thanksgiving turkeys. Make them ahead or create some interactive fun by setting up a DIY station for your guests. 

Leftover Halloween candy also makes great building materials for gingerbread houses at Christmas time. Tootsie Rolls and candy bars make sturdy “logs” for houses and fences. Nerds can be used for a colorful “gravel” pathway. M&Ms, Smarties, and other small candies are very versatile decorations. 

Introduce a Fun Holiday Tradition

If your family loves Elf on the Shelf and other holiday traditions, how about introducing your children to the Halloween Fairy? Like her cousin, the Tooth Fairy, she will exchange something your kid has for an even bigger prize. Help your youngsters put out candy for her that can be swapped for a toy or cash. 

Mix Leftover Halloween Candy into Treats

While these treats aren’t exactly great for your dental health, they are fun and better for your teeth than just eating your way through a big stack of candy. Add leftover candy to:

• Cookies – Many kinds of cookies benefit from the addition of chopped up candy bars, Reese’s Pieces, and M&Ms. Use Nerds instead of sprinkles to top cookies or cupcakes.
• Brownies – Makes your brownies extra tasty by concealing a layer of fun-size candy bars or similar treats between two layers of dough.
• Milkshakes – Blend ice cream or yogurt with candy bars for a simple and tasty version of a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Add a banana and/or berries to make them a bit healthier.
• Trail Mix – M&Ms or similar candies are flavorful additions to your favorite trail mix.

Turn Skittles into ‘Paint’

Skittles can be made into “paint” that produces vivid colors and has a fruity smell too. Here is how to do it:

• Sort Skittles into jars by color (baby food jars are great for this) 
• Cover them with corn syrup
• Wait for the corn syrup to pick up the colors (sit the jars somewhere where they won’t be disturbed as this can take a few hours)
• Stir to blend, and it’s ready for your artists