Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (2024)

Two-Layer Caramel-Pecan Bars

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (1)

Instead of hauling all of your leftover Halloween candy to the office or hiding it in a drawer, transform it into amazing treats from epic drinks, to everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookies, brownies, and more.

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Monster Cookies

mr-Monster Cookies Image

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (2)

Credit: Sara Tane

Monster Cookies Recipe

They’re not called monster cookies because they’re scary… but they are monstrously delicious. In fact. these chunky, chewy monster cookies might just be the king of all kitchen sink cookies. Featuring peanut butter, oats, crushed pretzels, M&Ms, and chunks of milk chocolate, they hit every necessary cookie note—chewy, crispy, salty, sweet, chocolatey, and buttery. We opted for miniature M&Ms to use in these decadent monster cookies, as we often regular-size to feel a little clunky in the context of a cookie, but feel free to use whatever size you prefer. In fact, you can customize these kid-friendly oatmeal andpeanut butter cookies in any number of ways depending on what you like—swap peanut butter for almond better, switch the pretzels for crushed kettle cooked potato chips, use semisweet chocolate instead of milk chocolate, etc. However you spin your personal batch of monster cookies, one thing’s for sure: Pulling out a platter of these loaded treats will always incite excitement.

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5-Ingredient Churros Stuffed with Leftover Halloween Candy

EC: 5-Ingredient Churros Stuffed with Leftover Halloween Candy

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (3)

Credit: Photos by Teresa Sabga

5-Ingredient Churros Stuffed with Leftover Halloween Candy Recipe

After trick-or-treating, chances are good that you’ll be stuck with a mountain of Halloween candy, wondering if there’s any way to use leftover Halloween candy. Well, if you’re lucky enough to have some extra bags of M&Ms lying around, you can whip up a batch of these baked churro bites. Seriously. Making stuffed churros might be the sweetest way to use leftover Halloween candy because it just requires five ingredients.

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Andes Mint Brownies

Andes Mint Brownies image

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (4)

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Andes Mint Brownies Recipe

These decadent layered Andes mint brownies are the ultimate indulgence for any mint-chip lover. In order to create clean layers, it’s important that you’re working with cool ingredients—so be sure to allow the brownies to cool completely before spreading the icing on, and then chill before adding the chocolate ganache so that it will set quickly.

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Hot Chocolate with Leftover Halloween Candy

EC: Make Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate with Leftover Halloween Candy

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (5)

Credit: Photos by Teresa Sabga / Styled by Jiselle Basile

Hot Chocolate with Leftover Halloween Candy Recipe

Once the ghouls and ghosts go back into hiding, you won’t have any Reese's Peanut Butter Cups left in your stash of leftover Halloween candy. Simply, everyone knows that they’re the first treat to disappear. However, you will have a year’s supply of boring ol’ chocolate bars in your candy haul. What to do with them? It’s easy: Wave goodbye to Halloween and welcome winter with a warm, homemade hot chocolate.

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Almond Joy Blondies

Almond Joy Blondies

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (6)

Credit: Jessica Colyer

Almond Joy Blondies Recipe

If you're a fan of Almond Joy, the classic chocolate, almond, and coconut bars, you're going to fall head over heels for these blondies. This easy dessert lets actual Almond Joy bars become the centerpiece as they form swirls and chunks of delicious candy goodness. If you find yourself with a bag of leftover Halloween candy, save the Almond Joys for these sweet treats right here.

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Candy Corn and M&M's Chewy Crispy Bars

Candy Corn and M&M's Chewy Crispy Bars

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (7)

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Blakeslee Wright Giles

After trick-or-treating, chances are good that you’ll be stuck with a mountain of Halloween candy, wondering if there’s any way to use leftover Halloween candy. Well, if you’re lucky enough to have some extra bags of M&Ms lying around, you can whip up a batch of these baked churro bites. Seriously. Making stuffed churros might be the sweetest way to use leftover Halloween candy because it just requires five ingredients.

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Candy Corn Fudge

Candy Corn Fudge

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (8)

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams

Candy Corn Fudge Recipe

Candy corn finds a new home inside this melt-in-your-mouth fudge recipe. An optional drizzle of white and semisweet chocolate adds an easy decoration. Swirl and serve!

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Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (9)

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe

Chocolate chip cookies are twice as nice when you use both milk chocolate bars and semisweet chocolate chunks.

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Chocolate-Toffee Puffs

Chocolate-Toffee Puffs

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (10)

Credit: Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

Chocolate-Toffee Puffs Recipe

Crushed chocolate-covered toffee bars add both rich flavor and a little crunch to chocolate meringue cookies.

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Toffee Crunch Cake

Toffee Crunch Cake

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (11)

Credit: James Carrier

Toffee Crunch Cake Recipe

Dazzle your guests with a double-layer chocolate cake covered in a creamy caramel-toffee frosting and topped with chopped almonds.

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Chocolate and Malt Pudding

Chocolate and Malt Pudding

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (12)

Credit: Randy Mayor

Chocolate and Malt Pudding Recipe

A basic chocolate pudding becomes a bowl of fun when you stir in malted milk powder and chocolate chips, and top with chopped malted milk ball candies–better known as Whoppers.

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Caramel Brownies

Caramel Brownies

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (13)

Credit: Christina Schmidhofer

Caramel Brownies Recipe

Top brownie batter with caramel squares and get rich, fudgy brownies with ooey-gooey caramel in the centers.

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Trash Mix

Trash Mix

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (14)

Trash Mix Recipe

Create the ultimate salty-sweet combo with little pretzel pieces, gummy worms, chocolate-covered candy pieces, and candy corn. Stir in a mixture of dried fruits and banana chips for snack that your kids will love.

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Heavenly Candy Bar Cake

Heavenly Candy Bar Cake

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (15)

Heavenly Candy Bar Cake Recipe

Steal a few mini Milky Way bars from your child's Halloween sack and use them in the batter of this chocolate-frosted three-layer cake.

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Chocolate Candy Corn Truffles

Chocolate Candy Corn Truffles

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (16)

Credit: Annabelle Breakey

Chocolate Candy Corn Truffles Recipe

Instead of shaping the chocolate mixture into balls for truffles, scrape it into a pan, let cool, and cut into squares. Then roll the squares in cocoa and top with candy corn. You could also top the truffles with any other small soft Halloween candies.

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Heavenly Candy Bar Cupcakes

Heavenly Candy Bar Cupcakes

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (17)

Heavenly Candy Bar Cupcakes Recipe

Melt your extra mini candy bars for the chocolate cupcake batter, and top the frosted cakes with candy corn or chopped candy bars.

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Milky Way Pudding

Milky Way Pudding

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (18)

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams

Milky Way Pudding Recipe

This yummy pudding gets a double dose of smooth Milky Way candy; the chopped bars are both on the top of the finished dessert and hiding tucked away inside the creamy confection. Use leftover candy bars, or pick up a bag at the store.

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Candy Cake

Candy Cake

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (19)

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams

Candy Cake Recipe

Use your favorite leftover candy to make this tasty cake. A bittersweet chocolate icing drizzle brings out the sweet chocolate crunch tucked into the Bundt cake.

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Snickers Cheesecake

Snickers Cheesecake

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (20)

Credit: Kate Sears

Snickers Cheesecake Recipe

This layered dessert recipe starts with an Oreo crust, then a layer of chopped Snickers, then cheesecake batter and, finally, caramel sauce and peanuts. Creamy, sweet, and with a crunchy crust, this cheesecake is a dream dessert.

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Candy Brownies

Candy Brownies

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (21)

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Vanessa McNeil Rocchio

Candy Brownies Recipe

These brownies literally get better with every item you toss on them. Pretzels? Sure! Leftover candy? Of course! Nuts? Why not?

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Homemade Hot Chocolate with Leftover Halloween Candy

Chocolate-Strawberry Licorice Bites

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (22)

Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams

Homemade Hot Chocolate with Leftover Halloween Candy Recipe

If Twizzlers make you think of lazy childhood afternoons and fun nights at the movies, then this recipe is a must-make for you. Upgrade the classic strawberry sweet with a decadant chocolate drizzle tonight.

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Two-Layer Caramel-Pecan Bars

Two-Layer Caramel-Pecan Bars

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (23)

Two-Layer Caramel-Pecan Bars Recipe

Experience sheer delight when you bite into a chewy pecan bar with a decadent buttery crust and a gooey caramel topping.

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Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with leftover Halloween candy near me? ›

Local organizations, like schools, churches, homeless shelters, police and fire stations will also often accept leftover candy. Those interested in donating candy should call ahead to confirm.

How to use old candy? ›

Any and all leftovers
  1. Donate to a local organization of your choice. ...
  2. Make goody bags to use at a later date. ...
  3. Candy playtime repurposes sweet treats for use in kid-friendly actives. ...
  4. Freeze for later to make candy last longer. ...
  5. Use as your year-round stash.
Oct 29, 2023

Can I save leftover Halloween candy for next year? ›

Hard candy - Hard candies can last up to a year when stored at room temperature or in a cool, dry location. Jellied candies - If the packaging has been opened, soft candies should be stored away from heat and light at room temperature (about 70 degrees). Stored in this manner, the candy should last 6-9 months.

What can I do with all my kids Halloween candy? ›

A great way to spread the spooky season spirit is to donate your extra candy to a good cause. Kids might think there's no such thing as too many sweets, but as a parent, you know that sometimes, that bag full of sugar might be too much for your little one.

What do grocery stores do with leftover Halloween candy? ›

"All but a very small portion is sold, the rest may go to a food pantry like Second Harvest. But every retailer has to deal with their own leftover inventory on their own."

What does Walmart do with unsold Halloween candy? ›

What do stores do with unsold Halloween candy after Halloween? They sell it the day after, marked down. Most of it is still just candy after all.

What do dentists do with Halloween candy? ›

By hopping onto the Halloween candy buy-back broomstick, dental practices not only champion oral health but also conjure up fun incentives for kids to exchange their candy overload.

How much money is wasted on unused Halloween candy? ›

"Every year, Americans throw away about $400 million worth of uneaten sweets from trick-or-treating. That's a lot of food waste. But the fix is simple: stop giving away candies that kids don't like (candy corn, anyone?) and give away treats that they do enjoy.

What to do with a bunch of candy? ›

  1. Stir Them Into Your Ice Cream. ...
  2. Blend Them With Your Ice Cream Instead. ...
  3. Add Them to Your Trail Mix. ...
  4. Bake Them Into Cookies. ...
  5. Put Them in Your Lunch Box. ...
  6. Fold Into Your Granola. ...
  7. Freeze Them for Later.

Can you remelt candy? ›

Once your candy is almost completely melted, quickly remove the bowl from the heat and continue stirring until smooth and glossy. If your candy starts to thicken or harden, you can remelt it by placing it back on the pot and stirring over low heat.

Is candy actually cheaper after Halloween? ›

Directly after Halloween, bulk candy for the holiday often gets heavily marked down. So, if you've still got a sweet tooth after Halloween night, take advantage of those sales to stock up on candy for the rest of the spooky season.

What candy has the longest shelf life? ›

Hard candy like Jolly Ranchers, lollipops and other individually wrapped candies can essentially last forever if they're stored right and kept away from moisture. Dark chocolate can last one to two years in a cool, dark, dry place. Milk and white chocolate will last up to 10 months.

Does freezing candy make it last longer? ›

Freezing is a popular method for keeping candy over long periods of time. However, not all sweets are suited for the freezer. While toffee and truffles can be frozen for up to two months, avoid freezing candy with fruits and nuts.

What to do with candy after trick-or-treating? ›

Make candy milkshakes! Blend together softened ice cream, a splash of milk and crumbled candy. Or add pieces of candy to a chocolate peanut butter smoothie for a sweet breakfast. Use candy as a topping for baked donuts and muffins (chocolate caramel candy is deliciosu on banana muffins).

What happens to Halloween candy after Halloween? ›

Starting the day after Halloween, it arrives in boxes of all sizes from around the country and is dumped into giant storage bins for a few weeks, until it can be divvied up for distribution.

How long after Halloween can you eat candy? ›

Alexis Hamilton, Assistant Professor of Food Processing and Microbiology at Virginia Tech said a lot of the Halloween candies you might snag tonight are going to be safe to consume for several months or even one or two years. Hamilton said dark chocolate for example is going to be safe to eat for 1-2 years.

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