There’s a sweet satisfaction in seeing the Halloween candy haul you or your kids snagged. The first thing many of us do after a successful trick-or-treat outing is dump it out, pick out the treats we love and set aside the ones we don’t.
We’re often left with candy we may or may not eat, and that doesn’t include the leftovers from the bags you bought to hand out. The good news: Candy lasts six to 12 months, so there’s no rush to eat it all now.
You can decant small candies like M&M’s, Skittles or Reese’s Pieces into containers. Then, use them in a sundae bar, mix them into popcorn on movie night, portion them out for baking or pack them in a lunch box.
Or, y…
There’s a sweet satisfaction in seeing the Halloween candy haul you or your kids snagged. The first thing many of us do after a successful trick-or-treat outing is dump it out, pick out the treats we love and set aside the ones we don’t.
We’re often left with candy we may or may not eat, and that doesn’t include the leftovers from the bags you bought to hand out. The good news: Candy lasts six to 12 months, so there’s no rush to eat it all now.
You can decant small candies like M&M’s, Skittles or Reese’s Pieces into containers. Then, use them in a sundae bar, mix them into popcorn on movie night, portion them out for baking or pack them in a lunch box.
Or, you can take what you have and make it into something new. Keep reading for three ways to repurpose your extra chocolates, gummies and hard candies.
Watch this video for tips to organize your Halloween candy haul.
Candy bar hot chocolate
Turn your leftover chocolates into a cozy cup of hot chocolate.
Add a few chocolate pieces to a mug. You can go with all the same kind or mix and match. The amount depends on your taste preferences, the size of the chocolates and how many pieces you want to eat in one sitting.
Heat milk or your preferred milk alternative on the stove or in 30-second bursts in the microwave.
Watch this video to see how to you can turn your leftover chocolates into hot chocolate.
Carefully pour or ladle the hot milk over the chocolates in the mug and stir. The chocolates should melt in no time. If you use chocolates like Rolos or Reese’s that have a filling, an immersion blender can help incorporate those fillings into the milk. If you’re using this method, don’t fill your mug all the way. Avoid making a literal hot mess by blending a small amount of milk and the chocolates, then add more milk once it’s combined.
If the chocolate gets a little gummy while mixing, microwave the mug (make sure it’s microwave-safe!) for 15 to 20 seconds to help it melt.
Top with your favorite homemade whipped cream or marshmallows and enjoy!
Candy apple recipe
It’s easy to turn your extra hard candies into candy apples.
It’s totally up to you if you want to use green or red apples. Start by removing the wax layer from the fruit. Give them a quick dunk in boiling water, dry them off and skewer them down the center.
Next, sort the hard candy. You can keep it all one flavor or mix them up. You’ll need about 20 to 30 Jolly Ranchers or candies of that size to make two candy apples.
Working with hot candy can be dangerous. Be careful, wear gloves and oven mitts and keep your fingers and the skewer away from the melted candy.
Watch this video to see how to turn leftover hard candy into candy apples.
Unwrap the candies and put them into a deep, microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl. Glass works best because it’s easier to clean. Microwave it in 30-second bursts and stirring between. Once the candy foams up, it’s ready. You’ll need to work fast since it hardens quickly.
Dip the apple into the liquid candy and rotate it to coat evenly. Remove it and continue rotating to let any excess drip off. Place it on parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to fully set. This can take a while, but it’s ready once it’s firm and hard.
Shop top-rated related products:
- At-home lattes: Zulay Kitchen Powerful Milk Frother Wand With Batteries
- Hands-free gadget: Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener
- Top-rated accessory: TrendPlain Olive Oil Dispenser Bottle
- Best-selling veggie chopper: Mueller Pro-Series 10-in-1, 8-Blade Vegetable Chopper
- Customer-favorite cooking hack: Clip-On Pasta Strainer Silicone for All Pots and Pans
- User-friendly tool: Otstar Jar Opener Bottle Opener
- Meal prep must-have: JAYVAR Onion Holder for Slicing
- Never waste a drop: OTOTO Splatypus Jar Spatula for Scooping and Scraping
DIY snow cone syrup
Leftover gummy candies, like Skittles, gummy bears or Swedish Fish, make a tasty snow cone syrup.
Sort the gummies into the flavors you want. It’s fun to group similar colors together, like greens and yellows or reds and oranges, for a nice mix of colors and flavors.
Watch this video to see how to turn extra gummies into a snow cone syrup.
Put the gummies in a microwave-safe container and add enough water to cover them, plus an extra splash or two. Give it a gentle stir to make sure the water spreads between all the sticky pieces.
Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until the gummies are completely melted. Let the mixture cool before using it on a snow cone. You can place it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to speed up the process. Then pour it over shaved ice and enjoy!