How To Use That Leftover Halloween Candy

It’s a small miracle to end up with leftover Halloween candy. Or else it’s a chore―as in, you’re holding your kids’ candy supplies, handing out pieces one by one for good behavior until it’s Christmas or the candies expire. But if you do somehow find yourself with leftover Halloween candy―from some youngsters who maybe over-trick-or-treated (we’ve all been there, and we’ve all tried to eat it all) or maybe it’s just leftover from a Halloween party, don’t start giving it away to coworkers or friends with stronger teeth just yet. Here are the best ways to bake with all those leftovers.

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Plain Or Peanut M&M’s Candy Bark

These are probably the easiest leftover candy to bake with―chances are you’ve already discovered the magic that happens when you replace chocolate chips in the standard cookie recipe with M&Ms. But there are other recipes for either peanut or plain M&Ms―brownies, sure, but you could also think ahead to upcoming holidays and make some chocolate candy bark with M&Ms. (Bonus points if you have a bag or two of those fun size Snyder’s pretzel twists, for a sweet and salty treat). 

Milky Way Blondies

Milky Ways are also pretty easy to repurpose in a tasty baked good. You could stud some sugar cookies with chopped up Milky Way nuggets, but we kind of love the blondie route because with their nougaty, caramelly sweetness and that chewy texture, chunks of Milky Way kind of lend an even fudgier fudginess to the brown sugary (almost butterscotchy) chewiness of a classic blondie.

Twizzlers Cake

Yes, you can bake with Twizzlers―no they do not really melt. But a lot of people like to use Twizzlers specifically in cake. Chopped up into the batter, they’ll stay chewy but provide nice textural contrast. You can also literally just use these decoratively, lined around a cake or over the top. (The melting option is almost nil, so unless you want to scour for some microwave magic with Twizzlers, this is the way to go.) 

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Banana Bread

Of course there’s a 99.9% chance you will not have any Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups left to speak of (they go so, so very fast). But if you do―and I’m kind of bummed I never thought of this myself―a great way to use them is to chop them up (or not, if they’re mini) and pop them into your standard banana bread quick-bread recipe. I personally love banana bread with chocolate chips and this clearly takes that to the next level.

KitKat Cookies

A lot of people seem to prefer KitKats in cookies. I’ve never tried this, but my best guess is that it’s for the textural contrast. When I first think of it, it almost seems like too much crunch (wafery KitKat cookie layer plus the cookie itself?). But in a softer, chewier cookie you could absolutely see how the chopped up KitKat would provide a nice crispy textural contrast―not quite as distinctive as chopped nuts, but something similar―not to mention that melted chocolate.

Sour Patch Kids Sugar Cookies

This is another “won’t melt” (or won’t melt a ton―they may soften), but there are enough Sour Patch Kids cookie recipes out there to justify the attempt, especially if you’ve got extra Sour Patch Kids on hand after Halloween. The sugar cookie format seems to be the best bet, since with something as zingy as a Sour Patch Kid, you’d want a classic, buttery-sweet and soft cookie for contrast. (If you’re still in a “tricking” mode, don’t tell the person you hand them to they contain Sour Patch Kids and enjoy that briefly shocked pucker.)