A crazy amount of leftover candy is not just something we have to deal with after Halloween. Candy is cheap, and most of us are happy to receive a stocking or twelve filled with it when Christmas rolls around. Who doesn’t like a good holiday snack? The problem is, of course, we shouldn’t be eating half of the stuff we get, so how can you repurpose or get rid of the candy in a way that won’t make you feel wasteful or ungrateful? Here are five ways you can get some mileage out of all that excess holiday sugar.
Donate It
A fun way to get rid of your holiday candy without simply throwing it away is donating it. Whether or not charitable works are part of your holiday traditions already, there are plenty of places who will take candy and give them to soldiers or other people in need. Some of these charities only take donations during or around Halloween, so be sure to check out all of the requirements for donating your extra sweets.
Ice Cream
If you’ve ever had your ice cream mixed by hand on a cold stone right in front of you, you know the simple joy of turning a fun treat into a real game-changer. Get yourself your favorite ice cream flavor (or flavors) and mix in whatever you’ve got – add some peanut butter cups to your chocolate ice cream or some Starburst to your strawberry ice cream and you’ve just amped the whole thing up. If you really want to go for it, mix it all in a blender to make yourself a delicious candy-filled ice cream shake. Just go easy on it, start with a small, even if you plan to escalate.
Trail Mix
If you’ve already got some nuts and granola and dried fruit, one fun way to mix it up is to add some candy (in reasonably small amounts), which is especially helpful if you portion out your trail mix for long hikes or runs. The candy will really last a long time on the shelf as long as its wrapped up well, and you can also preserve it in the freezer, if you think it will take a while to get to it.
Baked Goods
Especially helpful if you have another celebration coming around the corner, putting your extra chocolate or other candies in cookies, brownies, blondies and whatever else you want to make is a great way to “get rid of” the candy. It’s ten times easier to give away cookies than it is a weird little bag of candy.
A Healthy-Ish Breakfast
Adding candy to your granola, oatmeal or your yogurt is a way to motivate some people to eat better – mostly – in the morning. The sugar will sure wake you up, just be sure to balance it out with some fruits or whatever else you like with your breakfast. A couple chocolate kisses in some oatmeal is a real fun start to the day.