It’s almost Halloween! The stores have been stocked with jumbo bags of mini-candies since September, but now that it’s October, you can blame your sweet tooth on Halloween festivities. If you’re looking for healthy alternatives to Halloween candy, here are some quick, easy, and delicious recipes you don’t have to feel guilty about.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THEM:
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are delicious, but they’re one of the fattiest, sweetest chocolate candies out there. One package (only two peanut butter cups!) contains a whopping 21 grams of sugar and 13 grams of fat.
HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE:
Try making homemade dark chocolate peanut butter cups. It’s easier than it sounds! In this recipe from Tasty, you only need five natural ingredients to make your own sweet-and-salty treats. You can also adjust the recipe to your liking, using sweeter or more bitter dark chocolate. You could even try milk chocolate, if you want to indulge a bit more.
Find the recipe here.
Starburst
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THEM:
Starburst candy is basically high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and food coloring. Plus, it always gets stuck in my teeth! Starbursts are a cavity waiting to happen.
HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE:
It’s not quite the same, but this recipe for healthy fruit snacks should give you that sweet, chewy dose of sugary goodness you’re craving. And, the best part about this recipe from A Side of Sweet is that it only takes 15 minutes to whip up! Plus, the sweetener in the recipe is honey, so you don’t have to feel bad about eating too much sugar.
Find the recipe here.
Junior Mints
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THEM:
Junior Mints are my absolute favorite candy. I used to get them every time I went to the movies… but now, it kills me every time I look at the list of ingredients. In a box of Junior Mints, there are 595 calories and 8.75 grams of saturated fat (and who are we kidding… always eat the entire box).
HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE:
Try this recipe from Veggie Balance for homemade peppermint bites. They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan, and there are only four ingredients. This recipe involves freezing the peppermint interiors for an hour, but it’s a lot of fun when you get to dip cold peppermint dough into melted chocolate.
Find the recipe here.
Candy Corn
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THEM:
Candy corn is one of the worst candies out there. It’s mostly high-fructose corn syrup, and contains more sugar per serving than most other candy! In only 15 pieces, there are 110 calories and 22 grams of sugar.
HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE:
This isn’t an exact substitute for chewy, gooey candy corn, but it’s easy to throw together and looks really pretty. This recipe from Neurotic Mommy shows you how to build your own fruity, colorful parfait that looks like a giant candy corn. There are only four ingredients, and it only takes 10 minutes! It’s a great alternative if you’re hosting a Halloween get-together with friends, and want to put out more than chips and salsa.
Find the recipe here.
Tootsie Pops
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THEM:
While many brands of lollipops are low in calories, they aren’t great for your teeth because they take so long to eat, and spend a lot of time dissolving on your tooth enamel.
HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE:
This recipe from The L’Oven Life shows you how to make homemade lollipops that double as a throat-soothing candy! It takes about 15 minutes to make them, and you get to watch the honey change texture as it heats up, like a mini-science experiment. They’re still sugary, but they’re made with natural ingredients and have less processed sugar than most store-bought lollipops.
Find the recipe here.
Many of these sweet treats still pack a sugary punch. In a perfect world, you’ll have plenty of healthy snacks on hand for Halloween fun — but sometimes, you just have to listen to that craving!
