20+ Healthier Halloween Treats: Better Candy Swaps & Non-Candy Ideas
This post contains affiliate links, meaning that I may make a small commission when you shop from my provided links. This helps me to grow my business, at no extra cost to you!
Looking for better options this Halloween?
From cleaner-ingredient candy swaps to homemade treats and non-candy ideas, here are simple ways to make your Halloween a little more nourishing.
While my family and I love the fun of Halloween, there’s one part of the holiday we don’t love quite as much: how many unnecessary ingredients can sneak into our Halloween treats. Things like artificial food dyes, highly processed sweeteners and long ingredient lists filled with additives can be a lot on our bodies.
That doesn’t mean we skip out on the fun, though!
I’m not against enjoying fun foods on the holidays, and I’m certainly not a believer that your wellness routine needs to be so rigid that you can’t enjoy a Snickers or some caramel corn once in a while. We don’t aim for perfection in our home. Instead, we try to lower our overall exposure to things we’d rather avoid when there are simple alternatives available.
For us, Halloween is a perfect example of this. We enjoy the traditions, make fun treats, and let our son experience the excitement of the holiday while also being a little more intentional about the ingredients we bring into our home.
And that’s really what I mean by healthier Halloween treats. Healthier doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy,” and it certainly doesn’t mean turning Halloween into a health food holiday. A homemade chocolate treat is still a treat! It simply means looking for options with ingredients we feel better about when we have the choice.
In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite healthier Halloween treats, candy swaps, and non-candy ideas for making Halloween a little more nourishing without taking away any of the fun.
What Makes a Halloween Treat Healthier
Here’s what I’m looking for when I choose a “healthier” Halloween swap option. As I mentioned above, healthier doesn’t always make it healthy. Often times there is still sugar and we should always be mindful of nourishing ourselves with options that help us maintain healthy and stable blood sugar levels. But I am looking for better ingredient swaps that avoid unnecessary additives and, where possible, even give some nourishment to my body.
Better Sweeteners
One of the first things I look at is the type of sweetener used. We avoid high-fructose corn syrup and, when possible, choose treats sweetened with options like pure cane sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey. Sugar is still sugar, but for me, this is more about choosing a less processed or more familiar ingredient when I have the option. And options like honey or maple syrup do have additional nutritional values that you won’t find in regular sugar.
No Artificial Food Dyes
This is a pretty firm preference in our home. Artificial food dyes are something we do our best to avoid, so when I’m choosing between two similar treats, I’ll always go with the one that gets its color from natural sources or doesn’t use added coloring at all.
This is especially important to us as we navigate our son's food allergies and work toward supporting his gut health. For our family, some ingredients simply aren’t worth the tradeoff.
Organic When Available
I don’t necessarily look for an organic label on every single ingredient or expect every Halloween treat to be organic. But when there are two similar options, I’m often happy to choose organic when it’s available and fits our budget.
Simple, Familiar Ingredients
A long ingredient list doesn't automatically mean a food is bad, but I do like to look for treats made with ingredients I recognize and would actually keep in my pantry.
The goal is to skip some the unnecessary additives when there’s a better alternative available.
Options That Work for Food Allergies
This one is especially personal for our family. Our son has several food allergies, so finding Halloween treats that accommodate his allergies is a must.
Even if your family doesn't deal with food allergies, I think it's worth remembering that there may be children in your neighborhood, classroom, or playgroup who do. Having a few allergy-friendly or non-candy options on hand can be a simple way to make Halloween more inclusive.
Healthier Halloween Candy Swaps
If your kids love Halloween candy, you don’t necessarily have to skip it altogether to make some better choices. There are quite a few brands making chocolate, gummies, lollipops, and other classic Halloween favorites with simpler ingredients.
Here are some of the swaps I look for when filling our Halloween candy bowl or putting together treats for our family.
Chocolate Bars
Instead of reaching for the traditional chocolate bars loaded with corn syrup, artificial flavors, and other additives, look for chocolate made with a shorter ingredient list and fewer unnecessary ingredients.
Depending on the brand, you may find options made with organic ingredients, fair-trade chocolate, cane sugar, or other sweeteners you prefer. And if you're a chocolate lover, this is one swap where I think choosing a slightly better option can still feel like a real treat. Some of our favorite better chocolate options:
Hu chocolate bars
Unreal coconut bars or chocolate gems
Theo chocolate bars
Alter Eco
Gummy Candy
Gummy candy can be one of the trickier categories because so many options contain artificial colors and flavors.
When shopping for gummies, I look for ones made without artificial food dyes and, when possible, sweetened with simpler ingredients. There are now quite a few fruit snack and gummy options that use real fruit or natural colors instead of the bright synthetic dyes found in many traditional candies.
SmartSweets
JoyRide
Better Sour
Lollipops
Look for brands that skip artificial colors and flavors and use simpler sweeteners. These can still be fun for kids without needing to be neon-colored or packed with a long list of ingredients.
Dr. John’s Healthy Sweets
Caramel & Toffee Treats
If your kids love caramel, you don't necessarily have to skip it. Look for options made with ingredients like real butter, cream, cane sugar, maple syrup, or honey rather than a long list of corn syrup and artificial additives.
And honestly, homemade caramel corn can be one of the easiest swaps. You can control the ingredients yourself while still making something that feels very special.
Béquet
Cocomels
Jacobsen
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Treats
While we personally don’t keep peanut treats in our home due to my own food allergy, I understand that this is a big category. My husband loves a good peanut butter and chocolate treat, and I love it when we can find him an option with better ingredients. While I can’t give my personal opinion on these, I called in the expert (husband), and asked for his input on his favorite Reese’s swaps:
Justin’s
Theo’s
What About the Classics?
You don’t always have to replace every piece of candy. If your child has been looking forward to their favorite Halloween candy, letting them enjoy it isn't a failure. We like to keep better-ingredient options in our home, but we also leave room for simple enjoyments when we go out and about.
Always do what’s best for your family and your child while also keeping in mind that rigid rules can sometimes backfire. And this can be a great opportunity to start teaching your child about ingredient labels!
Non-Candy Halloween Treats
If you're looking for ways to cut back on the amount of candy your kids bring home on Halloween, non-candy treats are a great alternative. They can also be a great option for children with food allergies who may not be able to safely enjoy many of the treats handed out on Halloween. Non-candy options don’t have to mean junky or boring!
Here are a few simple ideas that kids can actually get excited about:
Stickers
Temporary tattoos
Sidewalk chalk
Bouncy balls
Mini coloring or activity books
Small wooden toys
Halloween pencils or crayons
Play dough
Bubbles
Books
These are all fun, affordable options that make a great alternative to a sugary treat! I especially love these for younger kids who’s parents may not want them having much candy, or for families who want to have a few non-food options on hand.
Homemade Halloween Snacks
If you’re looking for some fun ideas to have around the house or to make for classroom snacks, these are some of my favorite go-tos that are easy to make yourself!
A few ideas to try:
Chocolate-dipped marshmallows: Homemade gut-healthy marshmallows dipped in chocolate and decorated for Halloween.
Homemade caramel corn: A simple homemade version of this classic Halloween treat.
Chocolate-covered fruit: Strawberries, bananas, apples, or whatever fruit your family loves.
Homemade gummies: Use fruit juice or pureed fruit and fun Halloween molds.
Halloween snack board: Combine fruit, popcorn, cheese, and a few homemade treats for a festive spread.
Homemade Halloween cookies: Use Halloween cookie cutters and decorate with homemade frosting or naturally colored sprinkles.
Enjoy a More Nourishing Halloween
Halloween is such a fun time of year, and I love that there are so many ways to enjoy the traditions while being a little more intentional about what we bring into our home.
Whether you’re looking for better-ingredient candy, non-candy treats, or something homemade to bring to a classroom party, hopefully these ideas give you a few new options to enjoy this Halloween.
