3 Recipes for Leftover Halloween Candy

If you have kids who go trick-or-treating or kids who ring the doorbell on Halloween night then you inevitably have leftover candy. It can be difficult to throw it all away and it can get tough eating the same leftovers. So what can you do with your leftover Halloween candy?

3 Recipes for Leftover Halloween Candy

1. Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

What you need:

Crust
7 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt

Filling
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 Reese’s peanut butter cups, divided, cut into 6 pieces each
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

What you do:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-4 inches of foil over the sides of the pan.

Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until the crackers form fine crumbs or about 30 seconds. Add butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt to the crumbs. Pulse until the ingredients are fully combined. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, approximately 12 to 15 minutes, then let the crust cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until very smooth. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar until the mixture is combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated. Then beat in sour cream and vanilla extract until fully combined.

Unwrap and cut 9 peanut butter cups into 6 pieces. Fold into the cream cheese mixture. Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baking pan, over top of the cooled crust and spread evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the edges are set but the middle still moves slightly when the pan is moved. Turn the pan halfway through the baking time.

Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cheesecake to cool for 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Using the foil, lift the bars from the pan. Then gently remove the foil and cut into bars or bite sized pieces.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 15 seconds. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars and top each with a small chunk of a Reese’s peanut butter cup.

2. Caramel Apples with Candy

What you need:
6 medium apples
1 cup candy of choice, such as M&M’s, crushed Butterfingers or candy corn
14 oz. package of caramels
2 Tbsp. water
6 popsicle sticks
wax paper

What you do:
To prepare, insert a popsicle stick into the stem end of each apple. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and spray it with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine caramels and water in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Stir it constantly so it doesn’t burn! Once the caramels have melted remove saucepan from heat. Dip an apple into the caramel mixture, holding it by the stick and spooning the caramel over the apple to coat it completely. If  the caramel begins to harden, warm it over low heat again to soften.

Place caramel-coated apple on wax paper and decorate with candy pieces. Repeat with remaining apples, caramel, and candy. Refrigerate 15 minutes to set. The apples can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let soften at room temperature 15 minutes before eating.

3. Skittle Meringues

What you need:
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
Skittles candies

What you do:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites (at room temperature) until foamy. Gradually beat in the sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form. Drop mounds of the mixture (about 2 Tbsp. each) onto parchment-lined baking sheets and top each with Skittles candies. Bake until dry, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.

What do you do with your leftover Halloween candy? Do you make any other goodies with it?