Trick-or-Treating Ideas Beyond Candy

Related To:

jack o lanterns

Before you buy industrial-size bags of candy bars and make yours the most popular house in the neighborhood come Halloween, pause for a minute. Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course there’s the issue that we as Americans eat too much sugar and face an obesity epidemic. We’ve heard plenty about that. But also more important than ever is the issue of deadly food allergies. That’s why FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) is promoting the Teal Pumpkin Project this Halloween: Offer something that’s not candy (or food) and paint your pumpkin teal so savvy (and food-sensitive) trick-or-treaters can know which houses are safe.

Lest you fear getting TP’ed for your treats, the alternatives to candy don’t have to just be raisins and toothbrushes. Here are a few cooler ways to sidestep candy.

Non-Edible Options
  • Glow sticks
  • Glow-in-the-dark bracelets
  • Little toy animals
  • Fake mustaches
  • Cool pencils
  • Bubbles (for the teeniest trick-or-treaters)
  • Stickers
  • Coins: Be the favorite house on the block by filling a bowl with different coins (mostly pennies, some nickels, a couple of coveted quarters or silver dollars) and a large spoon.
  • Mardi Gras beads
  • Temporary tattoos
  • Finger puppets
  • Fangs
  • Toy eyeballs or other gory accessories
Food (Not Allergy-Free)
  • Mini granola bars
  • Sliced apples in bags
  • Pretzels

Next Up

Hocus Pocus Halloween Party Menu

Watch Hocus Pocus and make these Halloween recipes. We've got the Hocus Pocus party recipes to knock your friends off their broomsticks (or vacuum cleaners).

Sifted: Spooky Marshmallow Pops, Droolworthy Gluten-Free Cookies + More

Get Cooking Channel's take on the best in food news, recipes and more from around the web, including Frankenstein marshmallow pops and an apple grilled cheese.

6 Halloween Movie and Food Pairings for a Spooktacular Party

Get Halloween food and movie pairing ideas for Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas and more.

Perfect Pumpkin Cakes: For Halloween and Beyond

These pumpkin-flavored, pumpkin-shaped cakes are perfect for Halloween parties or any fall gathering. Get the step-by-step directions from Cooking Channel.

5 Horror and Sci-Fi TV Show-Themed Halloween Bites

Get horror and sci-fi TV show-themed Halloween recipes and ideas for Stranger Things, LOST, Twin Peaks, The X-Files and The Walking Dead on Cooking Channel.

On TV

So Much Pretty Food Here