Leftover Halloween candy can go to the troops or into the freezer, and Operation Shoebox takes every type of candy year-round, though you pay the shipping. Soldiers’ Angels’ Treats for Troops map lists about 200 drop-off sites in 39 states this month, and about 80 of them stop by November 7.
Where to Donate Halloween Candy
- Treats for Troops: Soldiers’ Angels, a national charity, sends this candy to VA hospitals, military installations, and Guard and Reserve units, and packs some into care packages for deployed service members. Search the Candy Map by city or ZIP, and check that site’s dates, since each one sets its own. Individually wrapped candy is preferred, and unopened small bags of loose candy are fine. Chocolate is fine too, with no need to separate it. Homemade candy and baked goods are out.
- No site near you: Soldiers’ Angels takes 10 pounds or less by mail at 1355 Central Pkwy S #700, San Antonio, Texas 78232. For more than 10 pounds, email the program first and don’t ship it there.
- Troopathon: This charity packs candy into care packages for deployed troops, and it says participants send about 30,000 pounds a year. It takes unopened Halloween candy through December 31, and opened candy and homemade treats are out. Ship it or drop it off at 3105 Fite Circle, Suite 108, Sacramento, CA 95827, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its candy page has the details, and it can’t pick up.
- Operation Shoebox: This group puts a bag of candy in each care package and sends packages 50 weeks a year. Ship to 8360 East Highway 25, Belleview, FL 34420, where it receives Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It can’t cover shipping or pick up, and its FAQ has a form to include for a receipt.
- Food banks and shelters: Hershey suggests contacting your local food bank, soup kitchen, or homeless shelter to see if it accepts Halloween candy.
How Dentist Candy Buybacks Work
Dental offices are among Treats for Troops’ most popular collection sites and often give children a small prize for donated candy, Soldiers’ Angels says, though an exchange isn’t required and each site decides. Troopathon’s Halloween Candy Buy Back works the same way: dental offices, schools, churches, and scout troops collect, and each group chooses its thank-you, “$1 a pound, stickers, prizes or a simple thank-you.” Call your own dentist first, since the reward and the dates are up to each office.
How Long Halloween Candy Keeps
“Most confectionery products are at their best flavor for one year after manufacturing,” Hershey says, and nuts shorten that. Past the “best before” date, Hershey says, candy may lose flavor or change texture, so that date is the one to check before saving a bag for next Halloween.
Hershey says to keep solid chocolate well wrapped in a cool, dry place, at 55 to 60°F. Refrigerated chocolate “is certainly safe to use,” but it may “sweat” when it warms up, and chocolate melts above 75°F. Chocolate that turns tan or white has “bloomed,” which Hershey says is safe to use, though you may notice flavor loss and texture changes.
For freezing, Hershey’s leftover candy page says: “If you haven’t used up all your candy by Thanksgiving, it’s a good idea to freeze what’s left.” These are Hershey’s answers for its own products, so go by the package on other brands.
Can You Return Unopened Halloween Candy?
Neither Target’s nor Costco’s return page names candy, so ask at the store before you make the trip. Target’s page says, “Holiday & limited-time-only collections: Items may have modified return policies.” Costco’s says, “We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell,” and food isn’t on its list of exceptions, though it adds that limitations apply. I read both pages on November 1 and did not try a return at either store.
Recipes for Leftover Candy
Hershey’s leftover candy page has recipes, including Chocolate Bar Surprise Cookies and Chunky Hershey Candy Brownies. For candy bark, melt baking chocolate, top it with any candy you have, and break it apart once it cools.
My Halloween candy guide has every new treat from this year, and my candy-by-state maps show that M&M’s and Sour Patch Kids each won 10 states on CandyStore’s sales map.
Top photo: Petey21 / Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
