Better-for-You Halloween Candy (Food Dye & Corn Syrup-Free!)
and non candy trick or treating options!
Halloween is right around the corner, and if you’re like me, you want your kids (and yourself!) to be able to enjoy the fun without loading up on petroleum-based food dyes and high fructose corn syrup.
When I’m looking for candy, I stick to a simple rule: avoid the yuck.
That means steering clear of:
🚫 High fructose corn syrup
🚫 Artificial food dyes (yep — they’re petroleum-derived in the U.S.)
🚫 Unpronounceable additives that make me question if it’s even food
Why Food Dyes Matter
For some kids, artificial dyes can cause hyperactivity, mood swings, or skin reactions.
Research has shown that certain dyes can worsen symptoms in children with ADHD, and some countries in Europe actually require warning labels on foods containing them.
For me, it’s a simple swap: why risk the side effects when there are great options made with natural colors from fruits and veggies?
Better Candy Swaps
If you want to participate in Halloween without the chemical overload, here are some simple swaps for the classics we all know and love:
My Favorite Picks
These are my personal go-to’s — they skip the worst ingredients while still feeling like a treat:
🎃 Unreal Candy Gems – Like peanut M&Ms, but with cleaner ingredients.
🍬 Yum Earth Chewys – A Starburst-style candy, naturally flavored and colored.
🍫 Cocomel Caramels – Coconut milk caramels that are dairy-free and organic.
You can find all of these on Thrive Market* — my favorite place to stock up on pantry staples and seasonal treats.
➡️ Get 40% off your first order here*.
Trick-or-Treating Made Simple
If you’re passing out candy this year, these bulk options make it easy to keep things better-for-you for the whole neighborhood:
Shop them here:
Yum Earth Halloween Candies
Yum Earth Lollipops
Yum Earth Fruit Snacks
Fun Non-Candy Treat Ideas
Want to go candy-free or provide an allergy-friendly option? Here are some crowd-pleasers:
✨ Glow sticks or glow bracelets* (bonus: keeps kids visible while trick-or-treating)
✨ Halloween stickers* or temporary tattoos*
✨ Slap bracelets*
✨ Kind of obsessed with these halloween trolls* (the old school kind!)
✨ Halloween-themed pencils* or erasers*
This also makes it easy to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project — a nationwide effort to offer non-food treats for kids with allergies.
*Affiliate links at no extra charge to you