[Round Up] "Cleaner" Halloween Candy

Halloween is one of the times of year that makes sticking to a special diet for your child difficult. It’s nearly impossible to go anywhere in October without seeing bags of candy for sale in every store. Almost all popular candies are full of artificial ingredients (like dyes & sweeteners), refined sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and often feature ingredients that kids with autism are commonly sensitive to including dairy, wheat, corn, and soy.

The good news is that there ARE better options out there (though they can be hard to find in a conventional grocery store). While the options listed below are still candy, they can give you a better option. I truly believe that participating and socializing with other children and getting to experience an event like Trick-or-Treating or a class party is a beneficial social event for children with autism, so having a better special treat that aligns with their diet is a big win!

Keep in mind to always review/research the ingredient list of any candy (even the ones listed below) to ensure there aren’t ingredients your child is sensitive to. If you’d rather avoid candy as a whole, check out these Halloween Treats That Aren’t Candy.

Note: Some products below are linked to items at Thrive Market for your convenience. Sign up with this link to get 30% off your first order.

Fruity Candy Alternatives

• Lollipops

  • YumEarth Lollipops - Assorted Flavors

  • SmartSweets Lollipops

• Licorice

  • YumEarth Organic Black Licorice

  • YumEarth Organic Strawberry Licorice

  • SmartSweets Red Twists

• Candy Favorites Alternatives

  • Candy Corn - YumEarth Organic Candy Corn

  • Skittles - YumEarth Organic Giggles Candy Bites

  • Sour Skittles - YumEarth Organic Giggles Chewy Candy Bites - Sour

  • Swedish Fish - SmartSweets Sweet Fish

  • Sour Patch Kids - SmartSweets Sour Blast Buddies

  • Sour Patch Kids Watermelon - SmartSweets Sourmelon Bites

  • Peach O’s - SmartSweets Peach Rings

  • Star Bursts - YumEarth Organic Chewys

  • YumEarth Halloween Variety Pack

• Fruit Snacks / Gummies

  • YumEarth Gummy Bears

  • SmartSweets Fruity Gummy Bears

  • SmartSweets Gummy Worms

  • YumEarth Organic Fruit Snacks

  • YumEarth Organic Fruit Snacks - Tropical

  • Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks

Chocolate candy alternatives

• Chocolate Bars

  • Hu Chocolate Bars (use code AUTISMDIETITIAN for 10% off the Hu website!)

  • Enjoy Life Halloween Chocolate Minis

    • Options include dark chocolate squares, rice milk crunch, and a variety pack

• Chocolate Chips

  • Hu Snacking & Baking Chocolate Gems

  • Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips

  • Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks

• Candy Favorites Alternatives

  • Peanut Butter Cups

    • Justin’s Nut Butter Cups

      • Available as individually packaged minis, and a variety of different nut butter fillings including peanut, almond, and cashew + a variety of chocolates including milk, dark, and white).

    • Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

    • Unreal Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

    • Unreal Crispy Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

  • M&Ms

    • Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems

    • Unreal Dark Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Gems

  • Other

    • Unreal Dark Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat Bars

    • Unreal Dark Chocolate Coconut Bars

A note on ingredient quality: If possible, choose products with ingredients that are primarily organic and non-GMO. Stores such as Sprouts, Natural Grocers, Whole Foods, and other health food stores can help finding higher-quality products and ingredients. If access to higher quality products isn't an option for you, choose the best option that is available to you locally.