21 Best Healthy Candies To Eat This Halloween
Amid the spooky costumes, eerie decorations, and scary movies, one of the most unsettling parts of Halloween can be the hidden ingredients lurking in your favorite candies. Many popular brands put the "trick" in trick-or-treat by loading their products with added sugars, saturated fats, and artificial dyes. While it's perfectly fine to enjoy your favorite treats occasionally—especially when many chocolate brands are making healthier bars—October is a month filled with constant snacking. It's only natural to seek out a few better-for-you candy options to balance the sugar rush.
How To Choose Healthier Candy Brands
When looking for healthy candy, there are a few factors to consider:
- Watch the added sugars: Most mainstream candies are packed with added sugars, sometimes nearing the recommended daily limit in a single serving. Children and teens should consume no more than 25 grams per day, and adults should stick to 25-36 grams. For perspective, just 12 Sour Patch Kids contain 24 grams of added sugar.
- Avoid artificial dyes: Candies like Skittles, Starburst, and Twizzlers contain dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, which have been linked to allergic reactions and have been linked to developmental issues. Many consumers are now opting for treats made without these artificial colors.
- Keep saturated fat in check: Some chocolate candies are higher in saturated fat, which is fine in moderation but can increase the risk of heart disease when consumed in excess. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to no more than 13 grams per day.
The goal here isn't to put a damper on your Halloween spirit—you and your kids deserve to enjoy all the fun and flavors the season has to offer. But if you're looking to make smarter choices while still indulging, check out our list of 21 healthy candy brands that will satisfy your sweet tooth. And for a look at treats to enjoy in moderation, read about these 12 Halloween Candies with the Lowest Quality Ingredients.
Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
Calories: 220
Fat: 14 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 120 mg
Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 4 g
As we mentioned earlier, some of the Halloween candies on our list aren't necessarily low in sugar but are made with more trustworthy ingredients. For example, Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups contain 16 grams of sugar per serving—similar to Reese's—but feature a shorter ingredient list, with everything certified organic. So, if prioritizing cleaner ingredients is more important to you than sugar content, Justin's may be a great choice for you and the kids.
Smart Sweets Gummy Worms
Calories: 110
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 70 mg
Carbs: 36 g (Fiber: 9 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 4 g
You've likely seen Smart Sweets on store shelves, as it's one of the better-known "healthy" candy brands. With a variety of options like lollipops, gummy bears, red vines, Swedish fish, sour gummies, and our personal favorite for Halloween—gummy worms—they provide a better alternative to traditional candies. Unlike Haribo gummy worms, which have 14 grams of sugar per serving, Smart Sweets gummy worms contain just 4 grams. Plus, each serving packs 9 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.
SkinnyDipped Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter
Calories: 70
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 85 mg
Carbs: 7 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 2 g
As you can see from our list, there are plenty of healthier alternatives to the classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and choosing the best one for you depends on what your personal goals are. The SkinnyDipped Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups have only four grams of sugar per serving, and those who want to avoid sugar alcohols and Stevia will be happy to know these don't contain either.
Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Calories: 80
Fat: 6 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
Sodium: 40 mg
Carbs: 7 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 1 g
Children and adults alike can agree that getting a classic sleeve of Reese's Cups is one of the best parts of Halloween. However, the 16 grams of sugar for just two cups is enough to put a damper on your excitement. Thankfully, you can satisfy your peanut butter cup cravings with Unreal's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. With just 5 grams of sugar per serving, you can indulge a little more on Halloween night without the fright of too much added sugar.
Hu Salty Dark Chocolate Snack-Size Bar
Calories: 190
Fat: 14 g (Saturated Fat: 8 g)
Sodium: 110 mg
Carbs: 14 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 3 g
With only four simple ingredients—organic cacao, coconut sugar, cocoa butter, and sea salt—Hu Snack-Size Chocolate Bar is a clean, healthier option for chocolate lovers. We love that you'll also get 3 grams of fiber and protein per bar. You can find these snack-sized treats at your local Whole Foods and Wawa.
Chocolove Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites
Calories: 170
Fat: 13 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
Sodium: 115 mg
Carbs: 13 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 3 g
Just in time for Halloween, Chocolove released its Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Bites shaped like pumpkins. Even though these still contain nine grams of sugar, it's better than the 17 grams you'd get with a Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkin. Not only that, but you'll be avoiding the artificial flavors found in Reese's as well.
Snack Owl Sour Novas
Calories: 100
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 0 mg
Carbs: 42 g (Fiber: 10 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 0 g
You may be a fan of Sour Patch Kids, but we can bet you're not a fan of the 27 grams of sugar inside. To get that same sour and sweet kick in a healthier form, try Snack Owl Sour Novas. These cute sour stars contain only 4 grams of sugar, but we will warn you that the candies do contain Blue #1 and Yellow #5, something you won't see in other candies on the list. If that's a concern of yours, you can try the BEHAVE Sour Bears or JoyRide Sour Gummies.
Alter Eco Dark Chocolate Truffles
Calories: 80
Fat: 6 g (Saturated Fat: 4.5 g)
Sodium: 0 mg
Carbs: 5 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 0 g
You can rest easy this Halloween with a product like the Alter Eco Classic Dark Truffles. Soy-free, gluten-free, organic, non-GMO, and free of additives and artificial sweeteners, these truffles pack in a ton of delicious flavor for only four grams of sugar. They're also individually wrapped and perfect for throwing into a trick-or-treat bag.
Magic Spoon Treats Chocolatey PB
Calories: 140
Fat: 6 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
Sodium: 65 mg
Carbs: 16 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 12 g
Best known for their high-protein, zero-sugar cereals that bring back the nostalgia of a bowl of cereal and milk without compromising health goals, Magic Spoon has just released a new rice crispy-like treat in time for Halloween! Magic Spoon Treats, available in Chocolately PB or Marshmallow, deliver the same delicious flavors and textures of a classic rice crispy treat, but with just 1 gram of sugar, 7 grams of fiber, and 11 grams of protein per package.
Harken The Gooey One
Calories: 140
Fat: 6 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 100 mg
Carbs: 26 g (Fiber: 13 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 1 g
Like a classic candy bar with a caramel and nougat center, these candies from Harken are a healthy alternative to many other varieties. With only 9 grams of sugar and zero grams of saturated fat, this brand is an excellent choice for a healthier holiday.
Blobs Gummy Candy
Calories: 50
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 70 mg
Carbs: 31 g (Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 0 g
Low-sugar gummy candy that is still delicious? Yes, please! Blobs candies deliver the fruity flavors you love from traditional gummies but with only 2 grams of sugar per entire bag. Flavors include Pomegranate-Apple, Passionfruit-Pineapple, and Orange-Peach, or you can try them all by ordering a variety pack.
Gigantic Salted Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar
Calories: 200
Fat: 13 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 95 mg
Carbs: 21 g (Fiber: 9 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 3 g
It's hard to believe that you could have a chocolate bar that tastes delicious while also providing more grams of fiber than sugar. Well, with Gigantic's Salted Peanut Candy Bar, you'll be eating nine grams of fiber and seven grams of sugar, meaning you'll be treating yourself to a chocolatey treat without breaking the sugar bank.
YumEarth Halloween Candies
Calories: 45
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 40 mg
Carbs: 11 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 0 g
All parents have different concerns when it comes to their children's trick-or-treat findings. While some are worried about the amount of added sugars or sneaky additives, others may be worried about allergens. YumEarth makes candy products and sells a Halloween Variety Pack, which is completely free of most common allergies such as nuts, gluten, peanuts, dairy, eggs, and soy. They also avoid artificial dyes and are considered non-GMO.
Theo Sea Salt 70% Dark Chocolate Bar
Calories: 160
Fat: 11 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
Sodium: 100 mg
Carbs: 14 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 2 g
When you're craving chocolate for you and the kids, Theo products are a great choice. While many of their bars contain a moderate amount of sugar—including their Sea Salt 70% Dark Chocolate—the simple, trustworthy ingredient list (cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, salt) makes it a more reliable sweet treat. Plus, this bar is gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and soy-free.
JoyRide Sour Strawberry Strips
Calories: 70
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 95 mg
Carbs: 24 g (Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 1 g
It seems too good to be true, but JoyRide is truly as it says on the bag: an uncommon candy. With only 4 grams of sugar and 8 grams of fiber, the Sour Strawberry Strips from JoyRide are the candy to indulge in this Halloween season. Are these strips not your thing? You can try any of their candy options, like their Cherry Ropes or Watermelon Wedges.
Tazzy Watermelon Lollipops
Calories: 50
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 0 mg
Carbs: 13 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 0 g
Tazzy candies are any parent's dream when it comes to Halloween candy. Their Watermelon Lollipops have only five grams of sugar, have two grams of fiber, and are completely void of sugar alcohols, stevia, and corn syrup. The company also avoids the use of artificial dyes and instead uses vegetable juice for coloring.
BEHAVE Sweet Stars
Calories: 70
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 10 mg
Carbs: 36 g (Fiber: 20 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 4 g
Whether you're in the mood for something sweet or something a bit more sour, BEHAVE has you covered. Not only are BEHAVE gummies delicious, but they're low in sugar and calories and extremely high in fiber, meaning they have low net carbs. Because of this, these candies are diabetic-friendly and won't spike your blood sugar after eating them, and they accomplish this without using any artificial flavorings at all!
Fruit-tella Strawberry/Raspberry Soft Gummies
Calories: 90
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 70 mg
Carbs: 25 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 0 g
The truth is, these Fruit-tella gummies won't be for everyone. They're still pretty high in sugar with 16 grams, but what puts them on our list is the fact that they're made with real fruit purees. Parents who are concerned about the quality of the ingredients in their kid's candy may like the fact there is real fruit involved, and that these candies are void of high fructose corn syrup.
Tony's Chocoloney Lil' Bits
Calories: 550
Fat: 34 g (Saturated Fat: 20 g)
Sodium: 65 mg
Carbs: 52 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 51 g)
Protein: 6 g
The sugar and fat content in a bag of Tony's Chocoloney Lil' Bits is rather high, but these treats are a great choice if you just want a few pieces to satisfy a chocolate craving. These are also ideal for those trying to avoid palm oil (a type of oil high in saturated fat) because Tony's is made without any palm oil at all.
Chocxo Cookies & Creme Cups
Calories: 80
Fat: 6 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 10 mg
Carbs: 6 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 1 g
With cookies & cream flavors reminiscent of the classic Hershey's Cookies & Creme bar, these cups from Chocxo are a healthier, lower-sugar alternative.
Beyond Good Salted Caramel Chocolate
Calories: 150
Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
Sodium: 30 mg
Carbs: 12 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 2 g
Beyond Good chocolate bars are exactly that—they're beyond just a tasty treat. They still contain eight grams of sugar, but parents will love the short six-item ingredient list: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, caramel, organic cocoa butter, sea salt, and vanilla extract.
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- Source: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000439
- Source: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much#:~:text=AHA%20Sugar%20Recommendation&text=Men%20should%20consume%20no%20more,or%20100%20calories)%20per%20day.
- Source: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/saturated-fats
- Source: https://chocxo.com/collections/buy-dark-chocolate