We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Home

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Should I Give Homemade Treats at Halloween?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 3,901
Share

Many people love to make and give homemade treats at Halloween — this used to be the norm. Children would collect caramel apples, popcorn balls, homemade candy, or cookies from people they didn’t know well, or from close neighbors without safety concerns on the part of the parents. Today's climate is unfortunately different, and giving homemade treats at Halloween to children you don’t know is likely to result in such treats being thrown out, as potentially unsafe.

This sad little death of a Halloween classic tradition has led to increased candy sales, and to many homemakers who would really love to be making their own treats instead of giving out packaged candy. If you’re really desperate to make homemade treats at Halloween, there are some ways to get them to some children, if not all the trick-or-treaters who might visit your home.

First, know your neighbors, and their kids. If you’re already familiar with folks, parents are much more likely to accept homemade treats at Halloween from you. Second avoid foods that provoke common allergies. Don’t use honey, especially to give to children under the age of one, and do not use any nuts in cookies, candy, caramel apples or popcorn balls. Nut allergies can be extremely severe, and you won’t always know if children in your neighborhood have certain allergies.

To avoid a child eating something they might be allergic to, either print or type a recipe list to be included in each packaged treat. You may also want to include your name and address, so parents will know exactly where the treat came from. A simple card could say something like:

    Happy Halloween
    From the Home of Betty Small
    2020 Clark Street

This would be followed by a list of ingredients. If parents recognize your name and know you, they’re much more likely to allow the child to enjoy the treats you’ve made. Also, be sure to carefully pack your homemade treats at Halloween. They should be given in plastic bags, plastic wrap, or in several layers of aluminum foil. You can then add them to a cute Halloween paper bag, and if you really want to get fancy, add some stickers, temporary tattoos or a Halloween pencil for more fun.

If you get lots of kids trick-or-treating at your home who you don’t know, there’s still a way to get treats to your favorite neighborhood kids. Instead of waiting until Halloween night, a fine tradition is to give homemade treats at Halloween either during the day, by hand delivering them to homes, or a few days before so parents can distribute them when they see fit. Also, if you’ve got children in school settings, consider sending treats to school for Halloween parties, or as a gift from your child to his/her classmates. This can help soothe your soul as a terrific candy maker, baker or classic cookie designer, without making unknown parents concerned about the ingredients or origin of homemade treats at Halloween.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/should-i-give-homemade-treats-at-halloween.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.