I have to admit that I usually don't have leftover Halloween candy. And even if I did, my teenage kids (who no longer trick or treat) would polish it off in no time, with a little help from their parents. But this was a weird year, November 1st came around and I had a lot left over! So I made good use of it with these Leftover Candy Halloween Tarts! These sweet treats are a fun way to eat your Halloween Candy in a different form. And you know what goes great with chocolate? More chocolate! Yes, these candy tarts have more chocolate (instant chocolate almond pudding,) and are topped with whipped cream and leftover candy.
And the beauty is that the pastry perfectly balances the sweet candy and fillings. It's all in an easy Halloween dessert (you can make them pre or post-Halloween for a Halloween party) that will take you about 20 minutes to throw together! So if you're not sure what to do with leftover Halloween candy and looking for recipes with leftover Halloween candy, you've come to the right place. This recipe will give your candy a new life and it's a nice change of pace from the typical leftover Halloween candy cookie bars!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Transportable. These Halloween Tarts are great for bringing along to a potluck or party!
- Easy to make. This Halloween Tart is super easy to make, especially if you use pudding snacks and store-bought tart shells.
- Make-ahead. You can make this up to 2 days in advance.
- Uses up Halloween Candy. You only need a few ingredients and leftover candy.
This leftover Halloween candy recipe was inspired by my other Halloween candy recipes, Boo Batter Ice Cream (no churn) and Halloween Jack o'lantern Candy Cupcakes on this site. They are both loaded with candy and make great use of your leftover Halloween candy too!
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Like I said, leftover candy isn't usually a problem in our house, but this year was different - we had too much chocolate and candy. And I had even asked my husband buy extra Halloween candy in advance so I could make a 'leftover' candy recipe because I've been told by others that this is something that happens to them. So here we are with this huge stash of candy....we had so much candy!
🥘Ingredient Notes
If you're looking for creative ways to use Halloween candy leftovers, this Leftover Halloween Candy recipe, you'll only need a handful of ingredients:
- Tart shells .* I use store-bought. I prefer to use Tenderflake because they are flaky and closer to homemade. The no-name brand tastes too salty.
- Instant chocolate pudding. Chocolate pudding is a delicious base for these tarts!
- Whipping cream (heavy cream). *Use 33-36% fat. This pairs perfectly with the tart shell and chocolate pudding. You could also use store-bought whipped cream *see Top tip if using spray whipped cream
- Almond extract. This gives this tart a delicious and unique flavor!
- Leftover Halloween candy. This is the star of the show! I chopped chocolate bars, Reese's peanut butter cups, smarties, and Jolly Rancher's gummies. Try to use a combination of sweet and tart candies (but not too many tart candies).
*See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Candy- you can use leftover candy or buy candy specifically for these candy tarts. You could use any candy you prefer. I use chocolate like Kit Kats, Twix bars, Milky Way chocolate bars, Butterfinger candy bars, heath bars (aka Skor bars) Reese’s pieces, and Reese’s peanut butter cups. I also use sweet tarts, leftover M&M, Jolly Ranchers (gummies), and leftover candy corn. You could even use cookie dough (just replace raisins with chocolate chips)! * I do NOT recommend using hard candy in this recipe You could also add some Halloween sprinkles
- Pudding - us any type of pudding you prefer - white chocolate, pistachio, butterscotch etc... You could also use pudding cups (Snack packs) so you don't have to make the pudding
- Whipped cream - use a whipped topping or spray whipped cream to make this quicker
- Flavoring - you can use a peppermint extract, cake batter (it will be similar to boo batter flavor) vanilla extract, or any kind of extract you prefer
- Tart Shells- you can use store-bought tart shells for the sake of time or make your own pie dough with my No Fail Pie Crust (Cold Water Pastry)
- WW friendly- use a non-fat whipped topping and sugar-free pudding to lighten this up
🔪How to make Leftover Candy Halloween Tarts
Bake tart shells as per instructions on package. Cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, make up box of instant chocolate pudding as per package directions * If using prepared snack pack pudding (see variations), skip this step.
Add instant pudding (2 tablespoon approximately) to each cup. Then add 1 cup of chopped chocolates, dividing evenly by 12 tarts.
Add whipped cream to each tart, dividing evenly by all tarts.
Then top with more candy pieces.
Hint: Use a pastry bag with 1M tip to pipe whipped cream on top of tarts. It looks nicer than spooning it on.
🌡️Storing
Store these tarts in the fridge in an airtight container, as the ingredients are perishable. You can store the leftovers for up to 2 days.
If you want to make this in advance, store the ingredients separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days (make sure you stabilize the whipped cream (see Top Tip) if you want it to hold.
These ingredients do not hold up well to freezing.
👪 Serving size
This easy tart recipe makes 12 tarts. However, you can also cut this recipe in half or double or triple it by adjusting the serving size on the recipe card. Just click on the serving size (it's highlighted in blue) and select the number of servings you’d like and the ingredient amounts will adjust accordingly. You will need more tart pans (aka muffin tins) if you double or triple the recipe.
Top tip
If you are using real whipped cream and would like to make it in advance, the best way to make sure it will hold its whip is to stabilize it. I stabilize mine with piping gel (affiliate link) instead of gelatin because it's so much easier! You need 2 tbsps of piping gel per cup of whipping cream and you add it at the soft peaks stage. *If you store it in the fridge for a day or two, you can beat it to stiff peaks again with an electric mixer.
If you use a spray bottle of whipped cream, add just just prior to serving, as it melts and won't hold up for very long.
🎥 Video
If you're not sure how to beat your whipped cream to stiff peaks, watch this video: How to whip whipping cream to stiff peaks
If you're looking for recipes for delicious leftover Halloween candy recipes, you'll love these easy Halloween candy tarts! It's a delicious dessert and a great recipe for using up that candy.
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🎃🍬Leftover Candy Halloween Tarts Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 tart shells * I use store-bought
- 170 g - box of instant chocolate pudding *you will have leftover
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup whipped cream *it will double in volume
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 2-3 cups leftover Halloween candy
- 2 tablespoon piping gel (optional)
Instructions
- Bake tart shells as per instructions on package. Cool.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, make up box of instant chocolate pudding as per package directions * If using prepared snack pack pudding (see variations), skip this step
- Mix almond extract into pudding.
- Beat whipped cream to soft peaks, add white granulated sugar and beat to stiff peaks *If using a prepared whipped topping (see variations) skip this step *See video in post for instructions on how to beat whipped cream to stiff peaks
- Gather candy you are using and chop up larger pieces ( chocolate bars etc..). I used 1 cup of chopped chocolate bars and Reese's peanut butter cups.
Assembly:
- Add approximately 2 tablespoon of chocolate pudding to each tart shell.
- Add chocolate, dividing evenly by 12 tarts.
- Add whipped cream, dividing evenly by 12 tarts
- Add on candies such as smarties, Reese's pieces, and Jolly Rancher gummies. Top with a piece of chocolate (I used ½ a mini Reese's peanut butter cup)
Terri Gilson
I created these Leftover Candy Halloween Tarts to give those leftover treats new life in the form of an easy dessert. The pastry perfectly balances the sweet candy and chocolate pudding filling. Plus, they only take about 20 minutes to make - perfect for a quick post-Halloween treat!