17 Alternative Halloween Treats

Like homemade Halloween treats, healthy real foods like fruit and trail mix have been off-limits for most parents since the razor blade hoaxes of the 80s. If your neighborhood is on a health kick though, and there's a high level of trust among trick-or-treating families, you may be able to pass out some healthy Halloween treats this year, particularly if they're tightly packaged (alas!). Here are some ideas:

• Organic boxed raisins
• Local apples
• Mixed nuts or trail mix
• Dried fruit packs
• Veggie snack packs, like the baby carrots pictured here

Cute and cuddly, Surf Sweets Sour Berry Bears will make your lips pucker in the perfect way! They are delicious, all natural and safe for kids with allergens (the facility doesn't process any of the major allergens such as peanuts and soy). $33.71 for a 50-pack at naturalcandystore.com.

Also available from Surf Sweets: Natural Gummy Bears ($33.71 for a 50-pack), Organic Sour Worm Singles ($18.46 per pound of individually wrapped worms) and Organic Jelly Beans ($33.71 for a 50-pack).

Remind kids how special the planet is (and how delicious it can be!) with Earth Balls Fair Trade Milk Chocolate. $30.76 for two pounds (approx. 70 Earth Balls per pound) at naturalcandystore.com.

These bite-size squares of organic milk chocolate come with insect trading card from Endangered Species Chocolate, which not only sells organic and Fair Trade treats, but also donates 10% of profits to wildlife conservation. $31.16 for 64 at amazon.com.

Get the delicious flavor of root beer in a compact little candy with Organic Root Beer Barrels. This is a great candy for children with allergies as it is manufactured in an allergen-controlled facility to prevent cross-contamination with peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, egg, soy, fish, or shellfish. Also these fun root beer-flavored treats do not contain any corn or corn derived ingredients. $21.77 for two pounds (approx. 70 individually-wrapped pieces per pound) at naturacandystore.com.

These melt-in-your-mouth, handmade Vegan Caramels will enchant your senses and leave you with new carved memories of what caramels, free of corn syrup, should taste like. $10 for 3.5 oz. at allisonsgourmet.com.

These delicious hard candies are made with organic ingredients and real fruit juice, and come in unique flavors such as Goji Berry, Pomegranate and Green Apple. $19.85 for six 3.5-ounce bags at foodservicedirect.com.

Yummy Earth lollipops are USDA certified-organic, contain no artificial colors or corn syrup and are available in 20 flavors such as Pomegranate Pucker, TooBerry Blueberry and Strawberry Smash. $26.22 for a five-pound bag at amazon.com.

Betty Lou's makes super-satisfying nut butter balls, and their Golden Smackers – organic chocolate peanut butter patties – will please any ghoul or goblin (or Lady Gaga, as the case may be). $58.56 for 24 1.4-ounce packages at amazon.com.

A lovely source of party treats, the Vegan Candy Party Mix delivers lots of your favorite different candies in one place. Includes sour bears, organic lollipops and sucking candies. ($24.99 per 90-piece bag at naturacandystore.com.

College Farm Organics makes organic suckers and hard candies that contain only natural flavors and colors, and are good options for people with food allergies because they contain no gluten, nuts, soy or eggs. $25.95 for a case of six 4.75-ounce bags at foodservicedirect.com.

Have someone you want to give a special gift to this Halloween? Try the Natural Halloween Candy Coffin Gift Basket. It comes with tons of little goodies inside including organic lollipops, gummy worms, chocolate balls and more. Even the packaging, made from recycled shred and wrapped in a home-compostable cellophane bag will teach your tiny ghoul or goblin a lesson in the importance of healthier treating and what to do when they're done. $12.95 at naturalcandystore.

This fun Natural Candy Trick or Treat Mix is a great Halloween give away that has several favorite items, including sour worms, organic lollipops and gum. Also, it's packed in a home-compostable cellophane bag, perfect for keeping the environment a little greener and teaching your little one's the important of composting. $17.96 per 100-count bag at naturacandystore.com.

These organic toffee chews are sweetened with organic fruit juices and corn syrup and are vegan too. $2.87 per 2-ounce package when you buy 12 or more at veganessentials.com, where one person who tried them described them as "more like taffy than toffee."

If you're expecting to give out a lot of candy this year, these organic chocolates could be the right choice. Made with high-quality ingredients from farmers' cooperatives in South America, they might inspire you to sneak a few before the trick-or-treaters come a-knockin'. $175 for an 8.8-pound bag at equalexchange.com.

Give the kids a lesson in humanity with their treat. These traditional gold coin milk chocolate pieces say Farmer Owned and Fair Trade on each side. $5.25 per bag at globalexchange.com.