The Best Halloween Candies

Avoid Scary Candy

The ingredients list on most popular Halloween candies is enough to induce full-out holiday horror. Filled with food dyes linked to ADHD, genetically engineered ingredients that have never been thoroughly tested for safety in humans, and freaky preservatives, typical Halloween candy can be scarier than even the most well thought-out costume. Luckily, we found 11 candies that you can feel good about handing out when trick-or-treaters land on your doorstep later this month.

Unreal Candy Bars

Why we love it: Unreal is a candy company that's "Unjunking the World" of junk food. In other words, it's producing unadulterated versions of popular candy treats, creating products free of artificial food dyes, genetically engineered ingredients, high-fructose corn syrup, and heart-clogging trans fats. The best part? It's doing it using less sugar while providing 60 percent more protein and 250 percent more fiber per serving compared to competing candy bar brands.

Price: $13.99, 12 bars

YummyEarth Organic Lollipops

Why we love it: For starters, they're delicious. These award-winning, chemical-free organic lollies are also popular in the U.S. and abroad because the makers use Israeli sugar beets instead of U.S. genetically modified corn and coloring from purple carrots, pomegranate extract, organic pumpkins, and black currants instead of petrochemical fake food dyes.

Price: $16 for about 150 lollipops; $5.59 for 60 lollipops

Surf Sweets Spooky Spiders

Why we love it: These made-in-America, brand new gummy treats are made with organic sweeteners by a socially responsible candy company that also nixes the use of artificial dyes. Instead, they're made with colorants derived from vegetables, fruits, and spices.

Price: $1.99 to $2.19 per 2.75-ounce bag 

Equal Exchange Chocolates

Why we love it: The world of chocolate can be cruel, sometimes exploiting children through child labor for higher profits. Equal Exchange organic dark and milk chocolate minis offer a kinder alternative because they're made with ingredients sourced from Fair Trade farms that ensure better rights for workers.

Price: $35 for about 150 mini bars

Surf Sweets Sour Worms

Why we love it: These are the go-to sour gummies of the natural food world. Made with organic ingredients, these Non-GMO Project Verified individually packaged worm treats will be sure to satisfy trick-or-treaters' hankering for sweet and sour!

Price: $18.49 for 80 individually packaged worms

Mango Jackie Lantern Gummis

Why we love it: With a son who has food restrictions and a gluten intolerance herself, Hanson Watkins set out to develop allergy-friendly gourmet candies that taste great. She hit her target, having recently received a silver award for her Mango Jackie Lantern Gummis in the 2012 sofi Awards for outstanding confection. (It's like the Oscars of the specialty food world.)

Her products are free of gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, egg, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, and sesame and made in an allergy-friendly facility. Grab a few of these and have them on hand for trick-or-treating children with food allergies and/or gluten issues.

Price: $1.99 a pack

Endangered Species Chocolate Bug Bites

Why we love it: These bite-size organic chocolate treats are the perfect size for trick-or-treat giveaways. The cocoa is sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, meaning precious forests aren't leveled to bring you this delicious treat.

Price: $0.65 each; $33.99 for 64-count box

Funky Monkey Snacks

Why we love it: How about a Halloween treat of nature's candy—fruit? These healthy treats are raw, vegan, organic or Non-GMO Project Verified, freeze-dried fruits with no sugar added, but kids eat them like candy! A healthier alternative for your neighborhood trick-or-treaters that tastes great, too!

Price: $11.50 for 12 0.42-ounce bags

Glee Gum

Why we love it: What's trick-or-treating without some gum? Luckily, Glee Gum offers gum made the old-school way, without fake food dyes and dangerous artificial sweeteners. Each Mini Glee Variety Pack contains a handy Halloween-friendly assortment of 21 boxes in kid-friendly flavors.

Price: October sale: $5.21 for 21-box variety pack

Go Naturally Organic Hard Candies

Why we love it: An economical way to hand out high-quality, delicious hard candies this Halloween, Go Naturally Organic Candies come in a wide range of flavors, including apple, cherry, honey, and assorted. This gluten-free candy is free of fake food dyes, too. Buy in bulk for extra savings.

Price: $2.99 and up

Theo Caramels

Why we love it: Want to spend a little more for a trick-or-treat gift for that spice-loving adult in your life? Look no further than Theo Chocolate's Ghost Chile Caramels. The heat in these gourmet salted caramels sneaks up on you!

Price: $8.80

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