Wellness for the Family: A Healthy Halloween

Halloween is here and that means kids across the country will be consuming more candy that we can possibly imagine.

American’s buy nearly 600 million pounds of candy per year just for Halloween and 90 million pounds of chocolate alone is sold during the week of Halloween.

In this week’s Wellness for the Family, registered dietitian Grace Derocha from is talking to us about how to celebrate in a healthier way.

She brought us a great recipe to bake and hand out this year instead of your generic, sugar filled candy.

Here it is:

Candy Bar Cookies

Ingredients

• 7 chocolate candy bars (2.1 ounces each), coarsely chopped (you can use a variety such as Butterfinger, Twix, and more)
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 27 Reese’s mini peanut butter cups or mini of your choice
• 27 miniature Snickers candy bars or mini of your choice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Place Butterfinger candy bars in a food processor; process until ground. In a large bowl, cream butter and 2 cups ground candy bars until blended. Beat in eggs. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.
2. Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in remaining ground candy bars. Place 2 in. apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until tops are cracked.
3. Immediately press a piece of candy into the center of each cookie. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
   Freeze option:Freeze cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw before serving.

Enjoy!

To learn more about how to make this Halloween healthier than the last and even learn some facts about Halloween candy, watch the video above.