How to Use Leftover Candy Canes

Candy canes are an inexpensive, whimsical item that many people use to decorate Christmas trees and more around the holidays. Once the season is over, though, you might find yourself with an abundance of the striped peppermint sweet treats. Throwing away perfectly good candy may seem wasteful, but you can only eat so many. Once you get an idea of the many attractive and delicious ways candy canes can be used, though, you might find yourself stocking up at post-holiday sales.

Things You'll Need

• Beverages
• Recipes
• Popcorn ball ingredients
• Cellophane
• Containers
• Candles
• Acrylic coat or shellac
• Chocolate fondue and items to dip

Instructions

1. Use candy canes in place of spoons or stir sticks in all of your favorite beverages. Tea, coffee and hot apple cider will all taste scrumptious with the sweet peppermint added in. But you are not limited to hot drinks. Use candy canes in festive cocktails at your New Year's Eve party.

2. Crush candy canes and add them to your baking recipes. Crushed canes mixed with melted chocolate or white chocolate make a delicious chocolate peppermint bark. Mix them into your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough. Bake a white cake and add a teaspoon of peppermint extract to the batter. Frost with your favorite icing and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

3. Give delightful edible Christmas ornaments to your coworkers. Make up a batch of popcorn balls, tucking the straight end of a miniature candy cane into each one. Sprinkle colored sugar onto the balls before they harden. Wrap in colorful cellophane. The popcorn ball ornaments will have built-in peppermint tree hooks.

4. Make holiday decorating items with candy cane embellishments. Hot glue them around a basket, planter, candles or containers and cover them with clear acrylic coating to keep the bugs away. Or shellac the canes individually and glue them to an artificial wreath or swag.

5. Make a dessert fondue and use the candy canes as skewers. Slide marshmallows or pieces of cake onto the straight ends of the cane and dip in melted chocolate.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to use candy canes in recipes later in the year, store them in baggies in your freezer.

• Make sure kids know they cannot sample candy canes that have been glued or varnished.

Resources

• Candy cane history