6 all-natural, allergen-free, or fair trade Halloween treats that aren't scary at all

With some Halloween candies containing loads of hydrogenated oil, artificial colors and even high-fructose corn syrup, I appreciate why so many of us are taking a closer look at what we drop into those pillow cases come October 31st. Even me. And admittedly, I love candy. So we have put together six fantastic treat options that should help keep your Halloween sweet but not too scary. Yes, they will cost more than the giant "Fun Size" bags, especially if you get hundreds of kids to your door each year. And no, they're not going to keep kids from having to brush their teeth copiously before they go to bed -- candy is still candy. But even if you mix these high quality Halloween treats in with your standard offerings, I like that you'll be helping to support companies who are making sure we have better and better options each year. A tub of Sjaak's Halloween Orange Bites (shown above) contains over 90 bite-sized chocolates, which is enough for our house to hand out a few to each kid who stops. I like the orange wrapper which is perfect for the holiday. And the organic, fair trade dark chocolate hides a liquidy orange interior that will have kids squeeling in surprise when they take their first bite. Deliciously creepy!  

I love the Natural Candy Store for their commitment to helping moms like me who have kids with a food allergy or other food sensitivity. I especially love how easy they make it to search for treats by particular allergen. Their big Natural Candy Mix is free of all eight major food allergens, is gluten-free and has some of great all-natural treats like gummy bears, lollipops and chewing gum.

Divvies has long been a CMP favorite for their nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free Halloween treats. These aren't the kind of treats you hand out to every goblin at your front door, but if you have a super-special child that you don't want to leave out when they ring your bell or head to your Halloween party, Divvies chocolates and candies are worth it.

Scare the kids and tell them you're giving them bugs in their chocolate. They'll figure out what you mean when they see Milk Chocolate Bug Bites in their bags. Each Bug Bite from Endangered Species Chocolate is totally organic and is made with cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified Farms. And tucked into each packet is a little educational insect card that they can hang onto and gross each other out with the next day. Edited to add: Unfortunately, this product has been discontinued.

Yummy Earth's all-organic lollipops have become so popular, I can find them in my local supermarket any time of the year now. If you aren't so lucky, no worries: Yummy Earth has them in big 5 lb bags, at a great price.

Sweet Earth Chocolates' Fair Trade and Organic Chocolate Discs each have a little ghost sticker bearing a (very) gentle fair-trade message which I like since it's a nice way to let others know about fair-trade chocolates without getting uncomfortably preachy. Get a mix of their milk and bittersweet chocolate discs but make sure to stash away a few for yourself. I know I will. Edited to add: Unfortunately, this product has been discontinued.