Don’t you love when you get a bunch of candy that you’re not sure what to do with? My husband has a sweet little grandpa from Germany who lives several hours away- but he is a huge traveler and so he is often passing our way for various reasons. Without fail, every time he stops by, he brings something for the kids. Sometimes it’s a big case of strawberries, sometimes it’s a box of Costco’s muffins- and most recently, a huge Costco-sized container of M&M’s. Needless to say- my kids really like Grandpa Fritz ;). We love him too :).

We all know Costco for it’s bulk sizes, and the M&M’s are no different. And while I could probably eat through a container of plain M&M’s faster than I’d care to admit, that’s definitely not the best thing for my health- or my waistline ;). The best way to combat this is to spread the love, right? But we can’t always gift our neighbors with a Ziploc bag of regular M&M’s…. Or maybe you can, because you have that kind of relationship :). Or maybe you just want to utilize this big tub of M&M’s to make your treats even better. Whatever your purpose, M&M’s go great with so many things!

*Ice cream topping. I love the crunch of a frozen M&M! It pairs well with so many flavors, as well. You can also get a little more creative and do homemade M&M milkshakes! This would be a fun weekend activity with your family.

*Hot chocolate. Some areas are still feeling the heat, but some of us are starting to freeze! If hot cocoa sounds more appealing than a bowl of ice cream, chop a few M&M’s and add them to your hot chocolate for a special added crunch and creaminess :)

*Cookies. What kid doesn’t go crazy for M&M cookies? My kids have such a blast helping me make cookies, and they especially love adding all the colored candies! If you don’t love just having M&M’s in your cookies, throw in some white chocolate chips, pecans, or chopped Oreo’s to give your cookie some variety!

*Trail mix. M&M’s are pretty much a staple trail mix add-in. The nice thing about making your own is you can tailor it to your tastes! Peanuts, almonds, pretzels, craisins, yogurt-covered raisins, Cheerios, goldfish, chickpeas, coconut flakes- create your own fabulous concoction and throw in some M&M’s for good measure ;).

*Treat mix. I love popcorn mixes. Popcorn covered in white chocolate and sprinkled with M&M’s? Yes please! It makes such a fun date night treat or movie night snack! You can pre-make a popcorn mix with everything already added in, or you can have fun with a popcorn “bar” where everyone can create their own and add their own mix-ins! M&M’s, Hot Tamales, chocolate chips, mini Doritos, pretzels, and marshmallows are just a few suggestions for your popcorn bar movie night!

*Eyes. M&M’s make the perfect eyes for so many treats! Blue ones on chocolate cookies for teddy bears, red ones on Oreos for spiders, brown ones with frosting on a Twinkie for Minions- there’s all kinds of possibilities!

*Cake Decoration. Most people like cake, right? And cake is great for parties and for sharing :). Sprinkle M&M’s on top of your frosted cake to give it a pop of color, or get fancy and make a cool design with your many colors of M&M’s.

*Add it to other treats. Blondies, rice krispies, brownies, muddy buddies, cheesecake- it’s hard to think of a treat that wouldn’t be better with a few M&Ms ;).

*Party snack. Maybe you’d rather have your M&M’s plain. They make a great party snack- just invite some neighbors over and host a game night! You’ve got an easy treat taken care of ;).

What’s your favorite way to munch on M&M’s?