Avoid the preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients of store-bought sweets this Halloween by making your own.

When you make your own confections, you have control over what goes into it. You can choose organic or Fair Trade ingredients and how much or what kind of sugars you use. Alternatives to refined white sugar include honey, real maple syrup, raw sugar, and even apple sauce.

Substituting some ingredients may require a little experimenting and a few trial runs, but once you find the right combination you’ll have a better alternatve ready to go for next time.

Creating goodies at home is also great activity to involve the kids in, and they’ll be more likely to eat what they’ve had a hand in helping bake.

Amy says: Care 2 Living has some green candy recipes including Maple Candy, Pull Taffy and Pumpkin Seed Crackle. I’ve also found some great recipes at FoodNetwork.com and Epicurious.com. Right now they’re featuring a ton of fun and easy Halloween treats.

More October Fun from Green Options:

Seasonal Eating: Ode to the Local Fall Pumpkin

Five Super Simple Steps to Green Trick or Treating