A guide to organic candy for Halloween.

Sales of organic candy have held steady in the recession, despite the higher prices. We just keep getting hungrier for organic options—and while no candy is good for you, the organic fare is free of nasty chemicals and better for the environment. And as you’ll see, options range from everyday candy canes to high-end chocolates. If you're lucky enough to live near Brooklyn, you can pick some up at Penny Licks on Bedford Avenue, which opened last year.

Organic candy can be just as appealing to kids as the other stuff. Canadian company Pure Fun Confections employs both concepts in its branding. The fruity candies are sold in packages with primary colors for the kids and messages for the adults such as "Our products are certified organic candy—kosher, vegan and fair trade. NO dyes. NO pesticides, NO GMO's. NO chemicals."

Surf Sweets also targets kids with lively packaging and presentation. But the company tries to hook parents with the "health" benefits: Its packages note that the candies are made from "organic fruit juice" and contain "100 percent vitamin C per serving." However, parents would be advised to allow their kids a small amount as a treat and save the health concerns for everyday meals.

YummyEarth claims to be the biggest maker of organic candies, and that's probably true, judging by its ubiquity and variety. So this producer might be the best bet to please the little costumed beggars this Halloween. Many of its lollipops, gummy bears, and candy drops come individually wrapped and are available in bulk.

Professional Candy Buyer magazine recently noted that a big reason for the steady sales of organic candy is consumers' desire to support "green" efforts. Endangered Species Chocolate donates 10 percent of its profits "to help support species, habitat and humanity." This year, it’s selling Halloween chocolates with a PET giraffe tote bag made from "organically grown hemp and recycled PET (used soda bottles) in a sweatshop-free environment."

The folks who make FruitaBu on Stretch Island, Wash., took the fruit rollup; reworked it with all-natural, organic ingredients; and created Smooshed Fruit—"Fruit that's funnier than fruit's ever been." Their credo: "Fruit was meant to be free—free of additives, free to go wherever you go, and free to be smooshed into flat-out fun."