Candy corn. It’s one of the most controversial candies out there — a true love-it-or-hate-it treat. And yet it’s a certified Halloween season classic. Bags of the yellow, orange, and white candy kernels line the shelves starting even before October, which are either eagerly swiped off shelves or scoffed at — candy corn haunts those who hate it. As for me, the only kind of corn I’m looking to eat in October is candy corn. I’ve been enjoying the morsels of seasonal sweetness since I was a kid, but too often do I run into people who hate candy corn, some with a seething passion. The number one complaint? It’s too sweet. And I think it’s time we call nonsense on that point, because the truth is that the best way to eat candy corn isn’t straight out of the bag. So if that’s what you’re basing your candy corn hate off of, you’ve got it all wrong. The best, or even correct, way to eat candy corn is by pairing it with a certain salty snack.
Why don’t people like candy corn?
Candy corn’s extreme, allegedly overwhelming sweetness is a huge factor in the anti-candy corn agenda, which is a pretty corny argument considering we’re talking about candy. If you’re not a sweets person, candy isn’t your thing to begin with. But the sweetness isn’t the only problem people have. There are many complaints about candy corn’s texture and it being waxy. People also don’t like its artificiality or claim its aftertaste is bad and like to make the point that there are better options.
If you’re a candy corn hater, you’ve probably said one or all of these things. If you love candy corn, you’ve definitely heard (and rolled your eyes at) these arguments…and think they couldn’t be more wrong.
Users on social media of course get in on the debate, with many spouting their disdain for the treat. User @msjforshort argues that candy corn “tastes like candied crayons. You might as well just get a box of crayons and eat the orange one.” User @tiesyn says, “It’s disgusting…it’s way too sweet. It’s not even enjoyable…the texture is weird, the taste sucks.” Eric of @thebiases, hates candy corn, saying it’s like “flavored candle-wax…it is candle wax that they dump sugar in and it is awful” while his wife Britt loves it, saying it reminds her of fall and she loves how “buttery” candy corn is.
What makes candy corn good?
Candy corn is about as fun a festive candy as it gets. Thanks to their size, they’re incredibly snackable, easy to pop in your mouth in the same way M&M’s or Skittles are. In the same vein, they’re fun to eat because you’ve got options. You can eat them whole or bite off color by color (and then you have to decide, do you start at the yellow or the white?). In a sense they’re more than a candy — they’re an eating experience. They’re a seasonal tradition that sweetens up each time the fall/Halloween season rolls around, meaning there’s an element of celebration and nostalgia that just pulls you in for one more candy kernel.
The flavor isn’t as important as the rest of these elements, though genuinely the artificial sweetness gives it its charm. Candy corn isn’t pretending to be some gourmet candy. It knows what it is: a cheap, sugary Halloween treat. And that’s OK. Candy corn doesn’t need to be a high-quality candy to be downright delightful (and addictive).
Honestly, candy corn being controversial makes it more fun to eat, because I’m here happily eating candy corn while candy corn haters bemoan the candy and those who eat it. Is it wrong to relish in their bitterness while I enjoy myself? Maybe. But all I can say is, I’m sorry you guys won’t enjoy the festive candy…yet. Because I’m not just going to give up on convincing the cynics of the magic of candy corn. Mainly because I’m convinced — no, I know — you are eating candy corn all wrong.
How should you actually be eating candy corn?
The trick to candy corn consumption is that it isn’t best eaten by itself. Instead, you need to see candy corn as an ingredient to be paired with something salty. Specifically, peanuts (ideally dry-roasted, salted peanuts). For best results, make sure to buy Brach’s candy corn because the off-brand candy corns don’t hit the same. The salty, seasoned peanuts paired with the sweetness of the candy corn is a game-changer, especially effective if you don’t like candy corn because it’s too sweet. The texture so many complain about works in the combo’s flavor by melding together with the peanuts. It’s a minimal effort treat that tastes like a candy bar (way, way better than a Payday) and becomes an entirely new flavor profile that is out of this world. I find a 3-4 peanut to candy corn ratio is the best for capitalizing on the combo.
Peanuts and candy corn are practically the Halloween version of peanut butter and jelly — it’s like candy corn was made to be paired with salt considering its flavor. Other nuts or savory snacks might do the trick too, but peanuts are best. So if you’ve been hating on candy corn because you’ve just been trying the colorful triangles straight from the bag, it’s time to go buy yourself some peanuts and prepare to join the legions of candy corn lovers (the ones buying 35 million pounds of candy corn a year) in enjoying the best seasonal fall treat around.