It’s that time of year again. The aisles at the grocery store are overflowing with giant bags of Halloween candy, reminding you of a time when you went Trick-or-Treating hoping that you would get your favorite candy or even a full-size candy bar *gasp.*
If you’re like me and are bummed that 20 is apparently “too old” to Trick-or-Treat, you probably still remember which candy you ate right away and which ones remained at the bottom of your bag for six months. With the help of two taste-testers, I decided to find the most popular Halloween candies to provide you with a definitive ranking of Halloween candy.
Note: GF indicates the specific candy mentioned is gluten-free.
23. Dubble Bubble (GF)
The only thing worse than the overly-powerful artificial bubble gum flavor is that Dubble Bubble is so hard that it’s basically like chewing on a hockey puck.
22. Tootsie Pop (GF)
I think we all can agree that Blow Pops are superior to Tootsie Pops any day. And honestly, Tootsie Rolls aren’t good enough to have a sucker made out of them.
21. Tootsie Roll (GF)
Too chewy, not enough chocolatey. Chocolate and taffy should not be mixed. Period.
20. Smarties (GF)
These fruity-flavored chalk circles are okay if you REALLY need a piece of candy, but otherwise should be left on the shelf at the grocery store.
19. Now and Later
I think we can all agree that Now and Later’s are basically just a rip-off of Starbursts. They’re so hard and sticky that I’m pretty sure dentists make the majority of their money thanks to this candy.
18. Heath (GF)
Heath bars have a nice crunch and the flavor is okay if you like toffee (who actually likes toffee, though?) but there are PLENTY of other chocolate candies to eat before you settle for this one.
17. Milk Duds (GF)
There’s a reason “dud” is in the name. Chocolate and caramel are the one of the greatest combinations to ever exist… but Milk Duds are so rock-hard that they’re really just cavities waiting to happen.
16. Swedish Fish (GF)
You either love ’em or you hate ’em. I’m not completely sure what exactly a Swedish Fish is. Is it licorice? Is it a fish-shaped fruit snack? Either way, it’s not okay.
15. Baby Ruth
I personally love a Baby Ruth, but my taste-testers did not share my love for this candy. They thought it was too chunky (THAT’S THE BEST PART) and basically a worse-tasting Snickers (that is not totally false).
14. Jolly Rancher
Even though some of the flavors are good (watermelon), they get stuck in your teeth if you try to bite them and they turn your mouth neon-colored if you suck on them. Lose-lose situation.
13. Twizzlers
Although Twizzlers are clearly superior to Red Vines, licorice is not something I want in my candy pile.
12. 3 Musketeers
Biting into a 3 Musketeers is like biting into a chocolate-covered pillow. The chocolate has good flavor and the nougat is light and airy as it should be.
11. Milky Way
The only thing better than biting into a chocolate-covered pillow is a biting into a chocolate-covered pillow WITH CARAMEL.
10. Starburst (GF)
Even though we all have a favorite Starburst flavor, there’s no denying that they’re all good. Juicy and bursting with flavor, you really can’t go wrong with a Starburst.
9. Airheads
Airheads have strong flavor and just the right amount of chew, even though they will still probably send you to the dentist. But it’s worth it, right?
8. M&M’s (GF)
M&M’s are the classic chocolate candy that most people think of when they think of Halloween. They have a real chocolate taste and they don’t melt in your hand if you eat them fast enough (which is irrelevant because we all know you’re eating them all at once anyway).
7. Hershey’s Kisses (GF)
Even though Hershey’s Kisses aren’t as complex as other chocolate candies, they are pure, simple chocolate goodness. You really can’t go wrong giving a kid a Hershey’s Kiss.
6. Nestle Crunch
Crispy, yet chocolatey, where could it go wrong? The answer is it can’t. Although, one of my taste-testers did say “Buncha Crunch is highly superior to a Crunch bar”—the jury’s still out on that one.
5. Snickers
If you don’t like Snickers, I probably don’t like you. They’re simple, yet the recipe ideas are endless.
Snickers encompass all that is good in the world: chocolate, nougat, peanuts, and caramel. Enough said.
4. Butterfinger
The slogan “Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!” accurately expresses my feelings about Butterfingers. They’re crunchy, peanut-buttery, and chocolatey. Need I say more?
3. Kit Kat
Kit Kat turned something as blah as wafers into an American favorite, and all they did was add chocolate. Chocolate really does seem to fix all problems, doesn’t it?
Don’t “break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar,” just give me the whole thing.
2. Twix
Why eat a cookie when you can eat a cookie inside of a candy bar?! Combining two well-loved desserts assured Twix a top spot on my list.
1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (GF)
As one of my taste-testers put it, “Can peanut butter and chocolate be beat by anything? The answer is no.”
Though Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are simple, they include two of the greatest sweets in the world and nothing can surpass this candy. NOTHING.
If you’re looking to get a little fancier, try making a Reese’s milkshake to satisfy your sweet tooth.