Definitive Ranking of Most Popular Trick-or-Treat Candy
As with all things in life, there is a hierarchical order of greatness when it comes to Halloween candy.
While beggars really can't be choosers in the game of free sweets, we still must admit that not all candy is created equal.
In the spirit of our favorite season, we've provided the definitive ranking of all Halloween candy from worst to best. Scroll below to sink your teeth into our selection:
11. Bubble Gum
Why, I mean, why must someone be so cruel as to include Double Bubble gum in their Halloween bowls? Is gum even a candy?? Sure, it's sweet, but these treats lose flavor in less time than it takes to unwrap them. To be honest, this candy is just a filler when it comes to showing off our loot. But it also makes the perfect trading piece when dealing with a little sibling who has no idea how much value their fun-sized bars carry.
10. Off-Brand Anything
Next to bubble gum, there's nothing worse than sinking your hand into a bowl full of candy and retrieving an off-brand treat. It's like you've been told one big lie! These candies masquerade like some of your favorite pieces, but when you unwrap them your taste buds are met with a waxy and tasteless substance. We both know you don't want to sound ungrateful, but you'd rather have no candy than these off-brand impostors.
9. Coco-Nutty Chocolates
While you may later be able to appreciate the finer flavors in life such as almonds and coconut, you have to be real with yourself and admit that these ingredients ruin your Halloween. From Pay Days and Almond Joys, to Baby Ruth bars and Mounds, you basically want to weep for your poor chocolate that never had a chance.
8. Dots
Now Dots don't have the worst flavor in the world, but they're basically glorified gummy snacks. And who can forget the agonizing defeat of getting them stuck in their molars?? While you think Dots are going to be a good sweet treat every time, they prove way more trouble than they are worth. Tbh, they're way cuter than they are tasty.
7. Dum Dums
Dum Dums aren't alone in the lollipop category. They fall in the middle of Tootsie Pops and unnamed off-brand lollies that jet out of candy bowls. The upside to Dum Dums is that they have fun flavors like Butterscotch and Root beer, plus they last a while as opposed to other candies that you consume in one bite—but at the end of the day, lollipops just don't satisfy like other candies. You'd really rather have something you can sink your teeth into, or at the very least don't prove as choking hazards when trick- or-treating.
6. Tootsie Rolls
Are you more into the classic chocolate or the fruity flavors? Personally speaking, we always trade for a blue wrapper indicating vanilla goodness. These sweets aren't the most coveted candy but they do make for a great chewy snack while hopping from house to haunted house. Sure, they aren't the most exciting candy in the bowl, but they don't disappoint when it comes to flavor and variety.
5. Candy Corn
Candy corn is a controversial sweet, which is why it lands smack dab in the middle. Some love it and some hate it. That said, it is the only candy that is served exclusively during our favorite holiday. Whether or not you enjoy this color-blocked treat, you have to admit that you help yourself to a handful every year just to bask in the full effect of the season.
4. Willy Wonka Sweets
These candies include Laffy Taffy, Sweet Tarts, Pixie Sticks, Nerds and Bottlecaps. All good things, of course, but they do seem to be the less popular cousins to other sweet candies like Skittles. They aren't quite as filling and tend to cause a quicker stomach ache than other candies in the pillow sack. That said, we'll take a hearty sweet with tons of sugar over an off-brand any day. Plus, the Wonka brand makes these morsels extra appealing—it's like living in the chocolate factory!
3. Sweet & Sour Skittles and Starburst
Has anyone ever noticed that it's easier to overdo it on sweet and sour candy than it is on chocolatey morsels? We love tasting the rainbow in the form of super sweet Skittles and Starburst, but there's just something about this candy choice that makes us feel a tad queasy. That said, they are still optimal trading material for your friends who prefer the pucker over the chocolate. Plus, these names rank high on the VIP list of candy and there is no denying their flavor-packing punch in every bite.
2. Chocolate Fun-Sized Bars
Chocolate is the head honcho of Halloween candy. Yes, we like our sweets and sours, but when it comes to prime candy real estate, chocolate ranks in highest value. While we personally think the term "fun-sized" would correlate to bigger servings of candy, there's no denying the top dogs of Halloween such as Snickers, Milky Way, Reese's, Twix and Butterfingers. Even if it's in the tiny variety.
1. King-Sized Bars
Nothing beats the King-Sized bar. I mean, it's practically like winning the lottery of Halloween. Whether it's a King-Sized Snickers or a four-pack of Reese's cups, this jackpot means more candy for you or more trading value for other precious goods among your friend's loot. Yes, being handed a King-Sized bar is the kid equivalent to being knighted by the queen. But, in this case, we'll take the king any day.
If you're interested in chocolate for more than its taste, you have to click HERE to get a lesson on Nashville's most historic chocolate factory.