As Adam Sandler’s Hubie Dubois put it so eloquently in the 2020 comedy holiday film Hubie Halloween, “Halloween is upon us!”
While the entirety of the spooky season is filled with many activities and movies to enjoy, Halloween Night is where the real magic happens. Nobody wants to be the unpopular house for trick or treaters, so if you are lucky enough to live on a block where costumed little ghouls run door to door for some candy, you have to be prepared. Us at Complex have compiled a list of the top 25 Halloween candy classics that will be sure to have hooligans with eggs or toilet paper skip your house.
25.Candy Corn
A polarizing entry to be sure. While there is a distinct divide on who actually enjoys candy corn, there seems to be a large enough fanbase of this classic treat to warrant a spot on the list at the very least.
Like pineapple on pizza, candy corn has been the subject of many Halloween debates. With a creamy corn syrup flavor, this candy is an acquired taste, but those who love it are ready to throw hands—or eggs. It might not be a Complex favorite, but it's someone's favorite.
24.Swedish Fish
Another candy that isn’t super high on the tasty scale, but it's a tried-and-true classic known country wide. The taste isn’t what makes Swedish Fish lose points. It's the consistency; rarely do you get one that isn’t hard and feels like it’s been on the shelf since probably last Halloween. While red is usually the go-to flavor of any colored candy, there are certainly better ones out there to satiate the cherry-desired taste. Still, you see Swedish Fish enough during the spooky season that it has to get included—even if it's got a kind of medicinal flavor.
23.Haribo Gummy Bears
A tried-and-true classic, Haribo Gummy Bears are the industry standard when it comes to animal-shaped gummies. Haribo Bears are best when they are on the fresher side as they tend to get hard and less sweet with time—like most foods do. If you get a nice batch, though, then they’re delicious! If not, they lean on the mediocre side quite easily. That said, we still do love getting these in our trick-or-treat bags.
22.Pixy Stix
Pixy Stix have been around for years and have always been welcomed in a well-balanced candy diet. While delicious, let’s call Pixy Stix what they are: flavored sugar packets. Though simple, the taste they exude can range from sweet to tangy to sour while providing a slight sugary rush—all the things you want from your Halloween candy treats.
21.Caramel Apple Pops
Caramel Apples go hand-in-hand with spooky season, and the idea to make green apple flavored lollipops covered in caramel was a stroke of genius. Caramel apples are cumbersome and bulky, though, while Caramel Pops are compact, making them far less messy while still delightfully tasty. And when you're running house-to-house getting as many fistfuls of candy as you can, "compact" and "tasty" are exactly what you're looking for.
20.Laffy Taffy
As far as chewy candy goes, you really can’t go wrong with Laffy Taffy. With a variety of flavors that gets softer as you munch, Laffy Taffy is great if you want to have that sensation of chewing gum that you can swallow. Each packet also contains a short joke that adds to the fun!
19.Pop Rocks
Everyone loves a good gimmick, and Pop Rocks is exactly that; the sensation it provides is the pure definition of entertaining food. With a variety of delicious flavors, the audible pop that this candy elicits when they touch your tongue is a delight for multiple senses. Halloween may be a time for a scare, but don’t temp fate and mix these with a coke!
18.Hershey's Kisses
Simple, yet delectable, Hershey's Kisses are the essential milk chocolate treat. They can be dangerous because of their size as you likely find yourself finishing off 20 of them in a few minutes without realizing it. The consistency of the chocolate is solid out of the wrapper but melts in your mouth, giving it a creamy sensation as it dances on your tongue. The only thing slowing you down is their individual wrapping.
17.Warheads
The most extreme candy on the list, Warheads aren’t for the faint of heart. If sour is your go-to, then look no further. Available in multiple delicious flavors, the candy goes from extremely mouth-puckeringly sour to soothingly sweet. One at a time is usually enough for anyone to handle, but some have dared to attempt two—at your own risk, of course.
16.Airheads
Similar to Laffy Taffy but much less tough, Airheads are a chewy-tangy candy that comes in some very delectable flavors. The glossy stick is rich with sweetness, and each chew exudes more and more tangy delight. Since they are so thin they are easily consumable, and you will find yourself downing more than a few if you have them at your fingertips.
15.Tootsie Pop
You would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t enjoy a good Tootsie Pop. An American classic from the first time we asked the age-old question, “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?” A deliciously tangy outer lollipop shell contains a chewy tootsie roll inside, so you pretty much get two candies for the price of one! It almost feels like cheating, but that's how they're made, so if that makes use cheaters, then let us cheat on.
14.Milk Duds
Small, tasty chocolate-covered-caramel bites are a tried-and-true Halloween staple movie theater treat for decades. Often enjoyed due to their long-lasting chewiness, you get a lot of bang for your buck with Milk Duds. The trick is to combine these with popcorn for an extra lovely combo of sweet and salty, but them on their own is perfect, too.
13.Nestle Crunch
In a world where most chocolate bars contain nuts, nougat, or caramel, adding crispy rice to milk chocolate was a stroke of genius. Nestle’s classic candy bar has been a family favorite for decades and another perfect fit for Halloween or the movie theater. The added crispy rice is excellent for chocolatiers who like a bit of texture in their chocolate.
12.Blow Pops
Similar to Tootsie Pops, Blow Pops give you two candies for the price of one. Bubble gum inside a lollipop shell with varying flavors is a classic enjoyed by the masses for years. The ideal way to consume is to eat the bubble gum before the lollipop completely disintegrates so you get a crunchy gum experience. We love textures in our candies, after all.
11.Twix
No candy menu is complete without a Twix. Not only are Twix filled with delicious caramel and shortbread cookie bits, but you get two bars for the price of one which is one heck of a deal! (Though you could get just one and, hey, no one's judging you.) The layered textures of a Twix bar make it a crowd pleaser for even the most discerning of chocolate fans.
10.Jolly Ranchers
This extremely delicious and popular hard candy is a favorite for many. The tangy flavors combined with their crystal-like appearance makes this an ideal treat for trick or treaters. Jolly Ranchers are often praised for packing a punch in a small, long-lasting piece, making them great for enjoying over a longer period of time. Everyone has their favorite flavor, but if you get a cherry or a green apple one, you've hit the jackpot.
9.Skittles
Do you wish you had the same hard-candy shell with a chewy-center sensation as M&M’s but prefer fruit to chocolate? Skittles is your answer. You get a plethora of fruity flavors in a bag, so you get to truly taste the rainbow. The chewy center and intense flavors make Skittles a clear choice for those who like their candies to have a bit of sweet-and-sour taste.
8.Starburst
These chewy, square-shaped candies with intense fruity flavors bring smiles to any child finding them in their trick-or-treat bag. Whether you get red, pink, orange, or the not-as-popular yellow, you will be in for an extremely flavorful, chewy experience. Starbursts are sort of like taffy but without being as sticky, so there isn't much of a mess with this treat.
7.Kit Kat
Chocolate covered wafers are just what the doctor ordered to treat a sweet tooth. Sectioned into slim pieces, Kit Kats consist of stacked wafers coated in milk chocolate. This is another chocolate that gives off the sense of you getting more than your dollars’ worth in each package. You can eat them piece by piece, or if you are a monster you can just bite into the entire bar as a whole. You eat candy how you eat candy.
6.Nerds
From the wonderful world of Wonka, Nerds Candy is a tiny, crunchy, and colorful candy that changed the candy game in the '90s. Each piece is about the size of a small pebble with a bumpy texture, so you can control how much tangy goodness you get in each serving. People have been known to empty entire boxes into their mouths and go to town, so devour at your own leisure—just as Mr. Wonka would want.
5.Snickers
By all definitions, Snickers is a safe bet for any candy bar lover as it feeds the need for most cravings one would want: peanuts, nougat, and caramel covered in milk chocolate. This combo makes many children happy when picking these up on Halloween night. Not only are they tasty, but they are densely packed with their ingredients, so you feel satisfied after devouring a bar. Or two. What's not to love?
4.M&M’s
One of the more versatile candies on the list, and one of the megastars of the trick-or-treating world. Small, color-coated bites of milk chocolate in a thin candy shell, M&M’s are perfect for home or on-the-go snacking due to their size. Varying in size from regular to mini, M&M’s are not only delicious but are often paired exquisitely with different foods such as ice cream and popcorn. Just as delightful, if not more so are the peanut, peanut butter, pretzel, and crispy flavors. Pleasing almost every palate is hard to do, but M&M’s succeed in this with their wide variety and tasty recipes.
3.Butterfinger
Don’t let Bart Simpson keep you from laying a finger on a Butterfinger. Another peanut butter banger, but this time throw in some corn flakes layered in chocolate and you have an incredibly tasty candy bar. We all miss Butterfinger BB’s, sure, but thankfully we have mini bars so that will have to do. Regardless, this is another bar that leaves you satisfied when you finish one, but we won’t say anything if you open another one shortly after.
2.Sour Patch Kids
You would be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn’t enjoy devouring an entire pack of Sour Patch Kids. First they’re sour, then they're sweet, and boy are they chewy. Each bite has a perfect amount of sourness, making them an excellent entry into the world of sour candy. But then that sourness gives away to a sweetness that is a soothing, tasty sensation as you chew. Whether they be tropical or strictly fruity, there’s no such thing as a bad batch of kids. Well...
1.Reese’s Cups
Topping the list we have the result of what happens when two of the greatest creations on God’s Green Earth come together. Reese’s Cups combine the deliciousness of milk chocolate and the sumptuousness of peanut butter into an unbeatable combo. Whether it be the two cup norm or the mini cups, you will be eager for more after every bite. It’s a shame that normal packages only come with two cups, but thank you Based God for the king size packs. Cavities be damned!