Choosing the best Halloween candy is a tough task in an era of fancy flavors, special promotions, and themed packaging.
As a somewhat casual Halloween parent – who just happens to love candy – I like keeping it simple by ordering early from a list of favourites. I’ve found this guarantees a stress free but busy evening answering the door, saves money, and leaves more time for the real fun of costume creation and yard decoration.
While you can go with mini options, multi-packs and individualized treats, my preference for a mess free, smooth running Halloween treat zone is utilizing full sized candy that comes in wrappers.
This means the kids with allergies and texture issues won’t be affected, or left out entirely, and you don’t need to do much prep.
While not on this list, I also try to make sure that there’s some non-candy, gluten free, and sugar free stuff available too, so that every type of diet can be included in the celebration.
Below you’ll find my ranking of the best 11 Halloween candy options that will ensure your front stoop is the place to be on October 31.
1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
It doesn’t matter if it’s the cups, the pieces, or those Jack-O-Lantern themed special items for October 31, Reese’s peanut butter candies are just the best candies, from kids to grandparents. If your Halloween table doesn’t feature these sweet and salty treats, everybody misses out!
2. Tootsie Rolls
While modern Halloween continues to promote spooky treats, off-the-wall flavors, and one-off sweets, there is still a place for tradition.
Tootsie Rolls have been family favorites since 1907, and rightfully so; everyone seems to enjoy the cola-chocolate flavored confection.
A couple of bags of Tootsie Rolls are a classic and satisfying Halloween treat, especially for the littlest trick or treaters.
3. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate
I understand that in this day and age you can get a plank of chocolate filled with just about anything, from real fruit and pop rocks to fancy nuts and nougats.
But there’s nothing quite like seeing the kids trotting towards you wrestling with a full-sized bar of Hershey’s milk chocolate. Sometimes, it’s all about the simple things.
4. Kit Kat
Have you ever seen a true chocolate lover turn down a Kit Kat wafer? I haven’t!
Kit Kats are high on this list for versatility – there’s a great range of awesome flavor and size options. They aren’t flashy, but buy Kit Kats in bulk for Halloween and watch them get snapped up quickly.
The original flavor bar beats out peppermint and cookies and cream by a whisker.
5. Twizzlers
Red ropes of bright, sweet, raspberry red licorice, or rainbow-colored, multi flavor bags for some flair.
Twizzlers bridge the gap between the old school and new school candy, yet they can be divisive within families – it’s a love or hate thing.
I make sure that visitors get plenty of Twizzler treats so that at worst they can be traded later when it’s time to count the loot and discard the dislikes.
6. Pop Rocks
No matter where your age and maturity level sits, no candy unleashes your inner three-year-old than a mouth full of Pop Rocks, and you can level up the experience with ultra sour or ultra hot options.
Sure, there’s absolutely no dietary value to Pop Rocks, but who really cares?
Seeing someone (preferably an adult) empty a bag into their mouth for the first time and watching their reaction (or filming it on a smartphone) is Halloween high art its finest.
7. Butterfingers
I’m a huge Butterfinger fan. The satisfaction from biting into a chocolate bar and being greeted by the crispy-chewy peanut butter crunch is the essence of eating candy.
Again, it’s not the most exciting choice (notice a pattern here), but a Butterfinger bar offers a clear point of difference to the other choices you could make when celebrating All Saints Day and Halloween.
Don’t mess around with the mini ones either, you have to go with the full-sized offering when you are getting ‘crunchety’!
8. Starburst
Original Starburst candies are another great trading item for your end of Halloween cache.
If you’ve trained the young ones correctly, they should yield all the yummy pink and yellow ones without too much effort. I’m not a fan of the cherry red ones, so they make way for the others!
9. Snickers
Having a bag full of killer candy just feels wrong without having a Snickers or two in there.
Snickers are also great at helping you keep your energy up during a night of frenetic Halloween celebration, especially with smaller kids on a sugar high so powerful that they can smell colors.
10. M&Ms
M&Ms are another must-have for any grab bag of Halloween candy items. M&M comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors.
Every family member has a favorite (peanut, of course) type, which makes them great swapping currency.
Getting a few mixed bags of mini M&Ms is simple, easy, and cheap, yet they guarantee enjoyment for whoever gets in early enough because they never last long on your treat table.
11. Brach’s Candy Corn
The only Halloween-specific candy on my list, I’m happy to ignore Candy Corn at all other times, but they are definitely a necessity on October 31.
Just like Michael Buble songs at Christmas time, it’s better to have them on your Halloween treat list and not draw bad luck, than it is to leave them out of the playbook.
Conclusion
While you can go all out on fancy candies and seasonal releases, the collection above represents the best options for Halloween Trick or Treat, whether you are setting the table for celebration or raiding the spoils of your kids’ collection.
What treats are must-haves for your Halloween?