A wise girl once said: “It’s freaking bats…I love Halloween.”
I never knew a toddler on the long-deceased video platform, Vine, would resonate so deeply with the general college population around this time of year. Not only do we love hanging on to quirky, six-second videos for dear life, but we also love the timeless costumes and famous candies that go hand-in-hand with the month of October.
Although we can’t all be as iconic as a toddler who will probably never live down those six seconds of her life, there are Halloween candies that will forever be seen as equally irreplaceable.
And then there are those that, for all I care, can fade into oblivion. Read on to find out which candies deserve to be snatched off of grocery store shelves and which ones I’d like to see join the masses of candy corn still left behind when November rolls around.
10. Candy Corn…Obviously
I have refused to hear arguments against this decision for as long as I can remember, and that will never change.
Candy corn is the worst. Halloween candy needs to get a different poster child.
It’s violently sweet with no interesting flavors to offer. What it lacks in detectability it tries (and fails) to make up for with bright colors and a texture that some will go to war for but that I consider to be more of a trick than a treat.
9. Twizzlers
Listen.
I know it sounds like I’m giving chocolate an unfair advantage, and maybe I am. In all honesty, I’ve never loved Twizzlers, and they’ve never grown on me. When I go for a fruity candy, I’m looking for something that packs even just a subtle sour punch. The pure sweetness offered by Twizzlers gives the candy a one-dimensional flavor that I’ve never really been able to get behind.
The ones that can be pulled apart, though? Those are fun to play with, not as fun to eat.
8. Hershey’s Bars
Are Hershey’s necessarily bad? I don’t think so. But are they particularly good? Definitely not.
The one thing this candy has going for it is the role it plays in making the perfect s’more. Hershey’s bars are a summer candy, and because this is a Halloween candy ranking, it will have to accept its fate as a highly unremarkable addition to any trick-or-treater’s pillowcase.
7. Twix
Hear me out: this one is a bit of a wild card.
I don’t think Twix bars are bad. In fact, we’re already at the point in the ranking where I would eat these candies and thoroughly enjoy them. However, one incredibly important element when determining which Halloween candies reign supreme is whether I could eat a handful of something and still be ready for more. Does this holiday turn me into an undeniable glutton?
Yes. And I’m embracing that.
Twix are tasty, but I can only eat one or two before the sweetness overpowers me. As an everyday treat, I back Twix 100 percent. But as a Halloween candy? Give me something I can eat throughout the duration of “Halloweentown.”
6. M&Ms
I’m sorry, but YAWN. There isn’t much more that needs to be said. M&Ms are higher on the list than Hershey’s because of the cute size and weirdly addictive crunch, but unless they are the peanut variety (which would rank MUCH higher on my list), I will rarely choose them over a different candy.
5. Starbursts
Maybe it’s something about having to avoid these for the five years of my life I was burdened with braces, but I love making up for lost time with Starbursts.
They are that perfect combination of sweet and tangy that every fruity candy needs to have, and although pink and orange will always be better than red and yellow, all Starbursts make for a delicious Halloween experience – when they aren’t gluing my teeth together.
4. Butterfingers
Enter the most underrated Halloween candy of all time.
Although I always got plenty of these in my candy haul when I was younger, I noticed they were also thoroughly neglected by other trick-or-treaters.
Butterfingers are, perhaps, more of a mature candy. The butterscotch flavor is delectable, and the crunchy layers pair perfectly with the silky chocolate. The only downside is how much of the candy bar ends up stuck in my molars, but maybe that’s a “me” problem.
3. Reese’s
This category does not, I repeat, does NOT include Reese’s Pieces. Those can join the ranks of candy corn.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, on the other hand, are a classic for a reason. Although I’m not the biggest peanut butter gal, Reese’s are just good. I would venture to guess that no one really disagrees with me, so let’s move on to the next one.
2. KitKats
I don’t care if they’re boring, and I don’t care if these are basically Twix without the flavorful things. I’ve heard it all before, and I’m standing firm.
KitKats know what they’re about. They’re classic and delicious and don’t need a million flavors to earn second place from me. In the case of Halloween candy, sometimes, simple is better…
1. Snickers
…and sometimes, more is better. Snickers are the best. They really are.
The caramel-chocolate combo is one that I have always had a deep-seated appreciation for, but only when the sweetness is balanced out, which is what the peanuts in Snickers bars do. The blend of consistencies is magical, with a thick bite and a subtle crunch.
In case you couldn’t tell, I really like Snickers.
However, this list is not exhaustive and doesn’t include some other gems, such as Sour Patch Kids, Milky Ways, gummy bears, Nerds and more. At the end of the day, any candy that makes you just a little bit more excited about Halloween is a good one.
Unless it’s candy corn.