# Criticize the list of best Hallowe’en candies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [October 26, 2021, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210 "2021-10-26T03:06:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/21 "2021-10-26T14:45:04Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Yeah, I was just thinking that those of us who have chocolate allergies probably couldn’t find anything in the pumpkin bucket to eat if we were trick-or-treating these days. ISTM that several decades ago, chocolate was much less ubiquitous in Halloween candy The first year we took the youngest son (now 26) trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, by about the third house he was melting down because “all I’m getting is chocolate!”. He still doesn’t like chocolate. I had to impose a 1-1 trading rule with his older brothers - he ended up with all the Skittles and most of the other (now forgotten) non-chocolate stuff. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/22 "2021-10-26T14:51:31Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Mary Janes isn’t in business anymore, Oh, thank God! I’m sure Otzi the caveman found they were stale – petrified, pre-historic “peanut butter.” Da worst! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/23 "2021-10-26T15:04:54Z")
Bad news however: > the rights to produce Mary Janes was licensed to the [Atkinson’s Candy Company](https://atkinsoncandy.com/) in 2019. Located in Texas, Atkinson’s is most famous for “Chick-o-Stick” candy, and makes a variety of other, old-fashioned, peanut-butter-based and taffy candies including Peanut Butter Bars (a type of peanut brittle layered with peanut butter which I adore) and Slo Poke. ​ > **[The Real Story Behind the "Gross" Black and Orange Halloween Taffy](https://www.thefoodhistorian.com/blog/the-real-story-behind-the-gross-black-and-orange-halloween-taffy)** > > You may have seen this meme floating around the interwebs lately. You know the familiar, often hard, taffy wrapped in black and orange waxed paper.  ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/24 "2021-10-26T15:13:59Z")
I’d advise employing fire, and lots of it. These are the Oct. 31 version of that “ribbon candy” your grandma always had in a bowl on the coffee table. Sometimes for years. Thanks for the article. “…taste like a mixture of molasses and child abuse.” And how! ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/25 "2021-10-26T16:13:11Z")
Canadian Halloween candy is noticeably different. The usual candy bar suspects are the Nestle assortment of Kit Kat, Coffee Crisp, (Canadian) Smarties, Aero or the Mars assortment of M&Ms (plain or peanut), Mars Bar, Snickers, Twix or the Cadbury assortment of Mr. Big, Wunderbar, Caramilk, Crispy Crunch. I haven’t even heard of most of the bottom 15 items. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/26 "2021-10-26T16:16:10Z")
There is something terribly.terribly wrong with this thread. Twenty four posts, and nobody has yet mentioned…CANDY CORN. This is the uniquely Halloween-y candy. Yeah, it’s available the rest of the year, but it was always very prominent on Halloween Pure,sugary goodness. By the handful. 'Cause it’s impossible to eat just one or two ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/27 "2021-10-26T16:26:47Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > 'Cause it’s impossible to eat just one or two Many people would agree, but think your estimate of the number impossible to eat is on the high side, not the low side. I personally tend to forget that I don’t really like candy corn, but remember after one or two. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/28 "2021-10-26T16:48:45Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > These are the Oct. 31 version of that “ribbon candy” your grandma always had in a bowl on the coffee table. Sometimes for years. And had dust stuck to it. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/29 "2021-10-26T16:48:59Z")
I wonder which candy is least polarizing? The top list is peanut-heavy, and I understand a lot of kids can’t have those. IME and we’ve seen here that people have strong opinions about coconut. I would have guessed maybe Twix and Milky Way. Maybe regular M&Ms. But we’ve already seen some Twix hate. Those all have chocolate (or what we pass off as chocolate here) though, which not everyone likes. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/30 "2021-10-26T17:18:39Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > |1|Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup|84.2%| > |2|Reese’s Miniatures|81.9|–| I think Mallow Cups were widely available and may still be. That company (Boyer) also makes peanut butter cups they call “Smoothies.” They’re in a butterscotch shell. I prefer them to others. I also would take Trader Joe’s dark chocolate PB cups before Reese’s. > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > |5|Snickers|76.7|–| I thought they were the best seller but times change. Hard to beat that nougat, but some have peanut allergies. > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > |85|Nik-L-Nip|22.4|–| > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > |6|Reese’s Pieces|73.4|–| They’ve never done anything for me. I’d rather see Almond Joy in here somewhere. > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > |86|Good & Plenty| Vile. I hate black licorice…it’s almost a cruel trick, IMO, where you’re like “Candy!” and you take a bite. ACK ACK ACK. They also make “Good N Fruity,” which is tasty. Tootsie pops should rank higher because they last longer than candy bars etc. > [@Folly](#): > > I far prefer french burnt peanuts to boston baked beans for my candy coated peanut fix but they didn’t even make the list and are getting rarer to find. Yes. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > > > The ones that I always ended up leaving behind were the ones I’ve just learned by googling “gross peanut butter candy” are called “peanut butter kisses.” They come in orange or black wrappers. > > They’re not too bad when fresh, but it seems like all too often you get some that are old and stale and hard. Yes, if they’re like soft taffy and the PB squirts out. > [@Ponch8](#): > > I vehemently disagree with Twix being #3. Twix fucking suck. I like the PB variety better than the caramel. I haven’t had one in years, but I found this: > **[What Happened to Peanut Butter Twix? - Cookus Interruptus](https://cookusinterruptus.com/what-happened-to-peanut-butter-twix/)** > > Are you wondering what happened to peanut butter Twix? Read and find out what happened to this most favorite candy bar of Mars. > [@Ponch8](#): > > Sadly missing from the top 15 are Mounds and/or Almond Joys. It must be because of all the morons who hate coconut. My mom liked it but was allergic. Remember the magic cookie bars? Graham cracker/butter crust, Eagle sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, walnuts, coconut. She’d leave coconut off part of the top so she could have some. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/31 "2021-10-26T17:34:59Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > And had dust stuck to it. That wasn’t the “sugar glazing?” 🤢 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/32 "2021-10-26T18:00:10Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > I love Mounds but not so much Almond Joy. I don’t care for that big, hard almond on top. I almost always feel like a nut. 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/33 "2021-10-27T01:04:50Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > I wonder which candy is least polarizing?.. I understand your point about chocolate, but I nominate **Kit Kat** as the least polarizing. The flavor is perfect, but it has even more than that going for it: the shape, the feel, the _snap_. Solid name for a candy, too. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/34 "2021-10-27T11:26:09Z")
We are morons, tried and true! And we’ll do our yell for you! Mmmm, coconut. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/35 "2021-10-27T11:40:50Z")
^^I used to like coconut when I was a small kid. But when I was around 10 years old my parents got separated and I lived with my dad. We had frozen coconut cream pie for dessert a couple of times a week (for years), and to this day I hate coconut and cream pies. Also hate chicken as we had that a lot, too. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/36 "2021-10-27T11:45:33Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > Also, I’ve seen Boston Baked Beans, but have never actually had them and have no clue what they’re supposed to taste like. Upon Googling again, I see that they’re candy-coated peanuts, but like… what kind of candy? Like basically just sugar like the candy coating on M&Ms or are they flavored in some way? Boston Baked Beans were always one of the last candies to be eaten by me on Halloween. I just don’t think they’re very good and would never choose them. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/37 "2021-10-27T11:49:10Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I nominate **Kit Kat** as the least polarizing. Yeah, Kit Kat is always my second or third choice when examining the candy rack at checkout. Nestle’s Crunch, Reese’s, Kit Kat are the top three in more-or-less that order, with others occasionally getting purchased. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/38 "2021-10-27T11:55:08Z")
RE: the dislike kids seem to have for chocolate these days, I noticed that with my kids too when they were younger, which I thought was strange. Chocolate was the gold standard of candy when I was a kid, but now kids seem to prefer brightly colored, often sour-tasting stuff like Skittles or Sour Patch whatevers. Even in these days of waxy chocolate that’s a pale imitation of the real thing, I’d rather eat a fun size snickers or a mini Hershey bar instead of that sugar / citric acid / food coloring crap ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/39 "2021-10-27T11:59:03Z")
I remember for the longest time the gummi and sour candies were sought after in the 90s and 00s to the point of these types of articles saying chocolate for Halloween was almost a thing of the past … I guess the sour/gummi preference was just a phase? And something else does that count the variety of multi-type bags? like I can buy a bag that has 4-5 types of m&ms in it or a bag with resses minis single rollos heath minis and a mini box of milk duds … ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210/40 "2021-10-27T12:45:14Z")
Candy corn is the essence of Halloween. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criticize-the-list-of-best-hallowe-en-candies/953210.md?page=3)