By Hariti Sharma | October 30, 2023
Photo Credit: Polina Tankilevitch / Pexels
As an international student, I was admittedly quite uneducated on the vibrant world of American candy, but more than eager to learn. Every time we were at Walmart or a gas station, I always dragged one of my American-born friends with me to the candy selection to help me make some difficult choices. I was admittedly taken aback by confections like Mint Chocolate Kit-Kats and candy bars packing more sugar than the recommended weekly intake, but I loved it. Nobody does candy like the United States, and no holiday does candy like Halloween, so here’s my top ten ranking of popular Halloween candy.
10. Tootsie Rolls
I’d already heard of Tootsie Rolls in India, where they aren’t really even sold. For something so popular, these really are a trainwreck. My roommate gave me a whole bag during my first week here, and I can tell why. Tootsie Rolls taste underwhelming and are downright unenjoyable to eat. They taste like they’re trying really hard to be chocolate but not doing a great job of it. Not the marks of a winner. The bag is probably still around my dorm somewhere.
9. Almond Joy
I actually like coconut and chocolate, yet I still find these repulsive, so those who don’t support that flavor combo are probably offended by the sight of these. What is going on here? They’re too sweet and the flavors don’t mesh together like they do in say, a Bounty bar. A waste of coconuts.
8. Milky Way
I honestly liked my first bite. Caramel. Chocolate. Pretty solid. But then it all just gets…a little too much caramel and chocolate. In the Halloween mini size, these may actually be decent, but a full sized bar is overwhelming. Candy shouldn’t be overwhelming- it should leave you wanting a whole other bar to stuff in your mouth. The sugar blast is good though.
7. Baby Ruth
These reminded me of PayDays, and I can’t say either are too fantastic. Don’t get me wrong, I would eat them, and the combination of peanut butter, nougat and chocolate is a winner as always. They’re softer than a lot of other chocolates with the same flavor combo, which I personally don’t like. They’re also a tad too sweet.
6. Hershey’s Bars
They’re a classic. You know what you’re getting and you’re happy to see it. All the flavors I’ve tried so far have been just great, with cookies ‘n’ creme standing out as my absolute favorite. I haven’t met a single person with a dislike for Hershey’s Bars.
5. Skittles
The sweet fruity flavors, the gentle citrusy tang, the bright beautiful colors straight out of Candyland – it all just works. You haven’t lived till you’ve poured a packet of Skittles into your mouth. As someone who really likes chocolate, however, they would never be my first pick.
4. Snickers
I believe Snickers is the superior cousin of Baby Ruth. Besides the solid flavor combo, the texture is harder and gives you a good bite. Snickers are classic for me, who grew up halfway across the world, and they’re just as popular and well loved right here.
3. KitKat
The first wafer chocolate to make it on this list, KitKat is chocolate satisfaction. It’s a classic, crunchy candy to have, and the mini bars are perfectly sized. They’re easy to break and share, but you know you don’t want to.
2. Twix
Twix is heavenly. The chocolate coating is smooth and not too sweet, the shortbread cookie is perfectly crumbly, the caramel is saucy and decadent. I want a Twix.
1. Reese’s peanut butter cups
If you think I was fangirling over Twix, wait till you read this. I don’t know what I ever did without these really. My life was incomplete. There was a little Reese’s shaped void that has since been filled with these iconic little candies. The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is delectable. They aren’t crazy sweet, the size of the standard cup is perfect, and bonus points for the orange wrapper which already screams Halloween. If you were a kid trick-or-treating, I’d imagine Reese’s to be the golden find.
So there we have it, a Halloween candy ranking ranging from candy I would not accept for free to candy I can’t go to the store without buying. Whichever candy it is that floats your boat, I hope this Halloween season brings you plenty!
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