Halloween candy in America gets tracked state by state, with colorful maps that look a lot like election night coverage. I love that detail, because it turns a bag of treats into a friendly national competition.
One candy company even sorts its yearly rankings by pounds sold during the weeks before October 31. Chocolate fans and sour fans battle it out across the United States.
Some states pick a classic. Others go for something surprising that makes you squint at the map.
I can’t help reading those results like sports scores. Your neighbors are casting votes with their shopping carts, and they don’t even know it.
So which treats keep landing in pillowcases from coast to coast? The answers include a few old legends, a couple of fruity rebels, and one candy people argue about every single fall.
Ready to see if your favorite made it?
1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
A former dairy farmer built one of the biggest names in American candy. Harry Burnett Reese worked on a Hershey dairy farm before starting his own candy business in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
He created his peanut butter cups in 1928. Nearly a century later, kids still treat them like gold when they dump out their Halloween haul.
So why do these cups keep winning? The answer is simple.
Salty peanut butter and sweet milk chocolate balance each other so well that your taste buds never get bored.
Here’s a fun twist on that recipe. The Hershey Company bought the H.B.
Reese Candy Company in 1963, so the two Pennsylvania neighbors ended up on the same team.
Around October, you’ll see Reese’s in shapes beyond the classic cup. Pumpkins show up on store shelves, and many fans insist the peanut butter tastes different in them.
That’s a big debate for something so small.
Want a trick for trading after trick-or-treating? Reese’s cups are usually worth more than one smaller candy in a swap.
Use that to your advantage, but play fair with your little brother.
Fun-size cups are great for sharing at parties too. You can line them up on a plate, and they vanish fast.
Keep a few hidden in a kitchen drawer if you want any left for yourself.
Got a peanut allergy in your house or on your street? Remember to keep these away from friends who can’t have them.
Some families place a teal pumpkin out to show they offer allergy-friendly treats as well.
Plenty of folks eat the chocolate edge first, then the middle. Others pop the whole thing in at once.
Neither way is wrong, though you’ll probably defend yours anyway.
2. Skittles
Taste the rainbow? Plenty of trick-or-treaters would rather grab the rainbow by the handful.
Skittles first appeared in the United Kingdom in 1974. They reached the United States in 1979, and American kids took to them fast.
Unlike chocolate, Skittles won’t melt in a warm car or a sweaty pocket. That makes them a smart pick for long nights of walking door to door.
Parents handing out candy like them for the same reason.
The original pack includes strawberry, orange, lemon, green apple, and grape. Green used to be lime, and fans grumbled about the switch to green apple for years.
Mars brought lime back in 2021, which made a lot of people very happy.
You might notice Skittles come in several versions now. Sour, Tropical, and Wild Berry packs show up in many stores.
Mixing them in a bowl can make a fun surprise for guests.
Here’s a quirky game to try at a Halloween party. Close your eyes, grab one Skittle, and guess the flavor.
It’s harder than it sounds, and the wrong guesses get loud.
Skittles are made by Mars Wrigley, the same company behind several other candies on this list. That company really knows how to keep your trick-or-treat bag busy.
Because they’re small and chewy, Skittles work well for crafts and decorations too. Kids sometimes use them as buttons on gingerbread-style haunted houses.
Just expect a few to go missing before the project is done.
One more helpful tip involves dental care. Chewy candy can stick to your teeth, so a good brushing after your feast is wise.
Your dentist will thank you in November.
3. Sour Patch Kids
First they’re sour, then they’re sweet, and that slogan has been fooling taste buds for decades. Sour Patch Kids give your mouth a tiny roller coaster ride.
Their story starts in Canada in the late 1970s. The candy was first called Mars Men, shaped like little space aliens.
Around 1985, the name changed to Sour Patch Kids. The new name played off the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, which were a giant craze at the time.
Talk about perfect timing.
So how does the sour-to-sweet trick work? A coating of sour sugar hits you first.
Then the soft, sweet gummy inside takes over.
Kids who love sour candy often rank these at the top of their Halloween wish list. In many years, they’ve ranked among the best-selling Halloween candies across America.
Not bad for a group of little gummy people.
Classic colors include red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. Many fans will happily trade away other candy just to snag the red ones.
Is there a reason? Mostly personal taste and strong opinions.
Want a fun twist for a party? Line them up and make a gummy crowd scene on a plate.
Little ones will love giving each kid a name before eating it.
Sour Patch Kids are now made by Mondelez International. The brand has rolled out flavors like Watermelon and Tropical, so there’s plenty to try.
A word of caution for sour fans. Eating too many in a row can make your tongue feel tingly and a bit sore.
Space them out, and enjoy them slowly over a few days.
4. M&M’s
Soldiers carried these candies long before trick-or-treaters did. M&M’s launched in 1941, and the hard candy shell helped chocolate survive tough travel conditions.
Forrest Mars Sr. and Bruce Murrie teamed up to make them. The two M’s come from their last names, which is a fun trivia fact for your friends.
The famous slogan says they melt in your mouth, not in your hand. That’s thanks to the candy coating, which keeps sticky fingers to a minimum.
Parents everywhere appreciate that feature.
Peanut M&M’s arrived in 1954. Since then, the family has grown to include Peanut Butter, Crispy, Caramel, and more.
Around Halloween, you’ll often find special color mixes in stores. Orange, brown, and other fall shades make them feel extra seasonal.
Those bags look great in a candy dish by the door.
Are you a sorter or a scooper? Some people line up their M&M’s by color before eating.
Others grab a handful and toss them back without a second thought.
M&M’s work well in Halloween baking too. Toss them into cookies, brownies, or homemade trail mix for a quick party snack.
Kids can help, which makes the kitchen feel like a workshop.
The brand also has famous spokescandies with big personalities. Red, Yellow, Green, and the rest appear in ads and at M&M’s stores.
They have more drama than a TV show.
Fun-size packs fit easily into treat bags, and they don’t take up much room. If you’re handing out candy, they’re an easy crowd-pleaser.
Just don’t snack on half the bowl before the first doorbell rings.
5. Starburst
Opal Fruits does not sound like a candy you’d find in America. Yet that was the original name of Starburst when it was invented in Britain in 1959.
A man named Peter Phillips came up with the chewy candy. It reached the United States in 1967 under the Starburst name.
Britain eventually switched to the Starburst name too, back in 1998. So in a way, America got there first.
Fans in the United Kingdom still talk about Opal Fruits with fondness.
The classic pack has strawberry, cherry, orange, and lemon. Pink strawberry is the fan favorite for many people, and some brands even sell all-pink packs.
Here’s a fun fact about the wrappers. Each square comes individually wrapped, which makes Starburst easy to share and trade.
That’s very handy during the great post-Halloween swap.
The chewy texture means they last longer than many candies. You can savor one piece for a good while.
That’s a nice bonus when you’re trying to make your stash stretch.
Want a silly challenge? Try unwrapping a Starburst using only your mouth.
People have filmed themselves doing this for years, and the results are often hilarious.
Starburst also makes jellybeans, gummies, and other spinoffs. Around Easter, the jellybeans get a lot of attention, but the chews rule Halloween.
Just like other chewy candies, Starburst can stick to your teeth. A good brushing afterward is a smart move.
If you have braces, ask your orthodontist before eating these, since sticky treats can cause trouble.
6. Snickers
A horse gave this candy bar its name. Frank Mars named Snickers after one of his family’s favorite horses when he launched the bar in 1930.
Nearly 100 years later, the name still makes people smile. The bar itself makes people reach for seconds.
Inside, you get nougat, caramel, and peanuts covered in milk chocolate. That mix gives you chewy, crunchy, and smooth all in one bite.
No wonder it’s a trick-or-treat superstar.
Remember the famous ads about being cranky when you’re hungry? Snickers turned that idea into a long-running campaign.
The slogan says you’re not you when you’re hungry, and plenty of people agree.
Because of the peanuts and nougat, Snickers feels more filling than many candies. That makes a fun-size bar a solid snack after a long walk through the neighborhood.
It’s like a tiny fuel stop.
Around Halloween, Snickers often shows up in mixed bags with other Mars candies. Those bags are a popular choice for families who want a little variety at the door.
Got a freezer? Try chilling a Snickers bar before eating it.
Many people love how the caramel gets firm and the chocolate snaps. It’s a simple trick that changes the whole experience.
You can chop Snickers into small pieces for ice cream toppings too. It turns plain vanilla into something special in about a minute.
As always, watch out for friends with peanut allergies. Keep Snickers separate from allergy-friendly treats when sharing.
That small step helps make the night safe and fun for everybody on your street.
7. Kit Kat
Snap, crunch, repeat. Kit Kat might be the only candy that comes with its own built-in sound effect.
The bar was born in England in 1935, created by a company called Rowntree’s. In the United States, Hershey has made Kit Kat under a license since 1970.
That’s why the American Kit Kat comes from Hershey, while Nestle handles it in many other countries. Same name, different makers, depending on where you live.
Each bar has crispy wafer fingers covered in milk chocolate. Breaking off one finger at a time feels like part of the fun.
Some folks nibble the chocolate off the sides first.
The catchy jingle about giving someone a break has stuck in heads for years. Try reading that sentence without humming it.
Pretty tough, right?
Japan is famous for wild Kit Kat flavors. Over the years, fans there have found matcha green tea, sake-free fruit flavors, and many regional specials.
American fans sometimes hunt for these at import shops.
Here at home, Hershey sells flavors like Dark Chocolate, Duos, and seasonal versions. Around fall, you might spot special packs that make your candy bowl stand out.
Kit Kats are also great for treat-making. Line them around a frosted cake to create a fence, then fill the top with candy.
It’s an easy party trick that looks fancy.
Fun-size Kit Kats usually come with two fingers in each pack. That makes them easy to split with a friend.
Or, you know, keep both for yourself after a hard night of trick-or-treating.
8. Hot Tamales
Spicy candy might sound like a strange Halloween choice. Hot Tamales prove that a little heat can win a lot of fans.
These chewy red candies have a bold cinnamon flavor. They come from Just Born, a candy company based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Just Born introduced Hot Tamales in 1950. That same company also makes Peeps and Mike and Ike, so it knows a thing or two about colorful treats.
So what makes them special? The cinnamon kick gives your mouth a tingly warmth that fruity candies can’t match.
It’s sweet, but with attitude.
Hot Tamales have shown up surprisingly high on some national Halloween sales charts in recent years. In parts of America, they’ve beaten famous chocolate bars.
That surprises a lot of people who expect chocolate to sweep the board.
Their small size makes them easy to share. You can pour a few into a friend’s hand without making a mess.
They also don’t melt, which helps on warmer October nights.
Want to try them in a fun way? Mix Hot Tamales with popcorn for a sweet and spicy movie snack.
It works great during a scary movie marathon.
Not everyone loves the heat, and that’s okay. Some kids trade their Hot Tamales right away.
If you love cinnamon, though, those trades can work in your favor.
Just Born has also made flavor twists like Fierce Cinnamon over the years. Keep an eye out for new versions in stores.
One handful might turn you into a spicy candy fan for life.
9. Hershey’s Kisses
A tiny paper flag sticks out of every wrapper, and it even has a name. Hershey calls it the plume.
Hershey’s Kisses first came out in 1907. At first, workers wrapped each one by hand, which sounds like a very long day at the office.
In 1921, Hershey began wrapping them by machine and added the plume. That little strip helped show people they had a real Hershey’s Kiss.
Smart branding, more than 100 years ago.
Nobody knows for sure where the name came from. A popular idea links it to the sound or motion of the machine dropping the chocolate.
It’s a cute theory either way.
Kisses are small and simple, which makes them perfect for sharing. You can drop a handful into a treat bag without much fuss.
They also look great in clear jars on party tables.
Around Halloween, Hershey often offers seasonal wrapper colors. Those fun foils turn plain chocolate into instant decorations.
Your candy dish suddenly looks dressed for the holiday.
Want an easy baking trick? Press a Kiss into the middle of a warm peanut butter cookie right out of the oven.
Those cookies are a classic, and they’re simple enough for kids to help.
The Kisses family includes Milk Chocolate, Hugs, Almond, and more. Hugs mix white and milk chocolate in a swirl.
They’re a nice change if you want something a bit different.
Fun fact for your next quiz night? Hershey’s factory town in Pennsylvania has streetlights shaped like Kisses.
Even the lamps get into the spirit.
10. Candy Corn
No candy starts more arguments in October than candy corn. People either love it or make funny faces just looking at it.
Candy corn dates back to the 1880s. A man named George Renninger, who worked for the Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia, is often credited with creating it.
Back then, workers poured warm candy into molds by hand. Each color went in separately, which was slow and tricky work.
Today, Brach’s is one of the biggest names in candy corn. You’ll see its bags on store shelves across America every fall.
Those three colors are yellow, orange, and white. They were meant to look like real corn kernels, a nod to farm life.
That’s why candy corn feels so tied to harvest season.
Here’s a fun fact to share at school. National Candy Corn Day falls on October 30, right before Halloween.
Fans treat it like a warm-up holiday.
How do you eat yours? Some people nibble one color at a time, starting with the white tip.
Others toss a whole handful in at once like popcorn.
Candy corn makes great decorations too. Use it to create pumpkin faces on cupcakes or sprinkle it across a party table.
Even folks who won’t eat it might enjoy how festive it looks.
Brach’s has also introduced fun versions like Caramel Apple and other seasonal mixes. Trying a new flavor could change a hater into a fan.
Or at least make the debate more interesting.
Love it or not, candy corn has stuck around for over a century. That’s quite a run for a tiny striped treat.
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