Let’s be real—candy just hit different back in the day. Whether you were raiding your Halloween stash, trading sweets on the school bus, or sneaking a treat from the corner store, some candies had a chokehold on our hearts… only to be cruelly yanked off the shelves without warning.
No explanation. No closure. Just gone. Like a ghost of sugar past.
We’re talking about those glorious little bites of joy that made childhood sweeter (and dentist visits more frequent). The ones that tasted like pure happiness and left our fingers sticky and our souls satisfied. The discontinued legends. The fallen heroes of the candy aisle.
So let’s take a walk down memory lane—and try not to cry—as we revisit 19 discontinued candies we’d do anything to bring back.
1. Butterfinger BB’s
Bite-sized Butterfingers were pure chaos in candy form—and we mean that in the best way. They had all the crispy, peanut-buttery flavor of the classic bar, but in tiny, melt-in-your-hand balls that were basically designed to stain your fingers orange.
BB’s made their debut in the ’90s and instantly became every movie theater’s secret MVP. You’d pop a handful into your mouth, and suddenly you were living your best Bart Simpson life. But then? Poof. Gone without warning.
No farewell tour. Just a gaping hole in our candy-loving hearts.
Sure, Butterfinger bars still exist, but it’s just not the same. BB’s were poppable, sharable (barely), and had that perfect bite. If candy justice were real, these would’ve been enshrined in the Snack Hall of Fame ages ago.
2. Altoids Sours
Your taste buds were never the same after your first tin of Altoids Sours. These tiny disks packed a sour punch that made your lips pucker and your eyes water—and you loved every second of it.
Tangerine was the crown jewel, but let’s not forget the green apple or raspberry versions that also had us hooked.
They came in sleek metal tins that made you feel like the coolest kid on the block (or at least the most prepared for a flavor emergency). And then? The tins vanished. Just like that. Fans still scour eBay in a desperate attempt to relive that sweet-and-sour high.
If a candy could be labeled “gone too soon,” it’s this one. Seriously, someone call the flavor police and demand justice.
3. Wonka Bar
A chocolate bar straight from the wildest dreams of every Roald Dahl-loving kid? Yes, please. The Wonka Bar wasn’t just candy—it was a golden ticket to childhood fantasy.
For a brief, glorious time, Nestlé actually made real versions of this fictional treat, and they tasted like creamy magic with a side of nostalgia.
There were various versions, from graham cracker layers to caramel-filled wonders, but all of them made you feel like Charlie Bucket just for unwrapping one. Sadly, the magic didn’t last. The bars disappeared faster than you could say “Oompa Loompa.”
We’re still bitter. No amount of modern chocolate bars can replace the childlike joy of eating a Wonka Bar and imagining you might stumble on a golden ticket. We didn’t just lose a candy—we lost a dream.
4. PB Max
Peanut butter lovers, this one still stings. PB Max was basically a love letter to peanut butter—thick, creamy, and paired with a layer of crunchy oats and a glorious coat of milk chocolate.
It was a satisfying, hefty snack that actually felt like a proper treat, not just a sugar hit. Launched by Mars in the ’90s, it somehow didn’t stick around despite being objectively delicious.
Rumor has it the Mars family just wasn’t into peanut butter, which is maybe the wildest reason for discontinuing a hit product ever. Imagine depriving the world of a top-tier candy just because of personal preference.
We’re not mad, we’re just… well, yeah, we’re mad. Bring PB Max back. The people demand justice—and peanut butter.
5. Bar None
This candy bar was like a decadent secret handshake between chocolate fanatics. Bar None didn’t mess around—it layered chocolate wafers, chocolate filling, crushed peanuts, and a rich chocolate coating.
It was like the cool older sibling of a Kit Kat and a Snickers. Launched in the late ’80s, Bar None had a solid fanbase who swore it was the most underrated candy of its time. Sadly, it was “reformulated” in the ’90s (which is code for ruined), and eventually discontinued altogether.
Fans still talk about it like an urban legend, whispering about how good it was and how nothing today quite compares. And they’re right—there’s been a chocolate void ever since. Bar None wasn’t just a candy bar. It was a full-on experience. And we want it back.
6. Reggie! Bar
You didn’t have to be a baseball fan to appreciate the greatness of the Reggie! Bar. Named after Yankees legend Reggie Jackson, this candy was a powerhouse—just like the man himself.
Imagine a chewy, caramel center crammed with peanuts, all smothered in milk chocolate. It was basically a Snickers without the nougat, and it hit hard. Originally launched in the late ’70s and briefly revived in the ’90s, it had a cult following that still sings its praises.
If you were lucky enough to try one, you know it wasn’t just candy—it was swagger in a wrapper. Sadly, the Reggie! Bar struck out for good, and no candy has stepped up to the plate since. It’s the comeback story we’re still waiting for.
7. Bonkers! Fruit Chews
If you remember Bonkers!, then you probably also remember the wild commercials with giant fruit falling from the sky.
This candy was extra in all the best ways. Each chewy piece had a soft, fruity shell with a burst of tangy filling in the center—kind of like if Starburst and Gushers had a delicious little love child.
Bonkers! came in bold, bright flavors like grape and watermelon, and they packed a punch you couldn’t get enough of. Chewy, juicy, dramatic… Bonkers! was the main character of fruity candies.
They vanished sometime in the ’90s, despite a loyal fanbase that would still lose their minds over a comeback. Bring these back and the world will be a slightly happier place—more fruit-dropping-from-the-sky kind of happy.
8. Marathon Bar
This one was a long one—literally. The Marathon Bar was an 8-inch twist of braided caramel covered in milk chocolate, and it even came with a ruler printed on the wrapper to prove just how much candy you were getting.
Launched in the 1970s, it was stretchy, chewy, and totally irresistible if you had the patience (or strong enough teeth). It was the kind of treat that took actual effort to eat, which made it feel like an adventure in every bite.
Sadly, it disappeared in the early ’80s, leaving a whole generation of candy lovers wondering what went wrong. Sure, Cadbury’s Curly Wurly is kind of similar, but Marathon had that classic American flair. Let’s face it—no candy has filled that long, chocolatey void since.
9. Hershey’s Swoops
Who decided candy should look like chips? Hershey’s did—and somehow, it worked. Swoops were thin, curved chocolate slices molded to resemble Pringles, and they came in popular flavors like Reese’s, Almond Joy, and York Peppermint Patty.
Each pack was sleek, stackable, and honestly kind of fancy. You felt like a snacking connoisseur. But Swoops had a tragically short run in the early 2000s, disappearing before most people even knew they existed.
They were fragile, sure—one good shake of the package and you’d end up with chocolate confetti—but the novelty? Unmatched. In a world full of ordinary candy bars, Swoops dared to be different.
And now? We’re left reminiscing, wondering why no one else has brought the chocolate chip back (and no, not the cookie kind).
10. Life Savers Holes
If Life Savers are the donut, then Life Savers Holes were the munchkins. These tiny, flavorful bits were supposedly the “missing centers” of regular Life Savers, and honestly? They were better than the originals.
Each little container popped open like a film canister, revealing a rainbow of fruity perfection. Grape, cherry, orange—you could down a whole pack without even realizing it. Unfortunately, they were discontinued in the early 2000s, allegedly due to choking concerns (thanks, buzzkill reality).
Still, there was something magical about those bite-sized bursts of flavor. They were compact, chaotic, and totally addictive. If we had a dollar for every time someone’s said “Remember Life Savers Holes?”—we could fund their comeback ourselves.
11. Triple Power Push Pop
As if one Push Pop wasn’t enough chaos for a kid, along came the Triple Power version—a glorious, rotating contraption that let you choose between three different lollipop flavors in one tube.
It was basically the Swiss Army knife of candy. You’d flick the lever to reveal strawberry, blue raspberry, or watermelon (or some other neon-bright flavor) like you were operating high-tech candy machinery.
Sure, your fingers got sticky, and the whole thing was wildly impractical to carry around—but that was part of the charm. It made you feel like a sugar-fueled superhero.
These days, Push Pops are still around, but the triple threat? Extinct. And it hurts. We need that kind of flavor drama back in our lives.
12. Skittles Bubble Gum
Skittles already taste like a rainbow, so why not chew it too? Skittles Bubble Gum was a short-lived but unforgettable twist on the original candy.
Each piece looked like a Skittle but had a chewy gum center that exploded with fruity flavor. It was like your taste buds were going to a rave—and staying for the afterparty.
Of course, it didn’t last. It was introduced in the early 2000s and gone almost as quickly, probably because people couldn’t figure out if it was a candy or gum or both. (Spoiler: it was both, and it was glorious.)
To this day, Skittles fans get misty-eyed thinking about it. Because sometimes you do want to chew the rainbow.
13. Jell-O Pudding Bites
Okay, maybe technically more of a snack, but let’s not split hairs—Jell-O Pudding Bites were a candy aisle treasure. These soft, chewy squares were filled with rich, creamy pudding goodness and covered in a candy coating.
It was like eating a chilled dessert in bite-sized form. The chocolate ones tasted like fudge, the vanilla ones were dreamy, and they all melted in your mouth in the most satisfying way. Think of them as the laid-back cousin of chocolate truffles—but way more fun.
They quietly vanished in the 2000s, leaving fans scrambling to recreate them at home (spoiler: it’s not the same). If there was ever a candidate for a 2020s revival, this is it. The world needs pudding it can carry in its pocket.
14. Razzles (Original Formulas)
Razzles still exist, technically—but the OG flavors from the early days? Now those were special. Razzles started as a candy, then turned into gum in a magical mid-chew transformation that blew our minds as kids.
The classic pack included flavors like raspberry, lemon, and lime that were punchier and more intense than today’s watered-down version. The originals were a little tart, a little sweet, and had that unmistakable vintage candy vibe.
While you can still buy Razzles, old-school fans know they just don’t hit the same anymore. It’s like someone remade your favorite childhood cartoon and made all the characters “edgy.”
We want the retro flavor lineup back, the one that made your jaw tingle and your mouth feel like a chemistry experiment.
15. Hershey’s Bites (Cookies & Cream flavor)
Poppable chocolate bites? Yes, please. Hershey’s Bites were tiny spheres of happiness—especially the Cookies & Cream version.
These little guys took everything you loved about the full-size bar and shrunk it down into bite-sized morsels of white chocolatey bliss dotted with crunchy cookie bits. They came in resealable pouches, which was cute in theory, but let’s be honest—no one ever resealed them.
The only downside? They didn’t last. Hershey’s discontinued the Bites line in the mid-2000s, and fans are still upset.
You can find the bar pretty much anywhere, but those little snackable bites? Gone. We still think about them whenever we see a sad, half-melted cookies & cream bar in a vending machine and whisper, “You’re not the same.”
16. Candy Cigarettes
Yeah, we know—candy cigarettes aged like milk. But before the world wised up, these chalky little sugar sticks made you feel like an absolute boss.
You’d hold one in your hand, lean on your lunchbox like a 1940s film noir detective, and pretend you were solving playground crimes. They were just sticks of sugar, sure, but they had attitude.
Some versions even blew out a puff of sugar dust, which somehow made you feel cooler than anything a real cigarette ever could. Obviously, they were retired due to (very fair) concerns about glamorizing smoking, but nostalgia doesn’t care about political correctness.
We’re not saying bring them back full-force—we’re just saying… they were iconic.
17. Tart ‘n’ Tinys
These teeny-tiny candies were like colorful pellets of pure sour joy. Tart ‘n’ Tinys came in a little roll and looked like rainbow-colored BBs, but don’t let their size fool you—they packed a serious tart punch.
The best part? That crunch. You’d chew them slowly at first, then go full gremlin mode and down the rest in a glorious, powdery explosion of sugar.
They were discontinued in the late 2000s after a failed attempt to turn them chewy (why mess with perfection?), and their absence is still felt in the sour candy world.
No other candy has come close to replicating the unique crunch-to-flavor ratio of Tart ‘n’ Tinys. RIP, little buddies. You were small, but mighty.
18. Hubba Bubba Squeeze Pop
If you weren’t squeezing neon goo into your mouth from a plastic tube, were you even living in the early 2000s? Hubba Bubba Squeeze Pop was every parent’s nightmare and every kid’s dream. It was messy, sticky, and guaranteed to leave a rainbow-colored stain on your tongue—and probably your shirt.
But it was fun. You could squeeze just a little for a taste or go all-in with a straight-to-mouth sugar waterfall. It was gum-flavored, it was wild, and it made you feel like a candy chemist. Sadly, Squeeze Pop fizzled out over time, likely due to its complete disregard for cleanliness or logic.
But man, do we miss that chaos.
19. Reeds Root Beer Candy
If your grandpa had candy in his pocket, it was probably Reeds. And it was probably the root beer flavor. These old-school hard candies were smooth, rich, and had that perfect balance of sweetness and spice that made them oddly addictive.
They came in a simple roll, no frills, just pure flavor. Sucking on one felt like time-traveling to a soda fountain from the 1950s. Though a few varieties have made brief reappearances, the root beer flavor is still tough to find—and that’s a crime.
Forget fancy new confections with 10 ingredients you can’t pronounce. We want Reeds. We want root beer. We want it now.
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