Watauga’s Top Ranked Halloween Candies

A red bowl filled with classic Halloween candies like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, M&Ms, Twix, and others. Many of these are listed below as iconic Halloween staples. Photo Credit: Douglas Clark, Unsplash

Jonah Pearson, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

Halloween is widely known for the large amounts of candy bought, given out, and eaten. Whether you spend the night trick-or-treating, at a party, or at home handing out candy, it is impossible to not consume copious amounts of candy the night of and in the following weeks. Because of this, students develop strong opinions and preferences about the types, brands, and flavors of candy that they like. While it is nearly impossible to compile a list of candies without riling up emotions, the following 10 candies, along with two honorable mentions and two hot takes, try to incorporate all of the favorites, classics, and unique flavors iconic to Halloween night. These ten candies were selected by Watauga High School Students from a list of over fifty candies. 

10. Butterfingers

Consisting of a flaky, muted orange, peanut butter center, surrounded by a thin chocolatey coating, Butterfingers are not an uncommon sight in many Halloween bags. The peanut-flavored center is not unique to this candy. However, the texture of the crispy, flaky layers inside is. One of the older candies on this list, Butterfingers were invented in 1923 by Otto Schnering. Interestingly enough, their coating cannot be considered chocolate, as it contains no cocoa butter in the recipe. 

9. Candy Corn

It is impossible to make a list of top Halloween candies without including the epitome of the Halloween season. There is not a single Halloween party without candy corn in a clear glass bowl sitting on the counter. While candy corn is not the most popular candy due to its lack of complex flavors and textures, many find it to be extremely nostalgic and central to the Halloween season. 

8. Skittles

Described on their website as “multicolored, fruit-flavored, lentil-shaped sweets,” their classic slogan “taste the rainbow” describes the variety of flavors that their packs contain. The classic packs of around 10 Skittles are an iconic addition to Halloween night. One of only 4 candies on this list without chocolate, their classic fruity flavors are enough to make the list. With newer editions including flavors like Sour Raspberry, Berry Punch, and Lemonade, they remain a popular candy every Halloween season. The brand has recently capitalized on the boom of freeze-dried foods with their freeze-dried Skittles Pop’d, and they recently added their newer gummy candies. 

7. Gummy Mini Burgers

One of Halloween’s more elusive candies, often paired with Gummy Hotdogs, Gummy Mini Burgers are a legendary find in Halloween baskets and hold extreme trading value. They are often dissected and separated into their 5 distinct layers: 2 buns, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Some argue that because of their dull, cardboard aftertaste, they should not make the top 10. However, their significance and rarity on Halloween day secure them a top 10 finish. 

6. Jolly Ranchers

One of Halloween’s most notable hard candies, Jolly Ranchers assortment of sour flavors makes them a standout. The classic blue raspberry flavor is easily the most popular. However, there's no single flavor that is universally despised. Some choose to allow the candy to slowly dissolve, and others decide to crunch and chew the remainder. Either way it is undeniable that the flavors are unique and elite enough to belong on the list.

5. M&M’s

As one of the only brands on this list that hasn’t drastically expanded on their original design or flavors goes to show how delicious and enjoyable people find M&Ms. They do have slight variations, such as their classic peanut M&M’s. However, the most common is easily the plain chocolate. The candy's unique texture and crunch isn’t easily replicated, and on Halloween night they stand out. 

4. Twix

Surprisingly, the only item on this list including caramel, Twix is a Halloween classic. Its crispy cookie wafer and chewy caramel complement each other perfectly. They are definitely more of a common item and appear in practically every assorted candy bag. The company has included more complex flavors like sea salt and caramel, and cookies and cream, but the original is by far the most popular. 

3. 3 Musketeers

The silky, chocolatey-flavored nougat encased in crunchy milk chocolate is what makes eating a 3 Musketeers such a unique and enjoyable experience. They live in a category almost alone, only comparable to Milky Way. The flavors and textures of this candy are so specific and perfected that they still use and produce the same recipe developed in 1945 without any edits or variants to the original design.

2. Crunch Bar

This classic milk chocolate bar with crisped rice provides a unique texture to the bar that is not found in any other chocolate. The rice doesn’t dilute the taste of the bar, which preserves the original flavor of Crunch’s sweet and creamy milk chocolate flavor. One of Crunch’s main focuses within their brand is preserving the original ingredients and recipe. They also focus on the ethical sourcing of their cocoa beans, straight from the farmers, skipping the middleman and allowing more profit for everyone without any ethical dilemmas. 

1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Easily a fan favorite, seen in every pumpkin basket, pillowcase, or plastic bag used to collect candy on Halloween night. The classic peanut-butter filling coated in a thin layer of chocolate has been around for so long it's impossible to picture any holiday without it, especially Halloween. With over 40 iterations of the original, like the Halloween Pumpkin, the King Size, Reese’s Thins, and Reese's Pieces, the brand is constantly evolving, creating new designs, flavors, and fillings to satisfy fans. 

Honorable Mentions: KitKats and Tootsie Pops 

These two candies are too popular and too common to deny them any recognition. What makes them removed from the top 10 is their lack of unique texture and flavor that many of the candies listed above have. KitKats consist of crispy wafers surrounded by chocolate, similar to that of Twix. They have introduced newer flavors that are commonly distributed, like Green Matcha and Strawberry. Another candy with multiple common flavors, Tootsie Pops are found in flavors like raspberry, orange, and chocolate. What distinguishes them from regular Dum Dums or other lollipops is the tootsie roll embedded inside that provides a difference in textures. While these don’t generate as much hype as other candies, they are still expected to be prevalent this Halloween. 

Hot takes: Lemonheads and Dots

These two candies are not the most sought-after, nor the most commonly found during the Halloween season; but some argue they deserve to be given a chance to regain popularity. Lemonheads provide a unique sour lemon flavor that isn’t found in any other candy during Halloween; additionally, those who like them love them, making them deserving of an appearance. What Dots lack in popularity and excitement, they make up for in flavor, color, and consistency. The fact that they have persisted as a commonly found candy on the shelves could be due to their brightly colored, eye-catching packaging or due to their five classic flavors; however, many argue that their rubbery texture, which gets caught and stuck in the teeth, is too much to overlook. 

This list is a compilation of preferences and opinions that are created from individual Halloween experiences, and not an exhaustive source of the only decent Halloween candies. However, these 10 candies are ones that have defined Halloween for generations and continue to retain their popularity. Whether you prefer the creamy richness of a Crunch bar, the fruity flavor of Skittles, or the chewiness of Gum Drops, Halloween is guaranteed to have a unique candy for everyone.