As we barrel through another autumn season, enjoying the changing leaves and resurgence of pumpkin spice, a familiar tradition makes itself present in big ways. Halloween brings decorations and costumes, but just as integral to the custom is the variety and quality of sweet candy treats. Today, we’ll go over some of the best, worst and most polarizing that a trick-or-treater might come across.
Best — M&M’s
M&M’s offer a convenient, on-the-go confection for marathon trick-or-treaters. The candy coating inhibits the chocolate’s ability to melt, offering a cleaner chocolate experience. M&M’s also offer a broad spectrum of flavors to satisfy almost every kind of chocolate lover. Whether it be peanut butter, mint or caramel, M&M’s carry a convenience and diversity that have cemented the candy as a Halloween staple.
Worst — Peanut Butter Kisses
Peanut butter kisses ranked among the three most disliked Halloween candies in CandyStore.com’s 2019 survey, alongside two others that will be discussed later, though this list has its own ideas about where those two belong. The texture of the peanut butter-molasses taffy evokes a chewiness bordering on cement, while an unavoidable grittiness and stickiness leave a lasting, albeit inconvenient, impression.
Polarizing — Circus Peanuts
Circus peanuts seem to have faded from view, both inside and outside of Halloween. To some, the texture resembles packing foam, and their eclectic appearance may be hard to reconcile. With a candy that’s orange in color, banana in flavor and peanut in shape, the subconscious is already fighting from beneath to understand and enjoy the sugary treat.
Best — Sour Patch Kids
Sour candy offers a shock to a trick-or-treater’s mouth, inviting them on a rollercoaster of flavor and sensation. The blend of tartaric and citric acid stimulates saliva production, while the rush of sugar that follows the sour lights up the brain’s reward center. Among fruity and sour products, Sour Patch Kids consistently rank at the top of sales and consumer preference charts as the top-selling all-sour candy brand in the U.S., translating into their popularity on Halloween.
Worst — Necco Wafers
Necco Wafers are among the most reviled of Halloween candies, landing in the bottom five of CandyStore.com’s 2019 rankings. Their fall went further than most: The wafers disappeared from shelves entirely in 2018 when the New England Confectionery Co. went bankrupt, and they stayed gone until Spangler Candy Co. revived them in 2020. The candy was made to be long-lasting and shelf-stable, creating a hard, chalky and dry mouthfeel. The flavors in the wafers are unconventional by modern confection standards, too. Lemon, lime, orange, cinnamon and chocolate are familiar enough, but clove, wintergreen and licorice are controversial on their own and have little point of reference for juvenile palates.
Polarizing — Candy Corn
Candy corn remains ubiquitous during the fall season, despite the mixed to negative reviews it receives. CandyStore.com even crowned it the worst Halloween candy of 2019. Candy corn can be cloyingly sweet, one-note in flavor and waxy in texture. That being said, there are those who still enjoy the iconic sweets, especially when they come in unique or mixed flavors.
Worst — Atomic Fireball
Atomic Fireballs have all but vanished from store shelves, but that won’t save them from the ire of this list. Cinnamon candy can be divisive among trick-or-treaters to begin with, but unlike Red Hots or Hot Tamales, Atomic Fireballs are made with capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their heat. That creates a much hotter candy and thus an even more controversial product. In a 2023 Shiny Smiles Veneers survey, nearly 24% of Americans said they hate getting them. Further harming the popularity of Atomic Fireballs is that they are jawbreakers. Jawbreakers have faded in popularity over the years, with the market shifting from long-lasting hard candy to softer and more convenient treats.
Best — Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins
Reese’s consistently charts as the United States’ most popular candy, chocolate or otherwise, and it was Instacart’s top-ordered candy heading into Halloween 2025. For many, the seasonal varieties of Reese’s are just considered better. They offer ease of use by eliminating the paper wrapper, and fans swear they pack a higher peanut butter-to-chocolate ratio. That gives the candy a softer, creamier texture and a more luxurious mouthfeel by eliminating the rigid “crust” of the original.
The Verdict Is In
The candies not as beloved have been shifting into niche territory, with some even vanishing from shelves for years at a time. The candies ranked as best often carry their popularity across other seasons and holidays. Reese’s pumpkins become trees around Christmas and eggs at Easter. The cases for our polarizing picks will be decided in time, but make no mistake, candy corn will outlast us all.
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