Top 10 Best Halloween Candies

A ritual passed down through generations, trick-or-treating is a time honoured tradition nearly every child in Canada is familiar with. But which candy rules them all? We weighed the facts, checked the data and came up with a completely subjective list of the best Halloween candies of all-time. Think we forgot one? Let us know in the comment section below!

1. Everlasting Gobstoppers

Why They Still Rock: They last forever, for starters. Everlasting Gobstoppers are the GICs of candy. When you’re a kid, and candy money is few and far between, you want your candies to be a solid long-term investment.

Did you know? Julie Dawn Cole, the actress who played Veruca in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, kept several props from the movie when instructed not to, including the Golden Ticket and an Everlasting Gobstopper.

2. Nerds

Why They Still Rock: You get two flavours in each little carton, and they offer a tangy kick. Their only drawback? Nerds are so tiny they get everywhere. Few can eat Nerds without embedding a half dozen in their couch, clothing or car seat. Still, it’s a small price to pay, especially if there is a grown-up around to clean-up after you.

Did you know? A Nerds breakfast cereal appeared (and quickly disappeared) in the 1980s.

3. Popeye Candy Sticks

Why They Still Rock: Popeye Candy Sticks are small white tubes of pure sugar. They also used to look a lot like cigarettes (they were called Popeye Candy Cigarettes, after all). For kids, this product has dual appeal: not only are you getting a sugar high, but you look like one of those rebellious teen smoking in front of the convenience store.

Did you know? Once candy manufacturers, lawmakers and parents all came to the understanding that marketing cigarettes as candy was not only unethical but also illegal, the name was changed to Popeye Candy Sticks. The red coloured “butt” at the end of the candy was subsequently removed.

4. Fun Dip

Why It Still Rocks: Whereas Popeye Candy Sticks taste like pure sugar, Fun Dip is literally a pouch of coloured, fruit-flavoured sugar, along with an edible candy dipping stick. Who needs a cup of coffee when you can have a pouch of sugar for breakfast?

Did you know? Bold children could substitute their finger for a dipping device, or pour the contents of the pouch directly into their gullet, sending them on a sugar-fueled bender for days.

5. Snickers

Why It Still Rocks: Peanuts, nougat, chewy caramel and rich milk chocolate? Sign us up. Snickers may have been a dime-a-dozen when it came to Halloween, but this was one treat we could never get enough of. If you didn’t get at least 10 Snickers by the end of the night you simply didn’t trick-or-treat properly.

Did you know: UK celebrity chef Anthony Worrall created a Snickers pie consisting of five Snickers bars and various other ingredients. One slice of the pie contained a whopping 1,250 calories (half the daily amount for the average adult male).

6. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Why They Still Rock: Because they’re delicious cups of peanut butter and chocolate, duh! Getting one of these in your bag was a rare but awesome occurrence, especially if an overly generous adult saw fit to hand out a full-sized package containing three Peanut Butter Cups. That’s three times as much candy, or at least it seemed like it at the time.

Did you know? Each year, Reese’s makes enough peanut butter cups to feed one cup to every person in the U.S., Japan, Europe, Australia, China, Africa, and India.

7. Whoppers

Why They Still Rock: Whoppers are an acquired taste, but amazing nonetheless. Chocolatey on the outside, malty on the inside, these delicious candies are like edible marbles packed full of sugar. Best of all, if a lippy younger sibling started mouthing off you could pelt them with one. Now that’s value you just can’t find any more!

Did you know? Whoppers were first sold unwrapped at two pieces for a penny.

8. Junior Mints

Why They Still Rock: Junior Mints were a rare treat here in Canada, but once in a while you were fortunate enough to find one in your loot bag. Maybe it was their scarcity that made them special, or their refreshing flavour, but for our money Junior Mints rock because of their hilariously cute name. It’s almost like Junior Mints are the babies of the candy world, as in, “Look at him! He’s a little Junior Mint. So adorable!”

Did you know? In the Seinfeld episode about Junior Mints, a Peppermint Patty was used as a stand-in because it showed up better on camera.

9. Hershey’s Chocolate

Why It Still Rocks: As much as we love peanuts, fruit and nougat in our chocolate, there is something to be said for getting back to basics. Enter the Hershey’s bar. Hershey’s are always delicious no matter what, and you don’t have to worry about mishmashing flavours. For a child afraid of trying new and potentially terrifying foods, Hershey’s was a safe bet.

Did you know? In the 1940s, every U.S. GI’s ration kit contained a Hershey bar.

10. Tootsie Rolls

Why They Still Rock: Another all-time classic, Tootsie Rolls came in a variety of sizes, and you were usually fortunate enough to snag handfuls at a time. Soft, brown and chewy, Tootsie Rolls’ bendiness (and uncanny resemblance to dog droppings) meant mischievous kids could play all sorts of practical jokes with them.

Did you know? Founder Leo Hirschfeld named the candy after the nickname of his daughter, Clara “Tootsie” Hirschfeld.