Though trick-or-treating is easily any kid’s favorite part of Halloween, mine was always trading that night’s goodies with my brother. I distinctly remember both of us emptying our overfilled bags on our kitchen table, separating our candy into their own piles by brand, counting them (for bragging rights of who got the most), and finally exchanging my least favorite sweets for ones I’d much rather prefer.
Thankfully, it always worked out perfectly as I was the sibling who favored chocolate-incorporated candy while my brother was a bigger fan of treats like sour patch kids or skittles. And while I can no longer take part in trick-or-treating since I’ve grown out of the acceptable age range, it seems that my sweet tooth has still stuck with me since childhood, and my top rankings remain the same.
- Take 5
It just so happens that my all-time favorite candy is one of the most underrated and unknown. However, in 2019, Take-5 was rebranded by Hershey’s into “Reese’s Take-5” launching their popularity in the more recent years. The only downfall about this crossover is the new orange packaging, much different from the original green and black wrapper that allowed me to easily spot my #1 pick.
This delicious bar is composed of five ingredients that come together in perfect harmony: chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, peanuts and pretzels. Talk about yum!
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
My heart truly goes out to those that are allergic to nuts, because there is just something so magical about a chocolate-peanut butter combo. Each time I indulge in a cup, I enjoy letting it melt on my tongue because I feel like I taste the flavors so much more.
I also love when Reese’s turns these treats into pumpkin shapes, as it compliments the season so perfectly and enhances the holiday spirit to another level.
- Mounds/Almond Joy
To say that I am a huge fan of coconut is a complete understatement. So pairing it with my other guilty pleasure of chocolate only creates a clear path to heaven for me. Even further, I love all types of nuts so the addition of almonds in Almond Joy’s puts it over Mounds any day (but only by a little).
- Heath
I love toffee, so Heath is an obvious win for me.
Just like the Reese’s cups, I feel like Heath’s melt perfectly in your mouth, but in a different way. The buttery feel runs smoothly over your tongue and creates an explosion of hazelnut and chocolate! What’s better than that?
- Milky Way
A Milky Way is like a 3 Musketeers 2.0. The nougat paired with caramel adds a very much-needed flair to the bar. And while it’s simple, it’s still “oh-so-good”.
When I was younger, I would always bite the treat in half and watch the caramel stretch from the other side, creating a bridge. It was a nice distraction to the sugar crash I would soon fall victim to.
- Goetze’s Caramel Creams
These chewy desserts are basically a thicker, smaller version of cow tails. With a caramel based perimeter and cream center, it’s an obvious solution to a big smile. Not too many people give these out on Halloween, but whenever I saw them, I would always be sure to grab a handful and gleefully trot away!
- M&M’s
Following in my mom’s footsteps, I love the basic and popular candy that is M&M’s. As soon as you open the packet, you’re greeted with the fresh and powerful aroma of Hershey’s chocolate, awakening the growls deep within your stomach.
Though it took me a while to figure out that the different colors do not represent different flavors, I still like to separate them into color coordination and eat them from least amount found to greatest amount found. I guess that’s just my childish heart!
In addition to an unchanged favorites list, my candy “hit-list” stayed identical as well. Even though I know they are usually fan favorites, I just can’t seem to enjoy any of them.
- Tootsie roll
Somehow there is always at least one house that hands out these waxy bites. A tootsie roll tastes like how a scratch and sniff chocolate patch would smell. It’s flavorless, breaks my jaw and has the same feeling as when you swallow gum.
- Starbursts
I know I’m not alone in thinking that the only good flavor of a Starbust is the strawberry, pink cube. Yet, it seems like it’s the most rare kind to find. I’d always get stuck with yellow and orange. Even so, I’m not a huge fan of the pink Starbust anyways due to it’s waxy, chewy feel.
- Lollipops
I honestly never understood the appeal of lollipops, especially Dum Dum’s. To me, they’re totally overrated and the only decent flavor is the blue raspberry.
There is no fun sucking on these things for hours which in return just ends up cutting my tongue and turning it a different color. I also always get a headache from the chemical flavorings.
- Airheads
Most Halloween treats have an overwhelming amount of sugar in them, but Airheads especially are mainly just sugar. Maybe they can be fun to play around with and make it look like your tongue, but they just aren’t the best tasting candy you can choose from.
- Licorice
Not to be confused with Twizzlers, this black jelly rope tastes boldly of medicine. Neither me or my brother would go near this hand-out, as it was only a treat that elderly people seem to like. Even the smell just reeks of something I would not want to go near.
- Dots
How and why are these still a candy option? I don’t know anyone who enjoys eating Dots so it’s a shock to me whenever I see it in someone’s basket or on the store’s shelves. Similar to licorice, most flavors just have a medicinal taste to it. I give it a major thumbs down.
Every single person has different likes and dislikes when it comes to candy. And while you may find yourself hating a good amount of it, I can guarantee you that you will find an even larger amount that you’ll love during this holiday.
Happy trick-or-treating, Stags…or maybe just “treating”!
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