Halloween Candy: Past and Present Favorites

Before you embark on buying in bulk, consider a (slightly slanted) Slate magazine survey of favorite candies. The survey asked five kids (and one adult) their opinions on the best holiday treats. There are also tables of the most and least nutritious ingredients in popular candies.

The most important thing to know if you want your house to be a popular stop: trick-or-treaters want a fruity flavor, but they rarely want real fruit. Unless they’re coated in chocolate or candy, put away your raisins and apples. Kids don’t have real estate in their plastic jack-o’-lanterns or pillowcases to waste on bulky boxes or whole fruits. Your healthy attempts will be cursed and kicked to the curb.

Starburst, Skittles, SweeTarts, Jolly Ranchers and Twizzlers are some of the most popular fruit candy standbys. You’ll find a variety of soft, chewy and hard candy from Sweet Services, which also sells Jelly Bellies, candy corn, chewing gum and Charms lollipops. Sugar Stand is another site that specializes in fruity candy, with bestsellers like Pez, Haribo and Chupa Chups.

Though doling out king-sized candy bars will secure the love of the neighborhood youth, it’s also a sure way to frustrate neighborhood parents—and deplete your wallet. Fortunately, most candy manufacturers have created bite-sized versions of America’s favorite chocolate bars.

Many candy makers are responsible for more than one brand and you can get mixed bags that cater to Kit Kat and Butterfinger lovers alike. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the classics: M&Ms, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way and Three Musketeers. CandyWarehouse sells bags of all kinds of mini chocolate candy, including Nestlé Crunch, Hershey bars and even bite-sized Scharffen Bergers. A Candy Store sells Halloween chocolate in holiday motifs: you’ll find pumpkin and skeleton-wrapped chocolates along with pumpkin-shaped candy corns. The site also lets you shop by brand or manufacturer, many of which design their own Halloween-themed treats.

Some things just can’t be improved upon. If you thought the days of handing out Boston Baked Beans or Mallo Cups were long gone, you’ll be happy to know that a few online resources will cater to a more antiquated appetite.

Hometown Favorites sells wax bottles, candy buttons and more of the good stuff that satisfied the sweet teeth of yesteryear.

Groovy Candies sells retro candy in bulk—think boxes of Mary Janes, Skyy Bars and Necco Wafers. It’s a great resource if you’d like to give out lots of old-time treats.

Chow shows you how to make your own version of Snickers, Reese’s, Twix and more. The site even provides printable wrappers so you can encase your candy like a pro.

If you’ve still got a pantry full of goodies on November 1, fear not. CDKitchen suggests lots of creative ways to bake your Halloween candies into a dessert, including Butterfinger Banana Cake and Candy Bar Cheesecake.