I had a post ready and scheduled for today all about…spellcheck. Snooze, right? Don’t worry, I’ll file it away for a rainy day (or NaBloPoMo when I need a lot of fodder).
Last night I ended up having an evening home alone – bless my soul – and started thinking about the lively conversations in the comment sections of my Top Five/Bottom Five posts* and decided it was high time to relaunch that series. (*I originally borrowed this idea from Mix and Match Mama).
Since the countdown to the spookiest day of the year is officially on, where better to start than with Halloween treats? Don’t like candy? Well, you’re fresh out of luck today.
TOP FIVE HALLOWEEN TREATS
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I know peanut butter treats are tricky because there are so many allergies and I don’t ever buy these to hand out…but I always sneak some out of the kids’ loot bags when they’re not looking. I mean – it’s PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE IN FESTIVE SHAPES. Can I get an Amen?
- Strawberry Twizzlers. Not Nibs – Nibs are disgusting. Not cream-filled Twizzlers – also disgusting. Not the pull-apart rope Twizzlers – horrific. Just my beloved Strawberry Twizzlers. And because no one else really likes them, they’re all mine!
- Butterfinger. More peanut butter for the win + all-around flaky deliciousness. Yum. I love me a Butterfinger (but, at least where we trick-or-treat, they are rare making them extra special and delicious)!
- Peanut M&Ms. Not regular M&Ms, not caramel-filled M&M’s. Peanut M&Ms. I feel like I need to be specific here because M&Ms are not created equally. Also, quite clearly, I am addicted to peanuts.
- Ketchup chips. I never, ever buy Ketchup chips and only eat them at Halloween. They’re delicious, but mostly I think I love them because they are a) rare to get – even at Halloween because everyone opts for *sob* regular chips – and b) they remind me of my childhood – when people were more sensible and gave out far fewer regular chips. (I think they’re only available in Canada, so this may be a bit moot for American/international readers?)
BOTTOM FIVE HALLOWEEN TREATS
- Kerr’s Molasses Kisses. Who buys these!!?? More importantly, who actually eats these!!?? The only good thing I have to say about this candy is they don’t tempt anyone in my family – because we have functioning taste buds! – so all that sugar goes right in the trash. But what a waste. I think these might also be a Canadian-only product. I’m ashamed on behalf of my entire country for inventing these things.
- Tootsie Rolls. Ditto the above. Gag me. What is it? Is it chocolate? Is it taffy? No one knows, yet it gets handed out in giant quantities each October 31st. Has everyone lost their mind?
- Candy apples (or any apples on Halloween really). Candied apples make no sense. The coating is hard and it breaks and the sharp shell pieces cut the top of your mouth…and then the apple inside is soft and mealy. I cannot wrap my head around this one. More generally, I appreciate the health benefits of apples but they will be a mushy pulp by the end of the evening from bouncing around in a pillowcase with REAL CANDY. I can pretty much assure you not a single child will be getting dressed up next Tuesday hoping to receive an apple (even a Honeycrisp). If you want to be health conscious, hand out toothbrushes (someone in my neighbourhood does this – she’s a hygienist – and I LOVE it; she also hands out candy, but I appreciate the gesture to try to offset the “sugar bugs” and it means I have to buy one less toothbrush for the kids each year).
- Plain/regular chips. Self explanatory. I save them all and give them to my dad in a giant gift bag at Christmas. He is literally the only human I know who gets excited by plain chips. Doritos, Ketchup, Cheesies? Good choice. Plain chips? Bad choice.
Twix Bars. Something about the texture…not a fan.*Update after I’ve thought about this more, I’ve realized that while I still don’t enjoy Twix, approximately 1 billion times worse than Twix are Skittles. Waxy, fake-tasting, and without a single redeeming quality.
You know what’s coming…
Your turn. Top five/bottom five Halloween treats. I’m sure there are people who like regular chips and candy apples and Twix, but surely no one actually likes Tootsie Rolls and Kerr Molasses Kisses?!
I want to hear all about your candy preferences; this should get interesting…
Header photo by Łukasz Nieścioruk on Unsplash
J
Peanut butter cups – LOVE
Twizzlers suck. I will fight you on this, but you are younger and will likely break my hip.
Butterfinger – LOVE
Peanut M&M – LOVE
Ketchup chips – I have no idea what this is. I like chips more than candy though.
Molasses kisses – never heard of these, but fear I would like them.
Tootsie rolls – I agree, not good chocolate. BUT I LOVE THEM.
Candy Apples – I preferred caramel apples to candy apples when I was a kid. I had braces for 5 YEARS, which sucked. I was so excited to try a caramel apple when I got them off, and what you say is 100% right. Mushy apples blow.
Plain Chips – Like, potato chips? I would totally get behind these.
Twix Bars – Really? You don’t like these? They’re awesome.
I love Almond Joy, and would only buy those for Halloween, but I’m afraid that too many kids don’t like coconut.
Elisabeth
Twizzlers are divisive – I know this. (They’re also DELICIOUS.) But I promise I won’t fight you on it!
Ketchup chips are just Canadian I think; they’re tangy and delicious and leave your fingers all red.
Oh no – you love Tootsie Rolls. Say it isn’t so.
Yup, plain potato chips. My dad’s favourite…
I feel like Twix needs to pick a lane. The cookie bit is dry, and the rest is soft and chewy. I know most people love Twix…but I’m not a fan.
I’m so-so on coconut, but don’t think we have Almond Joy’s in Canada?
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Oh, you would love the “Skittles ban” news! Have you read about it? California bans Skittles! Actually, it is not Skittles, but they are taking measures to get rid of some of the additives in candy by 2027 or something like that. Also re Ketchup chips, we do not have them, but in England/Australia/NZ they have Vegemite/Marmite crisps, which are good, even if you are not a fan of Vegemite/Marmite. I also like Salt and Vinegar.
I am not really a huge fan of candy, so would definitely pick chips/crackers/nuts/chicharrons instead, but if I had to choose, I would pick: (1) Unreal dark chocolate coconut minis (2) Trader Joes dark chocolate PB cups (3) Sees dark chocolate almonds (4) red licorice (sorry, not Twizzlers, although those are okay too, but I want Red Vines thanks) (5) Ghirardelli 80% dark squares (or peppermint bark, even though that is more Christmas than Halloween)
Worst: (1) anything with goo inside (2) anything white chocolate (3) tootsie rolls (they are just filler!) (4) Mounds (I actually like coconut/chocolate, but Almond Joy is superior) (5) Milky Way (maybe because of the goo)
Elisabeth
I hadn’t heard the news, but I’d gladly sign a petition to ban Skittles!!! *Shudder*
Nicole MacPherson
I LOVE KETCHUP CHIPS! I am so happy you do too. They are such a niche item. And, objectively, maybe a little gross? But I love them and I have very strong feelings on which are the best – Old Dutch. When I was a kid Old Dutch was only available in Western Canada and only in those big boxes with double bags, although you could buy single servings at the convenience store as well. The fact that they were relegated to here makes me feel all exotic and special! Ah, the feeling of having chemically red lips, teeth, and fingers. I am also with you 100% on Reece, I also really like Reece Pieces. When I was 13 or so I discovered Reece Pieces Blizzards and that was amazing.
I like Wunderbar too, and any kind of gummy candy like Fuzzy Peaches or Swedish Fish. I also LOVE Rockets. I know they are just pure flavoured sugar but I love them.
One of my friends LOVES those molasses kisses and I had never in my life met anyone who liked them before, so any time the boys would get them in their treat bags I’d save them for her. There is a lid for every pot, as they say.
Elisabeth
Oh, yay. Another Ketchup chip fan. There’s just…something really special about them. They are a little odd and maybe a tad gross, but just so nostalgic!
Fuzzy Peaches are my favourite chewy candy for sure.
I laughed so hard John asked what was going on when I read your “there is a lid for every pot” – I’ve never heard that expression before and love it!
Jenny
Ketchup chips??? This is a thing???
Sadly, I don’t eat candy anymore- but I ate enough candy for the first 40 years of my life to last forever. I LOVED Strawberry Twizzlers as a kid, and now just the smell of them makes me happy.
On the Fall Extravaganza podcast I’ve been listening to, one year they taste tested and ranked Halloween candy. They both put Reece’s first, BUT they disagreed with you and put Twix second. Down near the bottom of theirs was candy corn and Whoppers. When I was a kid I would eat anything with sugar- even the Skittles which I agree have a very weird taste. But my favorites were anything chocolate, especially Snickers, Almond Joy, Three Musketeers… ah, those were the good old days!
Elisabeth
You can have some Ketchup chips when you come to Nova Scotia – yes, this is a thing. You know how much I love my Strawberry Twizzlers.
Candy corn is not a thing AT ALL in Canada (I don’t even know if we can buy it). I’m not a fan of Whopper’s either.
ccr in MA
Okay, first let me say, as an editor, that I would love to read your thoughts on spellcheck! I too have Thoughts.
Candy. Now, it’s been a long time since my trick-or-treat days, and I don’t have kids, nor do I live in an active trick-or-treating neighborhood, so while I do love candy, I don’t know how Halloween-specific I get. What I remember getting the most excited about was if anyone gave out full-size bars! But even then, it was a big yes to Snickers, mild okay to Milky Way, and eh to Three Musketeers. I do love Mounds, but the rare surprise was Heath bars, which I also still love! I like Reese’s cups, but sometimes with the shape ones, I feel like the ratio of peanut better to chocolate is thrown off, and the chocolate doesn’t have that almost crunchy edge that the crimps give.
Yes, I do seem to have some Thoughts on candy, don’t I? 🙂 These days, give me some good caramels or toffees and I am a happy camper.
Elisabeth
Oh dear, my spelling and grammar is nothing to write home about – stay tuned, though, for a very short post about spellcheck soon.
Full size bars are a HUGE deal for my kids. My favourite when I was little was getting a can of pop.
We don’t have Milky Way, Almond Joy, or Three Musketeers really in Canada. Or Mounds. Or Heath bars (I think the equivalent here is like Skor?)
Jenny in WV
What a fun question! After thinking about it, I’m pretty sure I have very strange tastes in candy!
Top 5 Halloween Treats:
Reece’s Peanut Butter shaped things (because they have a better peanut butter to chocolate ratio than the regular cups)
Bottle Caps
Milky Ways
Reece’s Pieces
Tootsie Roll Fruit Chews
Bottom Five:
Snickers / Peanut M&Ms (I don’t like peanuts in candy)
Anything with coconut
Popcorn balls
Licorice
Necco Waffers
Elisabeth
Yes, the shaped treats ARE better because they have more PB.
I haven’t heard of many of these things. Bottle Caps? Milky Ways I’ve heard of but never had. Tootsie Roll Fruit chews? Popcorn balls? Necco Waffers? Those are all new to me!!
Jenny in WV
Bottle Caps are similar to sweet tarts, but more sweet. They are shaped like the cap of a miniature glass soda/pop bottle and come in root beer, cola, cherry, orange, and grape flavors.
Tootsie Roll Fruit Chews are Tootsie Rolls in different flavors. Vanilla, Orange, Lime, and maybe a few other flavors.
The homemade nature of popcorn balls is probably part of their lack of appeal.
Necco Waffers I don’t even know how to describe. Chalky thin disks with a terrible taste? There are multiple flavors in a pack with licorice being the least fondly remembered.
Elisabeth
Not a fan of sweet tarts so suspect I’d not really like Bottle Caps either; and the Necco Wafers sound downright disgusting.
NGS
I think your love of Twizzlers is one of your most charming quirks. You’re obviously WRONG, but that’s fine. You can have them and leave me better candy. I’m mostly in agreement with you on the top five, though. Peanut butter cups are #1 by a landslide, peanut M&Ms are #2 and my unranked other three include Almond Joy, Kit Kats, and gummy bears. I prefer all-dressed chips to ketchup ones, but they are both great and what I think of as quintessential Canadian treats (not easily avoidable in the States, at least not in the places I shop).
Elisabeth
I will gladly take everyone’s Twizzlers.
PB Cups are just heavenly. I also LOVE All Dressed Chips and definitely prefer ruffled vs. plain/flat ones.
Wait. You can’t get All Dressed chips in the US either?!
Kit Kats are a huge fav in our house, we don’t have Almond Joy’s in Canada and gummy bears are fine for me but I never go out of my way for them (but my dad – yes, of “read the last chapter first” fame – LOVES all gummy treats.
mbmom11
Top 5: plain M&M’s , Tootsie rolls – esp the longer thin ones – , Milky Way, Twix, …can I say M&M’s again?
Bottom 5: many candies don’t appeal to me at all, and since I’ve grown I do not like Reeses or any peanut butter candy. However, candy sent from the depths of Hades are Nerds, Dippers, Pixie Stix, weird caramel lollipops things that are supposed to caramel apple flavored and just look diseased and get sticky all over the place, “Krabby Patty ” gummies-just plain nasty. I am strongly against any candy that makes a mess. I would love it if my kids got plain chips – I’d put them aside for lunch boxes.
Elisabeth
Oh no. Another vote for Tootsie Rolls. Am I missing something?
Nerds and Pixie Stix are gross. Agree 100%. I remember loving those caramel and apple lollipops as a kid but would hate them now. I also don’t like hard Jolly Ranchers or Starbursts.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
Look obviously Reese’s are #1, that’s just a fact.
My Halloween wish list is a Butterfinger or two and exactly one Mounds bar. I only eat Mounds on Halloween.
I don’t think I’ve had ketchup chips, but when I was in CN this summer I got a bag of All Dressed chips so that I would have something exotic to bring home. I can’t really remember or describe the taste, but I’d definitely get them again.
Elisabeth
I’m not sure why, but when you said “fact” the only thing I could think of was Dwight saying: Bears beat Battlestar Galactica.
Butterfingers are so yummy.
And I had NO IDEA YOU COULDN’T GET ALL DRESSED in the US!!! I’m a big fan.
Kat
I’ll take your twizzlers and up it to Red Vines. I think these are a western U.S. thing only? Mostly sold at movie theaters but they are far less sweet than twizzlers and waaaayyyyy better.
So interesting the various differences in American/Canadian candy options. I’ve never seen those Kerr’s molasses things you listed but they sound gross for sure. Anything super tacky/sticky/hard and just straight sugar like taffy or hard candy is a no for me. And 100000% agree on the skittles. gross.
Elisabeth
I am NOT a fan of Red Vines; wrong texture and have a weird aftertaste to me. Thankfully, they make lots of kinds of licorice so we can all be happy.
I hate cotton candy and most hard candy, too.
Suzanne
Tootsie rolls are the worst. No thank you. I do love a Butterfinger (although I think there was a recipe change along the way somewhere and they are not as crispety crunchety as they were when I was a kid). I also LOVE a Milky Way Midnight. And I am with you that M&Ms are not created equal, and I don’t bother with regular. Peanut Butter M&Ms are the superior Ms.
Airheads and Baby Ruth are on my bottom five along with plain Hershey’s bars.
Elisabeth
I don’t know if we can get Baby Ruth’s up here, but it always makes me smile because I have an older sister named Ruth 🙂
Joy
“I’m ashamed on behalf of my entire country for inventing these things.” – laughed out loud! 😆
If it’s ever pertinent I will 100% trade you my Twizzlers for your Twix!
I’ve never had a Reese’s pumpkin but they look amazing!
My top 5:
1-Snickers
2-Reese’s
3-Twix
4-Peanut M&M’s
5-KitKat
Bottom 5:
1-Good ‘n Plenty – not sure if these are even still a thing; think licorice coated to look like white pills. Even as a desperate sugar-deprived kid I didn’t like them.
2-Lollipops
3-Anything grisly or resembling a severed body part (just…why?)
4-Bubblegum
5-Coffee Crisp
Elisabeth
Have you ever tried those Kerr horrors. So gross.
I will definitely give you Twix for Twizzlers.
Good ‘n Plenty sounds awful. I agree on the lollipops and bubblegum. Coffee Crisp is not one I like either, but the rest of my family does!
Elinoora
Well. Looks like ketchup chips are definitely a thing over here: https://www.ah.nl/producten/product/wi516966/lay-s-max-heinz-tomato-ketchup-flavour?gclid=CjwKCAjwnOipBhBQEiwACyGLuiD5OB-trMQz21_01AblkzpQIQqD5PZPbs8T8OJVAmPtbLgq09hJZBoC3YcQAvD_BwE
You can have mine though, I don’t like ketchup 🤷 I prefer a chili variety.
Halloween is quite a recent thing over here, so I don’t really have favourites. I’ll have to check with the kids after we’ve going trick or treating 😊
Elisabeth
I can always get Ketchup chips (like they’re produced year round), but I almost never see anyone eating them outside of Halloween?!
SHU
hmm. This must be a Canadian thing – I’ve never see any chips come home in my kids’ bags!
LOVE pb cups but prefer the TJ’s dark ones (and I basically eat them daily so I don’t get that excited about the Reese’s versions bc to me they are just a lesser sub). I CAN get behind some butterfinger though!!
Elisabeth
My kids get so many bags of (mostly plain; sigh) chips. Definitely a very common thing where we live at least. They’ll get mini bags of Doritos and Pringles and Cheetos, too.
Gigi
Reese’s cups are the superior candy that’s for sure. Funnily enough, I prefer the teeny ones to the regular size ones. And as for the shaped ones, the only ones (which I think even beat out the cups) are the egg shaped ones they put out for Easter.
Almond Joy/Mounds, Butterfingers, Milky Way Midnight are probably my other top favs in the chocolate category. In the chewy, sugary category – I am currently on a Gummy Bear kick (why, I don’t know). I like candy corn – but only for the nostalgia factor really.
Whoever said Necco Wafers are the worst; they are right. Those things are so disgusting that they shouldn’t even be allowed to call it a candy.
It’s odd – chips aren’t given away at Halloween around here. Is that a Canadian thing?
Elisabeth
I’ve never had Almond Joy, Mounds, or Milky Way Midnights; those must all be American chocolate bars!
My kids get loads of little baggies of chips at Halloween. Very, very common!
Hks
I am laughing about the ketchup chips because I was talking to a Canadian colleague at a conference a couple months ago and she said she brings ketchup chips in her suitcase when she comes to visit family in the USA.
Agree on many of your picks. Peanut M&Ms are the only m&ms worth it to me.
Elisabeth
I think Winegums and Coffee Crisp might be other Canadian-only treats? And our Smarties are different from American Smarties. Our Smarties are more like a thickly coated M&M (and I am NOT a fan).
And Kraft Peanut Butter. My sister always takes back a whole bunch of peanut butter because Kraft Smooth PB is AMAZING and only available in Canada.
Michelle G.
This is a very important topic, and I’m glad I can add my two cents! Thank you for asking, Elisabeth!
My top 5 candies are:
1. Kit Kat
2. Twix
3. Caramello
4. Hershey’s kisses
5. Nestle Crunch
My bottom 5 most dreadful candies are:
1. Anything with Coconut. I can’t bear it!!
2. Anything with Hazelnut.
3. Anything with peanuts or peanut butter.
4. All those sticky, fruity candies like Skittles, Starbursts, jelly beans, gummy bears, etc.
5. Anything sour.
I loved reading everyone’s answers! I guess that’s why there are so many candy varieties in the world because we all have different tastes.
Elisabeth
I’m not a fan of coconut or hazelnut in my chocolate either (both flavours are okay to me in other settings, but not in chocolates).
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Caramello, but the name makes it sound tasty 🙂
Shelly
I’m late to this one but have to give my vote for Ketchup Chips and All Dressed as well.
I plan to give out a little bag of chips and some mini chocolate bars and gummies. Interesting that some areas don’t have chips at all during Halloween. Plain chips -why?! Although I bought an assorted box that includes plain that I will give to the littlest kids.
My top would be ketchup chips, twix, mars, wunderbar, and butterfinger.
Least, would be for me personally all candy. As a kid I loved it but now it’s chocolate or chips or nothing.
Elisabeth
I knew Ketchup was a mostly Canadian thing, but I had no idea our US neighbours were missing out on All Dressed, too?!
I like Mars bars, too!!
Rachel
I love this list and totally agree!! Generally I put any sort of weird sugar candy on bottom 5, I think the UK make truly awful sugar candy (I don’t know what it’s even called, they’re just gross). However most chocolate goes on top 5. I so want any of those peanut butter cups!! I also love peanut butter m&ms but haven’t had them for years.
This year we are going controversial and handing out glow sticks. I would possibly rather eat a glow stick than a tootsie roll.
Elisabeth
Glow sticks are a BRILLIANT idea. My kids go to one house that always gives out notebooks and pencils and a little box of glow-in-the-dark tattoos. And they are always excited about this stop!
Hope it’s a very fun, special time for your kiddos.
Lisa’s Yarns
I can’t wrap my mind around people giving out chips for a Halloween treat. I feel like they would get crushed in the bag of treats!!
I definitely feel differently about candy than you do! I agree with your #1! That is def our favorite candy in this house. Next I would list snickers and Milky Way. I like the idea of butterfinger but they get so stuck in your teeth. I am a hard pass on twizzlers. I used to like them before I found out about my gluten intolerance but I didn’t like them as a Halloween treat as the twizzler would take on the taste of the chocolate candy. I also really like starburst and skittles! And tootsie rolls – esp the fruit flavored ones.
Elisabeth
Oh no – our twinning clearly stops at candy. Skittles and Starburst? HARD PASS for me. I don’t think I’ve ever had fruit Tootsie Rolls.
Agreed on butterfinger getting stuck in teeth; it’s worth the extra flossing 🙂
And yup, little bags of chips (they have lots of air in them so I never find they get crushed) are VERY common up here.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
Halloween sone of. those imported Holidays. that pop up here in Germany. I dint need it. I don’t want it. But then I don’t have kids.
But I can agree with. you on the Top 1 & 3 Halloween candies. I would sneak those out of any child’s basket.
The wordt halloween. candy. I received when I was in the US and I. think they were called candy corn. Triangle shaped sugar things. No thanks.
Elisabeth
We don’t have candy corn in Canada but I think I would hate it!
Ally Bean
Kerr’s Molasses Kisses? I’ve never heard of them so have never had them but will go ahead and say I don’t like them. I don’t like Tootsie Rolls and am not crazy about M&Ms in any iteration. I don’t like Skittles or Kit Kat Bars.
Five that I like are: Reece’s PB Cups, Twix, Snickers, PayDay Bars, and nothing else comes to mind. I’m not big on candy, I guess.
Elisabeth
You seem like a sensible human so I think it’s very safe to assume you would not like them. SO. GROSS. (Sorry if I’m yucking someone else’s yum here…).
I’ve never heard of PayDay bars!
Ernie
I love this. I think my top 5 would include Reece’s peanut butter cups, snickers, Milky Way, Three Muskateers, and I do like Whoppers and I love Twizzlers (but I can’t eat either of them anymore. Boo hiss Celiac).
My bottom five – Well, I’m with you on Tootsie Rolls. I’d have to add Butterfinger’s to this list. I don’t get those. The inside is too dry and crumbly. Chips? I’d be bummed if I got any chips in my loot bag. I wonder if that is more of a Canadian thing. Gum. Ick. Also I’m not a fan of anything with coconut, so I’d say Almond Joy.
I’m not looking forward to Halloween. That endless supply of candy is not my favorite thing to deal with as a parent.
Elisabeth
Butterfingers are dry inside, I’ll grant that. But it’s PEANUT BUTTER. I just love PB so much…
Definitely a Canadian thing, apparently, but I had no idea. Mini chip bags are very, very common. I agree on not liking gum (or suckers) in treat bags.
I really dislike Halloween; I’d gladly skip it this year and forever.
Sarah
I LOVE candy— but Payday, Baby Ruth, Skittles, Laffy Taffy, and Smarties are terrible.
Almond Joy, Butterfinger, Snickers, Milky Way, and Reese’s win
Stephany
I’m glad to see other American readers are like, “Chips as Halloween treats?” That’s just not a thing here. I wouldn’t even think to add it to my list! I’ll give you my Twizzlers as long as I can have all of your Tootsie Rolls. For some reason, I am obsessed with Tootsie Rolls. I can’t even tell you why!
Elisabeth
You could have them all! They mostly go in the garbage in our household!