The best candy canes are delightfully sweet and shouldn’t snap too easily. When it comes to the classic peppermint flavor, we want something bold and bitey. That said, there are a lot of new varieties of flavored candy canes out there that taste like actual candy and not a breath mint you get on your way out of a restaurant. Those qualify, too, and for uspersonally, they were preferred.
Kind of hard to believe that candy canes are still around and being sold today. They’re a bit…old fashioned. Still, candy canes endure because they’re a classic. No stocking would be complete without them because they’re so nostalgic. Here are the best candy cane flavors to buy this holiday season.
- Spangler Mini Peppermint Candy Canes
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Do you love candy canes but think they’re too clunky and big? I don’t blame you. Who wants to walk around with a weird cane-shaped treat nowadays, anyway? Spangler’s mini candy canes have plenty of sugar and pepperminty bite, but the best part is you can savor and munch on them at your leisure—you’re not stuck holding onto a candy cane that’s been in your mouth all day. If mini candy canes are your jam, these are the best candy canes you can buy. –Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett/Amazon
- Brach’s Wintergreen
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Wintergreen has a more subtle, less bitey flavor than peppermint. It’s smooth and cooling. I personally love and think these Brach’s Wintergreen candy canes are among the best candy canes because they provide a mint-filled candy cane experience with a twist. If you like mint flavored things but for whatever reason don’t enjoy candy canes, this could be a resolution to that problem. Brach’s Wintergreen candy canes are sweet, cool, and deeply satisfying. –Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Lemonhead
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Sour candy lovers, rejoice! Infusing classic hard candy flavors into candy canes generally works, and these Lemonhead candy canes are a prime example. The sour, tart, and sugary classic candy melds with the candy cane quite well. Typically, Lemonheads are something you can completely bite through, and the centers are soft and chewy. These candy canes don’t have that, but they do have all the sugary brightness of a classic Lemonhead. If you find peppermint candy canes to be too antiquated, you’ll love Lemonheads. These aren’t the best candy canes, but they’re pretty darn good if you want to mix things up. –Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Hot Tamales Fierce Cinnamon
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This is my favorite candy-to-candy-cane collab. The spicy, bold, cinnamon flavor of Hot Tamales candy invades the sugary candy cane with aplomb. The flavor here is just like a Fireball candy, which is already iconic in its own right. The Hot Tamales candy cane makes me hopeful that we will see more classic candies turned into edible, lickable canes during the holiday season moving forward. Speaking of which… –Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Hershey’s Chocolate Mint Candy Canes
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The Hershey’s Chocolate Mint Candy Canes are the best chocolate candy canes because they actually taste like chocolate and not weird, artificial flavoring. Plus, these keep a hint of the classic mint we know and love in our candy canes! These are the best candy canes for the chocolate lovers in your life. I also believe these are the best flavored candy canes in general. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Doscher’s Peppermint Candy Canes
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Doscher’s candy canes are thicker than most candy canes—an attribute that I didn’t realize would actually enhance the candy cane experience. As a result of their girth (sorry), they don’t break or fall apart easily. Doscher’s candy canes are delicious and kind of have this rough, coarse texture that’s delightful to savor. The minty flavor is on point. This is like an old school, handmade candy cane you’d pick up from a mom and pop candy store. In short, Doscher’s are the best candy canes because they’re well crafted. Well done, Doscher’s. –Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
Best Minis
Best Cool and Minty
Best Sour
Best Candy Adaptation
Best Chocolate
Best of the Best
Other Products We Tried:
Hershey’s Chocolate, Jelly Belly, Sweet Tarts, Jolly Rancher, Fancy Pickle, Sour Punch, Lifesavers, Airheads, Brach’s Peppermint, Brach’s ELF, Sour Patch Kids, Sweet-Tarts, Baby Bottle Pop, Soda Trio, Post Pebbles Cereal
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