You really only eat candy canes once or twice a year—but respect to you if you’re sucking on a cane in May—so why not opt for the best candy canes. 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. We tasted a bunch of those, too, in search of the greatest candy cane flavors out there.
Over the course of two taste tests, we tried nearly 30 different candy cane brands. How? We licked them, of course. We assessed each cane based on flavor, appearance, and durability. Because how disappointing is it to find a crumbled candy cane in your stocking? Here are the best candy canes (including the best flavored candy canes) to buy this holiday season.
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- Trolli Sour Brite Canes
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While Lemonheads makes a better sour candy cane overall (more on that soon), Trolli makes the best sour flavored canes in a variety of flavors. You get Cherry-Lemon, Strawberry-Grape, and Orange-Lime, all in one package. And each one tastes like real sour gummy candy. My personal favorite is the Cherry-Lemon, which is super tart and bright and pink lemonade-y. If you’re looking for some variety in your sour flavored candy canes, Trolli is the best candy cane brand for you. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- 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 these 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’re not a peppermint fan but still want to enjoy a candy cane, 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
- Mint M&M’s Candy Canes
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I was skeptical that a hard candy would be able to channel the flavor of candy-coated chocolate—but these M&M’s-inspired candy canes really did it. They have a true chocolate mint flavor—almost like an Andes mint or, of course, M&M’s Mint. The flavor is very gentle compared to a lot of other candy canes. It doesn’t have that sharp peppermint bite. But it’s still minty enough to taste festive. If you’re looking for a different kind of candy cane—but not that different—try these M&M’s-flavored candy canes. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- 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 are the best flavored candy canes for sour fiends. — 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. If you’re more of a cinnamon fan than a mint fan, these are the best candy canes for you. — 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 personally believe these are the best flavored candy canes in general. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Skittles Candy Canes
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Unlike other candy-inspired flavored candy canes, Skittles Candy Canes aren’t divided into individual flavors. Each candy cane contains all five classic Skittles flavors. That’s a big risk. This could have just tasted like a fruit punch mud puddle, but they really pulled it off. This flavored candy cane tastes like eating a handful of Skittles. It’s super fruity and tart and true to its candy inspiration. Plus, it’s a beautiful rainbow of flavors. If you’re looking for fruit-flavored candy canes, Skittles makes the best candy canes for you. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Trader Joe’s Handmade Candy Candy with a Coca Creme Filled Center
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Trader Joe’s individually packaged chocolate-filled candy canes are a real treat. They taste and look like something you’d get at an old-timey candy shoppe—the type that has a taffy pulling machine up front. The thick hard candy has a spicy, minty flavor that cools your mouth. And the chocolate creme in the center really tastes like actual chocolate with just a hint of salt that adds a delicious dimension to the whole experience. This candy cane is a project. Take your time and enjoy it. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- 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 Flavor Variety
Best Mini Candy Canes
Best Wintergreen
Best Mint-Chocolate
Best Sour Candy Cane
Best Cinnamon
Best Chocolate
Best Fruity Candy Cane
Best Filled Candy Cane
Best of the Best
Other candy cane brands 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, Oreo Candy Canes, SweeTarts Mini Candy Canes, Starburst Candy Canes, Warheads Sour Candy Canes
This article made me aware of hershey’s and hot tamale candy cane’s! Thank you all! PS I love Jordan, i enjoy all her screen time across shows and platforms!
You should find and test Hammonds.
As a kid, I remember absolutely loving the ‘Spree’ candy canes. My mom would put them up on the tree when we first decorated and told me not to eat them. When it came time to open presents, there were maybe 3 left on the tree.
Did you know there was an Oreo flavor candy cane? I wonder if that was any good. I’m not a huge candy cane fan though so this review might be the most helpful for me.