The best Christmas candy is more than just a regular candy packaged in red or green foil. We’re looking for something more—something indulgent and, above all, festive. That can mean anything from a snowman-shaped mint chocolate to an over-the-top truffle in a gift-ready box. Whatever form the candy takes, we just want it to feel like a rare holiday treat you only get to experience once a year.Christmas candy—with all of its cooling peppermint, fancy chocolate, and toffee-centered treats—is underrated, and we should talk about its contributions more.
Halloween and Easter are the most celebrated candy holidays, but there’s a ton of Christmas chocolate and holiday candy that deserves to be put up on a pedestal and given a rousing round of applause. There’s a wealth of delicious Christmas candy out there waiting to be unwrapped, and so we set out to find the best Christmas candy you should be buying this year, whether you’re looking for stocking stuffers or just want some holiday candies to stash in your desk.
- York Peppermint Pattie Snowflakes
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These are the York Peppermint Patties you’re familiar with, but shaped like snowflakes. The shape doesn’t really add too much except for some pleasing Christmas aesthetic, but York Peppermint Patties deserve a place on this list of the best Christmas candy because they’re just so good at what they do—cool and delight with chocolate-mint flavor. Yorks have a chocolate candy shell that reminds me of an ice cream bar. Plus, the gooey, minty center is just divine. Cool, sugary, and chocolatey, York Peppermint Patties are a perfect Christmas peppermint candy. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett/Amazon
- M&M’s Toasty Vanilla
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The new holiday M&M’s flavor is a white chocolate lover’s dream Christmas chocolate. These sizable M&M’s (think: the size of a Peanut Butter M&M) taste like straight up vanilla pudding. They’re very sweet but not as wildly sweet as some white chocolate can be. I’m not a white chocolate person myself, but I still really enjoy these with their thin, crispy shell and their vanilla bean-tinged flavor. There’s a very subtle touch of salt that I think really balances the sweet flavors out. These new M&M’s are a worthy addition to the world of Christmas chocolates. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Cadbury Mini Snow Balls
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If you like Cadbury Robin Eggs, then you’ll love these Christmas chocolates—because they’re essentially the same, just rounder and colored red, green, and white. The candy coating is super crunchy. The chocolate inside is very creamy and has that distinct Cadbury flavor that’s just a touch fruity. If you put a bowlful of these Christmas chocolates out at a party, people would be thrilled. At least, I certainly would be thrilled. And I am invited to your party, right? — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Snowmen
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What I like about Ghirardelli’s Peppermint Bark Snowmen is that they’re minty without being overwhelmingly so. If you think York Peppermint Patties and Andes chocolates have too much of a toothpaste flavor, I promise you’ll like these. Smoothness is the prevailing theme here. These are delicious and rich and beg to be lovingly savored. Plus, they’re little snowmen. Snowmen! You know we had to include them on this list of the best Christmas candies. (That said, if you’re looking for the actual best peppermint bark, check out our ranking.) — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett/Amazon
- Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels
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These little Christmas chocolates come in a gift-ready box adorned with drawings of snowflakes and mistletoe—complete with a little to/from card. And they are good enough for gifting, for sure. Each box is filled with four square chocolates filled with gooey caramel and topped with sparkling granules of sea salt from the Dead Sea. The chocolate is thick and dark with an underlying coffee flavor. The caramel is gooey and rich. And the salt is crunchy. It’s a wonderful bite of Christmas chocolate that tastes like it costs far more than it does. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Hershey’s Kisses Candy Cane
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With their delicate wrapper, bell shape, melty chocolate, and bite-sized quality, Hershey’s Kisses are synonymous with the holiday season. For years now, they’ve been experimenting with different Hershey’s Kiss flavors for Christmas, and the one that’s really stuck is Candy Cane. Delicious, Hershey’s white chocolate and crunchy, sugary, and minty candy cane bits are a wonderful combination that’s too good to ignore. These melt in your mouth while providing some extra crunch. It’s all about the texture with these holiday candies. Hershey’s Kisses are pure Christmas, and these are the best of the bunch. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett/Amazon
- Lindt Peppermint White Chocolate Truffles
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Lindt’s Peppermint White Chocolate Truffles taste like smooth Christmas peppermint candy without the crunch. What you get is sugary, minty flavor that you can savor in a buttery white chocolate truffle. The center of each of these indulgent Christmas candies is creamy and gooey. Lindt’s Peppermint White Chocolate Truffles are so good they had me mumbling incoherently. Have you ever enjoyed something so much you forget how to talk? That’s the effect these had on me. Lindt Lindor is truly at the top of the mountain as far as the best Christmas candy goes. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett/Amazon
- Trader Joe’s English Toffee Bites
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Eating one of Trader Joe’s English toffee bites, my eyes lit up like I just tried hard drugs for the first time. These consist of a crunchy, buttery center enrobed in milk chocolate that’s been sprinkled with chopped nuts. There’s a lot of different flavors and textures going on here, but it doesn’t feel too convoluted. Everything works together to create a buttery, crunchy, rich, and nutty holiday candy. I like that it’s a little bite-sized snack, too—you can take the whole thing down in one bite for a rich sensory experience. It’s a perfect chocolate Christmas candy. Good job, TJ’s. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett/Amazon
- Lindt Holiday Snickerdoodle White Chocolate Truffles
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To me, Christmas candy is all about neatly unfurling a shiny, foil wrapper to unveil milky, creamy chocolate. And Lindt Lindor chocolates are top of the line—smooth, decadent, sweet, and buttery. The experience of eating a Lindor chocolate is next level. And while you’re probably familiar with Lindor’s chocolate and white chocolate, the snickerdoodle white chocolate truffles really take the experience to new heights. The wonderfully spiced, rich, white chocolate just melts in your mouth. This is Christmas butter. We here at Sporked love snickerdoodle flavored things (see: Oreos). From packaging to product, there’s no improving upon Lindt Lindor Snickerdoodle White Chocolate Truffles. They’re a holiday candy home run and the best Christmas candy on shelves this year. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett/Amazon
Best Holiday Makeover
Best White Chocolate
Best Pure Chocolate
Best Shaped Candy
Best for Gifting
Best Hershey’s
Best Peppermint Candy
Best Toffee
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: Sprouts Peppermint Puffs, Hershey’s Kisses Sugar Cookie, Hershey’s Kisses Mint with Stripes, Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate Hugged by White Creme, Hershey’s Chocolate Santas, Reese’s Trees, Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark, Peeps Gingerbread Men, Trader Joe’s Festive Chocolate Collection, Hershey’s Peppermint Bark Bells, Reese’s Holiday Lights, Hershey’s Kisses Hot Cocoa Milk Chocolate, Reese’s Shapes Assortment
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