The best Halloween candy isn’t just for trick-or-treaters. We all should be able to enjoy some spooky treats in the month of October (and beyond, because that’s when the candy goes on sale and you can buy a ton for cheap!). But what is the best Halloween candy to buy? Well, we conducted multiple taste tests to find out.
Halloween candy used to be limited to smaller versions of everyday candy. But in 2024, Halloween candy has stepped up its game. There are new flavors, creative packaging, and interesting textures. There are objects that ooze, sweets that scare, and candies that will haunt your dreams! Okay, probably not. But they are spooky and fun—and there’s more than just chocolate! So, when it comes to the best Halloween candy, 2024 edition, there’s a lot to choose from. Whether you’re looking for classic Halloween chocolate or Halloween gummies or big ol’ bags of minis for handing out to trick-or-treaters, here’s all the very best Halloween candies we’ve tasted in one handy list.
- Brach’s Candy Corn
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Brach’s Candy Corn is a much-debated Halloween treat. Some people absolutely hate it, and some people swear by it. Either way, you can’t deny that it is a Halloween staple and some of the best candy for Halloween if you want a stone cold classic. I am always surprised by how good candy corn tastes. In my mind, it’s like flavorful wax. In reality, candy corn is pretty good! Brach’s has a sweet, vanilla-y flavor and a nice chew. No, it’s not the best Halloween candy for everyone, but it’s enjoyable and certainly iconic! — Jordan Myrick
Read the full ranking of the best candy corn
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Trader Joe’s Halloween Gummies
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Fruit snacks for Halloween? You bet. These Trader Joe’s Halloween gummies come in spooky shapes like bats, skulls, bones, and pumpkins. And the flavors are bright and fruity and a little bit tart. Plus, they’re made without gelatin so they’re vegan! They’re naturally colored with things like black carrot, apple, pumpkin, and blackcurrants. But they still come in cute little Halloween graphic baggies, so no one will think you’re a square for handing out fruit snacks to trick-or-treaters. And they’re definitely the best Halloween candy to toss into a lunchbox. — Justine Sterling
Related: Best Halloween Gummy Candy
Credit: Merc / Trader Joe’s
- Kirkland All Chocolate
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Of course the best Halloween candy mixed bag comes from Costco. Where else would you go for a massive amount of something? The 5.6lb Kirkland All Chocolate Mix includes Twix, Reese’s, Snickers, Peanut M&M’s, 100 Grands, and even York Peppermint Patties. There’s really something for everyone (as long as you enjoy chocolate). And there is just so dang much of it. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Ghoulish Green Twix
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There is nothing different about the Ghoulish Green Twix other than the fact that the cookie is green. While it’s not as interesting as some of the other Halloween candies we tried, it is still delicious and cute—and it ranked near the top in our best chocolate Halloween candy taste test. Twix is one of the best candy bars as it is, so what’s not to love about a green Twix? It’s a seasonal take on a classic we know and love. It’s reliable, and that’s something you don’t always get with Halloween candy. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Nerds Candy Corn
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If you don’t like candy corn, don’t worry. These taste absolutely nothing like candy corn in any way, shape, or form. They actually taste exactly like SweetTARTS—mostly sweet, but a little sour. They’re super chewy. The colors are cute. They do not come individually wrapped or in small packages, so it’s not the best Halloween candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters. Instead, fill a bowl with these and enjoy them all October long. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- M&M’s Pumpkin Pie
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We had our qualms with these new M&M’s when we first reviewed them (there’s no actual pie involved, and that’s a tad disappointing), but overall these are a great addition to the M&M’s family. First of all, the size is great. They’re jumbo-sized M&M’s. Secondly, the flavor is a balanced mix of milk chocolate and cinnamon-y pumpkin spice. They’re not available in fun-size bags, so you can’t hand out handfuls of these to trick-or-treaters, but you can put bowls out around the house during a Halloween party, enjoy them on your own, or bake them into Halloween M&M’s cookies. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Jelly Belly Monster Mash
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Jelly Belly has finally entered the Halloween candy chat with this spooky mix of flavors. There’s Caramel Corn, Green Apple, Grape Soda, Orange, and Wild Blackberry. There might not be anything inherently spooky about those flavors, but they’re all fall-ish and the colors are really what matters. Plus, they taste great. The Grape Soda is a vibrant concord grape candy, the Orange is tangy, the Green Apple is tangier, the Wildberry packs a good, tart faux berry flavor, and the Caramel Corn is the MVP. It’s a perfect recreation of caramel corn in candy form. The bags feature a spooky house and bats and a vampire Jelly Belly. It’s a fun break from the usual Halloween Candy. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Skittles Littles
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Skip the full-sized bars and be the MVP trick-or-treat house on the block by giving out tubes of Skittles Littles (the tubes have little ghosts on them and proclaim that they are “so tiny” and “so spooky,” so there’s your Halloween theming). The miniaturized Skittles are so good. They’re easy to eat by the handful, so you get a full rainbow of flavors in your mouth. And the candy coating is more delicate than on the full-sized Skittles lentils (their official name). So you get to that fruity center immediately. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Target
- Snickers Pumpkins
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I still have a soft spot in my heart for Reese’s Pumpkins, but Snickers Pumpkins are the best Halloween candy that’s shaped like a pumpkin, no question. Each Snickers Pumpkin (you get two in a pack) contains a far better caramel-to-nougat ratio than a regular Snickers. There’s way more caramel, and that is way better. The nuts are finely chopped. And the chocolate is just thick enough. Nougat diehards need not apply. But everyone else must try these new Snickers. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Kit Kat Ghost Toast
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Cinnamon toast is an odd choice for a Halloween flavored Kit Kat, but Ghost Toast is an adorable name, so we’ll forgive them. Also, these Halloween Kit Kats taste great—and they’re also orange, if you really need more of a Halloween tie-in. They really taste like a bowlful of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal—but not too cinnamony and shockingly restrained when it comes to sweetness. I think this is some of the best Halloween candy to appeal to both kids and grown-ups. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Haribo Sour Vampire Bats
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Haribo rarely misses when it comes to the best gummy candy. Their Sour Vampire Bats are simply exquisite. They’re super tart and sour without the aid of any sour sugar coating. They’re shaped like adorable bats. They come in different colors. They’re packaged in little baggies, perfect for trick-or-treaters. If you’re going gummy this year, this is the best candy for Halloween. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Target
- Reese’s Bats
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Before you pledge your loyalty to the Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins (most people’s Halloween candy of choice) or even the Reese’s Skeletons (which are good but too small), try the Reese’s Bats. It’s the taste you know and love from a Reese’s peanut butter cup, but much, much better. They have the perfect ratio of peanut butter to chocolate. Better than any other Reese’s product, in fact. Yes, even the eggs! I’m not even that into peanut butter and these swept me off my feet. This is the best Halloween candy we tasted and I will be buying these this October. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Amazon
Best Candy Corn
Best Fruit Snacks
Best Bagged
Best Green Candy
Best Unique
Best M&M’s
Best Jelly Beans
Best Fruity
Best Pumpkin
Best New Halloween Candy
Best Gummy
Best of the Best
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