Gwynedd Stuart
The best Valentine’s Day candies should feel special. You can literally eat any candy any day of the year, but the best candy for Valentine’s Day is giftable, shareable, and, most importantly, romantic.
This should also go without saying (but tell that to the candy companies): Valentine’s Day candy should taste good. Sure, everyone loves a pretty pink confection, especially when we’re craving something festive during the least festive time of year, but way too many candy brands tend to go off script when V-Day rolls around, whether they’re wedging in strawberries \or taking “sweets for your sweet” way too literally.
Allow us to spare you the disappointment of bringing home crappy Valentine’s Day candy to gorge on while you watch romantic comedies on the couch or, worse yet, to share with someone you love. These are the best new (and new to us) Valentine’s Day candies you’ll find on shelves this year. (Oh, and if you’re looking for the boxes of the best chocolate candy for Valentine’s Day, we have you covered there, too.)
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- Haribo Sweet & Sour Hearts
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I love sour candy with sour dust on the outside as much as the next guy, but I’m especially drawn to the Haribo sour candies that are infused with sourness. Much like Haribo Twin Snakes, this bag of little gummy hearts includes sweet and sour candies, and the sour ones manage to be super tart without any sugary powder on the outside. Magical. We’re freaks for Haribo gummies, and these probably would have ranked higher among the new Valentine’s Day candies we tried this year if there was a little more variety—the flavors are Sweet Strawberry and Sour Strawberry, that’s it.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Lindt Lindor Dark Strawberry
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Lindt released three limited-edition flavors of Lindor truffles for Valentine’s Day this year: Raspberry Cheesecake, Strawberries & Cream, and Dark Strawberry. Two of the three are made with white chocolate and, man, are they SWEET. By all means, grab the white chocolate truffles if you have a high tolerance for sugary candies, but when it comes to the best Valentine’s Day candy, we think these dark chocolate Lindt truffles have much more balance. The filling has that same nice strawberry milk sort of flavor, but the dark chocolate shell offers a much more nuanced eating experience. I can eat a whole one in one sitting and I can’t say the same about the white chocolate truffles.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Nerds Valentine’s Gummy Clusters
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My fellow taste-tester Justine Sterling was sure she would hate Nerds Gummy Clusters, but she had to admit these are tasty. The Valentine’s Day Clusters aren’t dramatically different from other Nerds Clusters, but they’re studded with pink, white, and red and look downright festive for the occasion. We couldn’t nail down the flavors, but strawberry is probably the most prominent fruity flavor profile. This is the perfect candy for a Valentine’s Day movie date.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Trolli Sour Brite Hearts
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Would giving someone a bag of worms for Valentine’s Day make you feel like a weird goblin? Trolli Sour Brite Hearts are the best Valentine’s Day candy to ease your self-consciousness. These are big and squishy, and while they’re not quite sour enough for my taste, they come in lots of fun fruit flavors and cute heart shapes.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- SweeTART Conversation Hearts
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If you love SweeTARTs, you’ll love these conversation hearts. They’re crunchy and way tangier than I ever think they’ll be. Giving these to a prospective mate is kind of like negging, but in a sweet, cute way, not the Mystery Method way. Plus, the blue hearts are SO GOOD.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Brach’s New Bright & Something Conversation Hearts
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These brand spankin’ new conversation hearts from Brach’s are the texture of SweeTARTs, but they’re not as tangy. Yes, they’re made by the same company, but these are definitely different. I knew these tasted like some candy I was familiar with and Justine nailed it: candy necklace! That’s exactly what these are. Candy necklace bits. They’re good—and better than regular conversation hearts, unless you’re a Necco Wafers-lover who enjoys the sensation of eating chalk.
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Reese’s Unwrapped Mini Hearts
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Remember a couple years ago when Reese’s released those big, pink, individually wrapped Reese’s hearts that looked like a pair of—how do I put this delicately?—saggy testicles? Well, these new unwrapped Reese’s mini hearts are much cuter than those Reese’s Hearts. They’re small and the chocolate is very snappy. The chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio really hit the spot for us. If you’ve been waiting for a Reese’s candy you can eat by the handful, you’re going to fall in love with these suckers. Paging Cupid!
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
Valentine’s Day Candy!
Valentine’s Day Candy!
Valentine’s Day Candy!
Valentine’s Day Candy!
Valentine’s Day Candy!
Valentine’s Day Candy!
Jessica Block
Naajia Shukri
Justine Sterling
