As Halloween is just around the corner, many of us will find ourselves gazing at the endless rows of candy in most stores. But, as your temptations arise, so does inflation. As (self-proclaimed) professional candy connoisseurs, we’re giving you our honest opinions on the nation’s favorite treats as well as some other notable ones, to help you decide which candies you should feast on this season, and year-round.
The candies are reviewed in order as they are ranked in a 2022 article from USA Today. Below that are some extras we thought were also notable to include.
For reference, a rating of 1 means it should be avoided at all costs, and a rating of 10 is a must-buy.
Picks by USA Today:
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Connie & Mia: 8/10. They’re good, but in moderation. The chocolate can be too sweet if you eat too many and the peanut butter is a touch dry (Mia thinks that Reese’s Take 5’s are better).
Skittles
Connie: 8/10. The original flavours are decent and are carried by the green, but the fun extra flavors like mixed berry are pretty good.
Mia: 4.5/10. These lack flavor, and if you plug your nose while you eat them, you will realize they all taste the same.
M&Ms
Connie: 6/10. They are chocolate ovals. The extra flavours add a little more interest to them but the original are just chocolate ovals with colours.
Mia: 8/10. Simplistic and fun! Perfectly bite size, colors are fun, and are the perfect amount of sweetness and crunch you need when you are falling asleep in sixth period.
Hot Tamales
Connie & Mia: N/A. Neither of us have tried it and Connie did not even know they existed.
Sour Patch Kids
Connie: 8/10. The separate flavours could be more distinct but even so they’re pretty good. They are “not like other candies” and “unique” because they’re sour and sweet. Shocker. They are more sweet than sour, in my opinion. Similar to dumbed-down Warheads, and Warheads are good.
Mia: 9/10. Disregard Connie’s criticism, if you ever have extra Sour Patch Kids, let me know!
Hershey Kisses
Connie: 4/10. I have had too many of these. They’re really basic and just a default option. The chocolate is dry, a bit too sweet. Seasonal/ extra flavors are okay but do not fix the rough chocolate texture.
Mia: 6/10. Not bad, a little basic, but pretty inexpensive considering the quantity in packages. The other seasonal flavors, such as candy cane or lava cake, are more fun and taste better.
Snickers
Connie: 6/10. They are just okay. Fairly basic, not so much as some of the other candies on this list. I’ve heard the extra flavours are good but I have never tried them so I would not know.
Mia: 8/10. A little sweet but a true classic. If you ever get a chance, try leaving one in the freezer for a couple of hours; you may lose a tooth after you bite into it, but it is a treat worth trying.
Kit Kats
Connie: 10/10. Kit Kats, my love! They are sweet chocolate with a good crunch and some buffer for the sweetness of the milk chocolate in the wafers. The extra flavours like matcha, strawberry, and more are also all incredible and there are so many of them! The only complaint I have is that there are not a lot of stores that sell additional flavours, and often many of these unique flavours are found only in Asian grocery stores or overseas which is very upsetting.
Mia: 8/10. Sweet and crunchy, great if you just want a quick and light bite of sugar.
Twix
Connie: 7/10. They are better than Snickers. They are lighter, airier, and better to chew. I still do not know and cannot taste the difference between left and right Twix.
Mia: 6/10. Worse than Snickers. Twix are not bad, but overrated and dry (also can not taste the difference between left and right Twix).
Butterfingers
Connie: 5/10. They are average but I have not had one in a long time. I would not go out of my way to get them (like one of my elementary school teachers did) but I will accept and eat one if I get it.
Mia: 6/10. A bit too sweet, but the excess sugar gives that boost of adrenaline you need when you’re mindlessly doing your overdue lab that you need to finish before the 5-week marking period ends.
Our Picks/Worth Mentioning:
Starburst
Connie: 5/10. They are kind of basic but serviceable. The pink and red colored candies are okay but a little too sweet and the orange and yellow are so-so. Watermelon flavour is okay but I don’t find enough of them to give an in-depth review.
Mia: 6/10. Kind of flavorless, hard to chew, and they taste like wax, but weirdly addictive. Every teacher gives these out at some point in the year, so they’ll probably grow on you. If you are really a fan, you should definitely try Hi-Chew (if you have not already), which has a similar taste and is easier to chew.
Toblerone
Connie: 9/10. Great chocolate, good triangles and it is crunchy with good chocolate.
Mia: 7/10. Have not had one in a while, but I remember it is pretty good.
Fererro Rocher
Connie: 8/10. It is the epitome of a “cheaper than it looks” chocolate that can be fun to eat and has solid alternate flavors.
Mia: 9/10. The crunchy, thin, nutty outer shell mixes perfectly with the smooth, chocolate-hazelnut spread on the inside and the crunch of the actual hazelnut in the middle. If you enjoy different textures and flavors in your food, I highly recommend investing your money into this treat. They’re a bit on the pricier side, so if you get them, keep them to yourself and hide them.
We hope our opinions have helped to shape your sweet choices this season. Whether you celebrate Halloween or not, it’s never a bad idea to treat yourself with a piece of candy. Of course, the candies you enjoy can say a lot about you, so make a cautious choice. But even so, choose your favorites and we won’t judge (except for the occasional side-eye).