Since Halloween is coming up, it is time to trick-or-treat, which means that homeowners across the country face the dilemma of which candy to buy. However, when most homeowners go to buy candy, most of them don’t think of which types of candy to buy—they buy the cheapest option of whatever is available.
Homeowners should, however, buy candy with the goal of maximizing the satisfaction of the trick-or-treaters. The two main criteria I will use is: 1) general public preference for the different candies; and 2) how well the candies work in halloween. Here are my top five picks for which type of candy homeowners should buy:
#5: Hershey Bars
Hershey bars: an American classic. Unfortunately, one of the redeeming qualities of Hershey bars—their soft, silky taste and smooth texture—is also a major weakness. Under the weight of a lot of other candy, Hershey bars are susceptible to being crushed and deformed. This is particularly concerning for Halloween, given that the candy often sits around for days and has to go through a lot of turbulent transportation between homes. Also, chocolate easily melts, which is bad for halloween—candy often passes through many hands before it ends up in the final consumer. 
However, not everything is bad for the Hershey bar. Currently, it sits as America’s 4th most popular candy; 6% of respondents said that it was their favorite candy in a recent Monmmoth poll. Hershey bars can come in small packages, which allow for easy sharing. It also ensures that a supply of candy will not run out too fast or be too pricey.
#4: Starbursts
Starbursts are another great option, made by the candy giant Mars. (This is not the first time we will see the company on this list…) The candy itself is almost designed to be shared amongst friends and spooky strangers alike: each bite-sized piece comes in its own individual wrapping, and candy-eaters can choose between strawberry, cherry, orange, and lemon. What people (especially kids) love best about the candy, however, is its high sugar content: over 50% of the product by weight (22 out of 40 grams) is sugar!
All this sugar also contributes to the chewiness of the candy, which elongates the period of time over which you can enjoy the candy. Eating starbursts becomes an experience. As we will see, Starbursts isn’t unique in this ability.
However, one of its strongest selling points is also a detriment. Sugar is known to be linked to a host of issues, including increased risk of obesity and tooth decay, so perhaps it is best to avoid consuming Starbursts in large quantities. Furthermore, Starbursts aren’t nearly as popular as many other candies, clocking in as the 7th most popular candy—only 4% of respondents said it was their favorite candy. However, its fit in Halloween and its strong features more than compensate for the lack of popularity for Starbursts.
#3: M&Ms
M&Ms are another great choice. The candy itself has its origins in war, where people figured out that the hard candy layer of the M&M protected the soft chocolate-y inside of the candy. There is a lot more to M&Ms than just that, however. M&Ms are great for eating with someone else—each small piece lends itself naturally to sharing. Furthermore, M&Ms are incredibly sturdy and resistant to melting.
Furthermore, M&Ms are the 3rd most popular candy in the US, holding the honor of being the favorite candy of 11% of Americans, which perfectly justifies its spot as #3.
#2: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
I have a confession to make: peanut butter cups are my favorite candy. I’m not alone: they are the favorite candy of 36% of Americans, by far and away the #1 most popular candy in the US. Alas, I unfortunately cannot place them at #1 on this list.
First, around 1.1% of the US population cannot eat peanuts. That is approximately 3 million people that are unable to enjoy Reese’s peanut butter cups due to allergies, according to a study in the National Library of Medicine.
Second, Resse’s peanut butter cups are structurally unsound. Even small amounts of pressure in the middle of the cup will cause the center to collapse, since the peanut butter beneath it is not well-suited to support any weight.
Third, Reese’s peanut butter cups do not have any chewiness that would elongate the eating experience, providing more enjoyment for the trick-or-treater.
However, at the end of the day, it is America’s most popular candy for good reason: it is jammed-packed with the perfect combination of sugar and peanut butter, allowing the Resse’s peanut butter cup to solidly sit at #2.
#1: Snickers
Snickers are another great Mars option. According to their own website, the candy is “crammed with peanuts, caramel and nougat [and] coated with milk chocolate”. The complexity Snickers offers is a stark contrast to the previous two options—Starbursts and Hersheys—especially given how cheap and ubiquitous Snickers is.
Snickers also suffer the same problem as Reese’s peanut butter cups, but they have a few selling points that put them over the top.
The inclusion of nougat is particularly enticing. Nougat is “a type of candy made from honey, sugar, nuts and often egg whites”, but the main reason why it is used is to provide that chewiness to the candy that would otherwise be missing. This chewiness makes the candy more enjoyable to eat, since you get to enjoy the flavor over a period of time, instead of the instant one-and-done nature of, say, a Hershey bar.
Furthermore, Snickers are quite strong, and even when deformed (which requires a substantial amount of pressure), they still taste great. Snickers aslo rank as the #2 most popular candy in the US, as 18% of respondents said it was their favorite candy. The combination of robustness, complexity, and popularity puts Snickers as a must-have candy to buy for Halloween.
This is a great list. I actually find it very humorous, as when I first read your title, I assumed you would be discussing which candy you personally preferred best. But based on your criteria, I would also agree that Snickers are one of the best options, given that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crushed one. My favorite chocolate is also Reese’s! But as you said, after trick-or-treating, majority of the time the cup was deformed in some way.
Geoffrey, I really like your blog and the idea around it! I love candy and so this was interesting for me to see what others think aswell. This is also related to something that is coming up and it is important to infrom people before Halloween comes. You also added your opinions which was a great idea!
Hi Geoffrey,
I love how in depth you go with describing the certain positives and weaknesses to each candy type and why. I never stopped to think about how the form of each candy mattered in its packaging, as presentation plays a big role in the tasting experience. I personally love Hershey’s, but I too think the easy breakage of its contents are one of the weakening factors.
Hi Geoffrey,
I love your analytic approach to this annual debate. The structure and robustness of different candies is an attribute that I would not have even thought to rank, but as I read your blog I found myself agreeing with every point. Candies which tend to break or collapse inside a stuffed Halloween bag are simply not as good for the occasion as those that hold up better. Also, while Snickers are far from my favorite candy in general, I have to agree with your logic, they are indeed the most well-suited candy for Halloween.
Hi Geoffrey,
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I think the idea of analyzing candy was super cool and overall fun to read. I would have never thought so much could be written about each type of candy but you wrote it in a way they got me craving each candy described.