With Halloween just around the corner, there is no doubt that candy is on the minds of many. Children look forward to trick-or-treating for their fill of sugar, adults stock up on goodies to hand out to the kids who come knocking, and older kids wait in anticipation for an excuse to load up on their favorite treats.
As I think about my Halloween experience, however, it seems to be dominated year after year by only a few types of candy. I recall dumping out my pillowcase after hours trick-or-treating to find little variety in my stash, which instead was full of only Reese’s Cups and Kit-Kats.
While these are delicious candies, I’m sure there is a large population who would love to see a change this year, would love to find something rare in their candy collection or be the house to offer diversity to the bag of an eager trick-or-treater.
Whether you will be out on the streets Halloween night for your candy, sitting at home manning the door, or chilling with friends around sugary goodies, why don’t you try something new this year? Here are eight underrepresented kinds of candy on Halloween that I think deserve a place in the festivities of the holiday.
1. Take 5
Manufactured by Hershey, this candy bar is well described by its name. It is comprised of five deliciously complementary layers: pretzels, peanut butter, peanuts, caramel, and milk chocolate. The crunchy peanuts and pretzels provide a textural balance to the creamy peanut butter and caramel, while the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel is contrasted by the salty peanuts and pretzels.
2. Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Kisses
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Maybe Hershey’s Kisses themselves seem plain or boring, but it’s hard to say no to anything pumpkin spice this time of year. If you’re looking for something small and inexpensive to treat yourself to or hand out, why not spice up your chocolate this year?
3. Heath Bar
Yet another product of Hershey, Heath Toffee Bars are hearty with a satisfying crunch. They are perfect for anyone who doesn’t like chunky nuts in their chocolate but still want something a little out of the ordinary. The almond taste is still there, with some added sweetness, without making your chocolate seem overpowered by that savory nut flavor.
4. Annie’s Bunny Fruit Snacks
Okay, I know this one isn’t technically candy. But who said artificiality is a requirement of a treat? These organic fruit snacks contain no artificial flavors, but taste just like other fruit snacks.
They come in several varieties, like Berry Patch and Pink Lemonade. If you feel overwhelmed by the presence of sugar this year or want to give the neighborhood kids something a little healthier, Annie’s Bunny Fruit Snacks are a viable option for you.
5. 100 Grand
A Nestlé product, 100 Grand is reminiscent of Crunch bars and Rolo, mashed into one candy. Crunchy rice and caramel are covered in milk chocolate, creating a pleasing textural contrast. The inherent association with money makes it doubly tempting.
6. Almond Joy
Coconut is so popular in Girl Scout Cookies, so why not enjoy it in a candy bar as well? Almond Joy combines creamy milk chocolate, savory almonds, and sweet coconut into a bar that is diverse not only in flavor but also in texture. (For those averse to nuts, Mounds bars are an alternative that skip the almond).
I am not usually a fan of coconut products, but I love the blend of coconut, almond, and chocolate that Almond Joys offer.
7. Necco Wafers
A throwback candy, Necco Wafers were wildly popular in the 1900s, contributed to the pioneering of the American candy industry, and are still widely sold today. A break from chocolate bars, these thin, disc-shaped candies come in assorted rolls with flavors including chocolate, orange, lemon, lime, clove, cinnamon, licorice, and wintergreen.
They are a great option if you are looking to expand your candy repertoire beyond classic candy bars or if you want to get a sense of the candy culture of 18th century America.
8. Bit-O-Honey
Sometimes we just want something that will last a while, something we can cherish longer than the few second it takes to inhale a candy bar. Bit-O-Honey mixes real honey with almond bits in a candy that is good to suck or chew, and that lasts long either way. Not many candy products can boast honey as an ingredient, so this treat offers an experience that is unique and cannot be had in consuming other products.
Hopefully one (or more) of the above described candies caught your attention as something new to try this Halloween. While they are relatively uncommon candies, they are easily accessible and are often on the shelf right next to the Reese’s and Kit-Kats that maybe you would normally grab. Here’s to surprising trick-or-treaters and mixing things up a bit this year.