I’ve heard two strategies when it comes to buying Halloween candy: Buy what you like so you can eat what you don’t hand out to the trick-or-treaters, or buy what you DON’T like, so you aren’t tempted to binge on November 1 (or 9pm on 10/31!) It got me thinking… Is there a unanimous choice for the best Halloween candy? What about the worst Halloween Candy? 

I decided to ask our panel of expert editors their opinions to scientifically get to the bottom of this age-old question. I wanted to figure out who I would want to go trick-or-treating with to ensure that, in our post trick-or-treat dump candy and trade sesh, I wouldn’t end up with any black licorice (my personal least favorite candy).

 

Melissa:

Loves anything chocolate, especially Twix. Hates anything sour (including the cute little patch kids). Hates, hates, hates anything gummy! Worms, bears, or otherwise. 

Julie:

Has an affinity for all kinds of licorice including Twizzlers and Swedish Fish. Doesn’t like Butterfingers (one of my personal favorite Halloween treats!). 

Christina:

Another vote for Twix, the only Halloween chocolate candy with the cookie crunch! And while she is not sure they still exist, Necco Wafers remind her of chalk. Editor’s note: they went away for a while, but are back in production as of 2020.

 

Marisa:

Nobody better lay a finger on her Butterfinger candy! But keep all of those chewy Swedish Fish, Dots, and Laffy Taffy away. 

Mike:

Mike was very specific about his favorite: Haribo mini gummy bear packs. So no large bags, and no Black Forest brand! But shockingly (to me) he was the only person to express his distaste with Candy Corn, the “throwaway bag filler” of candy.  

Jason:

No nut allergies here, his faves all feature something nutty: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfinger, and Snickers. Not so much a non-chocolate fan as he doesn’t like Dots, Runts, or Smarties.

No landslide vote here. I’ll throw a vote for Snickers, which ties it to Twix, making our two top Halloween candy treats chocolate and caramel variations. Any popular candy brands shockingly left off our list? Starburst? Skittles? Milky Way? Peanut M&M’s? Plain?

Whether we agree on the best or worst Halloween candy, at least we know the best places to snag a deal on it this year, so don’t forget to check out our best Halloween candy deals.