Every October, Halloween is not only a carnival for children, but also the annual peak sales season for the North American candy industry. According to Statista data, US consumers are expected to spend over $3.6 billion on candy during Halloween in 2025, with a significant portion of this spending focused on trick-or-treat buckets.
1.Consumers’ Halloween candy choices
Therefore, for B-side businesses engaged in candy distribution, brand packaging, or export, choosing the right candy is far more important than choosing expensive ones.
Despite the vast variety of candy, not all products are equally popular, especially during a highly social holiday like Halloween.
Whether children enjoy it, whether parents are satisfied, whether the product is easy to distribute, and whether the packaging is eye-catching all determine whether a candy stands out from the crowd. To this end, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular and least popular Halloween candies based on multiple US research platforms, and combined it with the latest trends for 2025 to help you make informed decisions and prepare your inventory effectively.
This isn’t just anecdotal evidence; numerous consumer surveys have also shown that certain candies consistently rank among the “least popular” year-round, while others are must-haves and guaranteed to sell well.
2.The Least Popular Halloween Candies
For a long time, some candies have become a source of disappointment for children on Halloween due to niche flavors, unappealing textures, and outdated packaging. These products have been frequently criticized on social media platforms, even earning the nickname “Halloween Candy Thunder List.”
Ranking Candy Name Common Complaints
- Black Licorice: Strong medicinal flavor and a hard texture, often described as “like cough syrup.”
- Wax Cola Bottles: The shell is difficult to swallow, and the sugar is sweet and sticky, earning them the nickname “the braces killer.”
- Candy Corn: Disliked for its sticky texture and noticeable artificial coloring, which creates both visual and taste discomfort.
- Peanut Toffee: Dull packaging and allergens often lead parents to actively avoid it.
- Gumballs: Hard to chew and difficult to chew, raising concerns about dental safety.
- Raisin Boxes: Highly nutritious, but lacking a festive feel, often leaving children feeling cheated.
- Mint Chocolate Chip: A blend of mint and chocolate, making it taste like “toothpaste” to children.
During the stocking phase, if any of the above candies are in stock, it is recommended to limit purchase proportions and avoid displaying them as “main candy bucket products.” Operators can also dilute the candies through mixed packaging or use them as promotional giveaways to reduce social risk and the likelihood of negative reviews.
3.Most Popular Halloween Candies
In stark contrast to the “blacklist,” each year there are a number of “whitelist candies” that children consider lucky winners. These products often feature: rich layers of sweetness, a smooth texture, easy-to-dispense packaging, and positive brand associations or social attributes.
Ranking Candy Name Features and Advantages
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: A fusion of sweet and salty, with a rich, milky flavor, a “universal favorite” in North America.
- Snickers Minis: A multi-layered texture (chocolate + caramel + peanuts), perfect for sharing and a satisfying feeling.
- Kit Kat: A wafer-like crunch and easy-to-break structure, enhancing the “sharing” factor.
- M&M’s Peanut Rice: Long-lasting, vibrant colors, and easy for children to recognize.
- Sour Patch Kids: A sweet and sour blend, stimulating taste and highly photogenic and social media-friendly.
- Nerds Rope: Colorful granules and a creative structure, frequently featured on TikTok.
- Twix: Similar to Snickers but sweeter, the two-stick combination makes it easy to distribute.
- Dum Dums: Low cost, diverse flavors, and easy distribution, a school staple.
- Kinder Joy: Includes a toy and hazelnut balls, capturing the demand for family sharing.
- Sugar-free xylitol gummies. Responding to parents’ health concerns, these products are suitable for gift boxes or “sugar-free” containers.
These products enjoy high repurchase rates across home shopping, chain supermarkets, and online platforms. When purchasing, consider a combination of “Fun-Size Mixed Packaging + Differentiated Creative Candies” to balance public acceptance and festive atmosphere.
4.Observation of Halloween Candy Trends in 2025
Beyond traditional chocolate and gummy candies, consumer preferences have shifted significantly this year, reflected in the following three major trends:
Rising Demand for Healthier Products
With rising health awareness, sugar-free, low-sugar, and natural candies are gaining popularity. Products using xylitol, erythritol, and plant-based gums (such as pectin and agar) as alternatives to gelatin and high fructose corn syrup are more likely to gain acceptance among parents and the adult market.
IP Collaborations and Gift Box Packaging Are Trending
Customized candy gift boxes incorporating anime, game, and holiday IPs are generating a wave of photo-sharing on TikTok and Instagram. Packaging design is key to conversions, making it particularly suitable for cross-border platforms and gift retail channels.
Products with high social attributes are more likely to go viral
Candies with photogenic qualities, splittable features, and blind box mechanics, such as stretchable gummy candies, color-coded lollipops, and quirky candies, are more likely to be shared and recommended among young people on social media.
5.Recommended Procurement Structure and Distribution Logic
Based on the trends and rankings above, we recommend the following procurement structure as a general template (based on 100% of total candy barrel volume):
Type Recommended Ratio Application Notes
Chocolate Fun-Size Packaging 50% Suitable for all ages, strong brand recognition, and high holiday repurchase rates
Sweet and Sour Creative Gummies 25% Satisfy taste and visual needs, photo-friendly
Lollipop Lollipops 15% Cost-effective, suitable for school group distribution
Sugar-Free/Healthy Functional Candies 10% Suitable for high-end families and those entering the sugar-free market
In addition, display should be divided by age group. For example, emphasize cartoons and shaped candies in the children’s area, highlight brand reputation and packaging trends in the teen area, and focus on health-related or functional candies in the adult area.
6.Inferring Your Product Structure from the Consumer’s Perspective
Halloween candy is more than just a holiday item; it’s also part of the consumer’s “social experience.” Every opened candy carries a legacy of word-of-mouth and brand recognition. Therefore, understanding what gets disliked and what gets shared is the starting point for effective product selection.
For exporters, chain brands, and holiday gift box projects, product selection isn’t just about whether it sells, but also whether consumers are willing to recommend it. By using rankings and trends as a guide, you can build a product portfolio that adapts to market trends and improves sales efficiency.
7.Supplier Recommendation
100sweetfood, Chinese candy manufacturer with 20 years of experience in the export market, we provide one-stop solutions for soft candies, hard candies, functional candies, and holiday candies to global customers.
Six fully automated production lines, with a daily output of 20 tons, supporting pre-holiday bulk orders
Fully certified for HACCP, BRC, FDA, HALAL, and KOSHER, compliant with global standards
Private label packaging and IP collaboration support, allowing for customized holiday gift boxes and blind box candy barrels
Global logistics and DDP delivery support, supporting cold chain transportation and cross-border fulfillment
For samples and quotes: suzhoubaifentian@gmail.com