Everyone has hot takes. The best part about them is when you come across someone who relates. So I’m sharing my unpopular Halloween candy opinions in the hopes that I’m not the only one! Whether you agree or disagree with what I have to say, I would love to hear your own candy preferences in the comments section below.
Snickers are not my idea of a good candy by “candy” standards.
I'm ripping off the band-aid. I really don’t like Snickers. On any occasion. It was the thing I dreaded seeing the most in my candy sack as a kid. It would end up as a bargaining chip when trading with other kids, or I would just straight up give it away. I know that Snickers comes in different flavors, but none of them ever made me change my mind.
I’m not just going to say that I hate Snickers and move on. I’m about to get real specific, so you can either hang tight or move on to the next hot take.
Snickers isn’t candy in my opinion. It’s an entire meal jam-packed into a tiny, dense cube. It could pass as a military ration. There are so many ingredients that I can’t single out any flavor profile. It’s so chewy that my jaw is worn out by the time I can work it down. Even when I get to that point, it just feels like a mess that I’m eager to swallow and be done with. I can never just relax and enjoy it as a sweet treat. It’s always work.
It may as well be a chocolate-covered protein bar. The Snickers company even knows it. That’s why the "You're Not You When You're Hungry" ad campaign is so successful. Everyone knows.
I’d much rather have a Mounds than an Almond Joy.
I personally don’t like almonds, but I felt the need to say this hot take specifically to address the go-to response that I usually get when I turn down an Almond Joy for not wanting the nut perched on top: “Just take it off!”
No.
When you peel the almond off of an Almond Joy, you’re left with a gaping hole on top with the inner coconut exposed. It’s like saying that a house with the roof torn off is the same as a house that’s completely intact. You’re not addressing the elephant in the room. The procedure for removing the almond can be too messy, anyway. Then you have to dispose of it, too!
But coconut chocolates are one of my favorite kinds, and Mounds perfectly fits the bill. It’s actually better for having dark chocolate (another personal preference). It simply makes sense. Almond Joy was always the candy that went to my mom or dad on Halloween.
Sometimes, I’ll pick Chick-o-Sticks over Butterfingers.
I know what you’re going to say. Something about how Butterfingers are essentially chocolate-covered Chick-o-Sticks, and the addition of chocolate should only make it better. I love Butterfingers, don’t get me wrong. There are just some days when I’m craving the crunch and nuttiness of the inside, and chocolate gets in the way of that. That’s exactly why I loved seeing both in my trick-or-treat bucket as a kid.
The Chick-o-Stick vs. Butterfinger debate is one that makes sense to me. Of course there would be votes on both sides. My vote just so happens to depend on my mood.
Did you know you can make homemade Butterfingers with candy corn and peanut butter?
Melt candy corn in the microwave in 20-second increments.
Stir in peanut butter.
Place on wax paper and put in the freezer.
Dip in melted chocolate.
I couldn't find these at the places I went to so I pulled this photo from online.
Sesame candy is my Asian guilty pleasure.
I’ve seen plenty of kids grimace at the lone piece of sesame candy sitting at the bottom of their Halloween bucket. I always looked forward to it. I loved seeing them hiding in my collection of hard-earned loot, like a diamond in the rough.
You already expect to find popular brands in your bag, like Reese’s, KitKat, M&M's, and Hershey's. But getting a piece of sesame candy was like pulling a rare trading card. Even seeing it out in the wild today fills me with warm nostalgia.
It’s not exactly sugary sweet like American candy, but I love the taste of candied sesame all the same. If you’ve never had it before, I encourage you to give it a try!
I genuinely don’t understand why Krabby Patties are still so popular.
Krabby Patties have been around for a very long time. Back then, I figured the novelty came from SpongeBob SquarePants being a trending show. Now, it appears to be a staple in children’s candy. Kids love getting these on Halloween for whatever reason. For me, all it took was one bite to decide that I would never find the appeal in it. I’m not a fan of gummy candy to begin with, but this candy in particular just felt atrocious.
I’ve heard people argue that Krabby Patties are better than the generic gummy burgers, hot dogs, pizzas, etc., but they all taste the same to me: Gross.
The only good Milky Way to me is Milky Way Midnight.
Honestly, the fact that there’s a Milky Way I like is already surprising considering my dislike of caramel. I realize that a lot of my opinions are texture-oriented, and caramel is a big offender. The gooiness of smooth caramel overstimulates me, even when I'm just biting into half of a fun-sized piece. The smallest skin-to-caramel contact, and I’m rushing to the closest sink to wash my hands. That was another one that went to my mom or dad on Halloween night.
But something about Milky Way Midnight is different. Better. The choice of dark chocolate is already a big part of it, but it also feels like this variation has a lot less caramel. I don’t know if that’s actually true or not. It could be mind over matter, but I guess that’s part of what makes it a hot take.
My first encounter with Milky Way Midnight was actually on Halloween. I remember dumping out my bag to see the new packaging in its mini form and taking a chance on it. I was happy to discover a Milky Way that I actually enjoyed.
Since we’re on the topic, caramel chews are my personal nightmare.
It’s hard to top caramel chews if we’re talking about gooey texture sensitivity. Caramel as an ingredient in other treats is one thing, but an entire block of the stuff is more than I can handle, even if I’m willing. Any solid caramel cubes that I end up with go straight to my husband. He loves the stuff. Back when I was still trick-or-treating, I think I might have given them to my cousins.
Don't even get me started on sea-salt caramel. You already need to be crazy to come up with that combination, and then there's people who like it. Crazy, I tell you!
I know we’re talking about Halloween candy, but since we’re here, I’ll just list every other caramel thing that I don’t like:
Caramel frappes
Caramel macchiatos
Caramel fruit dip
Caramel syrup and sauce
Caramel swirls in ice cream
Caramel sundaes
Caramel apples
Caramel cheesecake
Caramel flan
Dulce de leche
Fun fact: I like caramel popcorn. My love for popcorn supersedes all, and it doesn’t have that gooey, sticky texture.
I don’t trust anyone whose favorite flavor is grape.
Western candy companies in particular don’t know how to make a good grape flavor. The best I can describe it is dull. Other fruit flavors have a sort of bright pep to them. Strawberry is delightfully sweet, orange is warm and invigorating, blue raspberry defies all logic and reasoning in the best way possible, and even banana adds unconventional tropical flair. Grape candy makes me depressed. Same with grape soda. I’d rather just not have anything at all.
Now, everything I just said applies to purple grape candy. Green grape candy is something else entirely.
I love green grape flavor. Green grape (also known as Muscat grape) is more prominent in Japanese candy, so you're more likely to run into it at your local Asian variety store, Daiso, and Miniso. That’s all well and dandy when you’re out shopping, but we’re talking about Halloween candy. You’d be lucky if you found even one piece of green grape candy after a full night of trick-or-treating.
Peppermint York patties aren’t as inedible as people make them out to be.
It’s not my first choice, but it’s also not my last. I’ve heard all of the debates and arguments. “The mint is way too strong.” “It’s not candy, it’s a breath freshener.” It is candy, and it can be pretty good under the right circumstances.
Having a York after a meal will certainly freshen your breath, but as far as actual breath fresheners go, it's not your most practical option. It’s too much to eat to replace your average mint. Also, it has chocolate. You wouldn’t exactly say that chocolate is breath-freshening material.
One thing that I can agree with is that it makes for a poor Halloween candy. You know that kids are going to be your main demographic, and most kids don’t want a slab of peppermint paste in their assortment of trick-or-treat loot.
I’ll gladly eat a York under these conditions:
I can only eat one small piece.
I can’t eat one when I’m hungry (It’ll leave a bad aftertaste).
You might argue that you shouldn't need stipulations to eat candy. That’s why it’s not my first choice.
I didn’t come across any generic Halloween chocolate while out, so this is another photo that I yoinked from the internet.
You can’t have Halloween without cheap chocolate.
It’s all part of the experience. Those foil-wrapped chocolates with no brand name that taste only slightly better than plastic build character. Picking at the foil wrapper as it keeps breaking off into tiny bits, just for all that work to taste like mediocrity, is something that you remember forever.
Truly nostalgic trick-or-treating includes both the good and the bad. And honestly, “bad” candy isn’t always that bad.
What's your crazy Halloween candy hot take? Share it in the comments below! I would love to hear it.