A Definitive Ranking of the Best Halloween Candies, According to a 12-Year-Old

In: Skittles. Out: Almond Joys.


My son’s Halloween take.

Last night, my kids went trick-or-treating in West Philly and Narberth. When I woke up this morning, my son had all of his candy sorted out on the table, in preparation for the massive candy exchange that’s going to go down later today between him and his sister, once she returns from her Halloween sleepover.

Meticulously detailed fellow that he is, he charted out the 414 candy items that he received, noting the quantity for each variety as well as his own personal rating for the candy, from 1 (nasty!) to 10 (awesome!).

The full chart is below, sorted from best to worst and noting how many pieces of each were received.

“Skittles are absolutely delicious,” he proclaims. “There are so many flavors of them. I actually prefer the Sour Skittles, but I didn’t get any. Mom signed me up for this thing where I turn in candy and get $1 per pound of candy, but I think I’m just going to sell some of my candy for 25 cents each and then use that to buy some Sour Skittles … and Legos.”

worst halloween candy

Note for Halloween 2019: No kid wants black licorice. Seriously.


The candy discards (those are the ones on the tray in the back of the candy photo) include Butterfingers (“They’re disgusting, but my friend’s dad really likes them, so I’ll give them to him”), Primrose Black Taffy (“Who would give out nasty black licorice to a kid on Halloween? Poison yourself!”), Mounds and Almond Joy (“The flavor of coconut is atrocious”), and all Hershey products.

“I really love Hershey Park,” he says. “But their original milk chocolate is too sweet and just plain bad. I actually don’t like most milk chocolates. Oh, and I also don’t like white chocolate.”

Still, he seems to have enjoyed himself.

best halloween candy

My son and his friend as Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute from The Office.

“I had a great Halloween,” he insists. “I got 414 pieces of candy, I got to hang out with my friend, and I got to be Michael Scott from The Office for Halloween. What could be better than all that?”

Note that in the table below, he refers to “mini” and “micro” size designations. The “mini” candies are typically sold as the “fun” size in the grocery store, and he’s using “micro” to refer to the even skimpier version.

CandyQuantityRating
Snickers Micro1410
Snickers Mini1210
Skittles Cauldron210
Skittles Wild Berry110
Skittles Original1410
Sour Patch Kids129
Sour Patch Zombie Kids29
Sour Patch Trickster Kids39
Sour Patch Mini29
Starburst29
Starbust Mini189
Jawbuster19
Jawbreaker29
Everlasting Gobstoppers49
Peanut Chews29
100 Grand59
Sour Patch Tropical28
Reese’s Stuffed With Reese’s Pieces18
Swedish Fish98
Swedish Fish Mirco18
Twix58
Twix Minis68
Mr. Goodbar Mini38
Krackel Mini28
Nerds Lemon Cherry18
Snickers Mini Crispers28
Nestle Crunch Mini18
Nestle Crunch Micro48
Dum Dums Fruit Punch Flavor18
Tootsie Pops Regular Size58
Jolly Rancher Lollipop18
Kit-Kat17
Kit-Kat Mini187
Kit-Kat Micro157
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups67
Reese’s Mini Cups87
Reese’s Pieces17
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Micro27
Lemonheads47
Atomic Fireball37
Nerds Strawberry27
Smarties77
Dove Chocolate17
Maltesers27
Kit-Kat Micro Glow in the Dark36
Trolli Sour Gummies26
Starburst Mini Tropical26
Starburst Mini FaveReds46
Twizzler Mini36
Snickers Mini Peanut Butter16
M&Ms Peanut76
M&Ms Peanut Butter26
Milk Duds46
Tootsie Pops Mini56
Take Five16
Runts16
Glee Gum16
Trolli Sour Gummi Worms Mini16
Heath Micro66
Big League Pop16
Three Musketeers Minis55
Three Musketeers Micro25
Sweet Tarts Mini15
Sweet Tarts Micro65
Nerds Pop15
Tootsie Rolls45
Tootsie Rolls Mini55
Tootsie Rolls Large15
Whoppers85
Rolo25
Charms Sweet Pop15
Charms Mini Sweet Pop15
M&Ms124
Blow Pop24
Tiger Pop14
Milky Ways44
Milky Ways Mini94
Babe Ruth Minis13
Babe Ruth Micro23
Hubba Bubba13
Life Savers Big Ring Sour Gummi13
Double Bubble112
Airheads Blue Raspberry22
Goetze’s Caramel Cremes12
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Micro White11
Hershey Cookies and Cream41
Hershey Mini Milk Chocolate61
Hershey Micro Milk Chocolate31
Hershey Micro Milk Glow in the Dark11
Super Bubble21
Chewy Fruity161
Fancy Filled11
Almond Joy161
Butter Fingers Mini31
Butter Fingers Micro61
Butter Fingers Peanut Cup31
Mounds11
Laffy Taffy Sour Apple31
Laffy Taffy Strawberry21
Laffy Taffy Chocolate11
Tootise Fruit Chew Cherry11
Tootsie Fruit Chew Lemon11
Tootsie Fruit Chew Orange11
Tootsie Fruit Chew Lime11
Primrose Black Taffy31