The ‘most hated’ Halloween candy, according to study (2024)

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The ‘most hated’ Halloween candy, according to study? ›

The Worst Halloween Candy. According to the study, American's hate to receive candy corn

Anyone looking for a “trick” in exchange for their “treats” should absolutely buy up all the Circus Peanuts they can get their hands on. According to candystore.com's annual survey, these orange, peanut-shaped sugar nuggets are the most reviled Halloween candy in the United States.

For the second year in a row, Circus Peanuts have reclaimed the throne as America's “worst candy” after being replaced by candy corn four years ago. To determine the best and worst candies ever, Candy Store used rankings from multiple websites, as well as surveying over 15,000 customers on their favorite candies.

#1.

Did you know the Halloween favorite sells 62% more than its closest competitor? Not only on Halloween, but on Valentine's Day, Easter, and throughout the holiday seasons, 47% of all candy sold are Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

According to the study, Americans hate to receive candy corn the most on Halloween. However, it's not that sticky treat that's the most dangerous to eat on Halloween. The Jawbreaker is actually the top candy American's admitted to not eating because of its potential dental impacts.

1: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. This perennial favorite easily finished first in the candy derby, earning the title of most popular Halloween candy in 18 states, including densely populated ones like California, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

While the top candies vary from state to state, CandyStore estimates that Reese's Cups, M&Ms and Hot Tamales are the country's three “most popular” candies overall (and in that order) based on sales per pound between 2007 and 2022.

CandyStore.com has analyzed its sales data for the past 15 years and has determined that the top 10 Halloween candies are, in order from No. 1 to No. 10, Reese's Cups, M&M's, Hot Tamales, Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, Starburst, Hershey's Kisses, Candy Corn, Hershey's Mini Bars, and Snickers.

What candy do kids hate the most? ›

Snickers is the top-selling candy bar in the United States and is produced by Mars, Inc. This classic chocolate bar is made with nougat, caramel, and peanuts, and it has been a favourite among Americans since its introduction in 1930. M&M's are small, candy-coated chocolates that are produced by Mars, Inc.

Pan candy.

Candies such as Lemonheads, Red Hots, and Atomic Fireballs are each individually wrapped, which creates a barrier and protects the candy from the hot temperatures outside. And, because pan candy is on the harder side itself, it's less likely to melt when you take it out of its packaging.

Reese's Cups

Reese's is so beloved that it's the top-selling candy brand in America, with more than $2 billion in annual sales.

At 24%, Sour Patch Kids edged out Skittles (23%) to take the top honor. As one child said about Sour Patch Kids, “I like that it's sour then sweet.” These two crowd-pleasers were followed by Starburst (16%), Nerds (10%), Jolly Ranchers (8%), Twizzlers (8%), Life Savers (4%), and SweeTarts (3%).

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the country's favorite Halloween candy, especially beloved in California, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Wyoming, where they are No. 1.

Nearly three in ten Americans say Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are their favorite Halloween candy (29 percent). This is consistent across party lines, including 29 percent of Democrats, 28 percent of independents, and 28 percent of Republicans.

"Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut M&M's, and classic M&M's reaffirm their status as Halloween favorites among Americans coast to coast," Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart's trends expert, told FOX Business.