A British Guide To American Halloween Candy

Unlock the secrets of American Halloween candy with our comprehensive guide tailored specifically for our British friends. Halloween is a time of delightful indulgence, and American candies bring a unique flair to the occasion. Join us as we embark on an exploration of the colourful and delectable world of American Halloween treats. Prepare yourself for an enlightening journey that will uncover the mysteries behind iconic candies and introduce you to a whole new realm of confectionery delights.

The British sweets people give out to children on Halloween and the much talked about American Halloween candies have a few notable differences. American Halloween candies offer a wider variety and range of options, with an extensive selection of seasonal treats specifically created for Halloween as the holiday is a large commercial opportunity embraced by the whole community. They feature intense and bold flavours, including sour, tangy, or fruity tastes, often with unique combinations like peanut butter and chocolate. American Halloween candies also feature elaborate and eye-catching packaging with spooky or playful designs. 

In contrast, Halloween is still a relatively new tradition in the UK with it becoming more commercial every year because of American influence. Halloween is still not celebrated by many people in the UK, especially those without children. Trick or treating also isn’t popular mainly due to “stranger danger” - parents who take their children trick or treating in the UK usually take them to pre-planned homes such as school friends to guarantee a pleasant reaction. The British Halloween sweets given out may have a more limited variety, leaning towards traditional flavours and brands like miniature chocolate bars and toffees or Haribo. Packaging may be less extensively Halloween-themed and more generic just with smaller versions of everyday chocolate bars. 

So what are some of the most popular American Halloween Candies and what do they taste like?

Pumpkin Peeps

Pumpkin Peeps are marshmallow candies shaped like pumpkins. They are typically bright orange and coated in sugar. Peeps are soft and chewy, with a sweet marshmallow flavour. During Halloween, they often come in various seasonal shapes, such as pumpkins, ghosts, or bats.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a popular chocolate candy. They consist of a round or cup-shaped milk chocolate shell filled with a creamy peanut butter filling. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter creates a rich and sweet flavour that many people enjoy.

Skittles

Skittles are colourful fruit-flavoured candies. They come in a variety of bright colours and flavours, including strawberry, orange, lemon, green apple, and grape. These small, bite-sized candies have a hard shell and a chewy centre, providing a burst of fruity flavours when eaten.

M&M's

M&M's are small button-shaped chocolates coated in a colourful candy shell. They come in various colours, with the original version having a milk chocolate centre. However, there are also different flavours available, such as peanut, peanut butter, crispy, or pretzel-filled. M&M's are known for their vibrant colours and enjoyable chocolate taste.

Starburst

Starburst are square-shaped fruit-flavoured chewy candies. They are individually wrapped and come in a variety of flavours, including strawberry, orange, lemon, and cherry. Starburst have a soft and chewy texture, and they are well-known for their fruity and sweet taste.

Hot Tamales

Hot Tamales are spicy cinnamon-flavoured candies. They are oblong-shaped and have a chewy texture. Hot Tamales have a strong cinnamon taste with a hint of spiciness, making them popular among those who enjoy a bit of heat in their candies.

Sour Patch Kids

Sour Patch Kids are sour and tangy gummy candies. They are shaped like small human figures and are coated in sour sugar. Despite the initial sourness, they have a sweet taste as well. Sour Patch Kids are available in various fruit flavours, such as cherry, orange, lemon, and lime.

Hershey's Kisses

Hershey's Kisses are small chocolate candies shaped like flat-bottomed teardrops. They are made of milk chocolate and have a shiny foil wrapper. Hershey's Kisses are known for their smooth and creamy chocolate flavour, and they are often given as little treats or used in baking.

Snickers

Snickers is a popular chocolate candy bar. It consists of a nougat layer topped with caramel and roasted peanuts, all covered in milk chocolate. Snickers bars have a satisfying combination of crunchy nuts, chewy caramel, and creamy nougat, creating a sweet and nutty flavour.

Tootsie Pops

Tootsie Pops are lollipops with a chewy Tootsie Roll centre. They have a hard candy shell with a variety of fruit flavours like cherry, orange, grape, raspberry, and more. Tootsie Pops are known for their iconic design featuring a coloured hard candy shell and a chocolate Tootsie Roll centre.

Candy Corn

Candy Corn is a tri-colored candy shaped like a kernel of corn. It typically has a yellow base, an orange centre, and a white tip. Candy Corn has a sugary and somewhat honey-like flavour, with a smooth and slightly waxy texture. It is often associated with Halloween and commonly enjoyed during the season.

Airheads

Airheads are chewy and taffy-like candies known for their vibrant colours and fruity flavours. They come in a variety of flavours like cherry, orange, blue raspberry, watermelon, and more. Airheads have a soft, chewy texture and a sweet and tangy taste.

Runts

Runts are small, fruit-shaped candies that are crunchy and hard. They come in a variety of fruit flavours such as banana, strawberry, grape, orange, and green apple. Each Runts candy is shaped like a tiny fruit, adding a fun and playful element to the candy.

Jolly Ranchers

Jolly Ranchers are hard candies with intense fruit flavours. They come in various flavours, including cherry, watermelon, green apple, blue raspberry, and more. Jolly Ranchers have a long-lasting hard texture, slowly dissolving in the mouth while releasing their bold and fruity flavours.

Blow Pops

Blow Pops are lollipops with a gum-filled centre. They have a hard candy shell with a chewy bubble gum centre. Blow Pops come in a range of fruit flavours, and they provide a combination of both a lollipop and gum in one treat.

Milk Duds

Milk Duds are caramel-covered chocolate candies. They are small, round, and have a chewy caramel centre surrounded by a coating of milk chocolate. Milk Duds have a rich, sweet, and slightly chewy texture, making them a popular choice for caramel lovers.

Whoppers

Whoppers are malted milk balls covered in a thin layer of chocolate. They have a crunchy malted centre with a chocolatey exterior. Whoppers provide a unique combination of smooth chocolate and crispy malt, creating a distinct texture and flavour.

Nerds

Nerds are small, tangy, and crunchy candies. They come in a variety of bright colours and flavours. Nerds have a hard shell and are known for their tart and fruity taste. They are typically enjoyed by pouring a small handful into the mouth for a burst of flavours.

Laffy Taffy

Laffy Taffy is a chewy and stretchy candy that comes in various flavours. It has a taffy-like texture and is often wrapped in colourful wrappers with jokes or puns printed on them. Laffy Taffy offers a combination of fruit flavours and a fun, playful experience while enjoying the candy.

Nerds

Nerds are small, crunchy candies with a tart and fruity flavour. They are made up of tiny, irregularly shaped pieces that come in a variety of vibrant colours and flavours. Each box of Nerds usually contains multiple flavours, allowing you to enjoy a mix of tangy and sweet tastes.

Junior Mints

Junior Mints are small, round candies consisting of a dark chocolate coating and a soft mint-flavoured centre. They have a smooth and creamy texture with a refreshing burst of mint flavour. Junior Mints are often enjoyed as a movie theatre treat.

Twizzlers

Twizzlers are licorice-like candies with a distinctive twisted rope shape. They have a chewy texture and a sweet, fruity flavour. Twizzlers come in various flavours, including strawberry, cherry, and black licorice.

PayDay

PayDay is a candy bar known for its unique combination of salty and sweet flavours. It features a chewy nougat centre that is loaded with roasted peanuts and is then coated in caramel. PayDay is a popular choice for those who enjoy the contrast between crunchy peanuts and chewy caramel.

Baby Ruth

Baby Ruth is a candy bar with a nougat, caramel, and peanut-filled centre, all covered in milk chocolate. It has a sweet and chewy texture with a nutty flavour. Baby Ruth is often associated with baseball due to its long-standing advertising campaigns.

Heath

Heath is a toffee candy bar made from a crunchy, buttery toffee centre covered in milk chocolate. It has a rich, caramelised flavour and a firm texture that melts in your mouth. Heath bars are known for their satisfying crunch and sweet toffee taste.

Mr. Goodbar

Mr. Goodbar is a chocolate candy bar made with milk chocolate and whole roasted peanuts. It offers a classic combination of smooth and creamy milk chocolate with crunchy peanuts. Mr. Goodbar is a popular choice for those who enjoy the pairing of chocolate and nuts.

100 Grand

100 Grand is a candy bar consisting of caramel, crispy rice, and milk chocolate. It has a chewy texture from the caramel and a crunchy element from the crispy rice. 100 Grand provides a blend of sweet, salty, and crispy flavours.

Butterfinger

Butterfinger is a candy bar known for its flaky, peanut butter-flavoured centre covered in a layer of milk chocolate. It has a unique texture that is both crunchy and crisp. Butterfinger bars offer a distinctive combination of sweet chocolate and peanut butter taste.

Ding Dongs

Ding Dongs are a brand of chocolate-covered, cream-filled snack cakes. They are round and have a chocolate cake exterior with a creamy filling inside. Ding Dongs have a soft and moist texture with a rich chocolate flavour.

Flipz

Flipz are chocolate-covered pretzels. They feature a pretzel-shaped pretzel core that is coated in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate. Flipz provides a mix of sweet and salty flavours, combining the crispness of a pretzel with the smoothness of chocolate.

Mike and Ike

Mike and Ike are chewy, fruit-flavoured candies that come in various flavours, such as cherry, lemon, orange, strawberry, and more. They have a soft and chewy texture with a sweet and fruity taste. Mike and Ike candies are often enjoyed by those who prefer a chewy and flavorful candy experience.

Twinkies

Twinkies are a type of cream-filled sponge cake. They have a golden exterior and a creamy vanilla filling. Twinkies are known for their iconic shape and sweet taste. They are often enjoyed as a nostalgic snack or a lunchbox treat.

These candies offer a wide range of flavours, textures, and experiences that are enjoyed by many Americans during various occasions, including Halloween.

We hope this guide has provided you with an in depth insight into America’s famous Halloween candies - many you may have heard the name of but were not sure of what they tasted like. From the iconic Candy Corn and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to the tangy Nerds and chewy Airheads, American Halloween candies offer a wide array of flavours that you’ll definitely want to try! 

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