Our collective love affair with the sweeter (and occasionally sour) side of life can be traced back decades throughout history. Ancient Egyptians rolled dates, cinnamon, walnuts, and cardamon seeds in honey back in 1600 B.C. Wealthy families dipped cloves, ginger, aniseed, juniper berries, almonds, and pine kernels in melted sugar in the Middle Ages. Americans would occasionally enjoy the luxury of crystalized sugar, which we now call rock candy, in the 1800s.
While our collective sweet tooth has definitely shifted over the years, one thing is for sure: we love our candy. And what better time to indulge in your favorite sugary treats than Halloween?
Technically, October 31st didn't become synonymous with colorfully wrapped bites of deliciousness until the 1950s (making its debut with the holiday in the 1930s). Instead, the holiday was celebrated more as a harvest than a spooky night of ghost stories and costume parties. Rather than candy, families would hand out homemade cookies, cake, money, toys, soft drinks, and even little packs of cereal.
Today the candy scene is much different. In 2022, Americans spent a grand total of $3.1 billion—yes, billion—on Halloween candy alone. That's up just a tad from the $3 billion spent in 2021. Which is a pretty solid signal that our favorite sweet treats aren't going anywhere.
So, if Halloween candy has been around for the past several decades, which delights have been in high demand? While there's no record out there that says for sure what trick-or-treaters were after the most, here are the most popular candies of every decade that were surely a hit with kids and adults alike.
The 1920s: Oh Henry Chocolate Bar
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According to Candy District, the Roaring 20s were all about Oh Henrys, a "big hunk of fudge" filled with roasted peanuts and caramel. The company that made the bars was sold to Nestle in 1984, and you can still find the chocolatey goodness on some store shelves (and on Amazon) today.
The 1930s: Chick-O-Stick Candy
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The Great Depression undoubtedly shifted most Americans' mindsets toward treats that were a bit more economical. Enter Chick-O-Sticks. The combo of a toasted coconut, honeycomb outer shell, and crunchy peanut butter filling was the perfect combination of sweetness and savory that didn't break the bank.
The 1940s: Almond Joy Candy Bar
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There's a good chance you still recognize the Almond Joy candy bar today. The classic originator of this coconut-filled, almond-topped milk chocolate bar was first introduced to Americans in 1946 by Peter Paul and is still a fan favorite over 70 years later.
The 1950s: Pixy Stix Candy
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What better treat than a literal straw of flavored powdered sugar? Pixy Stix were first introduced to kids in 1952 and have since become a go-to Halloween staple with delicious flavors like grape, cherry, cucumber watermelon, mango lime, and blue raspberry.
The 1960s: Razzles
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Seeing as how Razzles is both a candy and a gum, it's no surprise that the multi-functional treat took off in the 1960s. In fact, it apparently was the first candy in the world with the ability to change its form. How cool is that?
The 1970s: Ring Pops
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A favorite among kids everywhere, Ring Pops were actually invented by a father as a tool to help his young daughter stop sucking her thumb. It not only worked, but the lollipop ring also skyrocketed in popularity and became a candy staple kiddos still enjoy today.
The 1980s: AirHeads
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AirHeads, a taffy-esque chewy candy that comes in a variety of flavors, made its debut on the '80s scene with their classic red strawberry flavor. Today, they have over 17 different flavor twists—including two that are labeled as "mystery" flavors.
The 1990s: eFrutti Gummy Candy
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As we all know, the 90s were, well, a little weird. And nothing is more evident of that than those gummy hamburgers, hotdogs, and pizza slices we were all chowing down on. While these eFrutti concoctions were originally made in Germany, they've been a mainstay on the American Halloween scene for over 30 years.
The 2000s-2010s: TBD
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Here's where things get a little dicey. While you might think that more recent decades would have the data to back up which candies were the absolute most popular, that doesn't seem to be the case. Everyone has their own take on which sweet delight is at the top of the list, so pinpointing it down to an absolute favorite is impossible.
So instead, here are some of the most popular candies that continually popped up during our search of this decade:
- M&M's
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- Snickers
- Candy Corn
- Harry Potter's Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans
- Skittles
- Twizzlers
- Milk Duds
- Gummy Bears
- Dubble Bubble Painterz Mouth Coloring Bubble Gum
- Kit Kats
- Butterfingers
Despite the obvious shift in tastes over time, one thing remains consistent: our love for candy. So why not indulge in some of your favorite sugary treats from childhood this Halloween and savor a little slice of history? Your tastebuds will thank you.
