Buy These 7 Halloween Candies If You Want To Be The Coolest House On The Block

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The reason we eat candy on Halloween isn't arbitrary — trick-or-treating started around the 1940s in America as a way to keep kids and teens out of trouble by giving them a specific activity. Back then, coins, nuts, or home-baked treats might all have been acceptable handouts, but today, candy is king. A whopping $6.4 billion was spent on candy for Halloween in 2023, according to the National Confectioners Association. About 97% of homes participating in the trick-or-treat economy hand out sweet stuff to the little ghouls and goblins knocking on their doors, as opposed to other treats like crayons, small toys, or healthy fare like (shudder) raisins. 

Adults love Halloween just as much as kids these days. We are decorating our homes earlier than ever, spending more and more on spooky décor and seasonal treats, and we're definitely trying to outdo one another when it comes to the novelty and quality of the treats we dispense on Halloween night. Everyone wants to be the house with the best candy, the one that kids whisper about and try to get away with visiting twice. Even if you will be doling out goodies from the back of your car at a trunk-or-treat event (the likes of which are ballooning in popularity) or manning the candy table at a Halloween house party, you will want to be up on what the trendy candy is for 2025. Gather 'round the cauldron, because we're spilling the witch's brew on all the sweets you need to keep kiddos coming to your porch. 

There's no shortcut to #legendary Halloween status like being the folks who hand out full-sized candy bars on October 31st. To trick-or-treaters swamped with fun-sized treats, your large bars will stand out in a big way. Of course, these can get pricey when you consider how many you'll need to satiate all the kids in the neighborhood! Pro-tip: one of the common mistakes customers make when shopping at Costco or other warehouse retailers is not wandering over to the candy aisle. Social media users swear that these stores have the best prices on candy bars for Halloween. 

Peelable candy is having a bonafide Moment with a capital "M" right now, combining ultra-satisfying tactile play with delicious treats. It's one of the biggest candy trends of recent history, so you will be the belle of the Halloween ball if you stock up for the trick-or-treat gang. While candy trends can be brief and fickle — just look at ZotZ, the forgotten '70s fizzing candy — we think this craze has legs. Pick up 24-packs of assorted Amos Peelerz gummies on Amazon and prepare for the chorus of "oohs" on your doorstep. 

Is there any craze that's gripped the candy world in 2025 quite like Dubai chocolate, the culinary equivalent of a Labubu? Rich chocolate enrobes pistachio paste and crispy knafeh, creating a rich, nutty mouthful that's hard to resist. If you want to treat your Halloween visitors to this trendy treat, you'd better have deep pockets. Both the ingredients and craftsmanship of these bars contribute to high price tags (even in Illinois, where some candy is cheaper). With delivery, a box of 48 mini Dubai chocolate bars on Amazon will currently set you back almost $100. 

The World Wide Web would be middle-aged if it were a human, and the last 40+ years have seen tremendous growth in global influences in our everyday lives, thanks to the internet making international experiences more accessible. We've been exposed to Swedish gummies, sakura mochi rice cake candy, and flavors previously unfamiliar to American tongues, like chili-mango lollipops. Calculate how much candy you need to buy for Halloween and treat your neighborhood to an overseas trip via candy buckets. A lot of these goodies are eye-catching, delicious, and unique, making them stand out in a sea of Snickers bars. 

Everything old is new again, just like those old-school '80s kitchen trends lighting up our Pinterest boards. Consumers love the nostalgia of vintage brands and products, and they are passing that fascination on to their children. We'd argue that candy necklaces are the perfect homage to the '80s and '90s babies shuttling their Gen Alpha kiddos around on Halloween, and that little ones will love the fun as well. Bulk packs of this edible jewelry are relatively inexpensive, meaning that you can stand out with your handout without breaking the bank. 

Candy that punches you in the mouth is nothing new. The WarHeads and Red Hots of millennial childhood are direct predecessors of today's spicy confections like Lucas Salsagheti hot candy strips, which are increasingly popular with kids and teens. Expect middle schoolers and above to greet these candies with awe at your coolness — these are the same pre-teens who made McDonald's viral Minecraft-inspired spicy Nether Flame sauce so popular, after all. Consider having an alternative, milder treat on hand as well for younger kids and those who don't love spice.

Crispier and just more fun than regular candy, the many varieties of freeze-dried sweets have been sweeping the market lately, including freeze-dried Skittles and Nerds Clusters. You may be wondering on November 1st if you can freeze your leftover Halloween candy, but these individual packs of freeze-dried candy won't still be around by even Veteran's Day, because kids will go crazy for them.