You likely remember prancing around your neighborhood as a kid, going door to door collecting a bounty of delicious sweets. After a long night of showing off your costume and screaming “trick-or-treat,” the most exciting part of the night was assessing your candy collection. But it was always necessary to brace yourself for a surplus of bycatch like licorice, bags of pretzels or even the occasional mini plastic water bottle. With spooky season in full swing, it’s time to reminisce on the best of the bag. 

6. Snickers

I remember shaking out my trick-or-treating satchel and being greeted with at least a 50% ratio of Snickers to any other kind of candy. I love chocolate and peanut flavors, don’t get me wrong, but because of the general Snickers oversaturation within the Halloween candy market, they lack value and flair. Any family with a trick-or-treater at home will have a cabinet full of Snickers Minis year-round, so I applaud them for their position as a Halloween candy staple — but they just don’t shine as much as others.

5. Dum-Dums 

These mini lollipops will always hold with a soft spot in my heart. From piña colada to blue raspberry, the sheer variety of Dum-Dums flavors is what makes them stand out. Though they take a long time to finish eating, which prolongs the fun, there is the downside of the soggy, saliva-drenched stick left behind — and, depending on your preferences, the lollipop’s artificial sweetness unpleasantly lasting on your tongue. Let’s also not forget the suspense of unwrapping a mystery flavor, only to find out you scored a root beer instead of a tropical fruit punch. 

4. Starburst

Starbursts have all the components you want out of a piece of candy: They’re soft, the flavors are potent and they have a refreshing juiciness. The Starburst duos, in particular, are great for Halloween because they create a roulette situation for the consumer. This can be both exciting and nerve-wracking for the consumer seeking the coveted pink Starburst. My qualm with the candy is that I don’t love the orange flavor, and am often met with disappointment when I open a package of one.

3. Twix 

This candy’s gold packaging speaks for itself. Twix bars are a few bites of perfectly balanced crisp cookie with a thick schmear of caramel, all succinctly wrapped in chocolate. On top of that, the Left Twix and Right Twix gimmick creates a silly sense of competition. While Twix are delicious, they just aren’t a Halloween staple — for some reason, they seem to lack the pizzazz that makes getting candy on Halloween feel extra special.  

2. Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins

Though Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are one of my favorite candies of all time, the seasonal pumpkin-shaped ones beat out the regular variety. I spend most of my summers looking forward not to the return of pumpkin spice, but rather the exceptionally tasty Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins. As with other seasonal candies of this brand, the layer of chocolate around the peanut butter is a lot thinner, and the peanut butter is both softer and more abundant than its cup-shaped counterparts. During my trick-or-treating days, I would go out of my way to trade whatever candies necessary to accumulate a year’s supply of these glorious treats. 

1. King-size candy bars

Though I understand that having an everybody-wins situation at No. 1 might seem boring, I ask you to picture this: You’re 10 years old wearing your best costume to date, meandering through your go-to trick-or-treating route. You stop at the next door, expecting maybe a 3 Musketeers or a Tootsie Roll, bracing for possible disappointment. The door opens, and you’re met with a glowing, oversized basket filled with an assortment of king-sized treats. You’re overwhelmed with options, and even more so, you’re overjoyed at this gluttonous array. You might even walk away with two of these trophies of the hunt and get to bring them to school the following week — and share if you’re feeling generous.

Contact Ayda McClellan at [email protected].