Halloween is just around the corner, and while the Rosary community rushes around looking for cute group costumes or mapping out the best candy routes, I took it upon myself to dig a little deeper into one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the holiday. Looking past idiotic questions about why vampires can’t eat garlic and why Frankenstein’s monster hates fire, I chose to focus on the most important question of them all: what’s the best Halloween candy?
To solve this age-old mystery, I devised a plan to properly and fairly rank four diverse candies – Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Sour Patch Kids, and Skittles – each representing a different Halloween candy staple group, from the classic candy bar and hard candy to the sweet gummy. The final ranking and unofficial title of “Best Halloween Candy” is dependent on four factors:
- Affordability – are you getting all the bang for your buck with these sweets?
- Shelf life – how long is too long to keep snacking on these candies?
- Meltability – will the candy last on a hot October evening?
- Freeze-ability – how does different temperature and preparation affect the taste of each candy?
So, without further ado, let’s dive right into our first category and start the Halloween candy battle!
Affordability
Snickers: According to Amazon.com, you can purchase a 100 pack of Snickers Minis for $23.00, meaning that the approximate cost for a Snickers Mini would be $0.23 per bar, which is a pretty solid deal. Although it isn’t technically a full Snickers bar, the minis satisfy cravings just as well, leaving you feeling a bit less guilty for grabbing more compared to second helpings of the full-size bar. Plus, a large value pack is essential for Halloween – extra stock is necessary to bounce back from the full candy bowl snatchers that terrorize every neighborhood. Rating: 7/10
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: Most of the Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup packs on amazon.com are their Reese’s Miniatures (mini Halloween candy is super popular), so I went with a pack of 105 Reese’s Miniatures for $13.00. This is a STEAL compared to Snickers, as one individual cup would amount to about $0.12 cents. So, with Reese’s, you’re getting the craving satisfaction, candy-stealing defense, and the delicious treat all for an awesome deal. Rating: 9/10
Sour Patch Kids: Surprisingly, Sour Patch Kids are way more expensive than either of the two chocolate candies, with a pack of 100 pouches (about eight gummies in each pouch) being $36.00. At $0.36 per pouch, this price is more than double the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures’ individual cost. And yes, while it can be argued that eight Sour Patch gummies amounts to more candy surface area wise than a mini Reese’s or a mini Snickers, $36.00 still seems like a big investment when considering how much you’ll have to get to fully stock your Halloween candy bowl. Rating: 5/10
Skittles: Similarly to Sour Patch Kids, Skittles come in mini packs with about 10-15 individual skittle candy per pouch. For that reason, it makes sense that Skittles’ prices land somewhere between Sour Patch Kids and Snickers at a $29.00 cost per 100 packs, which amounts to $0.29 per individual pack. This sounds like a pretty good deal to me, especially since Skittles are a tried and true favorite. Rating: 7/10
Shelf Life
Snickers: Once opened, Snickers bars supposedly remain fresh for about two weeks (according to Google.com), whereas unopened they have a general shelf life of about 52 weeks. I’d say this is a pretty good range, especially for the opened bar. Rating: 9/10.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: If properly stored, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are meant to last for up to a year on the shelf. That’s crazy! I’d love to know what differentiates Reese’s from Snickers expiration-date-wise, given that they both contain chocolate, but that’s for another experiment. Rating: 10/10
Sour Patch Kids: Similar to Reese’s, Sour Patch Kids have a much longer shelf life, coming in at about six to eight months worth of snacking after opening. Rating: 9/10
Skittles: Now, if we thought the Reese’s were impressive, the Skittles shelf life is MIND BLOWING. Unopened, Skittles can last up to two to three years – opened packs last for about six to eight months. I honestly don’t know whether or not to be impressed or scared by this datapoint. Is it a good thing to eat a candy knowing that it won’t deteriorate for two to three years? Rating: 11/10
Meltability
Snickers: After two hours in the California afternoon sun, Snickers was definitely feeling the heat. While still edible, Snickers didn’t fare too well with the meltability test, resulting in a sticky chocolate mess that was near impossible to pry from the wrapper. Rating: 5/10
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: If not for the paper cup lining that helped to preserve its shape, the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup would’ve melted into nothing after two hours outside. When I tried to peel away the lining, the candy collapsed in on itself, exposing an ultrasoft inside of peanut butter and a lot of liquid chocolate. And, surprisingly so, it was this soft interior that made this treat messier than the Snickers. Rating: 3/10
Sour Patch Kids: The Sour Patch Kids, when faced with the sun, didn’t melt or mold together; rather, they expanded. Although the gummies themselves were stickier as a result of the sun, they were still edible, with the extra pocket of air inside from exposure to the sun being a fun, but confusing, addition to the regular sweet. Rating: 8/10
Skittles: Similarly to the Sour Patch Kids, Skittles didn’t melt down into slime after exposure to the sun. Some of their bright coloring printed onto the paper towel they were sitting on, but other than that bit of candy art, the shape and taste of the candy remained the same. Meltability test passed! Rating: 10/10.
Freeze-ability
Snickers: Just like with the meltability test, after two hours in the freezer, Snickers firmed up immensely. I had to clamp it between my two back molars and apply a jaw-crushing amount of pressure to crack the chocolate shell. Taste-wise, the frozen Snicker was actually quite refreshing – the nougat almost tasting like frozen ice cream complimented by an extra crunch of the peanuts. The taste, however, did not make up for the effort it took to actually taste the candy. So for anyone who’s considering freezing their Snickers this Halloween, be sure to account for defrost time before digging in. Rating: 6/10
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: I was genuinely surprised by Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. After Snickers, I was prepared to apply a huge, forceful bite, but was met instead with a pleasant crunch and an untouched, smooth peanut butter filling. It was almost as if the freezer only affected the chocolate coating, giving it a bite to give way to the soft inside – so refreshingly unexpected. Rating: 10/10
Sour Patch Kids: While the Reese’s were an excitement, Sour Patch Kids were a bit of a letdown. Like the meltability test, they weren’t affected that much by the temperature change, retaining their jelly-like texture and taste. It honestly just tasted like a cold gummy, which while still good, was a little underwhelming. Rating: 7/10
Skittles: Skittles seemed to take the freezer treatment the least well when compared to its opponents. Snickers seemed impossible to bite into, but I was eventually able to get it open, whereas Skittles were impossible to bite. The hard candy shell was practically rock solid, and after a few solid bites, I had to give up to spare my teeth from chips and dents. Not the move at all. Rating: 3/10.
Results
Now, for the moment of truth! According to our amazing judging criteria, the official title of “Best Halloween Candy” goes to, with a total of 32/40 points…
REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS!!!
A fan favorite from the start, Reese’s clearly outdid themselves across all areas of judgement, showing no evident weaknesses and truly proving how diverse of a sweet it can be.
So, if you’ve learned anything from this article, other than how a competition can be made out of anything, be sure to pick up some championed Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups from your local store for this Halloween season!