Chocolate used to be the top-tier Halloween candy, but that might be changing as Americans start stocking up for this year's spooky holiday.
Instacart revealed its top candy orders across the country, and certain treats stole the spotlight as America's favorite sweets to indulge in for trick or treating.
The top 10 data is from October 2022 but likely reflects what Americans will be buying this Halloween as well.
Chocolate came up at the top once again for Americans' candy cravings, with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut M&Ms and classic M&Ms earning the top spots. Also among the top 10 were Hershey's Milk Chocolate and Kit Kat, showing Americans are still solidly chocolate lovers.
However, while in years prior, chocolate comprised nearly all top 10 spots, there were some newcomers this year, signaling perhaps Americans' taste buds are changing.
"Comparing this list of the top 10 Halloween candies to last year reveals some exciting changes. We've got three newcomers: Tootsie Pops, Sour Patch Kids, and Candy Corn — two classics and a candy with a modern sour twist, which tells us there's a delectable blend of nostalgia and contemporary flavors showing up in candy bowls," Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart's trends expert, wrote in a company blog post.
The full list is as follows:
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- Peanut M&Ms
- M&Ms
- Toostie Pops
- Twizzlers
- Hershey's Milk Chocolate
- Sour Patch Kids
- Candy Corn
- KitKat
- Starburst
The favorite Halloween candies were also slightly different by region. In the West, peanut M&Ms were the most beloved treat, while California and Nevada residents were the most obsessed with Red Vines.
Some states, like Texas and Hawaii, had unique candy preferences compared to the other states. They were the only two states that ordered Ferrero Rocher Hazelnut Chocolates more than any other candy, meanwhile other Southern favorites included Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (South Carolina and Georgia) and candy corn (North Carolina and Virginia).
In the Northeast, the candy preferences were more mixed. New Yorkers solidly preferred Twizzlers, while Pennsylvanians craved M&Ms the most.
Not all states saw their residents buying the same amount of candy for the holiday though.
Utah, Montana, Alaska, Idaho and Wyoming residents bought the greatest amount of candy per customer, while Hawaii, Washington, D.C., Maine, Florida and Alabama purchased the lowest amount of candy for the holiday.
More Halloween Consumer News
As inflation remains high, Americans are on the lookout for any type of deal, and Halloween treats are no different.
Several restaurants have launched freebies or discounts for the holiday on the day of Halloween or leading up to the end of October.
At Krispy Kreme, those wearing costumes will be able to score a free donut of their choice on Halloween.
Meanwhile, ice cream lovers can earn 31 percent off all scoops, excluding waffle cones, toppings and sundaes on the spooky holiday.
Fast food giant Wendy's is also launching a festive Halloween Boo! Coupon Book for just $1 each. Each booklet contains five free Jr Frosty coupons, making the price of a Frosty only 20 cents this month.
Fast food competitor McDonald's also unveiled its 'Boo Buckets' to replace its traditional Happy Meals. They come in Mummy (white), skeleton (orange), monster (green) and vampire (purple) varieties.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Suzanne Blake is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on consumer and social trends, spanning ... Read more
