50 Fascinating Tidbits About Your Go-To Halloween Treats

Candy is universally adored by both children and adults. Our love for sweets is so immense that the typical American consumes roughly 22 pounds of candy annually. Whether you aim to amaze your friends or simply enhance your candy knowledge, explore these 50 intriguing facts about the treats you can’t resist.

1. THE TOP HALLOWEEN CANDY DIFFERS FROM STATE TO STATE.

In 2021, Starburst claimed the top spot in Alabama, while Swedish fish dominated in Georgia. However, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Milky Ways, and M&Ms remain some of the most beloved candies across all 50 states.

2. THE INVENTOR OF REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS NAMED THE CANDY AFTER HIMSELF.

Harry Burnett Reese introduced the Lizzie Bar and Johnny Bar, named after his daughter and son, respectively. However, his true success came with the invention of chocolate-covered peanut butter cups, which he named after himself and branded as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

3. THE CREATOR OF THE TOOTSIE ROLL ALSO DEVELOPED AN EARLY VERSION OF JELL-O.

Leo Hirschfield, the mind behind Tootsie Rolls, also created Bromangelon Jelly Powder, a gelatin-based dessert that paved the way for Jell-O.

4. COTTON CANDY WAS INVENTED BY A DENTIST.

It might seem surprising, but a dentist played a key role in creating a new type of candy—perhaps aiming to boost business for cavities. In 1897, dentist William Morrison teamed up with confectioner John C. Wharton to invent a machine that used centrifugal force to transform sugar into fluffy, thread-like strands. Initially named “Fairy Floss,” the treat we now know as cotton candy didn’t get its modern name until the 1920s.

5. IN JAPAN, ADULTS CAN ENJOY SAKE-FLAVORED KIT KATS.

These treats are coated in white chocolate and infused with sake powder (containing 0.8 percent alcohol). In Japan, you can also find whiskey-flavored Pocky sticks, which are dipped in chocolate and enhanced with malt flavoring.

6. THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE BABY RUTH BAR HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF DEBATE FOR YEARS.

Launched in 1921, during the height of Babe Ruth's fame, the Curtiss Candy Company rebranded their Kandy Kake as Baby Ruth, a nod to sports greatness. However, when Ruth licensed his name for another candy bar in 1926, Curtiss objected, arguing it would confuse customers and insisting the bar was named after Ruth Cleveland, President Grover Cleveland's late daughter. Despite Ruth Cleveland having passed away in 1904, making the naming choice peculiar, the courts sided with Curtiss, and Ruth never profited from the candy industry.

7. THE MILKY WAY BAR WAS CREATED TO MIMIC THE TASTE OF A MALTED MILKSHAKE.

Milky Way was designed to replicate the flavor of a malted milkshake, a beloved treat in the 1920s.

8. WHITE CHOCOLATE DOESN’T QUALIFY AS TRUE CHOCOLATE.

White chocolate enthusiasts, take note: Since white chocolate lacks cocoa solids, it’s not considered genuine chocolate.

9. TOBLERONE FANS ARE HIGHLY ENTHUSIASTIC AND OUTSPOKEN.

When Toblerone decided to reduce costs by decreasing the weight of two of their UK bars, loyal customers voiced their frustration and ridiculed the bar’s diminished number of iconic chocolate peaks.

10. THE TWO M'S IN M&M’S REPRESENT MARS AND MURRIE.

The names refer to the last names of the two entrepreneurs—Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie—who created and funded the iconic candy-coated chocolates.

11. LIFE SAVERS ACQUIRED THEIR CIRCULAR SHAPE AFTER THE CANDY’S CREATOR VISITED A PHARMACY.

Clarence Crane, the inventor of Life Savers, chose a round shape for his candies instead of the traditional square mints after a visit to a pharmacy. Inspired by a machine crafting round, flat pills, he revolutionized the candy industry.

12. LICKING MACHINES (YES, THEY EXIST) TAKE BETWEEN 364 AND 411 LICKS TO REACH THE CENTER OF A TOOTSIE POP.

Human testers, however, averaged only 144 to 252 licks.

13. E.T. MIGHT HAVE ENJOYED M&M’S INSTEAD OF REESE’S PIECES.

The famous scene in 1982's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, where Elliott lures the alien with Reese's Pieces, nearly featured M&M’s or Hershey’s Kisses. However, when Hershey offered $1 million to feature their candy, Reese’s Pieces became E.T.'s treat of choice.

14. YOUR FAVORITE HALLOWEEN CANDY CAN BE PAIRED WITH THE PERFECT WINE.

Wine experts suggest matching Whoppers with cabernet sauvignon, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups with sherry, and Hershey’s Kisses with zinfandel, based on factors like flavor, acidity, bitterness, and sweetness.

15. M&M’S OFFER FAR MORE FLAVORS THAN JUST MILK CHOCOLATE, PEANUT, AND CRISPY.

M&M’s also come in unique and limited-edition flavors like pecan pie, peanut butter, pumpkin spice latte, pretzel, white cheesecake, coffee nut, dark mint, and caramel, among others.

16. THE TERM PEZ IS DERIVED FROM THE GERMAN WORD FOR PEPPERMINT: PFEFFERMINZ.

Created by anti-smoking advocate Eduard Haas III, PEZ was initially promoted as a mint to assist smokers in quitting. Its 1920s slogan? “Smoking prohibited, PEZing allowed.”

17. THE NAME OF THE SNICKERS BAR WASN’T INSPIRED BY LAUGHTER OR JOKES.

Franklin Mars, the founder of the Mars company, named the candy bar after a cherished racehorse his family owned, which had recently died. Snickers was raised on their farm, the Milky Way, located in Tennessee.

18. DUNKIN’ DONUTS AND HERSHEY COLLABORATED TO INTRODUCE CANDY-FLAVORED COFFEE.

They introduced flavors inspired by Heath bar and Almond Joy.

19. CONSUMING EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF CANDY CAN BE DANGEROUS.

The American Chemical Society states that consuming 262 fun-sized Halloween candy bars could poison a 180-pound individual. However, vomiting would likely occur before reaching that amount in one sitting.

20. THE COMPETITION BETWEEN TWIZZLERS AND RED VINES FANS IS INTENSE AND LONG-STANDING.

Candy enthusiasts engage in passionate online discussions about which licorice brand offers superior taste, texture, and appearance.

21. THE LAYERS IN A KIT KAT BAR AREN’T SEPARATED BY CHOCOLATE.

The filling is actually made from recycled Kit Kats. Imperfect bars, such as those with misaligned wafers or insufficient shine, are ground into a paste.

22. PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN HAD A NOTABLE FONDNESS FOR JELLY BELLY JELLY BEANS.

His love for jelly beans was so great that Air Force One was equipped with special holders to prevent spills during turbulence.

23. THE GOELITZ CANDY COMPANY’S CANDY CORN HAS BEEN IN PRODUCTION SINCE 1898.

Originally called "chicken feed," as real corn was typically fed to animals. (In 2001, the Herman Goelitz Candy Company rebranded as the Jelly Belly Candy Company.)

24. ASTRONAUTS ARE BIG FANS OF M&MS.

M&Ms are a favorite among astronauts on space missions due to their bite-sized, mess-free design. They can even be floated in the air and eaten Pac-Man style by space explorers.

25. THE TERM TOOTSIE ROLLS HAD A DIFFERENT MEANING DURING THE KOREAN WAR.

During the Korean War, U.S. soldiers in the First Marine Division used the term as a code for mortar shells. Chewed-up Tootsie Rolls were also repurposed to seal holes in their vehicles' fuel lines.

26. BUTTERFINGER ONCE PRODUCED AN ENERGY BAR.

Back in 2009, Butterfinger introduced Butterfinger Buzz, a chocolate bar packed with 80 milligrams of caffeine, equivalent to a can of Red Bull. However, due to poor market performance, it was eventually pulled from shelves.

27. BEFORE 1990, SNICKERS ENTHUSIASTS IN THE UK HAD TO REQUEST MARATHON BARS INSTEAD.

In England, the candy bar was given this name since Snickers sounded similar to “knickers,” a common slang term for women’s undergarments. (The Marathon brand was reintroduced in 2008.)

28. THE NAME JUNIOR MINTS WAS INSPIRED BY A BROADWAY PRODUCTION.

Junior Miss was staged from 1941 to 1943.

29. TO CAPTIVATE CHILDREN, PEZ TRANSFORMED CANDY DISPENSERS INTO PLAYFUL TOYS.

The initial dispensers designed for kids came in fun shapes like Santa Claus, a robot, and a space gun.

30. DAILY PRODUCTION OF TOOTSIE ROLLS REACHES 64 MILLION.

This translates to over 44,440 Tootsie Rolls being produced every minute!

31. HARIBO, THE RENOWNED GUMMY BEAR MANUFACTURER, DERIVES ITS NAME FROM A PORTMANTEAU.

Founder Hans Riegel merged the initial letters of his first and last names with the first two letters of his hometown, Bonn, Germany.

32. JELLY BELLY OFFERS A SPECIAL RANGE OF ENERGY BEANS.

Sport Beans are packed with carbohydrates, electrolytes, B vitamins, and Vitamin C. Who says candy can’t be part of your workout routine?

33. CANDY CORN ISN’T LIMITED TO HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS.

Special versions are available for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter.

34. THE PACKAGING OF MARY JANE CANDIES—FEATURING A YELLOW WRAPPER WITH A RED STRIPE AND AN IMAGE OF A YOUNG GIRL—HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED FOR OVER A CENTURY.

The filling of the candies, a blend of peanut butter and molasses, has also remained largely the same.

35. DOTS GUMDROPS ARE FREE FROM GLUTEN AND SUITABLE FOR VEGANS.

They might also rank among the most widely available non-chocolate candies: Over 4 billion DOTS are produced each year.

36. THE NAME 3 MUSKETEERS ORIGINATED FROM ITS INITIAL FORM, WHICH INCLUDED CHOCOLATE, STRAWBERRY, AND VANILLA FLAVORED CANDY PIECES.

Due to shortages of vanilla, strawberry, and sugar during World War II, 3 Musketeers eliminated those flavors and focused solely on chocolate.

37. IN 1923, SAM BORN ESTABLISHED THE JUST BORN CANDY COMPANY.

The founder of the company responsible for Mike and Ikes and Hot Tamales initially gained wealth by creating the Born Sucker Machine—a tool designed to insert sticks into lollipops.

38. IN THE PAST, PRODUCING A SINGLE PEEP TOOK 27 HOURS.

With automation, the process now takes just six minutes. This allows the Pennsylvania factory to produce 5.5 million Peeps daily!

39. BETWEEN 1953 AND 1967, RESIDENTS OF NORTH DAKOTA COULDN’T FIND CANDY CIGARETTES ANYWHERE.

The state prohibited the candy, fearing it might encourage children to take up smoking real cigarettes.

40. OVER THE YEARS, PEZ HAS INTRODUCED SOME UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL FLAVORS.

Their flavors have included everything from the exotic (cola, pineapple) to the questionable (chlorophyll, providing a plant-like taste). Availability also varies by region: U.S. fans of PEZ can’t enjoy peach flavor.

41. IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, SHOPPERS CAN PURCHASE JARS OF TWIX SPREAD.

It’s a spreadable treat similar to Nutella, blending chocolate, caramel, and crunchy biscuit bits.

42. ONCE OPENED, CANDY CORN REMAINS FRESH FOR UP TO THREE TO SIX MONTHS.

Ensure you keep it at room temperature, away from heat and direct light.

43. DESPITE BEING LABELED AS A “LICORICE CANDY,” ONLY THE BLACK LICORICE VARIETY OF TWIZZLERS CONTAINS ACTUAL LICORICE EXTRACT.

The classic strawberry version is produced using corn syrup, enriched wheat flour, and artificial flavors.

44. IF YOU ENJOY EVERLASTING GOBSTOPPERS, RUNTS, AND LAFFY TAFFY, YOU OWE PART OF YOUR GRATITUDE TO ROALD DAHL.

The movie Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, inspired by Roald Dahl's book Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, prompted Quaker Oats, which helped fund the film, to create a candy line (later known as The Willy Wonka Candy Company) to turn the fantastical sweets into reality.

45. EVERY EIGHT HOURS, THE MARS FACTORY IN NEW JERSEY MANUFACTURES 2 BILLION M&MS.

This translates to 4 million M&Ms produced every minute. That’s nearly enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool daily, which would require approximately 2.4 billion M&Ms to create a uniquely sweet Olympic spectacle.

46. THE KIT KAT JINGLE IS HIGHLY LIKELY TO GET STUCK IN YOUR HEAD.

Studies have found that the Kit Kat jingle—"Gimme a break / Gimme a break / Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar"—is among the most persistent earworms.

47. MIKE AND IKE CANDY WAS FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1940.

Since its introduction, the candy has been produced in nearly 40 flavors, ranging from the original fruit blend (orange, cherry, lemon, and lime) to more unique varieties like cotton candy and root beer float.

48. SALT WATER TAFFY TYPICALLY CONTAINS NO SALT, ISN’T WATERY, AND ISN’T MADE WITH SALTWATER.

So how did it get its name? According to New Jersey lore: In 1883, a storm struck the Atlantic City boardwalk, flooding several candy shops. When a girl asked for candy afterward, the frustrated shop owner sarcastically said only “saltwater taffy” remained. The name caught on, and today’s salt water taffy still reflects that humorous remark. Nowadays, you can even find Halloween-themed flavors from certain retailers.

49. OTTO SCHNERING IS THE CREATOR OF BOTH THE BABY RUTH AND THE BUTTERFINGER CANDY BARS.

As the head of the Curtiss Candy Company, Otto "U.S. Candy Bar King" Schnering first found success with the Baby Ruth bar. He later introduced Butterfinger, named through a public contest, which also became a huge success.

50. HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA—HOME TO THE HERSHEY CHOCOLATE COMPANY’S GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS—WAS NAMED AFTER A NAMING CONTEST FAILED TO PRODUCE A WINNER.

In 1904, the newly established town held a contest to choose its name, and the winning entry was “Hersheykoko.” However, the post office and many residents, including Milton Hershey’s wife, opposed the name, leading to the simpler choice of “Hershey.”