Halloween may be over, but the arguments about which candies deserved a place in the trick-or-treat bag are far from settled.
Everyone has that one candy they trade away immediately. For some, it’s candy corn. Others can’t understand why anyone would willingly eat Circus Peanuts. And then there are people who would happily take both.
According to CandyStore.com’s 2026 ranking of the worst Halloween candies, based on votes from 3,200 of its customers, several familiar treats remain surprisingly unpopular.
The results don’t represent every American’s opinion, but they make one thing clear: your least favorite candy might be someone else’s most treasured Halloween tradition.
Candy Corn
Candy corn has reclaimed the title of worst Halloween candy in CandyStore.com’s 2026 customer survey, proving that this colorful seasonal treat still knows how to start an argument.
Brach’s Classic Candy Corn features the familiar three-color design and a honey-forward flavor. Yet its recognizable appearance hasn’t protected it from criticism.
Here’s the interesting part: candy corn also ranks eighth in the retailer’s separate national sales analysis.
Clearly, disliking something and refusing to buy it aren’t necessarily the same thing.
That contradiction also appears in America’s changing Halloween candy preferences, where candy corn remains a favorite in some states despite its controversial reputation.
Circus Peanuts
Imagine picking up an orange candy shaped like a peanut, only to discover that it tastes like banana. That’s exactly what makes Circus Peanuts such a memorable confection.
Spangler’s version is a soft, chewy marshmallow candy with a distinctive banana flavor. Its five-ounce bag contains approximately 16 pieces.
Circus Peanuts previously ranked last in three consecutive CandyStore.com surveys before moving to second place this year.
That doesn’t necessarily mean everyone suddenly appreciates them. But anyone who enjoyed nostalgic childhood foods might understand why unusual old-fashioned treats keep finding enthusiastic defenders.
Peanut Butter Kisses
Some Halloween candies are remembered for their flavors. Others are remembered for their wrappers. Peanut Butter Kisses certainly belong in the second conversation.
Melster’s version combines chewy taffy with a peanut-butter center, wrapped in the familiar orange-and-black packaging associated with the category.
Despite sharing a name with other well-known sweets, these aren’t Hershey’s Kisses or chocolate peanut-butter cups. They placed third on CandyStore.com’s worst-candy list, although the survey doesn’t establish which brand respondents had in mind.
Love them or leave them, those wrappers remain a recognizable part of the traditional Halloween candy assortment.
PEEPS
PEEPS might immediately bring another holiday to mind, but the brand also offers Halloween-themed marshmallow candies.
One example is PEEPS Marshmallow Skulls, sold in three-count packages. The seasonal shapes give the familiar marshmallow confection a different appearance, making it suitable for a Halloween candy bowl.
However, the broader PEEPS category ranked fourth in CandyStore.com’s worst-candy list in 2026. The survey doesn’t identify which specific shapes or flavors respondents disliked.
For people who enjoy creative Halloween treats and festive candy displays, PEEPS still offer a recognizable seasonal option, regardless of the survey verdict.
Necco Wafers
Necco Wafers might be among the most recognizable examples of traditional American candy. Sold in rolls, the original version includes assorted flavors in its distinctive wafer format.
These aren’t the kind of candies that rely on elaborate fillings or colorful wrappers to make an impression.
Yet their simplicity hasn’t stopped people from disagreeing. Necco Wafers placed fifth in the 2026 worst-candy ranking, an improvement from fourth in the previous survey.
They also fit naturally into discussions about old-fashioned candies that still spark nostalgia. Sometimes, a familiar candy doesn’t need universal approval to maintain its place in people’s memories.
Wax Candy Bottles: The Sweet Treat With an Unusual Twist
Wax candy bottles are among those sweets that make newcomers stop and ask exactly how they’re supposed to work. Nik-L-Nip Mini Drinks offer a recognizable example of the format, featuring small wax bottles filled with flavored liquid.
Available flavors include blue raspberry, cherry, orange, and lemon. It’s an unusual candy experience because the novelty is as much about the container as the sweet liquid inside.
CandyStore.com’s ranking calls the broader category Wax Coke Bottles, placing it sixth in 2026. That name doesn’t connect to a Coca-Cola-branded product, but it shows how memorable the bottle-shaped design remains.
Mary Jane
Mary Jane candy is proof that a simple, old-fashioned combination can remain recognizable across generations.
These individually wrapped, chewy sweets combine peanut butter and molasses in a taffy-style confection. CandyStore.com traces the candy’s origins to 1914, giving it a long history compared with many modern Halloween treats.
Despite that history, Mary Jane placed seventh on the retailer’s 2026 worst-candy list. Its position improved from fifth in the previous ranking, though that doesn’t indicate a widespread shift in popularity.
The interesting thing about Mary Jane is that its continued retail availability gives longtime fans an opportunity to revisit a candy they remember.
Black Licorice
Few traditional sweets seem to inspire stronger personal opinions than black licorice.
Its distinctive flavor makes it immediately recognizable, and shoppers can still find options like Darrell Lea Soft Eating Original Flavor Licorice Bites.
The product features a soft, chewy texture, offering one version of the classic candy. CandyStore.com’s ranking specifically refers to black licorice, rather than treating every licorice-style sweet as interchangeable.
It placed eighth in the 2026 survey, up from seventh. For people who enjoy that unmistakable flavor, the ranking may seem surprising. For everyone else, the result might be entirely understandable.
ALMOND JOY
ALMOND JOY might be the most surprising entry for readers who expected this ranking to feature only unusual old-fashioned candies.
The familiar bar combines coconut, whole almonds, and a chocolatey coating. According to Hershey’s official brand history, ALMOND JOY was invented in 1946 and joined the company in 1988.
Despite its established identity, the candy first appeared on CandyStore.com’s worst-Halloween-candy list in 2026.
Its ninth-place finish highlights just how personal candy preferences can be. A flavor combination that makes one person reach for another bar might leave someone else looking for an immediate trade.
Smarties: The Little Candy Rolls That Still Divide Opinion
Smarties may be small, but they’ve earned a surprisingly large place in Halloween candy conversations. The American version consists of individually wrapped rolls of tangy, fruit-flavored candy tablets. These are different from the chocolate candies sold under the Smarties name in other markets.
CandyStore.com’s 2026 ranking places Smarties tenth among its least-liked Halloween candies, an improvement from eighth in the previous survey.
That movement doesn’t prove the candy has suddenly become a national favorite, but it does show how rankings can shift. For some people, those little rolls are an essential Halloween throwback. For others, they’re simply the candy left at the bottom of the bag.
So, which candy on this list would you happily trade away, and which one would you defend until the very last piece?
