Every year, people debate which spooky treat is the best Halloween candy. (As expected, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups came in first last year.) So, are there any surprises on the list this year? Instacart analyzed the trends in national sales data and surveyed thousands of people to determine which Halloween candy reigns supreme for 2024.
Top 10 Halloween Candies
According to the national survey, 50% of Americans will eat Halloween candy this year, and 45% will buy candy specifically for trick-or-treaters. As usual, tastes vary widely, from people who love chocolate and peanut butter combos to others who prefer sweet and sour candy.
In the month leading up to Halloween, shoppers will buy candy the day of (October 31) more than any other day.
Here’s what they’re buying most often, ranked from most to least purchased:
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
M&Ms
Snickers
Peanut M&M's
Twix
Kit Kat
Hershey's Milk Chocolate
Milky Way
Sour Patch Kids
Skittles
Ten candies contended for a top spot, but only three came in first for each state: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, M&M’s, and Peanut M&M’s. In a landslide, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were the most popular Halloween candy in 40 states!
To make things more interesting, Instacart dug into the data and pulled out the most “uniquely popular” candy. For example, people in Florida buy Milky Way Dark chocolate bars 248% more often than the national average. New York has a fascination with Ferrero Rocher Hazelnut Chocolates, buying them 141% more than other states. Peek at the data below to see which candies are the most prized in your state.
Most Popular Halloween Candy in Each State:
Alabama Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Alaska Peanut M&M's
Arizona Peanut M&M's
Arkansas Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
California Nestle Crunch
Colorado Peanut M&M's
Connecticut Sour Patch Kids
Delaware Hershey's Milk Chocolate
Florida Milky Way
Georgia Nerds
Hawaii Peanut M&M's
Idaho Peanut M&M's
Illinois M&M's
Indiana Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Iowa M&M's
Kansas Candy Corn
Kentucky Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Louisiana Tootsie Rolls
Maine Candy Corn
Maryland Sour Patch Kids
Massachusetts Sour Patch Kids
Michigan M&M's
Minnesota Peanut M&M's
Mississippi Hershey's Milk Chocolate
Missouri Tootsie Rolls
Montana Peanut M&Ms
Nebraska Peanut M&M's
Nevada Peanut M&M's
New Hampshire Candy Corn
New Jersey Sour Patch Kids
New Mexico Peanut M&M's
New York Ferrero Rocher
North Carolina Nerds
North Dakota Peanut M&M's
Ohio Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Oklahoma Starburst
Oregon Peanut M&M's
Pennsylvania Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Rhode Island Sour Patch Kids
South Carolina Candy Corn
South Dakota Peanut M&M's
Tennessee Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Texas Skittles
Utah Peanut M&M's
Vermont Peanut M&Ms
Virginia Hershey's Milk Chocolate
Washington Nestle Crunch
West Virginia Hershey's Milk Chocolate
Wisconsin M&M's
Wyoming Hershey's Milk Chocolate
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
