Need to restock your Halloween candy? Make sure you have these Florida favorites

Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·4 min read

Halloween is less than a week away and chances are you've already purchased a bag — or two, or three — of candy to give to trick-or-treaters.

You may be heading back to the store this weekend to pick up a few more bags. Everyone knows you have to sample the goodies to make sure they're not stale, right?

So is what you're giving out Tuesday the most popular candy in Florida? Don't want to risk being on the "trick" end of the spectrum? Have a phobia about running out of candy? Here are the most popular — and worst — candy by state, as determined by CandyStore.com.

The most popular candy in Florida 2023

Florida's favorite candy in 2023 was Reese's Cups, followed by Skittles and Hot Tamales.
Florida's favorite candy in 2023 was Reese's Cups, followed by Skittles and Hot Tamales.

Based on CandyStore.com's survey, the top three candies in Florida are:

  1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

  2. Skittles

  3. Hot Tamales

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What are the top 10 most popular candies in the US in 2023?

The most popular Halloween candy in 2023 was Reese's Cups.
The most popular Halloween candy in 2023 was Reese's Cups.

  1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

  2. M&M's

  3. Hot Tamales

  4. Skittles

  5. Sour Patch Kids

  6. Starburst

  7. Hershey Kisses

  8. Candy Corn

  9. Hershey Mini Bars

  10. Snickers

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Top three most popular candies in every state

Source: CandyStore.com.

Click on Candy Store's interactive map to view the top three candies your state loves.

A yes, Utah's favorite candy is candy corn.

Candy takeaways from 2023 survey

No, we didn't mean for you to literally "take" some candy. Here are some highlights from 2023's survey:

Love it or loathe it, Candy Corn is making a comeback. The tri-colored treat that has been around since the late 1800s has returned to the top 10. Has candy corn found a new generation of admirers, CandyStore wondered?

M&M's are giving Reese's Cups a run for their money, inching closer to the No. 1 spot.

Hot Tamales, with its fiery cinnamon flavor, jumped over Skittles to take the No. 3 slot.

Another jump in positioning came from Sour Patch Kids, which are close behind Skittles in the No. 5 slot.

What are the worst candies in the US?

The "worst" Halloween candy for 2023.
The "worst" Halloween candy for 2023.

Make sure these candies aren't in your bowl to give away.

  1. Circus Peanuts

  2. Candy Corn

  3. Necco Wafers

  4. Peanut Butter Kisses

  5. Wax Cola Bottles

  6. Mary Janes

  7. Smarties

  8. Licorice

  9. Bit-O-Honey

  10. Tootsie Roll

To determine the best and worst candies ever, CandyStore used rankings from multiple websites, as well as surveying over 15,000 customers on their favorite candies.

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How much money will be spent on Halloween candy in 2023?

According to the National Retail Federation, spending on Halloween candy is expected to pass pre-COVID-19 spending, hitting $3.6 billion this year. That's a 16% jump.

Consumers plan to spend $100 on average for Halloween candy, decorations, cards and costumes. That's close to last year's record of $103 and is the second highest in the survey’s history.

The top ways consumers plan to celebrate include:

  • Handing out candy (67%)

  • Decorating their home or yard (51%)

  • Dressing up in costume (47%)

  • Carving a pumpkin (44%)

  • Throwing or attending a Halloween party (28%).

Similar to last year, one in five plan to dress their pet up in a costume.

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What can you do with leftover Halloween candy?

After portioning it out for the kids — teachers will be grateful — and hiding some for the adults in house — you know you do it — you might find yourself wondering what you should do with all the remaining candy. It just seems wasteful to throw it all away.

Here are a few ideas:

  • Call a local food pantry, homeless shelter or nursing home to see if they accept Halloween candy.

  • Treats for Troops is a Halloween candy collection program where local businesses and organizations register to collect excess Halloween candy, which is then sent to service members and veterans. Find collection sites near you.

  • Chop it up, freeze it and get creative with your next batch of cookies, cake, etc.

  • Have a home freeze dryer? Check out the popular ideas circulating on YouTube and TikTok.

  • Take them to the office. Special note: This only works if you don't work from home.

  • Use some on a gingerbread house.

  • Have a birthday coming up? Stuff a piñata.

  • Make a peanut butter cookie pizza. and get the sugar high over with.

  • Toss 'em in the car (well, it's not cold enough for the chocolate yet) and check out these haunted Florida locations.

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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida most popular candy 2023: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups