INDIANA — As Halloween approaches, a new study analyzing the nation’s favorite trick-or-treat treats has revealed that classic non-chocolate candies dominate the top of the sugar spectrum, leaving traditional chocolate bars far behind in the sugar rankings.
According to research conducted by health platform Go Smoke Free, Necco Wafers and Smarties claim the top two spots as America’s sugariest Halloween treats. Out of 37 popular candies evaluated, not a single chocolate product made it into the top ten positions.
Hard Candies and Chews Lead the Sugar Pack
To conduct the study, researchers evaluated 37 top-ranking Halloween treats selected from CandyStore.com sales data and YouGov popularity lists. To ensure a fair comparison across various serving sizes, nutritional label data was converted to show total sugar content per 100 grams, alongside equivalent teaspoons (calculated at 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon).
Necco Wafers topped the list with a calculated 89.5g of sugar per 100g—meaning nearly 90% of the candy’s weight is pure sugar, equivalent to 22.4 teaspoons per 100g. A standard 57g roll delivers 51g of sugar.
Smarties followed closely in second place at 85.7g per 100g (21.4 teaspoons), while Spangler Marshmallow Circus Peanuts took third place with 84.4g per 100g (21.1 teaspoons).
Top 10 Sugariest Halloween Candies
| Rank | Product | Sugar per 100g | Teaspoons per 100g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Necco Wafers | 89.5g | 22.4 |
| 2 | Smarties | 85.7g | 21.4 |
| 3 | Spangler Marshmallow Circus Peanuts | 84.4g | 21.1 |
| 4 | Life Savers 5 Flavors Hard Candy | 80.0g | 20.0 |
| =5 | Lemonheads | 78.6g | 19.6 |
| =5 | Sour Patch Kids Original | 78.6g | 19.7 |
| 6 | Swedish Fish | 76.8g | 19.2 |
| 7 | Brach’s Classic Candy Corn | 74.2g | 18.5 |
| 8 | Skittles Original | 73.2g | 18.3 |
| 9 | Charms Blow Pops | 72.2g | 18.1 |
| 10 | Peeps Marshmallow Pumpkins | 71.8g | 17.9 |
Where Does Chocolate Rank?
While chocolate treats are often perceived as the most indulgent trick-or-treat loot, their higher fat content means lower relative sugar proportions per 100g compared to pure sugar-and-corn-syrup confections.
- 3 Musketeers was the highest-sugar chocolate bar assessed, ranking 13th overall with 68g of sugar per 100g (17 teaspoons).
- M&M’s Milk Chocolate tied for 15th at 64.7g per 100g (16.2 teaspoons).
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar placed 19th with 58.1g per 100g (14.5 teaspoons).
- Snickers (53.1g per 100g) and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (52.9g per 100g) settled near the middle-to-lower end of the spectrum.
At the bottom of the 37-product ranking, Butterfinger recorded the lowest sugar density at 38.9g per 100g (9.7 teaspoons)—nearly half the sugar concentration of Brach’s Classic Candy Corn (74.2g per 100g).
Portion Sizes Change the Picture
Researchers emphasized that while sugar density per 100g provides a standardized comparison, serving size remains crucial for parents and trick-or-treaters monitoring total sugar intake.
Because physical item weights vary significantly, individual portion sizes can flip the ranking:
“Portion size can change the picture,” a spokesperson for Go Smoke Free explained. “A 7g roll of Smarties contains around 6g of sugar, compared with 7.2g in the 18.5g Butterfinger fun-size bar assessed. A product further down the ranking can still contain more sugar in an individual treat simply because it’s bigger.”
The study suggests parents keep total haul volume in mind when setting post-trick-or-treating guidelines:
“One 7g roll of Smarties and a 12.5g snack pack of Sour Patch Kids together contain around 15.8g of sugar, even though that’s only two items from the Halloween haul. Parents could choose a small selection with their children and put the rest aside for another day, rather than leaving the whole bag open to dip into.”
Full U.S. Halloween Candy Sugar Ranking (37 Products)
The full study analyzed nutritional panel data drawn from USDA FoodData Central, manufacturer declarations, and major retail listings:
- Necco Wafers — 89.5g (22.4 tsp)
- Smarties — 85.7g (21.4 tsp)
- Spangler Marshmallow Circus Peanuts — 84.4g (21.1 tsp)
- Life Savers 5 Flavors Hard Candy — 80.0g (20.0 tsp)
- Lemonheads — 78.6g (19.6 tsp) (tie)
- Sour Patch Kids Original — 78.6g (19.7 tsp) (tie)
- Swedish Fish — 76.8g (19.2 tsp)
- Brach’s Classic Candy Corn — 74.2g (18.5 tsp)
- Skittles Original — 73.2g (18.3 tsp)
- Charms Blow Pops — 72.2g (18.1 tsp)
- Peeps Marshmallow Pumpkins — 71.8g (17.9 tsp)
- BUBS Sour Diamond Strawberry & Vanilla — 70.4g (17.6 tsp)
- NERDS Gummy Clusters — 69.4g (17.3 tsp)
- 3 Musketeers — 68.0g (17.0 tsp)
- Jolly Rancher Original Hard Candy — 66.7g (16.7 tsp)
- M&M’s Milk Chocolate — 64.7g (16.2 tsp) (tie)
- Tootsie Pops — 64.7g (16.2 tsp) (tie)
- Milky Way — 61.3g (15.3 tsp)
- Hot Tamales — 60.0g (15.0 tsp)
- Toblerone — 59.4g (14.8 tsp)
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar — 58.1g (14.5 tsp)
- Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate — 57.5g (14.4 tsp)
- Dove Promises Milk Chocolate — 56.3g (14.1 tsp)
- Starburst Original — 56.2g (14.1 tsp)
- Kit Kat — 54.8g (13.7 tsp)
- Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Squares — 53.6g (13.4 tsp)
- Snickers — 53.1g (13.3 tsp)
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups — 52.9g (13.2 tsp)
- Red Vines Black Licorice Twists — 50.0g (12.5 tsp)
- Twix — 49.3g (12.3 tsp)
- M&M’s Peanut — 48.7g (12.2 tsp)
- Haribo Goldbears — 47.2g (11.8 tsp)
- Mary Jane Candy — 46.2g (11.5 tsp)
- Almond Joy — 44.4g (11.1 tsp)
- Taffy Town Salt Water Taffy — 42.9g (10.7 tsp)
- Red Vines Original Red Twists — 40.0g (10.0 tsp)
- Butterfinger — 38.9g (9.7 tsp)
