Trick, or Treat? 11 Halloween Candies That Are Universally Loathed

Fruit Flavored Tootsie Rolls? Definitely a Trick, Not Treat.
Photo by: Tuende Bede, via PixaBay.

While the vast majority of Halloween candies are loved by kids and adults alike, there are a few types of candy that hold a special place in the "Most Hated Halloween Candy" Hall of Fame. You know the ones we're talking about - the treats you look to trade with your unsuspecting buddies on Halloween night after a long evening of trick or treating, the candy that sits on the cabinet shelf for the next 8 to 800 months, never to see the light of day again.

Since there's a certain schadenfreude in loving to hate on these candies, we've put together a list of sweet...."treats" that everyone sure does love to hate on Halloween night:

1. Candy Corn - Ah yeah, Candy Corn, the classic Halloween candy that is as equally beloved as it is hated. While there are definitely avid Candy Corn fans, it's fair to say that just as many people actively hate candy corn as there are those who love it, which is why no "Most Hated Halloween Candy" List would be complete without this divisive sweet treat.
   
   
2. Mary Janes - First of all, do they even make these candies anymore? Has ANYONE had a Mary Jane candy that didn't crack a tooth, rip out your braces hardware, or inflict harm on you in some way? (Seriously - if you have, we want to know what they taste like). Why are people still handing these out on Halloween. I distinctly remember my Dad taking away Mary Jane candies from me as a kid, citing them as bad for my teeth, and letting me in on the urban legend that only 1,000 were ever made, and they're still circulating in bowls of Halloween candy to this day. I don't think his legend was that far off.
   
   
3. Those Ubiquitous Black & Orange Taffy Candies - Ok, so these are a well known Halloween "treat", because everyone who's ever gone trick or treating in the past 5 decades (or more) has received some of these candies. They're wrapped in either black or orange wax paper, and they seem to be some sort of hardened taffy candy, just daring you to chip your tooth on them. Similar to Mary Janes, no one seems to know WHY these are still "a thing", and who is keeping the poorly wrapped Halloween taffy industry alive and thriving for so long.
   
   
4. Necco Wafers - Some say they taste like chalk, some say they taste like dirt, but everyone knows that you'll only find this candy in the dishes of your neighbors who are above the age of 80, and it's iffy as to when they were put out for the first time.
   
   
5. Dots Candy - This is another treat that you have to wonder "how long were these on the shelves before they were given to me?" From personal experience, Dots Candy handed out on Halloween are typically hard, unchewable lumps that have been known to pull out many a piece of braces hardware.
   
   
6. Weird Flavored Tootsie Rolls - Ok, so let me preface this by saying that everyone knows that REGULAR Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops are delicious - that's a given. But those weird, "fruit" flavored "Tootsie Rolls"? Not so much. They taste weird, they're hard, and frankly, even as an adult, I have never, ever seen these in the store - where do they even come from? They look like leftover Easter Candy, and by Halloween, they taste like it too.
   
   
7. Bazooka Bubble Gum, Specifically - Are other gum candies handed out on Halloween good? Not really, per se, but nothing's worse than Bazooka Bubble Gum when it comes to gums handed out on Halloween. The gum is dry, stiff, often hard or impossible to chew, and if you are lucky enough to chew the gum, well, it's not much of a treat at all. It tastes good for all of .8 seconds before tasting like a big ball of nothing.
   
   
8. Good & Plenty - Despite their promising name, Good & Plenty are neither of the things that their nomenclature boasts. There's typically like 5 to 7 rock hard Good & Plenties in a fun sized box, and they're never the chewy licorice treat you were hoping for - they're hard, the outer shell flakes off, and overall, it's just a hard pass for us.
   
   
9. Sixlets - It's like they've combined all of the excitement of M&Ms with all of the disappointment of store-brand Oreos into one sad candy. Disappointing every time. The worst part is, you can never remember if you didn't like them last year - they look innocuous enough, but nope, each year, they're just as bad.
   
   
10. Pixie Sticks - Ok, in theory, this candy sounds like fun, but in reality it is a sugary,potentially sticky mess that infiltrates every crevice and crack of your trick or treat bag. 
    
    
11. Raisins - First of all, let's get one thing straight - giving raisins out on Halloween is a trick, not a treat. Raisins aren't candy, and they're barely even a fruit. That's all we have to say about that.

What Halloween Candies & Treats Do You Love to Hate?
Let Us Know in the Comments Below!