Source: CandyStore.com
After a two-year hiatus, CandyStore.com has brought back its definitive “The Most Popular Candy by State” report, revealing a noticeable shift in American trick-or-treat preferences: classic chocolate staples are slipping as gummies and sour candies surge.
While M&M’s retained the overall No. 1 spot nationwide, Sour Patch Kids is closing the gap fast, climbing to No. 2 and tying M&M’s by winning 10 states each.
Across the country, 12 states crowned a new top treat in 2026. Notably, seven of those states abandoned a chocolate favorite in favor of non-chocolate alternatives, while zero states shifted from fruit or gummy candies to chocolate. Florida swapped Reese’s for Skittles, Arizona swapped Hershey Kisses for Sour Patch Kids, and Wyoming gave up Reese’s for Salt Water Taffy.
The year’s biggest newcomer is Nerds Gummy Clusters, making its first-ever appearance on the state map by capturing the No. 1 spot in Indiana. Finishing in the top three across seven states—including runner-up finishes in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Washington—the crunchy-gummy hybrid debuted at No. 5 nationally.
Swedish brand Bubs also made its map debut, placing third in both Kentucky and New York and landing at No. 22 overall.
Former Halloween powerhouses suffered heavy losses in 2026. Butterfinger dropped four states (Massachusetts, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin) while picking up only Hawaii, leaving it with three state wins. It remains at No. 10 in national sales volume.
Meanwhile, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups slipped from No. 2 to No. 4 nationally after losing Florida and Wyoming, holding top honors only in Kentucky and New Hampshire.
The shift across state lines points to a clear trend for 2026: trick-or-treaters are trading traditional chocolate bars for chewable, sour, and novelty gummies. While M&M’s holds the crown for now, the explosive growth of brands like Sour Patch Kids and Nerds Gummy Clusters suggests chocolate’s long-standing Halloween dominance may soon be a thing of the past.
