Canadian Candy – Best Treats to Follow Your Tastebuds

Canada is a country with a very unique history, traditions, and cuisine. With British, American, and French influences, exceptionally interesting elements are present in the culture. It also had a great effect on the Canadian candy industry. 

Follow us to review the history of Canadian candy and find out the best Canadian treats you can try nowadays. From unique and breathtaking vintage candies to various kinds of chocolate and gum, you can find any kind of treatment in this country! In the end, we’ll also review some successful Canadian candy brands.

Canadian Candy Names

1. Big Turk
2. Cherry Blossom Candy
3. Eat-More Candy Bar
4. Coffee Crisp Chocolate Bar
5. Smarties
6. Maynards Wine Gums
7. Thrills Gum
8. Maynards Swedish Berries
9. Mackintosh’s Mack Toffee
10. Maltesers
11. Lotsa Fizz Candy
12. Lucky Elephant Pink Candy Popcorn
13. Ganong Roman Nougat
14. Lay’s Ketchup Chips
15. Ruffles All Dressed Chip

Brief Confectionery History

When we think of Canada, the very first thing that comes to mind is sweet and tasty maple syrup. We owe them big time for this sweet invention. However, it was very strange to find out that the most famous and loved candies from Canada actually do not contain maple syrup at all. However, it is a fact that their candy truly is a high-quality treat. 

According to the sources, Canadian confectionery manufacturing actively started rising in the 1800s. As we know, some of the earliest manufacturers were Robertson Brothers Ltd., Ganong Brothers, Moirs Ltd., and Robert Watson Co. Candy-making businesses in Canada are mainly dependent on foreign supplies of two main ingredients: sugar and cocoa. 

Popular Canadian Candy – Top 5 Canadian Chocolates

Chocolate manufacturing started in Canada in 1885. Charles “Candy” Rogers became the first chocolate maker, creating it in the back of his grocery store. Since then, the art of chocolate making has been practiced in Canada.

1. Big Turk

Big Turk is a very famous chocolate candy bar. This Canadian candy is actually a Turkish delight, made by Nestle Canada. 

It is a combination of jelly (“Loukoum”) covered in thin Nestle chocolate. Loukoum Jelly is a sugary, starchy mixture that has a hard gel-like texture. The bar itself is coated in milk chocolate. The candy and packaging have a retro look and come in red, white, and blue colors. The chocolate bar is among the CBC’s 7 most popular Canadian Snacks.

2. Cherry Blossom Candy

Cherry Blossom is a Canadian chocolate candy bar that is considered to be one of the oldest. Candy was originally made by Walter M. Lowney’s Company and has been manufactured since the 1890s. Currently, it is owned by Hershey Canada. The new owner keeps the tradition going, and the nostalgic candy still remains popular. 

Cherry Blossom comes wrapped in tin foil and located in a cardboard box. This Canadian candy has a maraschino cherry filling and cherry syrup trapped inside the delicious chocolate, shredded coconut, and roasted peanuts. Just imagine how delicious and liquidy the chocolate candy must be. And once you watch its breathtaking commercial from the 1970s which is popular around the world, chances are that you’ll immediately go to the store to get your Cherry Blossom Candy.

3. Eat-More Candy Bar

The Eat More Candy Bar was created in Canada by the Lowney Company in the 1930s. Currently, the brand and candy bar is being acquired by Hershey. Chocolate consists of dark toffee, peanuts, and chocolate. It has a chewy texture and comes in rectangular and flat shapes. It stretches while eating. The slogan “Dive into the unique taste of chewy dark toffee, peanut, and chocolate” explains it all.

Thai Canadian candy was one of the most popular treats for kids back in the 1930s. However, in 1995, a new version of the chocolate bar was launched. It came with caramel that replaced the dark toffee. Unfortunately, this version was soon discontinued. 

4. Coffee Crisp Chocolate Bar

Coffee Crisp Chocolate is made in Canada. It was originally launched by British company Rowntree’s. Currently, it is owned by Nestle. The bar was introduced in Canada as “Biscrisp”. 

This Canadian candy bar has layers of vanilla wafer, filled with coffee-flavored soft candy. The mixture is then covered in a layer of milk chocolate. The newer variations of the candy came out in 2001, 2002, and 2004, including “Coffee Crisp Orange,” “Coffee Crisp Raspberry,” “Coffee Crisp Cafe Caramel,” and “Coffee Crisp White.”

5. Smarties

Smarties have been on the Canadian market for over 77 years now. Currently, this Canadian candy is manufactured by Nestle Canada in its Ontario, Canada Chocolate Factory. Those sweet treats date back to 1918. 

Smarties are colorful, hard-shelled candies that have a chocolate filling. Candies are crunchy and sweet at the same time. They come in different colors and flavors. Not artificial, but natural. Eight colors are included: Red, Orange, Green, Pink, Yellow, Purple, Brown, and Blue. Candy is UTZ-certified. 

And before you go on, just take a look at this commercial and tell us, when you eat your Smarties do you eat the red ones last?

Top 3 Canadian Chewing Gums

Do you enjoy chewing popular gums such as Dubble Bubble Gum, Bazooka Gum, or Cry Baby Gum? If so, chances are that you’ll be thrilled with the fact that Canadian confectioneries make some of the most unique and delicious gums in the world, and Canada is proud of it. Not only Canadian candy and chocolate, but Canadian chewing gums also tend to be popular around the world. So, let’s take a look at the three most popular Canadian chewing gums.

6. Maynards Wine Gums

Maynards Wine Gums has been on the market since 1896. They are like gumdrops, but they do not have a sugar coating. Even though the name suggests so, the candy actually does not contain wine at all. 

The flavor is meant to mock the taste of the wine. But the gums are labeled mostly with the names of wines, such as sherry, champagne, Burgundy, etc. Gums come mainly with a fruity flavor and an intense and smooth taste. The taste of it is very different from other gummy candies. Even though they are chewy, they are not sticky or stretchy. They mostly come in five shapes: Crown, Kidney, Rhombus, Circle, and Oblong.

7. Thrills Gum

Thrills is a Canadian chewing gum brand. Originally, the gum was manufactured in London. The manufacturer and owner were the O-Pee-Chee Company. In the 1980s, the company was acquired by Nestle. Since then, the gum has been made actively in Ontario. 

Gum has a purple color and is located in cardboard boxes and is famous for its soap-like flavor. The taste comparison to soap has become so widespread that the newer packages even state that “It still tastes like soap”! The rosewater that is used in the gum gives it such a unique taste. The taste is so strange that you either love it or hate it; there is no in-between.

8. Maynards Swedish Berries

Swedish berries are manufactured by Maynards. The name of the candy is a trademark by Vanderlei Candy, which is a division of Cadbury Canada. 

This Canadian candy has a perfect gummy texture; it is soft and chewy. Ingredients include sugar, glucose syrup, carnauba wax, and concentrated pear juice. The little, bite-sized gummies have a very beautiful berry shape, color, and taste. All that makes everybody just fall in love with it.

All Time Favorite Canadian Candy

After reviewing Canadian chocolate and chewing gums, now it’s finally time for Canadian candy! When it comes to candy, Canadian delicious treats can cure any sweet tooth. Why do we love those candies so much? Because it is part of the culture and the tastes tend to be authentic. For example, who would not love to eat Maltesers or Mackintosh’s Mack Toffee? 

9. Mackintosh’s Mack Toffee

Mackintosh’s Mack Toffee Candy has been Canada’s pride since 1890. It is manufactured by Nestle Canada. It is considered to be one of the most popular old-fashioned Canadian candy.

The American version of the candy is made from sweetened condensed milk, but the Canadian version has more of a creamy butter flavor. Toffee is made in a solid, rectangular shape and is individually wrapped. Candy has a very attention-grabbing tartan-like design. The slogan for this famous treat is “Smack Your Mack” because most people eat the candy by breaking it up into smaller pieces.

10. Maltesers

Maltesers also remain to be one of the most popular Old Fashioned Candies from Canada. Sweet treat goes back to the 1930s. This popular Canadian candy is also made by Mars Canada.

The packaging contains small, bite-size balls that are filled with a malt honeycomb center and surrounded by a layer of milk chocolate. Everything gives it a light, sweet taste and a crispy texture. 

11. Lotsa Fizz Candy

Fizz is a candy manufactured by Alberts. Candy has a hard shell with a filling of tartaric acid (tartar cream) and baking soda. While eating, the moisture activates the mixture and creates a fizzing sensation in the mouth. 

Candies come in individual wrappings. The traditional flavors are cherry, grape, and orange. There are also some variations of candy, including the flavors of green apple and blue raspberry. 

12. Lucky Elephant Pink Candy Popcorn

Lucky Elephant pink candy popcorn has been on the Canadian market since the 1950s. Candy comes in 70g retro-looking boxes and has a little present inside. Popcorn is caramelized and has a pink coating, giving it a sweet taste. Even though the candy is not widely available, it still remains one of the most vintage Canadian candy.

13. Ganong Roman Nougat

Ganong Confectionery manufactures and makes the popular Canadian, Roman Nougat candies. The Confectionery brand has been on the market since 1873. The candy has a soft, chewy nougat texture, and the addition of fruity jellies gives it a unique taste. The nougat bars come in three different flavors: orange, lemon, and lime.  

Canadian Chips & Snacks

It is not new that in Canada, we can find some very unique-tasting chips. It is true that here we can find very different tastes that cannot be found anywhere else, even in America. Despite the fact that American people are crazy in love with ketchup, Lay’s ketchup-flavored chips are only marketed in Canada.

When we went through the Canadian chips, we were amazed by how many different and uniquely strange flavors were offered by them. 

14. Lay’s Ketchup Chips

Lay’s Ketchup Chips can be found on the Canadian market. Even though the concept of ketchup chips was spread in the US too, it did not receive the same attention that it did in Canada. Therefore, it became Canada’s national tradition and part of their culture. Actually, these Lay’s potato chips do not really taste like ketchup; they have more of the vinegary umami of the condiment. The taste of it is somehow tangy. 

First, they were conceived in the 1980s, and since then, they have remained one of the most patriotic Canadian snacks.

15. Ruffles All Dressed Chips

All Dressed Chips are a truly Canadian mainstay. They have a barbecue taste with a hint of salad and vinegar and are served with herby sour cream and onion. So in one chip, all those different flavors are included, which actually creates a festival of tastes. In Canada, Ruffles, owned by Lay’s, is manufacturing it.

It is unknown who made and introduced the All-Dressed potato chips flavor. However, we know that it remains one of Canada’s favorites. The chips were brought to the American market for a couple of months, but they left soon.

The Most Famous Canadian Candy Brands 

Ganong Bros Limited

Ganong Bros is one of Canada’s oldest confectionery companies, founded in 1873 by James and Gilbert Ganong in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. At first, the brand produced boxed chocolates. In 2008, Ganong Bros Limited chose the president and CEO outside of the family, which happened to be the first time in the brand’s history. 

They were the first to make the wrapped chocolate bar. They also created heart-shaped boxes, which were especially popular during the Christmas season. Later on, they succeeded on Valentine’s Day as well.

Some very loved and vintage sweet treats are manufactured by the Ganong Bros Company. The Chicken Bone was created in 1885 and contains dark chocolate that has a cinnamon flavor. Delecto came onto the market in 1917 and was boxed chocolate. Hillcrest – chocolate cherries were loved by many. The brand is also the creator of Pal-O-Mine, Red Wrap, and Sunkist

Purdys Chocolatier

Purdys Chocolatier is a Canadian Confectionery Brand that primarily manufactures chocolate and also operates a retail store. The company is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, which is on the west coast of Canada. 

The company was founded by Richard Cameron Purdy in 1907. He had his first shop open on Robson Street in Vancouver. Purdy was doing experiments in his kitchen to create chocolate recipes. He eventually sold his chocolates on the street. In 1907, he opened his first chocolate shop. Even though there were some difficulties along the way, the company managed to expand the product lines in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. At first, they only produced dark chocolate, but then they started to make milk chocolate and chocolate bars too. 

Bottom Line

After some research, we truly believe that Canadian candy is something extraordinary. Start with the wild tastes and textures and end with the loving, sweet, and familiar. You can have an absolute festival of tastes. We discussed some must-taste Canadian treats that we adore and love. 

Share your thoughts in the comment section and tell us which one is your favorite or one you would love to try out.