American Candy – A Variety of Incredible Flavors

America is a leading country in many things, but what have you heard about American candy? While some of the European countries fight over who has the best chocolate, the United States has a strong candy culture all of its own. It has many amazing and delicious sweet treats to offer, and therefore, most American candy has become very famous all around the world.

American Candy Names

1. M&M’s
2. Snickers 
3. Reese’s Cups
4. Almond Joy
5. Hershey’s Kisses
6. Milky Way 
7. York Peppermint Pattie
8. Ghirardelli Squares
9. Twizzlers
10. Candy Corn
11. Butterfinger 
12. Tootsie Pops 

Top 12 Most Famous American Candy

American candy with its colorful and various tastes satisfies a lot of sweet cravings. There are candies we love, and we remember. All of it makes American candy one of the best. Do you want to know more about American candy? Then let’s take a look at the most popular American sweets of all time.

1. M&M’s 

M&M’s is one of the most famous American candy, not only in the United States but around the world. They are small button-like colorful chocolate candies with the letter “m” on them. We all love to use them for decorating our desserts or using them as a snack at Halloween or as movie theater candy. A regular bag of M&M’s comes with all the classic colors, Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Yellow, and Dark Brown. Since it has created enjoyable experiences and memories for each of us for years, most likely, you already knew all we mentioned above, but we aren’t sure that you know about the pretty interesting history of this amazing American candy. 

“The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand” — is the slogan of M&M’s and very likely a key to the candy’s success. In fact, it was something Forrest Mars noticed during the Spanish Civil War. He saw soldiers eating pieces of chocolate covered in a candy coating, and the clever thing was that candy coating was protecting it from melting. He returned to the United States in 1941 and patented M&M’s with Bruce Murrie ( if you haven’t already guessed, he is another “m” in M&M’s), so the tagline we mentioned at the beginning is exactly the unique selling point that made them the most popular candy in the world.

Since 1941, it has had an oversized impact on American popular culture. From their beginnings as American snacks for soldiers, to NASA space missions, yes! You heard it right, it is the first candy ever to travel to space. And if you are a fan of M&M’S then you should know that you can get different colors of M&M’s from Amazon, or wait for their special holiday mixes, that M&M’s company puts out for Valentine’s, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

2. Snickers 

This is another traditional American candy created by the Mars family. Peanuts, nougat, caramel, and chocolate are tastefully combined to make this traditional snack. Snickers was created back in 1930 by Frank Mars, who named the snack after his horse. It soon became the favorite snack of millions of people, and in 1984, it became the sponsor of the Olympic Games. 

If you ask your grandparents about the snack, they would probably remember Snickers as a good memory of their youth. Even after all those years, it still succeeds in being a part of our sweet memories. What do you remember first when you think of Snickers? Most likely the slogan –  “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” After this campaign, this American candy became widely accepted as a snack that helps you calm your hunger. 

Even after all those years, Snickers remains one of the best-selling American candies in the United States, and it isn’t only because of its delicious flavors, but all the good memories the brand created for us to remember. 

3. Reese’s Cups

What about the American candy that consists of two of your favorite things put together? Back in 1928, H. B. Reese simply mixed two favorite ingredients of the American people, and that’s how he created everyone’s favorite American candy. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is a chocolate cup with peanut butter inside. Just thinking about it is enough for it to win your heart, so we are not surprised why all American people and many others fell in love with this American candy. 

Reese’s cups are sold now under the name of The Hershey Company, and it can be said that they are the best-selling American candy, followed by M&M’s. All these years have passed, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup product portfolio has grown. Now you can get Reese’s cups in different sizes and with different ingredients, but what hasn’t changed is the unconditional love of people for this American candy.

We all agree that these delicious chocolate and peanut butter candies are everyone’s favorite unless you have an allergy. For the majority of us, the match of chocolate and peanut butter, which come in different shapes and sizes can’t be anything but good.

4. Almond Joy 

For those who have not already tasted it, Almond Joy is a candy bar that consists of ingredients like milk chocolate. coconut, and almonds. The coconut inside the candy makes it soft and tasty, while the outer parts of chocolate and almonds make it more consistent.

Almond Joy was first invented in the year 1945 in the United States, but the roots of Almond Joy go back to the year 1920 when a similar candy bar – Mounds was introduced, but it can be said that Almond Joy is the more complete version of it. The Almond Joy candy bar is now being marketed by the Hershey Food Corporation.

Almond Joy is very popular in the United States and, as a favorite American candy for many people, has developed and become more varied. What makes this candy special is that it has coconut in it, which is not often seen in the American candy market as much as other ingredients. So this is coconut lovers’ favorite American candy.

5. Hershey’s Kisses

Hershey’s Kisses come from the Hershey Company. Yes, this is the bite-sized candy that you can simply unwrap and pop into your mouth. That’s why they are called Hershey’s Kisses! One single candy is just the right size to pop in your mouth and enjoy all the delicious flavors! 

Kisses were first introduced by the Hershey Company in 1907, and they soon became a successful product for the company, The size and shape were the unique parts of it that were soon copied by other companies, but what stayed unchanged was the brand and the name. Even the flavors or shapes are the same now, but people have different experiences connected to Hershey’s. So they still choose to buy Hershey’s kisses as their favorite American candy. For some people, just one bite is enough to feel all the flavors. 

6. Milky Way 

Here’s another tasty sweetness manufactured and marketed by Mars, the Milky Way candy bar is made of nougat, caramel, and milk chocolate. It was created in 1923 by Frank Mars in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was first sold in 1924 and had over $800,000 in sales in its first year, which was then a perfect result for a new candy. You might think that this American candy is connected to the galaxy, but actually, it is derived from a malted milk drink, also known as a milkshake. 

Milky Way candy has enjoyed a lot of success in the American candy market. Beginning in 1935, their slogan changed a few times, and so did the ingredients. The Milky Way’s common ingredients are milk chocolate, cocoa butter, skim milk, and milk fat, but you can also see them with other ingredients like corn syrup, sugar, and palm oil. 

In the summer of 2018, Milky Way Fudge, which substitutes the malt nougat with chocolate fudge nougat, was introduced. There are two versions of the Milky Way, the first one is the US version of the Milky Way bar, also known as the Mars bar, and the second one is the global Milky Way bar, known as the 3 Musketeers.

7. York Peppermint Pattie

In 1988, the Peter Paul company merged with Hershey to deliver customers the delicious peppermint and dark chocolate combination, which turned out to be a real success. Peppermint covered with chocolate was not very popular before this American candy, because the making method was not sufficient, and as a result, people disliked the quality. But after Henry Kessler succeeded, everything changed, and now Peppermint Patties are definitely at the top of most Americans’ favorite candies. 

8. Ghirardelli Squares

Ghirardelli Squares are small-sized, square-shaped chocolate bars with different flavors. The company was founded by and is named after Italian chocolatier Domenico Ghirardelli, and this is the most “Italian” American candy you can find in America. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was incorporated in 1852 and, surprisingly, is the third-oldest chocolate company in the US. 

But wait, how could it stay one of the best-selling American candy for all those years? The thing is that Ghirardelli is one of the few chocolate companies in the United States that strictly controls every aspect of its chocolate manufacturing process and claims its deserved place as the manufacturer of the highest quality product.

9. Twizzlers

This is the most twisted American candy ever! They are made from various ingredients, such as corn syrup, and resemble licorice. It was first made back in 1929 and has remained a popular snack for millions of people for around a century, but this is not a surprise, since Twizzlers have developed with all the new amazing flavors and colors. This American candy has one pretty big plus – it does not easily melt, so in sunny, hot weather this is a good option to get.

10. Candy Corn 

Did you know that this famous Halloween treat was originally named “Chicken Feed”? It was first invented in the 1880s by George Renninger, an employee of the Wunderle Candy Company. Candy corn is a type of small-sized, pyramid-shaped candy that is typically divided into three different sections with different colors that are also connected to fall. The harvest-themed colors also helped the product to be connected to Halloween. This American candy is perfect for decorating, and whether you love it or not, it is going to be at your house this fall season.

11. Butterfinger 

Say hello to one of the most popular Halloween candies! This is one of the most loved American candies. It is distinctive and popular on the market and has long been a favorite candy bar for people of all ages. The Butterfinger was invented in 1923 by Mr. Otto Schnering, the founder of the Curtiss Candy Company. If this American candy is your favorite, then you should know about its name’s origin, too. They held a candy naming contest, and surprisingly, Butterfinger was the winning result of this campaign, and it worked for the candy! This name brings some joy to us. For the Halloween-favorite candy, it is perfect!

The candy became famous when Butterfinger bars and Babe Ruth candy were dropped from airplanes in some cities all over the US. This campaign was very effective, and it helped it become one of the most popular American candy.

12. Tootsie Pops 

Which candy reminds you most of your childhood better than a lollipop? This is the candy that never gets old but gets better with all the new flavors. But this is not your usual American candy. Tootsie Pops are a lollipop and a chewy chocolate – Tootsie Roll combination all in one. Since it is people’s favorite candy, it has become a Halloween candy too. This American candy is a real classic that almost everyone has enjoyed at least once. No candy remembers your life’s moments better than Tootsie Pops!

Final Words

American candy is some of the best candy in the world and holds a sweet spot in our hearts. The culture of American chocolate-making has developed and grown for many years, creating whole new amazing candy flavors and at the same time preserving the ones our grandparents and parents enjoyed. American candy deserves to be something that we all should be loud and proud about.