Candy that’s worth your time this fall

CSU students taste test the new candies hitting the shelves.

Written by Aaron Inskeep

Every year it seems like more and more variations of our favorite candy brands come out. 

My mission? To find out which of these candies are worth trying. 

During my research, I found that several of the top ten candies sold in 2023 were launching new Halloween offerings this fall. The five classic candies I will be spotlighting are Reese’s, Mike and Ike, Sour Patch Kids, Skittles and M&M’s. I gathered fellow Cleveland State University students to partake in the taste test to remove personal bias. These five brands have all come out with a new Halloween variation and some are more daring than others. 

Reese’s newest concoction is called Werewolf Tracks, a vanilla cream based peanut butter cup. Students felt this one left a lot to be desired, as they unanimously felt the peanut butter overpowered any real flavor change. 

Next was Skittles Shriekers, a sour twist on their original flavors. The general group feeling was that this version was different from regular Skittles, however, Shriekers yielded polarizing results as half of the students enjoyed it while the other half felt it lacked flavor. 

The same consensus was felt for Sour Patch Kids Zombie, the playful take on the classic brand. Students felt like there was no difference between the original Sour Patch Kids, other than there being only two flavors (orange and raspberry), but it was still voted as one of the best simply by being the same and sticking to what the brand knows best. 

M&M’s’ new white pumpkin pie flavor was accurately summarized by first year student Julian Gregory. 

“It’s like they took the amazing flavor of M&M’s and gave it a chemical taste,” Gregory said. 

Reviews weren’t negative for our winning candy: Mike and Ike Sour Spooky Treats. Everyone agreed that they were better than the original. 

This October, whether you are trick-or-treating or combing the aisles for that post Halloween sale, look for these brands and judge for yourself.

Check out the gallery of these new candy wrappers.