Not Hershey's — The Candy Most Popular Among Boomers In 2026 Has Been Around Since 1941

The candy aisle is filled with more types of candy than you can probably name off the top of your head, and you've probably tried more than your fair share of them. And of those, you've probably got your favorites. But have you ever wondered what candies are favored by each generation? When it comes to boomers, it turns out that their top candy brand is one that has been around for decades: M&M's. In fact, it's been around longer than they have, since just a few years before the boomer generation entered this world. 

YouGov, a data and research company interested in interpreting what the world thinks and does, studied brand preference among the generations by looking at the percentage of people in each age group that have a positive opinion of a brand. While this doesn't specifically identify brands as "favorites," it definitely shows how highly generations view different brands — in this particular case, how highly boomers regard M&M's as a top candy choice. 

These little candy-coated chocolate nuggets were first introduced in 1941 and have been going strong ever since. So strong, in fact, that the company had to develop a method to make sure its fans could tell them apart from competitors trying to imitate them. Boomers, a generation whose birthdates span from 1946 to 1964, essentially grew up with these little candies, which evolved from plain chocolate candies when they first debuted to the multiple flavors we know today. In other words, boomers were there for peanut M&M's, almond M&M's, caramel M&M's, and many more that have come and gone over the years.    

This YouGov report didn't differentiate between the different varieties of M&M's, of which there are many delicious options, but it did take a deep dive into what other candies the generation favors in a different report. According to YouGov, Godiva, Mentos, and Jolly Ranchers came in second, third, and fourth places, respectively, with Gummi Bears taking the fifth spot in the rankings. Interestingly, YouGov found that M&M's were also quite popular among Gen X and millennials. Both generations ranked them No. 1.  These candies also were a clear favorite when it came to a certain candy-heavy holiday, ranking as the most popular candy among adults in general for Halloween, per YouGov. With so much undeniable popularity, it's no wonder M&M's have been around for nearly a century.

Boomers have seen plenty of candies come and go in their lifetimes, like the defunct Bar Six that disappeared after a '70s heyday. But with the boomer generation encompassing babies born from 1946 to 1964, they have essentially grown up alongside the ever-evolving M&M's brand. These candies were first given to soldiers during World War II because they hold up surprisingly well in various types of weather conditions. In the 1980s, M&M's went to space and were named the official snack food of the Olympic Games. They were also named the candy of the new millennium in 2000 (because MM is 2000 in Roman numerals). These are all milestones that boomers lived through, and like boomers, who went from kids to teens to working adults with families until finally entering retirement to enjoy their golden years, M&M's have continuously reinvented themselves with different flavors. In other words, they have endured the decades, just as the boomer generation that loves them has.