Boomers Loved These 16 Halloween Candies (Which You Can Still Buy Today)

Although Halloween dates back centuries, the phrase "Trick or Treat" didn't show up until 1927. But kids didn't always get candy for Halloween — the actual act of going door-to-door to get candy didn't really become popular in the United States until the '50s. However, once it did, the idea took off and candy makers got in on the opportunity to sell more sugary treats. As the yearly festivities became part of American culture, baby boomers were there watch it all unfold.

The generation born between 1946 and 1964 were the first kids to grow up trick-or-treating in the way we know it and love it today. They also got to enjoy some really great sweet treats. Many candies have come and gone over the years, but some of the best ones have been going strong since they were first introduced. And while boomers may not be the biggest generation of candy eaters anymore — that title currently belongs to Gen Z, according to recent findings by Talker Research — many of the candies they loved getting at Halloween are still around. Many haven't changed much since they landed in the pumpkin pails of young boomers. Here are some you can still find today.

Tootsie rolls have been around since before trick-or-treating was even a thing. They were invented in New York in 1896 and were among the first penny candies. The Tootsie Roll's history is so strong that each of the candies made today have a direct connection with the original batch, and over the years the chewy chocolatey treats have earned legions of fans. They were already popular when boomers started trick-or-treating, and the fact that they are conveniently individually wrapped make them an easy choice every year when Halloween rolls around.    

No Halloween candy list would be complete without candy corn. Love it or hate it — there's rarely a middle ground on this one — candy corn has long been synonymous with Halloween thanks to its fall-themed three-color palette. The company that was producing it when trick-or-treating gained widespread popularity marketed as a Halloween candy, so it is one that Boomers certainly grew up with in their yearly treat haul. It's been a top seller every year since and even has its own day, National Candy Corn Day, every year on October 30.

Dum Dums, which were first introduced in 1924, are popular all year long, but on Halloween they make easy additions to the candy bowl. They are each individually wrapped and come in a variety of flavors, which makes them perfect for trading with your friends at the end of a long night of trick-or-treating. They originally came in seven flavors, which gave kids plenty of choices, but the company changed hands in 1953, which opened the door to many more creative flavors, including the always fun mystery flavor.

Necco Wafers have been around since 1847 and haven't changed much over the years. (The company tried to remove artificial coloring and flavoring in 2009, but fans weren't happy and things returned to normal.) These thin, chalky, different-flavored (and colored) discs standout for their incredible durability. They're easy to carry, won't melt, and can survive in many climates. The Necco company went under in 2018, but Necco Wafers were brought back by the Spangler Candy Company in 2020. Boomers can once again enjoy the candy nostalgia they grew up with and relive the Halloweens of their youth.         

Like candy corn, people either love black licorice or hate it, which makes Good & Plenty a polarizing candy. These black licorice pieces with a candy coating were invented in 1893, but unlike Necco Wafers, which are definitely older, these candies have been continuously made since their introduction. This makes them one of the oldest consecutively produced branded candies on the market today.

Salt water taffy comes in every color and flavor imaginable, which makes them an easy Halloween choice — there are plenty of flavors in the usual colors of the season. And whether you like them or hate them, you're bound to get a few when trick-or-treating. Salt water taffy, which originated in Atlantic City in the 1800s, is made with salt and water among other things (but not actual salt water). It's rumored to have gotten its name when a store selling taffy in Atlantic City was flooded with salt water.

Chick-O-Sticks may not be a type of candy you're familiar with, but if you grew up with the boomer generation, you've probably tried them. They are crumbly orange sticks made with peanut butter and toasted coconut, which come together for a unique flavor and texture. They're like eating a candy bar without the chocolate, and they're worth tracking down today to try them. They were developed in 1950s in the middle of the boomer generation entering the world, and other than the name (which was originally Chicken Bones), they are basically unchanged.      

If you are a fan of spicy cinnamon, Hot Tamales are the perfect candy to find in your Halloween candy bag. Like many other candies boomers grew up with, these chewy red treats first came out in the 50s. They may not taste (or look) anything like actual tamales, but they are just as fun to eat if you like your candy with a bit of a bite.

Sugar Daddy candies are simply chewy caramel pieces, but on a stick. They've been around since 1925, and boomers have watched the company making them change many times, eventually ending up under the ownership of the Tootsie Roll Industries. Their individual packaging makes them perfect for trick-or-treating — and the other members of the family, Sugar Babies, which are bit-size versions of the original caramel lollipops, are just as good.

Eating the hard, yellow candies known as Lemonheads are definitely a unique experience. The candy has a sweet, tart, and tangy lemon flavor that makes your mouth pucker, and also makes you want more. They were first created in 1962, which means they caught the tail end of the baby boomer generation in time to make a splash on Halloween. The original style of Lemonhead candy is still made today, along with other styles like freeze-dried candy and soft, chewy candy ropes.   

SweeTarts come in a variety of fruity flavors that give you a little bit of sweet and a little bit of tart. The combination is wonderful, and the individual packets that are perfect for Trick-Or-Treating are always a surprise to open and see what flavors are inside. They have been around since the 1960s and today they are produced by the Ferrara Candy Company. You can still get the originals that boomers trick-or-treated for when they were young, but you can also enjoy chewy, gummy, and freeze-dried varieties.

Hershey's Kisses are a classic when it comes to chocolate candies. First introduced by the Hershey Chocolate Company in 1907, the conical shape, foil wrapper, and little paper flag sticking out of the top are an iconic symbol of chocolate making in America. In 1962 the company started incorporating differently-colored foil for different holidays, but it wasn't until 1972 that the company started introducing different varieties. Today, you've got a lot of Kisses to choose from, but the original milk chocolates are pure boomer Halloween nostalgia.

Malted milk in a bite-sized candy is nothing short of genius, and that's exactly what you get with Whoppers. These little balls of chocolate have a crunchy inside that tastes just like a glass of malted milk, but the candy version is portable and perfect for a Halloween candy bowl. When they were first introduced to the United States in 1939, they were known as Giants, but thanks to creative rebranding in 1949 they became the Whoppers that boomers grew up with and still love to this day.   

Dots hit the market in 1945, which means boomers got to grow up with these fruit flavored gumdrops. Both the packaging and the recipe are virtually unchanged since they were first introduced, and clearly that has been a wise choice — they are downright yummy. They originally came in a yellow box with an assortment of five flavors (cherry, lemon, lime, orange, and strawberry) and today you can still get that assortment along with a variety of newer varieties that have been introduced in the last few decades.    

Smarties fall into the same category as SweeTarts and Necco Wafers: They are round chalky candies that come in different flavors and were around for boomers to snag them on Halloween. These candies are the brainchild of Edward Dee, founder Ce De Candy, Inc., a family owned and run company that was eventually renamed the Smarties Candy Company. Today, the company makes Smarties 24 hours a day to fill the demand for the sweet little treats that still come in rolls — they're perfect for Trick-or-Treating.

Boomers have had the luck of enjoying M&M's and their multitude of delicious varieties for their whole lives. M&M's were born in 1941, just a few years before the first boomers entered the world, and the two have grown up alongside each other. And although there are tons of delicious candies to choose from these days, including the many others on this list that are still around, boomers still love their M&M's.