America's Bestselling Halloween Candy Is An Absolute Classic (And Nothing Else Comes Close)

Halloween is soon to be upon us. The spooky, scary holiday brings with it many things: haunted houses, pumpkin carving, and scary stories told in the dark. But most of all, Halloween means lots and lots of candy. Okay, Halloween didn't always revolve around plastic buckets full of door-to-door collected candy, but it certainly does now. Every year, starting around August (or late July) and going through October, grocery stores are glutted with a new crop of bulk-sized Halloween candy bags for adults to use to hand out to neighborhood kids (or just keep around for an errant snack). All this to say, Halloween is primetime for candy. However, not all candies are sold equally. In fact, there is one candy that leads the way in the Halloween candy market, at least according to an Instacart report on data collected from its 2025 orders.

So which candy reigns supreme? None other than that chocolate-meets-peanut-butter classic: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. According to Instacart's data, Reese's was the No. 1 candy sold in Washington, D.C. and 40 out of 50 states. As for the second most sold candy overall? That honor goes to Peanut M&Ms. Hershey's Chocolate came in third. And if you're sensing a theme here, you're right on the money: Chocolate was the best-selling type of candy overall, rounding out the top six selling Halloween candies. Sour Patch kids came in seventh place overall. However, these tart little kiddos did come in first place with Rhode Island customers, perhaps to pair with the state's beloved coffee milk.

It isn't at all surprising that Americans choose Reese's above all else at Halloween. The candy, invented in 1928 by Hershey's employee H.B. Reese, has been a favorite among candy enjoyers for nearly 100 years. The complete and total dominance of chocolate in candy sales certainly does buck the narrative that Americans seem to be losing interest in bean-based confections. From Instacart's data, it is clear that Americans are just as enamored with chocolate as ever. However, this doesn't mean that there aren't rumblings of change and discontent within the chocolate industry. 

In fact, in February, 2026, Brad Reese, a descendant of the one and only H.B. Reese, wrote an open letter on LinkedIn bemoaning recent changes to the Reese's recipe. Hershey's bucked this claim, insisting specifically that the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup recipe has not changed since its inception. However, the brand was much fuzzier regarding the newer versions of the product such as seasonally-shaped variations, noting in a response statement on its website that it had made "recipe adjustments" to accommodate different items. What does this add up to? A less chocolate-y chocolate candy. Essentially, Hershey's, and many other candy companies, have started using compound coatings (products that use vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter in chocolate-based products) for a less expensive final product. And though Reese's and other chocolate candies are still dominating the Halloween candy market, many candy enjoyers have noted a dip in quality over the years. So how long will the chocolate dominance hold? And will it be the same chocolate that we once loved?

These changes aren't solely the result of corporations wanting to get one over on the little guy, so to speak. The truth is that chocolate is simply becoming more expensive and more scarce due to changes in climate, and its very specific cultivation requirements. Compound chocolate products allow for candy companies to produce chocolate-y products at a lower cost, offsetting disruptions in the supply chain caused by shortages, crop difficulties, and tariffs. Though if you're a candy consumer you probably haven't seen the fruits of these cheaper chocolate candy production methods, as chocolate prices have only risen. 

In fact, candy prices have risen well past the rate of inflation, with costs inflating 7.7% over last year's prices [via The Washington Post]. So what does this mean for chocolate candy fans? For one, actual chocolate is set to become more of a luxury food item, and compound chocolate products may very well become the norm for many chocolate candies. It's already taken over several classic chocolate candies, from Mr. Goodbars to Baby Ruths and Butterfingers. So those treats in your children's trick-or-treat hauls might not be the same candy that you remember enjoying as a child. But will these changes result in the downfall or Reese's or the other dominant chocolate Halloween candies? Only time will tell.