Ranking 8 Candy Corn Flavors From Worst To Best
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Love them or hate them, you're not alone: candy corn is one of the most divisive sweets sold in America, according to Fox Business. First created in the 1880s by George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company, according to Better Homes & Gardens, candy corn came to the masses near the turn of the last century. That was really thanks to the Goelitz Confectionary Company, which later changed its name to one you just may know: the Jelly Belly Candy Company.
Today, Jelly Belly tends to stick with jelly beans as its big seller, while a different company, Brach's, has the candy corn market cornered. Brach's produces an estimated 85% of all candy corn sold in the United States, which happens to be about seven billion individual candy corns annually. Brach's sells around $75 million worth of candy corn during the average Halloween season, which is — no surprise, of course — the time of year when most of these sweets are at their highest sales. National Candy Corn Day, which is "celebrated" on October 30th according to National Today, remains a more weak driver of sales than the trick-or-treating holiday.
Whether you fall in the love or hate group when it comes to this treat, chances are good that there is at least one Brach's candy corn flavor you'll least enjoy, and one you'll loathe. And for the record, we're specifically sticking with Brach's candy corn flavors for this rundown to make sure it's a fair, apples-to-apples comparison.
8. Turkey Dinner + Apple Pie and Coffee Candy Corn
We regret to inform everyone that this is not a gag product, but a very real item that you can buy. It also just so happens to all but ensure gagging, unless you've got a very strong stomach. What could be more shocking than the fact that these flavors exist at all? That would be the fact that this downright horrific blend of candy corn has been released several times in past autumn seasons, so clearly there is at least some demand. Who amongst us is eating this stuff? The Brach's Turkey Dinner + Apple Pie and Coffee Candy Corn blend contains candy corn flavored, according to the manufacturer, with the tastes of "roasted turkey, green beans and stuffing to ginger glazed carrots, cranberry sauce and sweet potato pie."
Brach's' full accounting of the flavors here states that the bag includes green beans, roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, "ginger glazed carrot", sweet potato pie, and stuffing. All told, that's a lot to put in one bag, to the point where everything becomes a bit of a gut-churning mess. While we're at it, it's not clear where the coffee flavor is supposed to come in, but we're sure we're not going to do very extensive field research on this one. That ship sailed with the mere notion of a green bean-flavored candy corn. Just put in some more effort and make a turkey dinner yourself rather than trying this stuff.
7. Chocolate Mint Candy Corn
The mixing of mint and chocolate is pretty classic to some, though to others it's already a divisive enough flavor pairing. So, it's little wonder that a chocolate mint candy corn became a discontinued item pretty fast, given the dividing lines the type of candy itself already causes. And who wants candy corn that tastes like a weird mix of off-brand chocolate and minty toothpaste? Though it hasn't been seen for several years now, Brach's Chocolate Mint Candy Corn candies added the chocolate mint flavoring to the extant honey and vanilla flavor of classic candy corn. It all resulted in a sweet that never really caught on.
At last check, this candy had but one rating and review on Candy Warehouse, and while that was a positive posting, it was left way back in 2018. You will have to use your imagination on this one, assuming you even want to. Or, if you're feeling really adventurous and maybe want to punish your taste buds, just toss a handful of candy corns and a York Peppermint Patty into your mouth at the same time for a hint of the experience, if you absolutely must.
6. Green Apple Witches Teeth
Here's yet another discontinued Brach's Candy Corn flavor that you'll have to imagine yourself — or else track it down on the dusty shelves of some long-forgotten warehouse if you're really dedicated to the idea of trying them for yourself. But should you? Brach's Witches Teeth Candy Corns were green apple-flavored and apparently weren't all that bad. At least, that's based on the limited number of reviews you can find around the web, such as a few posted on Amazon from several years back.
One reviewer called them "yummy" and with a "strong flavor." Another extolled their love for the green apple candy corns, but only a comparatively lukewarm "like" for another short-lived Brach's Candy Corn product, the strawberry flavored Vampire Teeth Candy Corns. The latter was often sold in tandem with Witches Teeth, though Brach's Vampire Teeth candy corn has also been discontinued, for the record.
If other people were in favor of this particular candy corn, why give it such a low spot? The issue here was most likely the marketing angle used to sell these candies, not their flavors themselves. Who wants to each a big batch of green Witches Teeth?
5. Trolli Sour Brite Candy Corn
If you love sour candy but still want to enjoy the thicker consistency of candy corn, then you may well appreciate this pairing of candies. But most people who have tried Trolli Sour Brite Candy Corn are not all that impressed. At present, with about 75 reviews posted on Amazon, these sour candies have but a 3.4-star average rating, and there are quite a few one-star ratings and highly negative comments left on the reviews, such as the words of one unhappy customer who said that these particular candies were "Hard as rocks. Worse than regular candy corn. Total waste of money." Another review was even more direct: "Gross. The texture was just so wrong."
And the reviewers aren't the only ones whose language wasn't exactly ecstatic here – just listen to the very product description, which seems to be busy twisting itself into knots while trying to stay positive, calling the combination of flavors and textures only "weirdly awesome."
4. Mini Candy Corn and Sea Salt Chocolate Peanuts
This candy is one of those often attempted and yet rarely successful ventures to be all things to all people, at least when it comes to pleasing everyone's palate and sweet tooth. So, with that in mind, can we properly call Brach's Mini Candy Corn and Sea Salt Chocolate Peanuts a candy treat? Or is it more like a sweet trail mix? Should it be classified as a chocolate peanut butter candy with a candy corn twist? Or is it the other way around, as candy corns with some added chocolatey peanut buttery goodness? It's all pretty confusing, especially when you may just want some simple candy corn.
Any way you cut it, those who have tried this candy blend tend to leave pretty cutting ratings, with the candy currently "enjoying" a dismal 2.2-star rating on Amazon. One customer review bemoaned the small portion sizes as "not worth it." We're making the call here that, while this flavor is currently sold in limited quantities by various retailers and remains posted on Brach's website, this one flavor may not have all that much time left in the world. It could soon join the ranks of discontinued Brach's Candy Corns along with the green apple Witches Teeth, Chocolate Mint, and many more candy corn flavors of years past.
3. Caramel Candy Corn
Now, after venturing through the valley of some pretty terrible candy corn flavors, we can finally cross into the territory of some genuinely excellent sweets. All told, these caramel candy corns from Brach's are delicious, with the titular caramel flavor richly complementing the classic candy corn taste you love (or hate, in which case these still won't be for you). With well over 125 reviews posted and counting, Brach's Caramel Candy Corn enjoys a solid 4.5-star overall rating on Amazon and has many glowing reviews from customers who say things like: "Who could not love these delicious candies?" and "These are the best candy corn flavor ever!"
In fact, the only complaint regularly repeated by customers is the fact that, compared to other candy corn options, these are on the pricier side. Given that they're currently going for about $7.40 per bag, those detractors do have something of a point. Yet that's the price you have to pay if you want something uniquely delicious, it seems.
2. Harvest Corn
Brach's Harvest Corn may be the one flavor of candy corn that even people who don't much care for candy corn will enjoy. Yes, really. If you're a candy corn skeptic, then this may be the flavor that finally brings you over to the other side. That's because a chocolate flavor has been added to the classic candy corn flavoring in this particular bag. It ultimately results in a candy that's not quite so powerfully sweet as the classic candy corn variety and which is enriched and given some real nuance by the chocolate flavor.
This flavor of candy corn was formerly known as "Indian Corn," though we're glad to see that Brach's has since changed the name to be more culturally sensitive, per NYU Local, especially rather than chucking out a candy that truly is a delight. And if you want to go a bit deeper into the linguistic history of candy corn, you should know that it was originally called "Chicken Feed" by Goelitz in the late 19th century, per National Geographic. So, we think that the change to "candy corn" is a real improvement.
1. Classic Candy Corn
If you love candy corn, then you must admit that anything other than the Brach's Classic Candy Corn is just gilding the lily. Divisive though they may be, there's a reason this candy has also been a beloved favorite of so many people for going on 135 years now: they're sweet, they're unique, and they're delicious. And what's more, that classic candy corn flavor is about as close to the taste of a season as you can get. Sink your teeth into a few pieces of candy corn and it just tastes like Halloween, and by extension autumn itself.
What gives candy corn its distinct flavor, anyway? According to a Jelly Belly spokesperson (via Thrillist), it's a mix of a few distinct tastes, namely vanilla, marshmallow, and fondant. Oh, and don't forget about the sugar. And the corn syrup. And the honey, too, while we're at it. And when it comes to texture, "It should be like biting into butter," at least by Jelly Belly's estimation.