10 Worst Halloween Candies That Kids (and Parents) Hate

“Trick-or-treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!” When we were kids, we would be the first ones out on the streets on Halloween night and the last to go home. That was back in the day when we could go out until 10 p.m. and actually fill our pillowcases to the top.

We would arrive at home exhausted, but that didn’t stop us from our yearly ritual of dumping, sorting, and trading our candy in the middle of the living room floor. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups went in the good pile, and the cheap singular mystery candy went into the “give to your little sister” pile. We had a blast, and now we get to do it all over again with our kids!

Here’s a list of some of the worst candies we ever got on All Hallows Eve—treats that may just earn you a trick.

10. Good and Plenty

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I have two words: Black. Licorice. The makers of this candy can try to disguise this confection with a sweet, hard shell, but the jig is up! We know it’s just to cover up the awful taste of black licorice.

9. Almond Joy

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I never knew too many kids who liked coconut. I don’t even know many adults who do! This candy had you chewing and chewing the coconut like a cow chews grass. A good source of fiber, but not all that exciting.

8. Dots

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This candy not only had little taste, but you could lose a tooth if one got lodged in between! If you found one in your bag, the garbage is where it would usually end up sometime around Easter.

7. Tootsie Rolls

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For some reason Tootsie Rolls were a real drag in our home. We would end up with 100 of them, to the point where we couldn’t give them away. Unless we hit the jackpot and got a vanilla one, then that was like finding gold!

6. Individually Wrapped Taffy Surprises

These things were usually wrapped in orange and black and nobody could tell exactly what they were. The flavor peanut butter comes to mind, that is if it wasn’t half melted.

5. Candy Buttons

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Now, this was a cool concept. A dot of sugar on a roll of paper. The problem was that you ended up with a belly full of paper because the buttons would stick! Full of nostalgia, but not worth our time.

4. Pencils, toothbrushes, or anything non-candy

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We all had that one neighbor—you know the one—who gave out pencils or even toothbrushes instead of sweet treats. They were the talk of the neighborhood on the house to avoid. Classic fail!

3. Necco Wafers

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This vintage candy has stood the test of time as one of the worst candies ever made. Dry and flavorless, the “chocolate” ones taste less like chocolate and more like chalk. Pass!

2. Butterscotch Candy

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Going up against chocolate, bubble gum, sours, and just about anything else, butterscotch is sure to meet its fate in the kitchen trash can! No, just no.