20 Nostalgic Candies You Had No Idea You Can Still Buy
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Remember that feeling of finally stepping back into your own house after a long night spent trick-or-treating, ripping off your cowboy boots or superhero cape and dumping your loot all over the floor to rifle through? I don’t think the word ‘excitement’ quite covers it. The level of elation you’d feel as you sorted those sweets was childhood in its purest form.
The good news? Just because the CDC has advised against traditional trick-or-treating this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t mean you can’t relive those memorable moments and share them with your little ones. In fact, thanks to a collection of trusty online treat retailers, you can probably still purchase every type of candy that filled that old pillowcase back in the day. Here, all the old-fashioned and classic candies that will still speak to you, whether we’re talking Root Beer Barrels, Rock Candy, Bubble Tape, or Boston Baked Beans.
RELATED: 15 Decadent Desserts to Make Using Leftover Halloween Candy
Retro Root Beer Barrels
If sucking on one of these doesn’t make you crave a root beer float, a retro Archie comic book, and a severe toothache from preemptively biting it in half, did you really have a childhood?
Candy Cigarettes
While we’re not going to encourage you to hand out any fake cigs to your kiddos, we can't say we never pretended to puff on these sweet sugar sticks way back when. Today, they’ll serve as a pretty stellar addition to any Mad Men-themed Halloween costume.
Lemonheads
These lemony balls are comprised of a sweet candy core inside a tart, soft shell. They’re made with real lemon juice for the perfect movie-watching pucker.
Charleston Chews
Talk about novelty—classic Charleston Chew candies are named after a popular dance of the 1920s, which is right around when this sweet treat first because popular. FYI for those who haven’t tried them, they’re made from chewy vanilla nougat wrapped in milk chocolate.
Rock Candy
There was nothing sweeter than a birthday goodie bag filled with rock candy lollipops back in the day. For an adult spin, stick one inside a Halloween-themed cocktail and watch it melt into candy crystals.
Nik-L-Nip Mini Drinks
I could have polished off a full-size bottle of the saccharine sweet syrup that lives inside these baby-sized ones as a kid. But the best part? Playing with the wax after you downed all four flavors.
Chick-O-Stick Bites
Remember “Chicken Bones”? The name of this treat has been changed since it was invented in the 1930s, but the candy is still exactly the same: roasted jumbo peanuts sprinkled with salt and sugar, coated in crunchy candy, and dusted with toasted coconut.
Pop Rocks
No one forgets their first time they experienced the mysterious sparkling sensation of pop rocks. Today, they’re available in 12 flavors, including cotton candy, milk chocolate, and sugar free strawberry (who knew?).
Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape
Great news for gum chewers: bubble-blowing contests aren’t cancelled.
Now and Later
Anyone else still flossing these things out of their teeth? Don’t get me wrong—it was totally worth it.
Caramel Apple Pops
These Tootsie pops still taste exactly like the fall flavors from your childhood: tart green apple candy coated in sweet, creamy golden caramel on a stick.
Holiday Old-Fashioned Candy Mix
If the sight of this holiday candy mix doesn’t bring back the scent of your nana’s perfume and gingerbread house icing, it most certainly will remind you of some other relative’s untouched Christmas candy dish of a past life. (The real trick is figuring out whether or not it’s still sitting there).
Atomic Fireballs
My mouth is still on fire, tbh.
Boston Baked Beans
This old-fashioned treat was developed by Salvatore Ferrera himself in Chicago in 1924 when the company was still known as Ferrara Pan Candy. The crunchy candy-coated peanuts have been a favorite of many movie-goers and baseball fans ever since.
Fun Dip
Name something more fun than this candy concoction. We’ll wait.
Bit-O-Honey
The original Bit-O-Honey candies first appeared in 1924 in Chicago and developed over time—but today, they’re still made from stick-to-your-teeth honey taffy sprinkled with almond bits.
Razzles
First it’s candy, then it’s gum. Any questions?
Bottle Caps
Have yourself a bite-sized handful of Root Beer, Cola, Cherry, Grape, and Orange Soda (no bottle opener needed!).
Annabelle's Abba-Zaba Taffy
This thick, chewy taffy is filled with a rich, creamy peanut butter center and it’ll definitely bring you back to the days.
Pixy Stix
Choose from grape, Maui punch, cherry, or orange powder, then pour it directly into your mouth like you used to.
