18 Best Non-Chocolate Candies [Ultimate List]
Non-chocolate candies don’t contain chocolate but are mainly sugar, oil, and food coloring. They are incredibly tasty as a snack, but they work great as an ingredient or a decoration for another dessert. They come in many shapes, sizes, flavors, and colors.
However, since so many manufacturers make so many kinds, we are bound to stumble upon some that give these candies a bad name.
In the paragraphs below, I will list some of the best non-chocolate candies to avoid such disappointment. I tried to explain my personal experience with some of them, and for others I needed to read all available reviews online.
List of the Best Non-Chocolate Candies
There are lots of tasty treats, and it was hard for me to mention less than 20 of them. But, I succeed!
So let’s see what are the most popular non-chocolate candies you can find.
Skittles & Starburst Candy Full-Size Variety Mix
Skittles and Starburst candies are an excellent value. You get a bulk of six-packs of candy with different flavors and colors. They come fresh, nicely packed, and ready to use.
Haribo Gummy Candies
The list of the best non-chocolate candies can’t exist without Haribo gummies. They come in many different shapes and flavors, so it’s not odd that everybody can find something for themselves. There are also many different packaging sizes, so they can be the perfect birthday gift or a nice Halloween treat.
However, note that they are not kosher.
Airheads Candy Bars
Separately wrapped, these non-chocolate candies will fit right into your pockets. Since Airheads candy bars are individually wrapped, you will have no problem carrying a few with you wherever you go.
They are refreshing, mild-tasting, and soft, making them the perfect choice for you if you like candy that isn’t overwhelmingly sweet. The downside is that they melt quickly, so chances are you will have them melt inside your bag. The good news is that they don’t turn liquid when they melt but just soften up.
LIFE SAVERS Hard Candy
With Life Savers candies, you get flavor variety and a good candy amount, so I would definitely say that they provide good value. They taste fruity, fresh, and sour. They have also been known to help with dry mouth problems.
SKITTLES & STARBURST Fun Size Variety Mix
Listed as an Amazon bestseller, Skittles and Starburst mix of candies are definitely worth ordering. Sweet and fruity, they will definitely be a great addition to your holiday menu or something you generally carry around.
Although advertised as multicolor, they could come in one color. You will still enjoy them, as they will be tasty, but you may not get the colors you ordered.
Ring Pop Party Lollipop
Who doesn’t like suckers and lollipops? Ring Pop Party Lollipop will definitely brighten up your day, whether for a birthday party or just some everyday fun. Another Amazon bestseller is definitely worth a try.
Still, be prepared that you may not like some of the flavors; for example, the orange ones have been criticized for tasting like a mix between orange and mint flavors. However, that’s a matter of personal preference and not a general conclusion.
On the upside, these candies come with a long shelf life, so you will have plenty of time to enjoy them.
SOUR PATCH KIDS Candy, Extreme Flavor
The famous Sour Patch Kids have now been taken to an extreme point. For the extreme sour-loving enthusiasts, this will be a perfect choice. On the plus side, you get a lot of candies in just one order, but the downside is that they aren’t always fresh.
Also, there have been too moist batches, but that’s one batch in many. Definitely worth a try.
Wonka Rainbow Nerds
Multicolor, crunchy, and delicious, Wonka Rainbow Nerds candies might be the perfect stocking-stuffer, or trick or treat candy. They provide a great price-value balance and are definitely worth trying.
However, there’s one thing to keep in mind, you may experience some order mix-ups with these candies, as there are several Wonka candy types. There have been complaints about this, but replacing the product is possible.
STARBURST Minis Fruit Chews Candies
Smaller than a bite-size, these are the incarnation of sweet and tiny. Beloved by many, Starburst Minis mesmerize with their cuteness and sweetness. It is hard to have only one, as they will continue calling out to you.
Essentially, these candies are a mini version of the regular ones. And since it is hard to have just a few, they come in snack-sized packs making it easy to control how much you have.
YumEarth Organic Giggles Sour Chewy Candy Bites
Best known as healthy with no artificial coloring, YunEarth Organic Giggles candies are excellent if you have allergies or food intolerances. They have a smooth and polished off-shell with a chewy and soft middle. They are also vegan, and their taste is genuinely fruity.
They are great if you are on a diet or just avoiding certain ingredients. Excellent for people who are allergic to artificial coloring. Also, they have been known to be beneficial for those who must adhere to a doctor-recommended nutritional regimen.
Wonka Nerds, Watermelon and Wild Cherry
Watermelon and wild cherry Nerds are best described as refreshing. The watermelon or cherry flavor simply dominates the candies giving you an irresistible candy sensation. As they are tiny and crunchy, you can combine the cherry and watermelon flavors at once.
You will be surprised by the end result. They are suitable for lactose-intolerant people, as they don’t contain dairy, and are suitable for a calorie deficit, as they are low in calories.
Starburst Original Jelly Beans
In spite of the negative reviews, they still made their way on this list. The quality of the Starburst jelly beans is outstanding; they are multicolor, fresh, and with recognizable fruity flavors.
They have been negatively reviewed, though, for being improperly packed. More precisely, the bags they were in weren’t adequately sealed, and as a result, the candies have become hard and dry. However, this has happened on several occasions and isn’t a standard procedure, and it cannot be ascribed to the candies.
Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Cinnamon Fire Flavor
Jolly Rancher Cinnamon Fire spicy candies have been known to make your mouth numb. If you like that tingly feeling on your tongue and absolutely love cinnamon, these candies are definitely for you.
However, since everybody has a different tolerance to hot and burning flavors, you may stumble upon reviews stating that these candies aren’t as fiery as advertised. Still, I’d recommend trying them because they are definitely worth ordering, once, at the least.
TWIZZLERS Twists Strawberry Flavored Chewy Candy
Sweet and strawberry-flavored, Twizzlers licorice candy is definitely the best thing to nibble on when you feel like having something sweet and fruity. They aren’t expressively sweet, nor does the strawberry flavor dominate the candy.
They are the golden medium between chewy and soft, and they’re really are many of these in a pack, so you will have them for a long time.
Laffy Taffy Assorted Taffy Chews
As their Amazon description says, Laffy Taffy candies are excellent as a birthday treat. They are chewy, soft, and very refreshing. The pack contains banana, sour apple, strawberry, and cherry flavors. It is very likely that they will be gone shortly after they arrive.
Pop Rocks Crackling Candy Variety Pack
The popping and cracking of these candies will tickle your tongue and will undoubtedly bring you back to your childhood days. If you are a teacher, these candies will definitely be your student’s favorite treat, but that’s not the only place they will be popular.
You can also order them around holidays, as egg stuffers, or surprise your trick or treaters with them.
Ring Pop Individually Wrapped Blue Raspberry
Ring Pop Blue Raspberry candies go down like a bomb around holidays. The refreshing blue raspberry-tasting ring pops will give you a breath of fresh air. And they make your tongue blue.
Sugar Daddy Pops
Just like the Pop Rocks, Sugar Daddy caramel candies will bring you into your childhood for sure. They are best described as caramel ice cream, only not cold. You will also like the stick, making this tasty treat even more enjoyable.
There’s a downside, though; depending on the transportation method, the caramel sticks could melt and stick together, so you may have a bit of a hard time separating them. However, this is nothing to worry about as you can separate them once they harden.
What Is the Most Popular Non-Chocolate Candy?
The most popular non-chocolate candy is definitely Skittles. They are available in stores almost worldwide. Online, they are even more widely available, so you can easily get your hands on them wherever you are.
There are many varieties of Skittles, but the classic fruity ones seem to have the highest number of fans.
However, Skittles do vary from continent to continent. In the EU they are colored with spices and fruits, and therefore they taste a bit differently than the US version.
Skittles are banned in Sweden and Norway, so you won’t be able to get them there.
