These Christmas Candy Recipes Will Help You Sweeten the Season (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular Christmas candy in the US? ›

(WHNT) – Peppermint bark, mini Reese's cups, and Starburst, oh my! Those are just a few of the most popular Christmas candies, according to a new report from CandyStore.com. However — the top candy varies from state to state.

A Sweet Prelude: The History of Candy Canes

One popular tale traces it back to a German choirmaster seeking a solution to keep children calm during Christmas Eve services. The candy's crook symbolized shepherds, while the red and white stripes embodied the purity of Christ.

Every trip past the candy dish yielded a handful of cut rock candy, rainbow gems, baby ribbons, chocolate-filled straws, filled raspberries, and other treats to suck on while opening gifts. Other Christmas classics include peppermint patties and candy canes.

A candy cane is a cane-shaped stick candy often associated with Christmastide, as well as Saint Nicholas Day. It is traditionally white with red stripes and flavored with peppermint, but the canes also come in a variety of other flavors and colors.

Top-selling chocolates and sweets. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the No. 1 selling candy brand in the United States, consisting of white fudge, milk, or dark chocolate cups filled with peanut butter. They were invented by H.B. Reese after he founded the H. B. Reese Candy Company in 1923.

According to America's Favorite Christmas Candy by State Report, a comprehensive study by research firm HubScore that delved into a survey of the top 20 favorite Christmas candies, Kit Kat ranked top in 13 states followed by a tie between Skittles and candy canes, both ranked top in six states.

Candy canes were originally solid white, but during the turn of the 20th century stripes started to appear. Prior to the late 19th century, Christmas cards of that period show nothing but plain white candy. Some believe the stripes came from the candy maker Bob McCormack in the 1920s.

Dec. 25 is not the date mentioned in the Bible as the day of Jesus's birth; the Bible is actually silent on the day or the time of year when Mary was said to have given birth to him in Bethlehem. The earliest Christians did not celebrate his birth.

Just about everyone agrees that today's candy cane appeared in the U.S. around 1847 in Wooster Ohio, made by August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant. I've read different accounts–that the “J” shape stands for Jesus, that they were made to look like a shepherds crook.

Candy canes are one of the oldest Christmas candies, first appearing in the 17th century in Europe. They were originally straight white sticks of sugar that were meant to symbolize shepherd's crooks.

What is Christmas candy corn called? ›

The Christmas variant, sometimes called "reindeer corn", typically has a red end and a green center.

Candy corn is all dressed up for Christmas and has claimed top honors as Michigan's favorite holiday treat. Known as “reindeer corn,” the sugary red, white and green candy pellets are the favorite of eight states as they gain popularity this year, according to a CandyStore.com.

Santa Claus is associated with Saint Nicholas, who is the patron saint of children. The Americanized name Santa Claus dates back to 1765—75, and it originally comes from the Dutch name Sinterklaas. The last bit of the Dutch name, Klaas, is short for Niklaas, or Nicholas.

Willie T. Soke and his dwarf assistant Marcus Skidmore are professional thieves. Every year, Willie gets a job as a department store Santa Claus and Marcus as an elf to rob shopping malls on the night of Christmas Eve, with Marcus' wife Lois as their getaway driver.

Mince pie is a fruit-based pie, where small chunks of dried fruit are cooked in a beef suet, and then added to the pie crust. This pie has been traditionally served during Christmas time for centuries, and there are recipes dating to the 16th century for it.

Snickers is the top selling candy bar in the U.S., with over $400 million in annual sales. Hershey's Milk Chocolate ranks second in annual U.S. sales, earning over $300 million each year. Kit Kat comes at third position in the U.S. with over $200 million in revenue.

1: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. This perennial favorite easily finished first in the candy derby, earning the title of most popular Halloween candy in 18 states, including densely populated ones like California, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.