15 Criminally Underrated Candies, According To Reddit

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Apart from sugar shunners, almost everybody has some kind of favorite candy. It may be something homemade like fudge (which can easily be made in the microwave), but more often it's a store-bought confection. Many candies are so well-loved they're clearly not going away anytime soon — Hershey Bars debuted at the turn of the 20^th century (priced at just a nickel, no wonder people loved them!), while Reese's Peanut Butter Cups date back to 1928. Other venerable candies, however, have been discontinued, and we may never see them again. (Rest in peace or in pieces, Hershey's Kissables, Oh Henry!, and PB Max.) All of the candies on this list are still around, but, according to Redditors, are sadly underrated.

Some of these candies may be fairly mainstream, and yet still don't have the appreciation they deserve. Others are the kind of old-school candies you may only be able to find at Cracker Barrel, Dollar Tree, or Five Below. Each and every one of them, from Abba-Zaba to Zotz, has fervent fans and ardent defenders among the Reddit community. As far as we know, none of these candies is slated for imminent demise. If we mentioned any of your favorites, however, you might want to spread the word and boost their popularity a bit.

Abba-Zaba is no relation to the Swedish band that shares a first name. Instead, this substantial chocolate and peanut butter-filled taffy bar is a product of a California-based company called Annabelle Candy. As one Redditor said of this fairly obscure, yet very satisfying candy, "One big Abbazabba used to last me the whole 2 hr drive to my grandparents' house because they take so long to chew." The company shuttered its factory in 2024, but its candies live on, produced at a different location and available through independent retailers. You can also buy them online — a six-pack of Abba-Zabas is currently selling for $18.59 on Amazon.

Almond Joys are hardly rare, since they can be found on most supermarket shelves. Nonetheless, they have an unfair share of hate. One person posting on r/unpopularopinion declared, "Almond Joy is underrated and disrespected in the chocolate world," and the comments section proved how polarizing it is. Some leapt to its defense, while others continued to dismiss it. A commenter who took the middle road, however, pointed out, "It's because some people don't like almonds and some people don't like coconut. [...] It has 2 not so basic candy bar ingredients so anyone who has basic tastes are going to prefer something easier to eat like a Reese's which has just peanut butter and chocolate."

The Charleston Chew is an old-timey treat with an old-timey moniker — it's named for the Charleston, a dance that was popular in the early 1920s when the candy was created. The confection consists of a chewy nougat center with a candy coating and comes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. One Redditor, who voted the CC as the most underrated candy, said of the bars: "They're good regular, they're amazing frozen."

Cow Tales have only been around since 1984, and yet in that time, they've managed to sink into the kind of Halloween-only obscurity reserved for Pixy Stix and Laffy Taffy. The original ones consist of caramel tubes filled with a creamy center, although other flavors like brownie, caramel apple, honey bun, and strawberry have since been added to the lineup if you can find them. Several Redditors voted these candies among the most underrated, with one person saying, "Cow Tales are amazing" and another concurring, "very under appreciated."

The Everlasting Gobstopper is a flavor and color-changing jawbreaker that was named for a candy in the Roald Dahl classic, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The candies were introduced in 1976, five years after the first film adaptation of this novel, although nearly three decades before the 2005 Johnny Depp remake. Quite a few Redditors consider them to be highly underrated, but one person lamented that they're not the same as they used to be: "The ones from the late '80s were different and a lot better." (Many of us could say the same about ourselves.)

Pearson's Salted Nut Roll, which was introduced during the Great Depression, was doing sweet and salty long before this flavor combo became trendy. It consists of a sweet nougat log wrapped in caramel and rolled in salty chopped peanuts, making for a filling snack that won't get your hands all sticky. Over the years, the candy has adapted to include a few new flavors (these being peanut butter and cinnamon churro) but retains its old-fashioned charm. When called upon to name a beloved, yet underrated candy, several Redditors gave Pearson's product the nod. As one of them noted, "It's the perfect salty and sweet ratio for me."

Riesen candies are produced by Storck, the same company that also gifted the world with Werther's and Toffifay. Just like those other two candies, it's also caramel-centric (and centered). One commenter said of these super-chewy, dark chocolate-coated candies: "Soooo underrated. Whenever I mention to people how great they are, I often hear 'I've never heard of them.' I can demolish a whole bag ... which is why I don't buy them." Another spoke of a similar problem: "Oh I can't buy Riesen because I will scarf them down and then look in shame at my house filled with those brown wrappers."

If you've ever been in a garage waiting on an oil change and spied a dusty old candy machine filled with small, brightly colored, vaguely fruit-like shapes, then you've spotted the elusive wild Runts in their native habitat. The domesticated kind are sold in boxes just like any other candy, although they're nowhere near as ubiquitous as other fruit-flavored candies like Skittles. Even so, they have their admirers. According to one Reddit user, "Runts are crazy underrated," while another complains, "Runts. I haven't seen those in forever." Yet a third person, however, doesn't want theirs neatly boxed up, saying: "I only ever wanted runts if they came out of a quarter machine."

Skor bars came out in 1981, at which time they were Hershey's attempt to come up with its own version of Heath bars. The company has since acquired the latter brand, but as the bars are slightly different, it continues to manufacture both. Of the two, Skor is the dark horse, as it's the less popular of the two(and darker in color, as well). Even so, it has its partisans. "Skor is leagues above Heath. Always felt the flavor and texture were way better," declared one member of the r/AskReddit forum.

Smarties are the kind of candy that sits in your Halloween bucket until long after everything else is gone (with the possible exception of candy corn and Circus Peanuts). Although these chalky little mystery-flavored wafers may never make the list of America's most wanted candies, there are those who feel they don't deserve all the hate. One Redditor who finds them underrated says, "People say that they suck, but I really like them, are they my favorite? No, but they're paletible (sic), not too sweet, not too sour, just good candy to eat casually." Smarties' manufacturer also touts their worth as a not-too-indulgent treat since an entire roll has just 25 calories.

Strawberry bon bons are those hard, strawberry-flavored candies with soft, squishy centers that have wrappers meant to resemble their eponymous fruit. They may have a reputation as the ultimate grandma candy, but you won't automatically get a free lifetime supply upon turning 65. You can, however, purchase bags of Coastal Bay Confections strawberry filled candy at Dollar Tree for $1.25. (These aren't the only brand, though, since other manufacturers like Russell Stover make similar candies.) You don't even have to be a grandma to enjoy them — as one Redditor put it, "Ooh strawberry bon bons. They are indeed bon."

Take 5 is a Reese's product that's not nearly as smooth and simple as a peanut butter cup. In addition to peanut butter, the filling of this chocolate-coated candy bar also contains caramel, peanuts, and pretzels. While its complicated crunchiness may be too much for some, others feel they don't get the love they deserve. Someone posting a thread on Reddit's r/candy forum said of this treat, "I really like them, but I rarely hear them mentioned," while another person commented, "Take 5 is absolutely my favorite Reese's candy! So underrated." Quite a few others chimed in to say that they, too, found Take 5 to be a superior chocolate bar.

The original Tootsie Rolls are the chocolate ones, dating back to the late 19th century. In the 1970s, however, they were joined by Tootsie Fruit Chews, which are primarily seen in the "midgee" size and come in assorted bags containing cherry, lemon, lime, orange, and vanilla flavors. (But wait, vanilla isn't a fruit! ... Okay, never mind.) They may not be as widespread as their older sibling, but they tend to pop up around Halloween or as giveaway items at open houses and civic events. Even if they're primarily popular with bulk buyers, one Redditor nominated them as one of the all-time most underrated candies. This prompted another person to comment, "Omg I love those!" and a third to add, "RIGHT? I got a bag of them for Halloween."

Zero bars may have the most unprepossessing name in the Hershey lineup, but they're underselling themselves by a long shot. These white chocolate-dipped almond, peanut, and caramel nougat confections have been around since 1920, and they're hardly nothing even if their centenary passed without much fanfare. A handful of Redditors remembered them when asked to nominate the most underrated of candies. "It's basically a white chocolate snickers!" one commenter observed, while another opined that Zero bars are even better when chilled.

Zotz, a hard candy with a fizzy center, originated in Italy in 1968 and has been available to U.S. consumers since 1970. (Not to spoil the magic or anything, but the secret of the fizz is plain old baking soda.) These candies come in apple, blue raspberry, cherry, grape, orange, strawberry, watermelon, and spicy cinnamon, the last-named going by the moniker Hot Zotz. A number of Redditors remember Zotz fondly but have apparently had trouble finding them. One helpful commenter advised, "I always find them in candy aisles in every convenience store around here. Usually towards the bottom ... because they're underrated." They're also sold online as well as at Five Below and Jungle Jim's, the Ohio grocery store with animatronics that rival Disneyland.