This Cheap Candy Brand Is A Southern Halloween Favorite, And We Found It Hiding At The Dollar Store

One beautiful thing about the United States is that it hosts so many diverse regions filled with people with different perspectives regarding almost everything — Halloween candy included. Reese's are popular in the Northwest and Northeast, California adores Red Vines, and portions of the Midwest prefer the colorful candy Gordon Ramsay called "a combination of Aspirin and Tums" (aka Smarties). Southerners dance to a slightly different tune, as their favorite Halloween candy comes from a less recognizable brand called Sweet Smiles.

DoorDash studied Halloween candy trends from 2025 to discover each state's favorite treat, and it shows that seven neighboring southern states feel the same way about holiday sweets. Across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee, folks seek out Sweet Smiles when October 31 is creeping up. And anyone who wants to see what all the hype is about can pick up Sweet Smiles candy at Dollar General. 

If you've never heard of Sweet Smiles, you're probably wondering what they taste like, but there isn't one simple answer. The brand makes dozens of candies in a plethora of interesting flavors, shapes, and textures. Circus Peanuts, Cherry Sours, Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters, Gummi Cola Bottles, Root Beer Barrels, and Strawberry Bon Bons are just a small sample of the types of treats the company manufactures. Sweet Smiles has something for everyone, and best of all, stocking up for Halloween won't break the bank.

It's no secret that not everything costs a dollar at dollar stores anymore, but many Sweet Smiles candies at Dollar General can still be had for a buck. Even when they don't, they're still cheap. Starlight mints and various chocolate-covered treats will only set shoppers back $1.25, for example. 

And just in time for the holiday, the company is also offering customers Halloween-themed candies at an affordable rate. Bags of Gummi Eyeballs, Gummi Fangs, and Marshmallow Pumpkins & Ghosts sell for $2 a pack at Dollar General, and holiday-themed witch and jack-o'-lantern lollipops are $1 a piece. Unfortunately, there is one drawback to handing these out to all the little monsters on October 31. Besides the lollipops, none of these Halloween candies are individually wrapped, and the same goes for much of the brand's regular lineup. Unwrapped sticky sweets aren't really ideal in a Halloween haul, but if you're filling up a candy bowl for a party or feeling generous enough to give out a whole 7-ounce package of goodies on the spookiest night of the year, they're a perfect seasonal treat.

Walmart also carries this beloved Halloween candy brand, but it costs an arm and a leg compared to Dollar General. For example, one of Sweet Smiles' most recognizable treats is its Peach Gummi Rings, which sell for $7.48 at Walmart versus $1 at the dollar store. Same candy, same size bag, and a nearly $6.50 markup. The regional favorites are definitely worth sampling if you can score them for $1 at Dollar General, just like many southern comfort food staples you should try at least once.