The 12 Hands-Down Best New Chocolatey Candies Of 2026 (So Far)

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Some chocolate candies have been around a long, long time. The Hershey Bar made its debut in 1900; Mr. Goodbar turned 100 in 2025; and the history of Raisinets goes back nearly a century, too. While we'd never turn our back on these old favorites, we always have room in our hearts (and our stomachs) for a few new treats, and 2026 has been a pretty good year for candy connoisseurs. So far, it has gifted us with quite a range of new chocolate items: some plain, some flavored, some filled, and some nutty.

This list represents a cross-section of some of the new chocolate candies that have caught our eye throughout the year, although it is by no means comprehensive. Many of these items come from mainstream manufacturers, so you may have already seen them at your supermarket checkout counter. For others, you'll need to venture into the candy aisle, while more specialized treats may take some hunting to track down. Each and every one, however, is well worth the effort. Not only will these chocolates make your tastebuds happy, but who couldn't use a little theobromine mood boost?

Russell Stover may be owned by Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli, but the company itself has been American-based since 1923. When the nation's 250th rolled around and many snacks got a patriotic makeover, the chocolate maker went one better. It took trendy Dubai chocolate and adapted it to make Russell Stover American-Style Chocolate, which is similar right down to the crispy kataifi pastry but replaces Dubai chocolate's green pistachio cream filling with peanut butter. Redditors advise that these candies melt quickly if you don't keep them in the fridge, but apart from that, they seem quite sold on them. "Walgreens has them on clearance and they are divine," said one person on Reddit, while another replied, "I'll agree, they are verry good."

Purchase a 4.2-ounce bag of individually-wrapped Russell Stover American-Style Chocolates at Menards for $8.93. 

July 2026 marked a historic occasion for Reese's Pieces candy: the first time in a decade that there was a new version of the product. Chocolate Cookie Reese's Pieces have the same candy shell and peanut butter filling as the original, with the addition of a tiny morsel of chocolate cookie in the center. A Takeout reviewer was eating them by the handful, and many Walmart shoppers shared their enthusiasm. "I highly recommend trying them; they are absolutely delicious," said one. Another described the treat this way: "It has a crunchy texture with the perfect amount of sweetness and crunchiness!"

Get a 7.6-ounce bag of Reese's Pieces Chocolate Cookie at Walmart for $5.97.

2026 seems to have been quite a year for candies collaborating with other dessert items. Hostess Ding Dongs Mini Candy Pieces, another addition to that genre, were actually named a finalist for the 2026 Most Innovative New Chocolate Product Award given out by the National Confectioners Association at its annual Sweets and Snacks Expo. These mini candy pieces have the look of Ding Dongs as well as a similar chocolate coating and creamy white filling. One Facebook user confirmed, "They do taste like a ding dong."

Buy a 10-ounce bag of Hostess Ding Dongs Mini Candy Pieces from All City Candy for $8.25.

Yet another National Confectioners Association Award finalist is Maeve Chocolate's Virgin Dirty Shirley Truffle Bar. If the name strikes you as a bit odd (isn't a virgin Dirty Shirley just a Shirley Temple?), that may be because you're not familiar with the "Dungeon Crawler Carl" LitRPG series that's been such a BookTok sensation. The bar's flavor is an homage to Carl's ex's cat, Princess Donut, who talks and battles aliens, and ... oh, never mind, you can always just wait for the upcoming Peacock miniseries. The candy bar, however, stands on its own merits. It has a dark chocolate exterior, a white chocolate truffle center, and dried cherries with popping candy just for fun. "You had me at cherry and I stayed for the pop rocks! This bar is so delicious," says one Maeve Chocolate fan for life.

Purchase a Virgin Dirty Shirley bar from Maeve Chocolate for $8.

Riesen chocolate-covered caramels are a criminally underrated candy, according to Reddit. That may not be the case much longer, however, once word gets out about the new coffee-flavored version. "These are amazing and need to be made a staple every day candy," said one Dollar Tree shopper. "They were so good I bought out all they had! I check back weekly!" added someone who may be to blame if you can't find them at your local store.

Purchase a 2.65-ounce bag of Riesen Espresso at Dollar Tree for $1.25.

If you're a fluffernutter fan who's always felt this sandwich could be improved by the addition of chocolate, Reese's has finally heard you. The company even admitted that it took inspiration from school lunches to create its new Reese's Marshmallow Cup (even if it's actually a reboot of a similar peanut butter cup from 20 years ago). While these candies are pretty awesome on their own, one Walmart shopper offered another idea: "I could see this elevating a s'mores too!"

Purchase a 2.8-ounce two-piece Reese's Marshmallow Big Cup at Walmart for $3.18.

DIY freeze-dried candies took off during the pandemic, but the release of Pop'd Caramel M&M's marks the brand's slightly belated official entry into the market. "Somewhat has the flavor and texture of an airy malted milk ball with surprise bursts of caramel," commented one person on the M&M's website. Another raved, "They are amazing! The crunch, the chocolate, the whole thing is amazing. This is the best thing I've had in a long time." We named these candies as one of our favorite new Kroger products for May, although they're not exclusive to that store.

Purchase a 5.5-ounce bag of Pop'd Caramel M&M's at Kroger for $6.49.

Dipping a chicken leg in chocolate would really be taking the whole sweet and savory thing way out of its comfort zone, but luckily the Cocoa Cluck Nashville Hot Chocolate Chicken Leg is all candy, no chicken. However, this trompe l'oeil treat, with its vanilla filling, milk chocolate shell, and crunchy corn flake coating, does look close enough for April Fooling. True to the name, there's also a little bit of cayenne pepper heat to temper the sweetness.

Purchase a 1.9-ounce Cocoa Cluck Nashville Hot Chocolate Chicken Leg from Paramount Chocolates for $5.99.

Back in July, a Takeout reviewer tried 10 of 2026's hottest candies, and their favorite of the bunch was the Tony's Chocolonely Filled Gooey Caramel Sea Salt Crunch Bar. Many Walmart shoppers, too, praised this milk chocolate candy bar, whose name describes its flavor and texture pretty accurately. "Wow, unbelievably delicious. The chocolate melts in your mouth," shared one Walmart reviewer. "I would have to say this is one of the best chocolate bars ever," commented another.

Purchase a 4.76-ounce Tony's Chocolonely Filled Gooey Caramel Sea Salt Crunch Bar at Walmart for $5.97.

Once Dubai chocolate started trending, it raised the profile of the pistachio. Products made with the nut seem like they are now everywhere, including in candies. Copper Kettle Pistachio Clusters combine roasted, salted pistachios with dark chocolate and caramel to create a confection that one Facebook user called "To die for!"

Purchase a 16-ounce bag of Copper Kettle Pistachio Caramel Clusters at Costco for $14.18.

Marzipan and fondant are both used in cake decorating, but they're two very different products. The latter can look pretty, but its flavor is fairly unremarkable. The former is absolutely delicious, whether eaten as a standalone candy or combined with chocolate, as in the Chocolove Filled Marzipan in Dark Chocolate Bar. This item was added to the Chocolove lineup in April 2026, less than six months after the brand's acquisition by Ritter Sport. Coincidence? Perhaps not, since Ritter also makes a popular marzipan chocolate bar of its own. The more the merrier, though, so we welcome Chocolove's addition to this not-too-crowded field.

Purchase a 3.2-ounce Chocolove Filled Marzipan in Dark Chocolate Bar at Woodman's for $3.99.

Some fruits are often paired with chocolate, to the benefit of both. Strawberry, raspberry, and even orange-flavored chocolate are common, but lemon? Not so much. It turns out that this was quite an oversight. Once TCHO stepped into the gap with its Lemon Twist Bar, we suddenly found out what we were missing. The bar itself is dark chocolate, while the filling is salted lemon cream made with olive oil. (Yes, it's vegan.) One TCHO purchaser described it this way: "So delicious and lemony with the perfect touch of coarse salt — a surprising combination done just right!" Another echoed, "Amazing texture and blend of flavors. Very luxurious!"

Purchase a 2.1-ounce Lemon Twist Bar from TCHO for $6.99.