- Nerds Grape and Strawberry flavor contain 91.7g of added sugar per 100g, making them the most sugar-dense popular Halloween candy.
- Sour Patch Kids ranks second with 90g of added sugar per 100g, followed by Swedish Fish with 76g.
- Payday bars have the lowest sugar content out of the 30 popular candies, with 35g of sugar per 100g.
A new study has identified that Nerds Grape and Strawberry flavor are the Halloween candy with the highest sugar content.
The study, conducted by dental experts at hellodent, analyzed the nutritional information of 30 fun, mini or snack-sized Halloween candies listed on Walmart to determine which treats contain the most sugar for Trick or Treaters. Each candy’s added sugar content per 100g was analyzed to allow for fair comparison regardless of serving size.
Nerds Grape and Strawberry flavor rank as the Halloween candy with the highest sugar content, packing an astonishing 91.7g of added sugar per 100g, meaning more than 90% of their weight is pure added sugar.
In second are Sour Patch Kids, which contain 80.0g of added sugar per 100g, and in third place areSwedish Fish, with 76.0g per 100g. The top three treats all consist of chewy, fruity candies that lead the way when it comes to high sugar content.
In fourth place, Original Skittles feature 73.3g of added sugar per 100g, making them one of the most sugar-dense and colorful options for trick-or-treaters.
Nerds Gummy Clusters complete the top five with 71.4g per 100g, blending chewy and crunchy textures with an equally high sugar load.
Airheads come in sixth with69.4g of added sugar per 100g, followed closely by Charms Blow Pops in seventh at 68.8g per 100g, which combines both candy and gum in one sugar-heavy treat.
3 Musketeers bars rank eighth with 66.7g per 100g, making it the highest-sugar chocolate-based candy on the list. In ninth place is Milk Chocolate M&Ms, which contain 59.3g of added sugar per 100g, while Jolly Rancher Gummies Tropical flavour round out the top ten with 58.8g per 100g.
Overall, these findings show that fruit-flavored, chewy, and hard candies dominate the highest sugar rankings, with most containing well over two-thirds of their weight in added sugar. Chocolate-based options tend to fall slightly lower on the list, offering a marginally less sugary option to consume on Halloween.
Top 10 Halloween candies with the highest sugar content
| Rank | Candy Brand | Serving Size (g) | Total Sugars per Serving (g) | Added Sugar per Serving (g) | Added Sugar per 100g |
| 1. | Nerds Grape and Strawberry Mini Boxes | 12 | 11 | 11 | 91.7 |
| 2. | Sour Patch Kids Treat Size Bags | 25 | 20 | 20 | 80.0 |
| 3. | Swedish Fish Mini Treat Size Bags | 25 | 19 | 19 | 76.0 |
| 4. | Original Skittles Fun Size | 15 | 11 | 11 | 73.3 |
| 5. | Nerds Gummy Clusters Treat Sized Pouches | 28 | 20 | 20 | 71.4 |
| 6. | Airheads Mini Bars | 36 | 25 | 25 | 69.4 |
| 7. | Charms Blow Pop (Individual) | 16 | 11 | 11 | 68.8 |
| 8. | 3 Musketeers Fun Size | 30 | 20 | 20 | 66.7 |
| 9. | Milk Chocolate M&Ms Fun Size | 27 | 17 | 16 | 59.3 |
| 10. | Jolly Rancher Gummies Tropical Snack Size | 34 | 20 | 20 | 58.8 |
At the bottom end of the ranking, other candies offer a comparatively less sugary option for those looking to indulge without going overboard on sweetness this Halloween.
The Halloween candy with the lowest sugar content is Payday, containing 35.0g of added sugar per 100g.
Next is Butterfinger, with 37.8g of added sugar per 100g, followed by both Almond Joy and Mounds, each at 41.2g per 100g.
Twix has the fourth-lowest sugar content among the 30 candies analyzed, with 43.8g of added sugar per 100g.
In fifth place are Twizzlers, which contain 44g of added sugar per 100g, making the candy slightly higher in sugar than Twix but still among the lower-sugar Halloween treats.
A spokesperson from hellodent commented on the findings:
“As dental professionals, we see the aftermath of excessive sugar consumption regularly. Sugar intake is directly linked to tooth decay, especially when sticky candies stay on teeth for extended periods.
“We recommend choosing candies with lower sugar content and encouraging children to eat their treats with meals rather than as constant snacks throughout the day, to reduce the amount of time teeth are exposed to sugar.
“The high sugar levels in some candies raise questions about seasonal treats and their impact on dental health. Given that the average child collects between 3,500 and 7,000 calories worth of candy on Halloween night, parents face the challenge of balancing holiday fun with health considerations.”
credit https://www.hellodent.com/site/home
Sources: