In Defense of Candy Corn, America’s “Most Hated” Halloween candy

By Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart Trends Expert & Senior Product Manager

Truth be told, I haven’t always loved candy corn. When I was a kid, it was always the last candy left in my trick-or-treat bag, and I’d only eat it out of desperation when a sweet tooth craving kicked in. But over the years, I started to look forward to the sugary sweet goodness as I neared the bottom of my candy bag, and now I actually find the texture and flavor quite enjoyable — it’s chewy, creamy, and sweet — what’s not to love?

Given my love for the seasonal treat, I had to question the many news articles and surveys about how many people passionately loathe candy corn. Surely there are others out there who enjoy candy corn like me! So being the data nerd that I am, I looked into recent purchase trends of candy corn on the Instacart platform, and what I found surprised even this candy corn-loving girl. We found that candy corn has actually experienced the largest purchase growth — a 22,000% increase — compared to other candies over the past few months. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about why people are purchasing candy corn in such large amounts, so the team at Instacart conducted an online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults with The Harris Poll and found that a majority of Americans (77%) buy candy corn, and while most purchase it to eat (97%), more than 1 in 3 of those who buy candy corn (35%) actually buy it for decorations, arts & crafts, and games. Who knew?!

So, in defense of candy corn, I’m taking a stand and proclaiming it the Halloween candy G.O.A.T. Not only does it satisfy a sweet tooth, but it also imparts a sense of nostalgia, creates a festive feeling, and can be used for seasonal decorations and other fun. And I’m not alone — here’s a deeper look into how Americans really feel about candy corn:

Sugary-sweet goodness

Despite strong accusations swirling around the online world that candy corn is ‘disgusting,’ more than 2 in 5 Americans (42%) say they actually love it. In fact, less than 1 in 5 Americans (16%) are on the record saying they hate eating candy corn.

Further, a majority of Americans offer positive tasting notes for the classic candy, describing it as:

• Sugary-sweet goodness (45%)
• Caramel (19%)
• Marshmallow-like (16%)

Just under a quarter (23%) liken it to candle wax, while only 16% describe it as processed.

A trip down memory lane

Let’s face it, candy corn has been around for more than 100 years, so it’s oozing with nostalgia. Most of us either have a childhood memory or a strong opinion about it. According to the survey…

• 2 in 5 of those who buy candy corn (40%) do so because they used to eat it as a kid, so it’s nostalgic.
• Parents with kids under age 18 are more likely than those without kids under age 18 to purchase candy corn (89% vs. 71%).

Could it be that more parents are buying candy corn for their kids because they want to recreate the same special memories they had when growing up? Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and perhaps that’s one reason candy corn has lasted through the ages.

A candy that can do it all

It’s not very common to decorate a wreath with Snickers or display a festive candy bowl with Sour Patch Kids. What separates candy corn from other Halloween candies is that it can serve more than one purpose.

With its festive holiday coloring, small size, and waxy, no-melt exterior, a surprising number of those who buy candy corn (more than 1 in 3 or 35%) buy candy corn for non-eating purposes, such as:

• Party games, like candy corn relay and candy corn toss (18%)
• Arts & crafts (17%)
• Home decorating (16%)

Further, parents with children under 18 are more likely than others (49% vs 27%) to buy candy corn for the reasons above. Gotta keep the kids busy somehow!

And in a true testament to candy corn, more than half of the people who buy it for non-eating purposes (52%) actually do eat it or give it to someone else to eat afterwards — and 20% even feed it to their pet!

Although not everyone may hold the same opinion as me that candy corn is the best Halloween candy around, I hope you’ll at least be able to see the classic candy in a new light for this and many spooky seasons ahead. Happy Halloween!

Survey Method: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Instacart from October 7–9, 2020 among 2,022 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact press@instacart.com.