Inexplicably, Starburst unseats Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups as Texas’ favorite Halloween candy

click to enlarge

Wikimedia Commons / Icestorm815

We all remember the experience of opening our Halloween trick-or-treat bags at the end of the night, ready to inventory our big score. We prayed to the Candy Gods for maximum chocolate and that no apples, toothbrushes or Necco Wafers ended up in the mix.

That prayer for chocolate — especially those rich, sweet, salty and oh-so-decadent Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups — seemed to be a rite of passage for American kids.

Which is why we were shocked to discover that Starburst, not Reece’s, is actually Texas’ best-selling Halloween candy.

According to this year’s CandyStore.com analysis of Halloween goodie purchases, Starburst unseated those peanut butter-stuffed pockets of bliss as the Lone Star State’s favorite. While we’ve got no problem with Starburst’s pleasant combo of sweet, sour and chewy, how the hell could they nudge a winning blend of chocolate and peanut butter out of the top position?

Tempting as it is, there’s no reason to doubt CandyStore’s findings.

After all, the company ships bulk confections across the country and uses its actual sales data from the months leading up to Halloween to determine each state’s most-purchased candy. To further back up the research, it even consults with major candy manufacturers about the trends they’re seeing.

So, we’re left scratching our heads why Starburst, which are enjoyable but frankly just this side of average, beat out Reece’s. The cups, after all, are the second-best selling Halloween candy nationwide (behind Skittles) and reign as top seller in states including Kansas and North Carolina.

While it’s tempting to fume at Texans’ skewed candy sensibilities, at least we’re not Oklahoma or Montana, where Dubble Bubble chewing gum was the top seller. While some confectionary scholars may differ, we’re not even sure gum qualifies as a fricken candy.

Whatever your favorite Halloween sweet indulgence, enjoy responsibly, and try not to swipe too much from the kids’ goodie bags. COVID-19’s going to make
for slim pickings this year.

click to enlarge