When posed with the question, "Trick or Treat?," it's a hard "Treat" for us. And we won't stand for any tricks.
Turns out, we're not alone. While Halloween is accepted globally as a day to indulge, the truth is that American adults consume an average of 77 grams of sugar every day. Which, may be why more than 70% of people are now looking to reduce their sugar intake... but, they aren't exactly ready to give up their candies.
Enter: better-for-you sweets and treats. And if our pop-ups are any indication, they're of year-round interest—plant-based chocolates, reinvented gummy classics, and no-sugar-added sodas always find their way to the top of our best-sellers list. (It's hard to not get excited about gluten-free gummies with only four grams of sugar!) More than half (53%) of consumers check labels for total sugars when choosing a new food or beverage, even if they don't want it to look healthy. As Business Insider points out, although Gen Z has an appetite for clean ingredients, they're cool with the packaging not indicating as much.
In order to satisfy all age ranges, aesthetic preferences, and ingredient list checks, here are 10 treats—sans ingredient tricks—that we want to both hand out, and enjoy, this year.
***
Climate Candy FAVES
Fixing climate change with candy? Maybe the most compelling argument for indulgence, ever. Climate Candy rescues unharvested fruits & veggies from farms and gives them new life as FAVES: cherry, lemon, orange, strawberry chews.
Suckerz Hard Candy and Lollipops
Completely organic and without sugar alcohols, Suckerz is reinventing the classics to be better-for-all. Their jumbo lollipops will erase the painful memory of settling for Dum-Dums, while still coming in classic flavors: raspberry and watermelon.
TCHO Chocolate
If you're looking for a plant-based chocolate to feel good about, TCHO checks almost every box there is. In fact, they are such an open book you can tour their factory yourself. The B Corp™ company is involved in every step of their chocolate supply chain, working to make it as fair and equitable for everyone involved: farmers, roasters, scientists, and everyone in between.
TiDBiTS Gummies
Dirtbag Bar
Dirtbag is more than just a date bar. The organic, vegan, gluten-free chocolatey snack is a member of both 1% for Mental Health and 1% for the Planet. Their pink packaging feels instantly iconic, don't you think?
Tazzy Candy
Tazzy is on a mission to bring hard candy and lollipops from Granny Candy to fashion accessory. Tazzy is sugar free, gluten-free, vegan, female-founded, and includes flavors featuring Vitamin C and caffeine. Our top choice? Their spicy mango lollipops. Bring some *appropriate* heat to your bag of treats, you will be thanked!
Raaka Chocolate
Organic, vegan, and kosher, Raaka Minis are our kind of fun size treat. Pumpkin Crunch is the obvious choice for Halloween, but no one would be disappointed to find their upcycled Waffle Crunch minis in a pillowcase, either.
BEHAVE Gummies
Sweet or sour, Behave has you covered. We love that their bears and stars feature flavors not found in your typical gummy, like passionfruit, lychee, and pink pineapple. And while they aren't vegan, they are dairy- and gluten-free, made with "the cleanest-sourced gelatin that you can find on the market": kosher, grass-fed beef gelatin.
GIGANTIC!
When you want a bite of nostalgia without the heavy dose of sugar, Gigantic’s plant-based candy bars fit the bill. Made with just 7g of sugar and fair trade dark chocolate, you can shamelessly get your fix.
Candid Noons
Candid Noons give a satisfying, chocolatey crunch at all hours of the day. Each flavor is made with a single-digit ingredient list including the cacao fruit pulp (not wasted!), organic fruits, superfoods, and absolutely no refined sugar.
