I tried 10 of the hottest candies of 2026 (so far) and this was my favorite

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As summer continues to fly by and we inch even closer to a new year, everyone will start to talk about trends. There will be articles about the hottest things happening in fashion, home decor, and much more. None of them, however, are as tantalizing as the new candies on shelves in 2026. While this past year has been filled with ups and downs, if you use the candy trajectory as any type of barometer, the rest of 2026 is looking pretty delicious. You may already have favorites, like the folks who are excited about new pickle flavored candies, but you are going to want to see the brand new candies practically begging to be tossed in your shopping cart.

There are luscious chocolates, fruity bites, even plant-based offerings. There's also a very obvious influx of sour candies to choose from. What a time to be alive. Some candies are being stocked for the first time ever, and other brands are counting on nostalgia to translate to sales as they resurrect some classics for the first time in decades. If you have a sweet tooth, I'm about to share a short list of delights that will make you smile, pucker your lips, or both. Candy is like an immediate mood booster. Seriously, have you ever seen someone sad or even crying while they tear into a Snickers bar? Add these newbies to your shopping list and get ready to taste some of the best sweet treats of 2026 so far.

Read more: 14 Things You've Always Believed About Aldi (That Aren't True)

Methodology

In order to find some of the hottest new candies of 2026, I started with a basic internet search that took me to everything from specific candy brand websites and press releases to candy focused blogs. Once I had a list of about 20 new candies, I dug deeper to confirm they all had 2026 release dates and were readily available. I narrowed it down to 10 different varieties that included a diverse mix of flavors, textures, and inclusions. 

I was able to find all 10 items between my local Walmart Supercenter and Target. I did notice online that Five Below also carried a few of them. In case you didn't know, Five Below is an utter playground of various candy delights, and cheap too. I tasted each candy and then carefully decided on my favorite one. This is serious business and should be treated as such. The good news is that there are no bad choices in this bunch and 2026 is definitely a good year for candy lovers everywhere.

1. Twix Bits Crunchy Cookie Chocolate Candy

In April of this year, a new Twix item made its debut. Twix Bits Crunchy Cookie Chocolate Candy is not only a fantastic example of alliteration, its also a Twix lover's next purchase. Or, it should be. These are delicious. For the record, this is not a Twix bar in a different shape. They are definitely Twix adjacent, but the flavor and texture is different. We love to see brands flexing different candy innovations, and this one was a nice follow up to its Twix Snickerdoodle flavor that did not fare as well in taste tests.

The outside shell is rich and chocolatey and the inside packs a crunch. It's not like the cookie crunch of the OG Twix bars. The texture is kind of similar to the inside of the Whoppers candy. Regardless it's satisfying and the smoothness of the chocolate coupled with the airy crunchiness of the inside is excellent. The round shape makes them way too easy to pop in your mouth and enjoy every time you walk past the bag. I would absolutely buy these again.

Twix Bits are $2.78 at Walmart.

2. M&M's Pop'd Caramel Chocolate Crunchy Candy

There is no doubt that one of the most invasive candy trends that swept the world are freeze dried treats. I don't want to brag, but I have been into this category before it was even a trend. That's right! Growing up in Florida there were regular field trips to Kennedy Space Center. Do you know what they sell there? The answer is astronaut ice cream and I love it more than I probably should. There's just something about the freeze-dried crunch. When I saw the new M&M's Pop'd Caramel Chocolate Crunchy Candy, I couldn't wait to rip the package open and chase that feeling you get from freeze dried confections.

M&M's candies are no strangers to change over the years, and this latest creation is sure to be a crowd pleaser. These little clusters of joy first hit TikTok in November of 2025 and finally popped up in retail stores in 2026. The texture is perfection. You get the crunch of the M&M shell followed by the even bigger crunch of the freeze dried middle. They look a little messy but they taste absolutely delicious. If you love chocolate, especially M$Ms, and prefer a sweet snack with multiple layers, this is it.

M&M's Pop'd are $4.97 at Walmart.

3. Beemax Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Chocolate Bar

Before we get into this next one, I feel like I need to come clean and tell you that I am not a white chocolate fan. Unless it's drizzled on milk or dark chocolate in some form, I don't want it. White chocolate is not chocolate and I say that with my whole chest. However, if I was to get excited over anything with white chocolate as the lead, it would definitely be the Beemax Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Chocolate Bar. Everything about the packaging of this candy bar screams high quality chocolate right down to the gold foil wrapped candy bar. 

I legitimately felt like Charlie when he opened his Wonka bar to see the glimmer of the golden ticket. It's sleek and modern and anything with notes of cheesecake is bound to be a good time. The Beemax Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Chocolate Bar hit the candy scene in early 2026. Beemax, a UK based company is also behind the wildly popular Dubai chocolate bar that made waves in 2025. The white chocolate is simple and luxurious, as Belgian chocolate should be, and the inside contains cheesecake-flavored cream and the obligatory cookie part of cookies and creme. It's extremely sweet, but I have to admit, despite my disdain for white chocolate, it's good.

Beemax Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Chocolate Bar is $4.99 at Target.

4. Tony's Chocolonely Gooey Caramel Sea Salt Crunch

Tony's Chocolonely showed up to the candy community and all of sudden it felt like he was everywhere. In February 2026, a new flavor was released and it's right up my alley. It's called gooey caramel sea salt crunch and I could not open it fast enough. The packaging is similar to the luxe look of the Beemax chocolate bars but with bolder colors that can't help but catch your eye. The candy bar us made with milk chocolate and a salted caramel filling with caramel pieces.

This may be one of the most perfect chocolate bars I have ever had. It gives you everything you could possibly want. There's sweet notes, a dash of savory from the sea salt to balance it out, and a creamy filling with a touch of crunch. I don't know Tony, but I hope both sides of his pillow are always cool and that he makes every green light for the rest of his life. A Dutch brand, Tony's Chocolonely has so many varieties on shelves everywhere and now it has a new super fan. There's a huge Ton't haul in my future. That's for sure.

Tony's Chocolonely Gooey Caramel Sea Salt Crunch is $5.29 at Target.

5. SmartSweets Candy Salad

In the middle of the year, SmartSweets released a limited edition item called Candy Salad. If you are not familiar with the popular candy salad trend, you must not have social media. SmartSweets capitalized on that fad and it was clearly well-received because in July of 2026 it became a permanent member of its candy empire. SmartSweets is part of the candy niche that caters to those looking for products with less sugar that are plant-based. Instead of synthetic dyes, they use fruit and vegetable juices, as well as natural flavors, only.

While there are quite a few flavors of SmartSweets candies, the new candy salad gives you a melody of both sweet and sour in a variety of fun shapes and flavors. The candy salad comes with berry, lime twist, sour grape, sour peach, and sour watermelon. Both the sweet and sour gummy candies deliver, and if you can't handle the full power of the latter, SmartSweets are much milder than some of the competition. Also, it's a female-founded brand, because who else would be genius enough to add 6 grams of fiber to gummy candy? Not all heroes wear capes.

SmartSweets Candy Salad is $3.19 at Target.

6. Smarties Squashies Sours

Apple Squashies Sours entered the world in April of 2026. It's the legendary Smarties name with a whole new vibe. These are pretty delightful overall. They do have a gummy texture, but softer than others. It's almost as if a taffy and a gummy fell in love and had a sweet and sour little baby. Also, unlike some other gummy candies, I personally loved how they did not stick to your teeth at all.

While it touts sour, it's not an in your face type of sour. The apple notes hit much harder than the cherry, but that's not a bad thing. The Squashies are a total departure from the old school plastic package of little hard candy discs with the twisty ends. We love to see a candy brand evolve and the Squashies are absolutely sweet proof that Smarties isn't afraid to try new things. I predict that these might start making an appearance in Halloween jackolanterns right alongside their older sibling.

Smarties Squashies Sours are $2.49 at Target.

7. Peelerz Gummy Sweet and Sour Mix

Another candy that has taken the world by storm is Peelerz. The whole shtick involves peeling away a layer of candy to reveal another softer layer of candy hiding underneath. They are the kind of candy that lends itself to many viral moments on social media. When they first appeared, people were clearing out the shelves and the company probably knew at that moment they were sitting on a sweet little goldmine. One of the newest flavors of Peelerz fresh out of the think tank in January of 2026 is a sour sweet mix. The flavors include, sour strawberry, sour green grape, and sour blue raspberry.

They are made with real fruit juice and are as fun as they are tasty. While the point is technically to peel them, I can confirm they are no less delicious if you eat them whole. You still get the two different textures regardless of how you choose to consume them. I got hooked on Peelerz when I first tasted the mango-flavored candy and have never looked back. Like the other sour candies discussed, these also go easy on the sour levels. I don't really remember life before experiencing peelable gummies and am happy to see the company continuing to churn out additional varieties. Keep it up.

Peelerz Sour Sweet Mix is $2.49 at Target.

8. Starburst Sour

In January 2026, the world was given another variety of Starburst. You can't deny that Starburst is a legendary candy with classic appeal. Everyone has their favorite flavor from the OG package with the yellow wrapper, and obviously it's the pink ones. Those are the best and you will not change my mind. Well, you can't remain relevant in the candy world unless you jump on at least some of the trends. So, that's exactly what Starburst did when it launched its little sour squares.

The sour roster includes strawberry, green apple, blue raspberry, and watermelon. Each of those flavors knows exactly how to rock sour notes. Guys, these are legit. They have the exact same texture and juiciness of the traditional Starburst you know and love. The strawberry one even resembles the pink Starburst, just with a tiny sour twist. Starburst sours are a touch more intense than the ones mentioned so far, but still very doable.

Starburst Sour candies are $1.25 at Walmart.

9. Skittles Fuego

In January of 2026, Skittles did something no candy lover saw coming. It introduced a gummy candy that is part sweet and part spicy. Hence the name, Fuego. It looks like a flattened out gummy style Skittles covered in sugary dust. There's lemon, watermelon, strawberry, mango, and raspberry flavors in the bag. At first I was equal parts intrigued and scared. Do I want spicy Skittles? I love unexpected flavors so the answer was, yes.

So here's the thing. These are much tastier than I thought they would be. However, if you are sensitive to spice, I would not suggest diving into these head first. Maybe take a little bite to test your tolerance because Skittles Fuego definitely has a nice kick. It's also a nice departure from overly sugary candies, which regular Skittles definitely are. There's actually a slight touch of savoriness in the sweet and spicy dust that coats the new fiery Skittles, and I'm not mad about it.

Skittles Fuego Gummies are $2.49 at Target.

10. Reese's Marshmallow

You know what has never let me down or fallen short? A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. If I had to pick one candy for the rest of my life, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup would be the top contender. Reese's peanut butter cups have faced some criticism recently, but I am holding out hope. In April of 2026, after a double decade of retirement, Reese's brought back an old favorite and we're happy it did. Just the picture on the front of the signature orange wrapper looks good enough to eat. Speaking of, I don't know what was done differently, but this was the first time I released the cup from the wrapper without any remnants of chocolate and peanut butter stuck to the center.

Is it delicious? Yes. Is it way too sweet? Also, yes. However, I have very specific plans for these little joyful circles containing smooth milk chocolate, peanut butter, and marshmallow. It involves sandwiching them in between graham crackers and leveling up my s'mores game. Get the grill ready, because I know in my soul that this is the best way for the Reese's Marshmallow to really shine. While I'm more of a Reese's purist at heart, there should be nothing stopping you from grabbing the marshmallow variety and enjoying them in your own s'mores or solo. Live how you want to live.

Reese's Marshmallow is $2.78 at Walmart.

So, which new candy of 2026 is my favorite?

While I did enjoy all of the different flavors and textures of the new candies of 2026, I am, after all, a chocolate enthusiast. Tony's Chocolonely Gooey Caramel Sea Salt Crunch won by a landslide. What can I say? The heart wants what it wants and mine will always be pulled to a good chocolate candy. The chocolate is rich and creamy, but not painfully sweet. The caramel center is gooey as promised and the inclusion of crunchy bits of caramel takes it over the top. I actually audibly let out a big "mmmmmm" with my first bite. I almost don't want to admit that this was my first ever Tony's Chocolonely experience, but I can assure you it will not be my last. My hardest decision is going to be which flavor to try next.

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