1. Ribbon Candy
Delicate, swirled hard candy that’s almost too pretty to eat. Scholars believe ribbon candy originated in Europe in the 1800s as festive holiday treats. Made by folding heated sugar into curled strips, often flavored with mint or citrus, it sparkles in candy dishes more than it satisfies cravings. In 1886, a dentist invented the first mechanical crimper in Massachusetts, making production easier and more consistent. Still, large‑scale output wasn’t practical until the 1940s when automated spinners and cutters came along. Today, ribbon candy remains a seasonal decorative staple, electrically colorful but often shared more in memory than taste.
2. Circus Peanuts
Rubbery, banana‑flavored marshmallows shaped like peanuts, these quirky marshmallow treats date back to the 1800s as classic “penny candy” sold in five‑and‑dime stores. Despite their name and shape, they don’t contain any peanuts and don’t taste like them, banana flavor reigns supreme. They were originally seasonal, arriving in spring, until the advent of cellophane packaging in the 1940s made year‑round sales possible. Their odd texture, soft when fresh, tougher after some time, sparks fierce opinions: you’re either a fan or you’re not. Remarkably, these confusing little delights inspired Lucky Charms. In the 1960s, a General Mills employee added chopped circus peanuts to Cheerios, a mash‑up that led directly to those iconic cereal marshmallow bits.
3. Cracker Jack
Crunchy caramel popcorn with a toy surprise, ballpark legend. First introduced in 1896, Cracker Jack became synonymous with Americana and baseball. Its catchy slogan “the more you eat, the more you want” helped cement its place in snack history. Every box held a small prize, adding fun and anticipation beyond just munching popcorn. While you can still find Cracker Jack in stores, modern versions lean smaller and often skimp on the toy. Fans agree it’s not the same as the bulky, prize-populated bags of the mid-20th century. Still, it’s a nostalgic nod to days at the ballpark: buttery popcorn, gooey caramel, salty-sweet bliss, and a surprise inside.
4. Charleston Chews
Chocolate-covered nougat is best loved frozen and snapped into bites. First released in 1925 by the Fox-Cross Candy Company in Boston, Charleston Chews offered a sturdy milk-chocolate shell and a chewy nougat center. Many fans feel its magic shines when you freeze it, then break it into thick cigar‑like bites for a crisp snap. Though overshadowed by more famous candy bars, Charleston Chews have loyal followers. It’s an old-school experience: dense, chocolate‑coated nougat, perfect for when you want something richer and traditional.
5. Mary Janes
Peanut-butter taffy in stubborn wax-paper wrappers, the classic childhood sticky treat. Born in 1914 by Charles N. Miller Company, Mary Janes offered taffy flavored with molasses and peanut butter. Wrapped in waxed paper, they clung to teeth and fingers, a sticky, chewy delight that defined candy breaks. Though production slowed over the decades, Mary Janes endured in retro candy shops. They’re a nostalgic nod to simpler, grittier sweets that required patience and a sweet tooth.
6. Necco Wafers
Peach‑pink chalky discs dating back to 1847. Invented in Boston when Oliver Chase created a machine to cut lozenges, these wafer candies became legendary for their durability, so much so that Union soldiers carried them during the Civil War. Known as “hub wafers” back then, Necco Wafers have since transitioned into a roll of eight pastel flavors that evoke memories of grandma’s candy jar. Though they fell out of production in 2018 amid financial troubles, Spangler revived them in 2020, preserving both classic flavors and makers’ packaging. They remain a love-or-hate candy today, loved for nostalgia, criticized for their chalky taste, but undeniably rooted in American candy history.
7. Bit‑O‑Honey
Honey‑taffy studded with almond bits since 1924. Launched by Chicago’s Schutter‑Johnson company, Bit‑O‑Honey is a chewy taffy with an unmistakable honey‑almond flavor. Each bar (once sold in six‑segment wax‑paper wrappers) made a modest yet rich-indulgence statement in theaters and lunchboxes. Over the decades it’s changed hands, from Schutter‑Johnson – Ward (merged 1969), Terson – Nestlé (1984) – Pearson’s (2013) – Spangler (2020). But flavor has stayed largely unchanged. Spangler’s 2020 packaging refresh still emphasizes real honey and almonds. Fans recall its slow melt-on-your-teeth texture, a chewy contrast to today’s instant-sweet treats.
8. Root Beer Barrels
Hard candy encapsulating soda‑shop nostalgia. These individually wrapped barrel-shaped candies capture that creamy root beer taste without the fizz. Born around 1919 under F.B. Washburn in Massachusetts, they offered a candy‑barrel twist on the popular soda flavor. They became staples in candy dishes and pinatas, each lasting longer than a soda, lower in calories, and dripping with memory of ice‑cream‑shop afternoons. Even today, folks reach for these barrels for a sip of nostalgia.
9. Rock Candy
Crystallized sweetness on a stick, candy meets science. Rock candy has roots in medieval times but became especially popular in classrooms and candy stores as a sweet, sparkly science demo. Made by letting sugar solution crystallize over days or weeks, it forms chunks of pure sweetness. It served dual roles: as a treat and as a way to teach kids about crystallization. Available everywhere from boardwalks to general stores, rock candy remains a nostalgic pick even if it’s less common than it once was, its simplicity and spectacle still charming grandkids today.
10. Wax Bottles
Mini wax soda bottles you chewed… or did you just drink the syrup? Nicknamed Nik‑L‑Nips, these little wax bottles were filled with flavored syrup. The twist? You bit the top, sipped the syrup, and then chewed the wax like bad gum. Wax, a byproduct of 19th‑century kerosene refining, was repurposed into edible containers in Pennsylvania in the late 1800s. Kids loved pretending to sip soda when real soda was a rare treat. The oddly chewy wax feel made you feel like a playful rule-breaker, today, they’re a tiny emblem of retro rebellion and resourceful candy design.
11. BB Bats
Invented in 1924, these taffy-on-a-stick treats were meant to resemble miniature baseball bats. Fair Play Caramels later patented them, and over time production passed through several companies before landing with Runk Candy of Cincinnati, where they’re still made today. Each stick, often flavored in banana, strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla, combines chewy taffy with a lollipop stick, evoking memories of sunny afternoons and vintage ballparks. Though not easy to find in mainstream shops, BB Bats still pop up in retro candy stores, and for those who remember, each bite is a nostalgic home run.The story of BB Bats isn’t just about taste, but connection, passing sweet, chewy moments from grandparents to grandkids. Despite changing ownership, the candy retains its classic charm, reminding us that some simple treats never lose their sparkle.
12. Candy Buttons
Tiny dots of flavored sugar stuck whimsically to paper strips, simple, playful, and impossible to mess up. First introduced in the 1930s by companies like Cumberland Valley and J. Sudak & Son, the invention of a special candy-button machine allowed them to be produced in massive volumes. Necco took over Candy Buttons in the 1980s and was producing about 750 million buttons annually before their 2018 bankruptcy. In 2019, Doscher’s Candies bought the brand and became the first to bring them back to market. Today, Candy Buttons remain a relic of simpler times, sweet dots requiring no chewing, just the thrill of accidentally eating a bit of paper. They’re a charming reminder that fun treats don’t have to be complicated.
13. Chick‑O‑Stick
Crunchy, peanuty, coconut-sprinkled, it’s like Butterfinger’s retro cousin with tropical flair. Created in the 1950s by Atkinson Candy Company in Texas, it originally went by the name “Chicken Bones” before a trademark conflict prompted a rebrand to Chick‑O‑Stick in 1955. The recipe blends roasted peanuts, a honeycombed candy center, and toasted coconut, wrapped in bright orange cellophane. Over the decades, it remained a cult favorite, still made by Atkinson in Lufkin, Texas, known for maintaining its signature crunch and flavor profile. Not just a candy, but a sweet relic that bridges generations. Whether at penny stores or grandma’s candy dish, Chick‑O‑Stick connects the past and present, proving that some classics are meant to last.
14. Astro Pops
Astro Pops weren’t just sweet—they were dangerously pointy. Their hard, conical shape came to a literal tip, and unlike most candy, they were poured hot into plastic molds and sold in that same shape—no soft edges, no wrapper between your mouth and the missile. Kids quickly learned that sucking on one long enough turned it into a sharp weapon—parents worried about chipped teeth or worse. Some schoolyards even banned them after a few too many near-jabs. They may have tasted like fruit, but they felt like they came with a warning label.
This story 14 Candies That Taste Like Childhood— and Now Feel Lost in Time was first published on Daily FETCH
