For Halloween fanatics, October is marked by horror movies, pumpkin carving and, of course, excessive amounts of candy. 

There are dozens of varieties of candy distributed on Halloween, ranging from classics like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to Sour Patch Kids — a much more recent but popular favorite. But which Halloween candy truly is the best of the best?

After browsing CVS extensively for a lineup of popular candies and those I remember from my childhood, I choose 16 different candies to taste and settle the debate once and for all. The 16 candies selected for this ultimate taste test were selected rather unscientifically, but the tasting done was thorough. 

For this taste test, I stuck to the classics and compared candies of similar types, such as chocolate candy and gummy candy, to each other. 

Round 1:

In the matchup of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups versus Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups came out on top. The cups are a classic for a reason. With a better balance of chocolate and peanut butter in them compared to the ratio in the pumpkins, the cups were just slightly better. 

Twix versus Snickers proved to be some of the harder candies to compare. They are both excellent candy bars — however, I preferred the Snickers. Twix has a crunchy biscuit base, which I found slightly too crunchy. I preferred the caramel and softer nougat of the Snickers.

Mounds versus Hershey’s milk chocolate bars was an easy decision for me. I find the combination of chocolate and coconut to be one of the best when it comes to candy, and the fact that Mounds uses dark chocolate in its recipe makes them slightly less sweet which I think makes it taste better. The Hershey’s Bar is a classic but I find them just a little bit too sweet.

Kit Kats versus Milky Way bars was another easy matchup. The classic Kit Kat wafers covered in milk chocolate will always be one of my personal favorites. The milk chocolate and caramel combination in Milky Way bars is just slightly too sweet, giving Kit Kats the advantage. 

Life Savers versus Life Savers Gummies seemed to be the only right comparison to make. Life Savers are hard candies that come in a wide variety of flavors from fruity to minty, and Life Savers Gummies typically only come in fruit flavors. Although both are enjoyable, the gummies seem much more like a traditional Halloween candy than the Life Savers hard candy.

Classic M&M’s versus peanut M&M’s was another matchup that was relatively easy to pick a winner in. The classic M&M’s, my childhood favorite, are far better than their peanut-filled counterparts, which lack substantial chocolate. 

Starburst versus Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum, a comparison of the two chewiest candies, was not difficult by any means. Considering Starbursts are little more than flavored plastic, and bubble gum is one of the best candies — especially for chewing in a long class — Hubba Bubba was the clear winner. 

A matchup of two gummy candies, Haribo gummy bears and Sour Patch Kids, was in order for the last pair of the first round. Gummy bears are a delicious, classic treat, whereas Sour Patch Kids are sweet gummy candies coated in sour sugar. By transforming from sour to sweet, the flavor combination of the Sour Patch Kids made them that much better than gummy bears. 

Round 2:

With only eight Halloween candies remaining, some tough decisions were made in the following matchups. 

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups versus Snickers was a tough battle, as both are classic Halloween candies. However, Reese’s came out on top against Snickers for the peanut butter and chocolate combo. Although Snickers are a classic, they are a slightly too sweet classic. 

In the matchup of Mounds versus Kit Kats, I had to choose Mounds for the chocolate and coconut combo. Although Kit Kats deliver a satisfying crunch, Mounds offer a chewy coconut center enveloped in rich dark chocolate that is not found anywhere else. 

The next matchup was between the two most different candies to be compared so far, Life Savers Gummies versus M&M’s. In this matchup, M&M’s won easily with their crunchy candy coating and chocolate interior. 

The easiest matchup of the second round was between Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum and Sour Patch Kids. Against the delicious sweet and sour combination of Sour Patch Kids, Hubba Bubba never stood a chance (although it is still one of my favorites). 

Round 3:

Now into the final four, the eliminations were trickier than ever with only two matchups. 

Comparing two of the best candies I’ve had, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Mounds, was difficult to say the least. However, the irresistible nostalgic combination of Reese’s peanut butter and chocolate won in the end. 

The second to last candy combination, Sour Patch Kids versus M&M’s, was another difficult matchup, but the sweet and sour flavor combination of the Sour Patch Kids had them coming out on top of the crunchy-chocolate combo of M&M’s. 

Final Round:

The final round was a tough call, but I ultimately ruled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups the best Halloween candy of them all, with Sour Patch Kids coming in at a close second. 

As Halloween creeps up on us, keep this ranking in mind when grabbing your next sweet treat (or wait until Nov. 1 when it’s all on sale).