11 Cheapest Halloween Candy Choices (and How to Shop Smart)

Tiny, chewy, durable, and ultra-cheap by the piece. Bulk bags of chewy candy (often containing well over 100 pieces per ~2 lb bag) typically have a lower cost per piece than mini chocolate bars.

Tootsie Rolls were invented to withstand heat better than chocolate, making them far less likely to melt in warm weather.

Smarties and similar dextrose candy rolls are very shelf-stable and cost only a few cents per roll in bulk. If you need to cover a lot of treaters fast, these rolls are efficiency champs.

Single-stick candies stretch your budget. Cost per pop is low (around $0.05 each in bulk), portion control is automatic, and kids get the tactile “treat” experience without you paying chocolate prices.

Assorted fruit drops, butterscotch, and peppermint are classic low-cost options. Hard candies are almost entirely sugar, which makes them cheap to produce and very long-lasting. Link unit-price math to bag size and count.

Store-brand gummy candies in jumbo bags usually cost significantly less than the name-brand versions. Look for big bags with the piece count listed so you can divide price by pieces and compare across stores.

Marshmallow-based candies are mostly sugar and air, which keeps prices low. They are also light, so shipping costs stay reasonable when you buy online.

Chocolate candy tends to be more expensive (due to costly ingredients), so off-brand mini chocolate bars can be a budget-friendly substitute. Scan reviews to verify quality before you stock up.

Non-chocolate candies (e.g. Skittles or fruity chews) generally have a lower cost per piece than chocolate-coated candies. Check “per 100 g” or “per piece” pricing on shelf tags to confirm.

Name-brand chocolates may be Halloween favorites, but recent cocoa price spikes have driven their costs way up. If you want them, buy large “variety packs,” wait for sales, and clip digital coupons from your preferred store.

Variety packs can be efficient if the piece count is high and the mix is broadly appealing. Avoid packs stuffed with low-demand flavors. Do the math: total price ÷ total pieces = what you actually pay per treat.

The best way to go cheaper long-term is to buy on Nov. 1, then store cool and dry. Rotate stock next year and reserve chocolate for early fall when temperatures drop.

Pencils, stickers, and temporary tattoos can drop per-item costs and diversify the bowl. Mix these in with candy so every visitor gets a “treat.”

Soaring cocoa costs (and even rising sugar prices) have made chocolate candies significantly pricier than simpler sugar-based candies.

U.S. Consumer Price Index data confirm candy prices have climbed sharply in recent years—up 7.5% percent from 2022 to 2023, up nearly 40 percent over the past decade—so timing and store choice matter more than ever.

For current spending trends, check the National Retail Federation’s Halloween data overview and 2025 press update noting candy spend.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.