The 27 Most Influential American Candy Bars of All Time

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The bar that started it all, although the (slightly sour) taste is still somewhat ... controversial. Some attribute Hershey's bars' unique flavor (which has remained unchanged since 1900) to spoiled milk, though the company vehemently denies it.

One of the first "combination candy bars," the Oh Henry! — named for a dude who was constantly flirting with the women who worked in the factory where it was produced and wouldn't, just, let them do their jobs — was a mix of peanuts, caramel, and fudge coated in chocolate.

Made of toffee, almonds, and milk chocolate, the Heath Toffee Bar was originally marketed as a health bar. The tagline? "Heath for better health!"

Similar to the Butterfinger, the Clark Bar has a crispy peanut butter and spun taffy core. After the Necco factory shuttered in 2018, the Boyer Candy Company in Altoona, Pennsylvania — located about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh — purchased the rights to produce Clark Bars, though not many are sold beyond Pennsylvania's borders due to limited production runs.

One of the simpler (and more enduring) candy bars out there, this shredded coconut and dark chocolate confection remains a favorite to this day.

The Baby Ruth bar — which is supposedly named for President Grover Cleveland's eldest daughter and not the famous baseball player — was originally marketed as an "energy bar" and a "complete luncheon for 5c."

In an early marketing campaign, the Curtiss Candy Company dropped Butterfingers with tiny parachutes from airplanes, which is very adorable (also, mildy dangerous).

Made of chocolate malt nougat topped with caramel and covered in milk chocolate, the Milky Way bar was modeled after a popular milkshake at the time.

Featuring nougat in a chocolate coating, this classic candy bar — named after the Charleston, a popular dance in the 1920s — originally came in four flavors: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and banana (that one was eventually phased out).

This iconic sweet was originally developed by H.B. Reese, a former shipping foreman for candy magnate Milton S. Hershey. When Reese left his job to start his own company, it caused quite the scandal in the candy world (Hershey eventually bought Reese's in 1963, bringing things full circle).

If Snickers is your favorite chocolate bar, you're not alone. It's nabbed the top spot in lists of America's best-selling candies for years.

Similar to the Milky Way, the 3 Musketeers bar is made of fluffy, whipped nougat covered in chocolate. It originally came with three flavors in one pack — chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry — hence the name.

One of the few chocolate-free candy bars, PayDays consist of salted peanuts rolled in caramel, surrounding a nougat-like center. During the Depression, candy bars were often marketed as meal replacements, and the PayDay, with its peanut-dense outer layer, was one of the more filling options out there.

OK, this one isn't technically American — it was invented by Rowntree's, a confectionery company based in York — but Hershey acquired a license to produce Kit Kats in the U.S. in the 1970s, and they've been a top-selling candy bar here ever since.

The original four-finger design was developed after a worker at Rowntree's factory put a suggestion in a recommendation box for a snack that "a man could take to work in his pack."

One of the original crisped rice milk chocolate bars, the Crunch's direct competitor is the Krackel, introduced by Hershey that same year.

It took the makers of Mounds 26 years to realize that sometimes you feel like a nut. (And sometimes you don't! It's OK. Live your truth.)

This candy bar — whose slogan is, aptly, "That's Rich!" — was originally called The $100,000 Bar (spoken as, "the hundred thousand dollar bar"), which is kind of a mouthful. For a while, inviting listeners to call in for the chance to win "100 Grand" — and mailing the winner a candy bar instead of a check — was a popular radio DJ prank.

Toeing the line between cookie and candy bar, Twix is a portmanteau derived from "twin biscuit sticks."

Hands down, one of the messiest candy bars you can eat. (Also, one of the best to blend into a milkshake.)

Cadbury Dairy Milk is a British chocolate candy brand, manufactured by Cadbury. After its first appearance in the UK, in 1905, it just instantly became popular and sales went up rapidly. In the USA, candy is distributed by the Hershey company.

Read more The 25 Most Influential American Candy Bars of All Time The 25 Most Influential American Candy Bars of All Time

Another crisped rice bar — this one with a layer of peanut butter between the crunchy bits and the chocolate coating — the Whatchamacallit briefly had an all-chocolate companion called the Thingamajig. (R.I.P. Thingamajig: 2009-2012)

The word "skör" (with the umlaut) is Swedish for "brickle." The word "skor," which is what's printed on these candy bars' wrappers, is Swedish for "shoes."

Known by every sweet-lover, M&M’s colorful button-shaped candy is manufactured by Mars, Inc. It is very famous and popular not only in the USA but around the world. Popularity caused it to be one of the best selling candy bars in the world

One of the first mass chocolate bars marketed as luxury, the silky Dove bar paved the way for the artisanal chocolate movement that took place in later years.

One of the few Hershey's bars sold in the United Kingdom (Europeans often find Hershey's chocolate to be sour), the Cookies 'n' Creme is similar in taste to an Oreo (and is one of the few white chocolate candy bar success stories).

With pretzels, caramel, peanuts, peanut butter, and milk chocolate, the Take5 was one of the first candy bars to contain "all the stuff." In 2019, the bar officially became part of the Reese's product line.

Only the fourth candy bar to carry the Hershey's name, the Gold was another chocolate-free treat, with peanuts and pretzels baked into "caramelized creme." Unfortunately, a Reddit user who visited the Hershey factory in early 2020 asked about this bar, and was told it's no longer in production.

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The 27 Most Influential American Candy Bars of All Time

The bar that started it all, although the (slightly sour) taste is still somewhat ... controversial. Some attribute Hershey's bars' unique flavor (which has remained unchanged since 1900) to spoiled milk, though the company vehemently denies it.

1900: Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar

One of the first "combination candy bars," the Oh Henry! — named for a dude who was constantly flirting with the women who worked in the factory where it was produced and wouldn't, just, let them do their jobs — was a mix of peanuts, caramel, and fudge coated in chocolate.

1909: Oh Henry!

Made of toffee, almonds, and milk chocolate, the Heath Toffee Bar was originally marketed as a health bar. The tagline? "Heath for better health!"

1914: Heath Toffee Bar

1917: Clark Bar

One of the simpler (and more enduring) candy bars out there, this shredded coconut and dark chocolate confection remains a favorite to this day.

1920: Mounds

The Baby Ruth bar — which is supposedly named for President Grover Cleveland's eldest daughter and not the famous baseball player — was originally marketed as an "energy bar" and a "complete luncheon for 5c."

1921: Baby Ruth

In an early marketing campaign, the Curtiss Candy Company dropped Butterfingers with tiny parachutes from airplanes, which is very adorable (also, mildy dangerous).

1923: Butterfinger

Made of chocolate malt nougat topped with caramel and covered in milk chocolate, the Milky Way bar was modeled after a popular milkshake at the time.

1923: Milky Way

Featuring nougat in a chocolate coating, this classic candy bar — named after the Charleston, a popular dance in the 1920s — originally came in four flavors: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and banana (that one was eventually phased out).

1925: Charleston Chew

This iconic sweet was originally developed by H.B. Reese, a former shipping foreman for candy magnate Milton S. Hershey. When Reese left his job to start his own company, it caused quite the scandal in the candy world (Hershey eventually bought Reese's in 1963, bringing things full circle).

1928: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

If Snickers is your favorite chocolate bar, you're not alone. It's nabbed the top spot in lists of America's best-selling candies for years.

1930: Snickers

Similar to the Milky Way, the 3 Musketeers bar is made of fluffy, whipped nougat covered in chocolate. It originally came with three flavors in one pack — chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry — hence the name.

1932: 3 Musketeers

1932: PayDay

OK, this one isn't technically American — it was invented by Rowntree's, a confectionery company based in York — but Hershey acquired a license to produce Kit Kats in the U.S. in the 1970s, and they've been a top-selling candy bar here ever since.

1935: Kit Kat

The original four-finger design was developed after a worker at Rowntree's factory put a suggestion in a recommendation box for a snack that "a man could take to work in his pack."

1935: Kit Kat

One of the original crisped rice milk chocolate bars, the Crunch's direct competitor is the Krackel, introduced by Hershey that same year.

1938: Crunch

It took the makers of Mounds 26 years to realize that sometimes you feel like a nut. (And sometimes you don't! It's OK. Live your truth.)

1946: Almond Joy

1966: 100 Grand

Toeing the line between cookie and candy bar, Twix is a portmanteau derived from "twin biscuit sticks."

1967: Twix

Hands down, one of the messiest candy bars you can eat. (Also, one of the best to blend into a milkshake.)

1968: Caramello

Cadbury Dairy Milk is a British chocolate candy brand, manufactured by Cadbury. After its first appearance in the UK, in 1905, it just instantly became popular and sales went up rapidly. In the USA, candy is distributed by the Hershey company.

Cadbury Dairy Milk

Another crisped rice bar — this one with a layer of peanut butter between the crunchy bits and the chocolate coating — the Whatchamacallit briefly had an all-chocolate companion called the Thingamajig. (R.I.P. Thingamajig: 2009-2012)

1978: Whatchamacallit

The word "skör" (with the umlaut) is Swedish for "brickle." The word "skor," which is what's printed on these candy bars' wrappers, is Swedish for "shoes."

1981: Skor

Known by every sweet-lover, M&M’s colorful button-shaped candy is manufactured by Mars, Inc. It is very famous and popular not only in the USA but around the world. Popularity caused it to be one of the best selling candy bars in the world

M&M’s

One of the first mass chocolate bars marketed as luxury, the silky Dove bar paved the way for the artisanal chocolate movement that took place in later years.

1992: Dove Milk Chocolate Bar

One of the few Hershey's bars sold in the United Kingdom (Europeans often find Hershey's chocolate to be sour), the Cookies 'n' Creme is similar in taste to an Oreo (and is one of the few white chocolate candy bar success stories).

1994: Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme

With pretzels, caramel, peanuts, peanut butter, and milk chocolate, the Take5 was one of the first candy bars to contain "all the stuff." In 2019, the bar officially became part of the Reese's product line.

2004: Take5

Only the fourth candy bar to carry the Hershey's name, the Gold was another chocolate-free treat, with peanuts and pretzels baked into "caramelized creme." Unfortunately, a Reddit user who visited the Hershey factory in early 2020 asked about this bar, and was told it's no longer in production.

2017: Hershey's Gold

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