Candy Bars Tier List: 28 Classics Ranked Best to Worst
Gas station checkout, Halloween bucket, office vending machine. candy bars are everywhere, and everybody's got a favorite they'll defend to the death. We put 28 of the biggest names side by side, from the Snickers-tier icons down to the stuff that's really just a vehicle for nougat nobody asked for.
This list leans on what candy fans and critics tend to agree on across forums and reviews, with our own opinions filling the gaps where the arguments get heated (looking at you, Mounds vs. Almond Joy). Disagree? That's half the fun. Argue with us.
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SS Tier: The all-timers
Snickers
Peanuts, caramel, nougat, chocolate, all in proportion and all working together. It's the bar that gets named "best candy bar in America" more than any other, and the ad campaigns practically write themselves because the product backs it up.
About Snickers
A Mars-made bar of peanuts, caramel and nougat covered in milk chocolate, first sold in the early 1930s. Consistently ranked among the best-selling candy bars in the world.
- Maker
- Mars
- Introduced
- 1930
Twix
That cookie crunch under the caramel is the whole trick, and it never gets old. Left vs. right is a dumb debate but a fun one, which is basically a free marketing win Mars never has to pay for.
About Twix
A shortbread cookie bar topped with caramel and chocolate, made by Mars. Famous for its long-running "left Twix vs. right Twix" marketing bit.
- Maker
- Mars
Kit Kat
The wafer snap is satisfying in a way chocolate alone never is, and the shareability built into the bar (break me off a piece) is part of why it's stuck around so long. Simple, light, never heavy in your stomach.
About Kit Kat
A wafer bar covered in chocolate, originally made by Rowntree's in the UK and now produced by Nestlé outside the US and by Hershey within the US.
- Maker
- Hershey (US) / Nestlé (international)
- Known for
- "Break" marketing and wafer crunch
AA Tier: Excellent, no notes
Reese's Fast Break
Technically a Reese's product but it earns its own spot here: nougat and peanut butter stacked with milk chocolate, basically a Reese's cup that went to the gym. Underrated compared to the classic cups.
About Reese's Fast Break
A bar of peanut butter and nougat covered in milk chocolate, made by Hershey as part of the Reese's lineup.
- Maker
- Hershey
Take 5
Pretzel, caramel, peanut, peanut butter, chocolate, all five layers doing real work. Candy nerds love pointing to this one as proof that a less famous bar can out-engineer the big names.
About Take 5
A layered bar of pretzel, caramel, peanuts, peanut butter and chocolate, made by Hershey.
- Maker
- Hershey
Kinder Bueno
Wafer and hazelnut cream under a chocolate shell that's lighter than a typical American bar. It's got a cult following here and it's basically a national treasure in Europe, for good reason.
About Kinder Bueno
A wafer bar filled with hazelnut cream and covered in milk chocolate, made by Ferrero in Italy.
- Maker
- Ferrero
- Origin
- Italy
Milky Way
Soft nougat and caramel under chocolate, no peanuts to get in the way. It's quieter than Snickers but the texture is genuinely smoother, which is why it's stayed a top seller for generations.
About Milky Way
A Mars bar of chocolate-malt nougat and caramel covered in milk chocolate. One of the original Mars candy bars, predating Snickers.
- Maker
- Mars
Butterfinger
That crunchy, flaky peanut butter center is unlike anything else on this list, and it still gets stuck in your teeth exactly the way it always has. Divisive among people who hate the texture, beloved by everyone else.
About Butterfinger
A flaky, crunchy peanut butter center coated in chocolate, originally made by Curtiss Candy Company and now owned by Ferrero.
- Current owner
- Ferrero
Toblerone
Honey and almond nougat in that triangular shape everyone recognizes from duty free shops. It's a bit of a special-occasion bar rather than a vending machine grab, but the chocolate quality is a cut above most of this list.
About Toblerone
A triangular bar of honey and almond nougat (torrone) chocolate, made in Switzerland, originally by the Tobler family.
- Origin
- Switzerland
- Shape
- Triangular peaks
BB Tier: Reliable and well loved
Heath Bar
Toffee and almond-free, just straight brittle toffee under milk chocolate. It shatters when you bite it, which is either the best part or the reason you lose a filling.
About Heath Bar
An English toffee bar covered in milk chocolate, now made by Hershey.
- Current owner
- Hershey
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar
The default American chocolate bar, simple and a little tangy from that distinctive Hershey flavor some people love and others can't stand. It's less a candy bar you crave and more one you buy because it's there.
About Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar
The flagship plain milk chocolate bar from Hershey, one of the oldest and most recognizable American chocolate brands.
- Maker
- Hershey
Nestlé Crunch
Crispy rice in milk chocolate, nothing fancy, always reliable. It's the bar you grab when you're not in the mood to think about it.
About Nestlé Crunch
Nestlé Crunch is a milk chocolate bar filled with crisped rice, giving it a signature light, crunchy texture. It has been one of Nestlé's most recognizable candy brands and is sold in various shapes including bars, balls, and seasonal pieces.
- Introduced
- 1938
- Main ingredients
- Milk chocolate, crisped rice
- Maker
- Nestlé
Almond Joy
Coconut and almonds in milk chocolate, sweeter and less divisive than its sister bar Mounds. The almond on top gives it a little crunch the all-coconut version doesn't have.
About Almond Joy
A coconut and almond bar covered in milk chocolate, made by Hershey. Sold as a sweeter counterpart to Mounds.
- Maker
- Hershey
100 Grand
Chewy caramel and crisped rice in chocolate, chewier than Crunch and sweeter than Kit Kat. It doesn't get talked about much but it rarely disappoints when you actually eat one.
About 100 Grand
A bar of chewy caramel and crisped rice covered in milk chocolate, made by Ferrero (formerly Nestlé).
- Current owner
- Ferrero
Baby Ruth
Peanuts, caramel and nougat, basically Snickers' scrappier cousin with a chewier bite. Loyalists insist it's underrated next to Snickers, and they've got a point.
About Baby Ruth
A bar of peanuts, caramel and nougat, originally made by Curtiss Candy Company and now owned by Ferrero.
- Current owner
- Ferrero
Skor
Toffee and chocolate, basically Heath's twin with a slightly different snap. If you like one you like the other, there's no real reason to rank them far apart except brand loyalty.
About Skor
A toffee bar covered in milk chocolate, made by Hershey, similar in concept to the Heath Bar.
- Maker
- Hershey
CC Tier: Fine, nothing more
Mounds
Dark chocolate and coconut only, no almonds, which makes it the bar people either love for being less sweet or skip entirely. It's the one that splits rooms more than almost anything on this list.
About Mounds
A coconut bar covered in dark chocolate, made by Hershey. Marketed without almonds as the darker, less sweet option alongside Almond Joy.
- Maker
- Hershey
Mr. Goodbar
Whole peanuts packed into a chocolate bar, which sounds great until you realize it's mostly just peanuts with chocolate as an afterthought. Crunchy, sure, but it's missing anything that makes you crave it specifically.
About Mr. Goodbar
A milk chocolate bar packed with whole peanuts, made by Hershey.
- Maker
- Hershey
Krackel
Crisped rice in chocolate, basically Crunch's lesser-known twin that never got the marketing push. If you've had one you've had the other.
About Krackel
A crisped rice bar covered in milk chocolate, made by Hershey as its answer to Nestlé Crunch.
- Maker
- Hershey
Whatchamacallit
Peanut butter crisp under chocolate and caramel, a weird combination that somehow works but never quite clicks into "favorite" territory. The name has done more for its memorability than the taste has.
About Whatchamacallit
A bar of peanut butter flavored crisp covered in chocolate and caramel, made by Hershey.
- Maker
- Hershey
DD Tier: Rarely the first pick
PayDay
Peanuts and caramel with zero chocolate, which is either a selling point or a dealbreaker depending who you ask. It reads more like a snack than a candy bar, and people treat it that way.
About PayDay
A roll of peanuts and caramel with no chocolate coating, made by Hershey.
- Maker
- Hershey
3 Musketeers
All nougat, no caramel, no peanuts, just whipped chocolate-flavored fluff. Light, sure, but lightness isn't really what people want from a candy bar.
About 3 Musketeers
A whipped chocolate nougat bar covered in milk chocolate, made by Mars. Originally sold with three flavors of nougat, hence the name.
- Maker
- Mars
Zero
Caramel, peanut and almond nougat under white fudge instead of chocolate, which makes it an oddity on this list. Hard to find outside certain regions, and that scarcity is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for its reputation.
About Zero
A bar of caramel, peanut and almond nougat covered in white fudge rather than chocolate, made by Hershey.
- Maker
- Hershey
FF Tier: Hard pass
Charleston Chew
Dense vanilla, chocolate or strawberry nougat that's genuinely better frozen and smashed on a counter than eaten straight. It's less a candy bar and more a jaw workout, and that's being generous.
About Charleston Chew
A dense nougat bar coated in chocolate, available in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors, made by Tootsie Roll Industries.
- Maker
- Tootsie Roll Industries
How we ranked them
We weighed texture, how balanced the chocolate-to-filling ratio is, whether the bar still tastes good after it's been sitting in a backpack for an hour, and plain old cultural staying power. We also factored in how often each bar shows up as someone's "most underrated" or "most overrated" pick in candy discussions, because that tells you something too. Nostalgia counts, but it doesn't save a bar that's mostly just hard sugar.
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Rank these yourselfFAQ
What is the best candy bar according to fans and critics?
Snickers tops most rankings and surveys thanks to its balance of peanuts, caramel, nougat and chocolate, with Twix and Kit Kat close behind.
Is Mounds or Almond Joy better?
It's genuinely split. Almond Joy is sweeter and has almonds for crunch, Mounds is darker and more purely coconut-forward. Fans of each are pretty loyal.
What's the difference between Nestlé Crunch and Krackel?
Both are crisped rice in milk chocolate from different companies, Crunch is Nestlé's, Krackel is Hershey's. Taste-wise they're very similar.
Why is PayDay not considered a real candy bar by some people?
It has no chocolate coating, just peanuts and caramel, which puts it in a different category for people who think chocolate is a non-negotiable part of a candy bar.
Is Toblerone the same as other chocolate bars?
Not really. It uses a honey and almond nougat (torrone) in a triangular shape and tends to use higher cocoa content than typical American bars, which is why it tastes different.
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Image credits
- SnickersPhoto: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- TwixImage: twix.com, © Mars Wrigley · Source
- Kit KatImage: shop.hersheys.com, © Hershey · Source
- Reese's Fast BreakImage: hersheyland.com, © The Hershey Company · Source
- Take 5Image: reeses.com, © Reese's · Source
- Kinder BuenoPhoto: -donald-, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Milky WayPhoto: Evan-Amos, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- ButterfingerPhoto: Evan-Amos, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- TobleroneImage: mondelezinternational.com, © Mondelez International · Source
- Heath BarPhoto: Mkrkm, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Hershey's Milk Chocolate BarPhoto: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Nestlé CrunchPhoto: Willis Lam, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Almond JoyImage: hersheys.com, © The Hershey Company · Source
- 100 GrandPhoto: Evan-Amos, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Baby RuthPhoto: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- SkorPhoto: Evan-Amos, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- MoundsPhoto: Evan-Amos, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Mr. GoodbarPhoto: ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- KrackelPhoto: Evan-Amos, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- WhatchamacallitImage: hersheyland.com, © The Hershey Company · Source
- PayDayPhoto: GreenGlass1972, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- 3 MusketeersImage: 3musketeers.com, © Mars, Incorporated · Source
- ZeroImage: hersheyland.com, © Hershey · Source
- Charleston ChewImage: tootsie.com, © Tootsie Roll Industries · Source