In today’s world of artisanal chocolates and gourmet sweets, it’s easy to forget the simple joys of childhood candies. Remember the thrill of spending your allowance on a colorful assortment of treats at the corner store? Or trading your favorite candies with friends during recess?
Those sugary delights weren’t just snacks – they were an integral part of growing up, creating memories that still bring a smile to our faces decades later.
Well, buckle up, because we’re about to take a sweet trip down memory lane with these 12 forgotten candies from your childhood that are sure to make you nostalgic! Who knows? You might even discover that some of these retro treats are still available today, waiting to be rediscovered by a new generation of candy enthusiasts!
Abba-Zaba
This gummy classic taffy and peanut butter combo has been around since 1922, but it’s more of a retro candy item than anything else now. Back in 2005, Annabelle Candy Co. the company that owns Abba-Zaba released new flavors of the taffy bar including an apple variant and a chocolate one with a peanut butter and chocolate spread in the center. Perhaps, if you manage to get your hands on one of these, it’ll take you right back to the good ol’ days.
Candy Cigarettes
Before the days of strict tobacco regulations, these chalky sugar sticks believed to have been introduced in the 1800s were a staple in every kid’s candy stash. Pretending to puff up a cloud of smoke just like an adult would with these sugary sticks was every kid’s pastime back in the day. Unfortunately, the Candy Cigarettes of yore are no longer what they used to be. Gone are the red tips and powdered sugar, owing to fears that children might get desensitized to cigarettes and even turn to smoking once they’re adults. While our beloved Candy Cigarettes may have lost some of their “cool factor” over the years, the memories still remain.
Chuckles
We all love our candies, but what we love more are jelly candies, and no one did it better than Chuckles. These sugar-coated jelly candies with their five classic flavors: cherry, lemon, lime, orange, and licorice, are the sweet treats of our childhood. First developed by marshmallow maker Fred Amend, Chuckles was an instant hit with their irresistible jelly centers coated in a thin layer of sugar. Each package contained one piece of each iconic flavor, a delightful variety that has remained unchanged for over a century.
Razzles
Razzles were the ultimate two-in-one treat that started out as a tangy, fruit-flavored candy before transforming into a delightful chewing gum. If, like us, you also miss this addictive confectionary, then you’d be happy to know that Razzles are still very much around and readily accessible in local stores and online. Originally released in 1966, Razzles come in several delicious flavors including the OG raspberry, orange, lemon, and grape. Tootsie Roll Industries, the company that now owns Razzles, has introduced two new packs to the original product line; namely a tropical fruit and sour pack.
Sixlets
Before there were M&M’s, there were Sixlets. These tiny, candy-coated chocolate balls that were the perfect bite-sized snack are what ’60s kids knew and loved. The only problem? One sleeve was never enough! Sixlets were introduced around 1960 and came in red, brown, yellow, green, blue, and orange colors and were sold for six a penny – and that’s how the name allegedly came about.
Nik-L-Nips
Remember biting into these wax bottles to get to the sweet, syrupy goodness inside? Some of us actually chewed the wax off the caps of these and survived the experience. Nik-L-Nips were first introduced in the early 1900s and came in a wide assortment of fruity flavors. Many attribute the word Nip in the name to what alcohol was commonly referred to in many places in the US at the time — Others claim that the action of having to nip at the wax bottles is what brought about the ‘Nip’ in the name. But since it was introduced during the prohibition era, we’re willing to bet creator Vinny Cavallo probably wanted to soothe the souls of everyone pining for a pint and have us nip into this confectionery in its stead.
Candy Lipstick
These colorful candy tubes made you feel all grown up, even if the flavors were pretty much all the same. Collecting every single one of the cap colors was half the fun! Some of us even got to buy them as part of a princess set. The princess-themed candy tubes were a stark contrast to a variation of the design from the 70s, which came in silver with a gold base that made them look like bullets, effectively catering to kids who loved G.I. Joe.
Fun Dip
First introduced in the 40s, the iconic Lik-M-Aid candy which later came to be known as Fun Dip came with its own edible sugar stick for dipping, which for kids is a fun thing to do surely, especially during recess! The real debate however was always about which flavored sugar reigned supreme among the many sour and fruity ones we could choose from.
Charleston Chew
Before the Milky Way took over the nougat game, Charleston Chew was the go-to chocolate-covered, marshmallow-flavored nougat bar that was out of this world. Introduced in 1922, the candy used to be available in three classic flavors — original, strawberry, and vanilla, but it’s a rare sight to see this confectionary in retail stores. You’ll have better luck finding them online but at exorbitant rates.
Zotz
These hard candies with a fizzy, sour center filled with sherbet were a staple at movie theaters and corner stores. The intense burst of flavor was always a pleasant surprise, no matter how used to it, we were. Introduced to the US market in 1970, Zotz is thankfully very much still available in stores, on the confectionary’s official website as well as online.
Bit-O-Honey
Bit-O-Honey is a retro candy that seems to have a loyal following, even if it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The unique blend of honey-flavored taffy and almond bits was probably something we enjoyed more as adults more than as kids. However, Bit-O-Honey has been around for quite a while (it was introduced in 1924) and for that alone, it deserves respect as an enduring American candy classic.
Candy Buttons
These colorful dots of pure sweetness, delicately placed on strips of paper, were a birthday party favorite. The challenge was always trying to peel them off without ripping the paper! Candy Buttons is purported to have been around since the 1930s and has changed hands since, but you can still manage to find these treats online even if they’re not available in stores.