13 Unusual Candy Corn Flavored Foods You Didn't Know Existed
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Candy corn is a polarizing treat, which is strange for such a mildly-flavored candy. It's one of the last remaining examples of a 19th-century style of confection called a buttercream, a relic from a time when people had simpler candy desires. According to the experts at Jelly Belly, candy corn should taste like "creamy fondant, rich marshmallow, and warm vanilla" (via Thrillist). In other words, it tastes like sugar, sugar, and sugar. A quick peek at the ingredient list for Brach's candy corn shows that it has a little honey in it too, which you can definitely perceive in its flavor and aroma. Brach's has tried to bring candy corn into the new millennium by offering updated flavors, most infamously a turkey dinner variety. While the new tastes might win over a few candy corn haters, what about the people who can't get enough of the original?
America's food manufacturers cater to candy corn obsessives by making other foods taste like the Halloween treat, with varying levels of success. These are some of the wackiest candy corn-flavored foods we could find.
1. Candy corn bratwurst
We all know that the middle of the country is obsessed with bratwurst, but does that loyalty hold when the sausage gets mixed with candy? Apparently, candy corn bratwurst is such a great idea that multiple Midwestern butchers came up with it independently. Fox 2 says that Schubert's Smokehouse in Millstadt, Illinois started selling this Halloween pork confection a couple of years ago. Schubert's owner David Kossina was inspired to create candy corn bratwurst because of the success of an earlier experiment with gummy bear-flavored sausage. He says that he sells about 300 to 350 pounds of the candy corn bratwurst every autumn, about half as much as the gummy bear brats. Both types of candy sausage are made by mixing pieces of candy with ground pork and stuffing it into a sausage casing. The candy melts when the brats are cooked, infusing the pork with a sweet flavor.
Not to be outdone by their neighbors in Illinois, the butchers at Jennifer Street Meat Market in Madison, Wisconsin unveiled their own candy corn brats in 2021 (via ABC 7). Justin Elliott, the mad scientist behind Jennifer Street's candy brats, says they taste great, but not everyone is convinced. One customer told him "this should be a felony offense." Over in Illinois, David Kossina has had to deal with some naysayers too, with one customer telling him "that sounds disgusting." Geniuses are never appreciated in their own time.
2. Candy corn syrup
The pumpkin spice latte is a titan in the seasonal drinks world, but it's not the only fall-flavored beverage on the scene these days. Even Starbucks is trying out alternatives to the PSL, rolling out an apple crisp macchiato this year. If you want something a little more niche, why not try making a candy corn latte? Fancy cafe supplier Monin offers a candy corn-flavored syrup that they say has "a rich, sweet candy corn flavor with smooth, creamy notes of butterscotch" (via Webstaurant Store). They brag that their syrup is "made with pure cane sugar and no artificial flavors," which is kind of funny considering it's trying to taste like a product made almost entirely out of corn syrup and artificial flavors. They recommend using it to make the expected things like lattes and milkshakes and also suggest that it would be great in cocktails. Candy corn margarita anyone? If you miss the Jones Soda candy corn flavor from the 2000s, you could also use this to make a fairly convincing facsimile (via BevNet).
3. Candy corn coffee
While we're on the subject of coffee, if you're more of a drip or pour-over person than a latte fan, JarBee Coffee's Witches Brew might be the right choice for you. JarBee mixes the candy corn flavor with the beans themselves so all you need to do to enjoy some festive Halloween java is to brew a pot however you normally would. The "flavors of candy corn along with a dash of cream and a touch of sweetness" will infuse into your mug along with 100% Arabica coffee beans. Illinois seems to be obsessed with candy corn, as JarBee is located in the same state as the inventor of candy corn bratwurst (via Star Tribune). Although candy corn is undeniably an offbeat flavor, JarBee appears to really care about the craft of coffee, saying on their website that they test all the beans they source for quality and roast them in small batches to ensure freshness.
4. Candy corn cookie mix and frosting
Betty Crocker decided to experiment with two different candy corn-flavored products: cookie mix and frosting (via HEB). The cookie mix came with two different colors of batter so you could make cookies that looked sort of like giant candy corns. The frosting went with a uniform orange color that made it look a little like a pumpkin. Reading the ingredients for the cookie mix, it appears to be a fairly standard sugar cookie dough with the ever-mysterious "natural and artificial flavor" bringing the candy corn heat.
Unfortunately, both of these products are discontinued, but that doesn't mean that Betty is leaving you hanging when it comes to candy corn cookies. She has not one, not two, but three recipes for different types of candy corn cooky on her website. Sure, they require a little more work than the mix does, but that will just make them taste even better. If you want to glaze the cookies in something suitably candy corn-y, try this recipe from My Recipes that melts down real candy corn and adds just enough milk and powdered sugar to turn it into a workable frosting.
5. Candy corn M&M's
The original M&M is one of the most minimalist of the classic grocery store candies, relying on a simple combination of milk chocolate and hard candy shell. In recent years, the brand has drummed up interest by releasing a variety of wild flavors, from Key lime pie to pumpkin spice. We've mentioned candy corn M&M's before, and frankly, we weren't impressed. For this limited-edition product they decided to swap out milk chocolate for white chocolate, which was a more neutral carrier for the candy corn flavor. White chocolate lacks the bitterness of other chocolate varieties, and the white chocolate plus the sugary candy corn essence turned into a tooth-achingly sweet combo.
Other reviewers were more enthusiastic. This writer at Wide Open Eats was excited about the candy corn M&M's, pronouncing them "delicious." Sadly, it seems like they're not back for the Halloween season in 2021 (via Amazon). Oh well, maybe they'll return from the candy grave next Halloween.
6. Candy corn popcorn
At least 90% of the overall taste of candy corn is just sugar/corn syrup, with a slight aftertaste of honey and butter (not that there's actually any butter in it). Sugar and popcorn taste great together, so it's no wonder that candy corn popcorn would taste yummy. It's basically just a seasonally appropriate riff on caramel corn. This review of Trader Joe's candy corn popcorn from an avowed candy corn hater at Junk Banter proves this point, as they loved the popcorn despite their prejudice. Trader Joe's added salt to their version to give it the savory-sweet bite of kettle corn.
If you don't live close to a Trader Joe's, you can pick up other brands of candy corn popcorn online (via Stonewall Kitchen). For the intrepid DIYers among us, there's a Food Network recipe that involves melting candy corn with heavy cream in the microwave and combining it with popcorn. Just don't burn yourself with the hot candy corn goo!
7. Candy corn cupcakes
Hostess decided to release a special candy corn version of their iconic cupcakes for Halloween season in 2017. The cakes certainly looked the part, combining bright orange creme filling, golden frosting, and orange-and-white sprinkles. Reviewers were unimpressed, however, with Junk Banter declaring on Instagram that they were "Lies, lies, lies!" The consensus was that Hostess spent all of their efforts on making the cupcakes look like candy corn without bothering to add any actual candy corn flavor. Unsurprisingly, it appears that Hostess decided not to bring the cupcakes back after their initial frosty reception.
If you want to make your own candy corn-colored cupcakes, at home, there are plenty of recipes online to make your dreams come true. You can even frost them with candy corn icing and garnish them with pieces of candy corn to make the flavor hit way harder than it did in Hostess' version.
8. Candy corn lollipops
Blow Pops are kind of a strange combination of foods already. They take bubble gum, a substance all of our parents warned us never to swallow lest it stay in our stomachs for seven years, and surround it with hard candy that we are supposed to eat. The amount of skill it takes to consume the lollipop parts without ingesting any of the bubble gum in the middle always seemed like a lot to ask of the average small child.
Charms Candy Corn Super Blow Pops take an already strange formula and make it even wackier by adding candy corn flavor (via Tootsie). If you've ever wondered what candy corn and bubble gum would taste like together, these lollipops are here to answer your questions. For those of us who would rather keep our bubble gum out of our candy corn, Charms also makes regular candy corn lollipops that answer the question "What if candy corn could chip your teeth?"
9. Hershey's candy corn bar
Hershey's candy corn bars look like they're made out of white chocolate with bits of candy corn in them, but their actual composition is much more mysterious. Their product description on Amazon says that the substance that looks like white chocolate is actually "candy corn creme." Wide Open Eats took a peek at the ingredients list and found that the creme was mostly made out of sugar, vegetable oil, and milk. The candy corn flavor comes, as it should, from natural and artificial flavors. According to Amazon reviewer G H, the little pieces of candy corn are actually flavored sprinkles. The reviews for this candy bar are almost uniformly positive, with several people saying that it really nails the candy corn flavor. It sounds like an intense sugar rush, though, with candy corn fan LKNANML saying they could only eat half a bar before their palate was overwhelmed by sweetness. Proceed with caution, candy corn aficionados.
10. Candy corn marshmallows
If candy corn lollipops are an experiment in making candy corn harder, then candy corn marshmallows are the polar opposite. Kraft's marshmallow brand, Jet-Puffed, made a limited-edition candy corn flavor. They looked like if you turned candy corn into the marshmallows you get in a box of Lucky Charms. Tragically, they weren't available during 2021 Halloween season (via Walmart). That left independent confectioner Candy Club to carry the torch for fluffy Halloween-flavored treats.
Their candy corn marshmallow puffs look very similar to regular candy corn, only slightly larger and dusted with a layer of grainy sugar. Judging by the customer reviews, these gummy marshmallows taste pretty good, but they have a strange smell. Lea Cooper wrote in her review that she found them quite addictive but "the aroma when removing the lid for the first time and every time, was very off putting." Candy Club candy corn marshmallows are the durian of candies.
11. Candy corn Oreos
We thought candy corn Oreos were here to stay. People Magazine reported that these seasonal cookies were first released in 2012 to general acclaim. They sold out quickly and went up on the resale market at grossly inflated prices. Nabisco put them out every Halloween season through 2020. Perhaps the reason for their staying power was that they didn't really taste much like candy corn. One People staffer declared that "they taste like yummy birthday cake batter." Tasters at FoodBeast echoed that sentiment, with one reviewer saying that they "taste like Birthday Cake Oreos dressed up for Halloween."
Sadly, it seems like these orange-and-gold treats have shuffled off into the dustbin of history, as they don't appear to be available this year (via Amazon). If you feel like taking on a big baking project, Good Food Stories has a copycat recipe flavored with honey and golden syrup to try to replicate the candy corn experience.
12. Candy corn beer
Is beer food? It fills you up and it's made out of the same ingredients as bread, so it must be! Most breweries welcome the autumn with an Oktoberfest lager and some kind of pumpkin beer, but Buffalo Creek Brewery dared to do something a little different with their fall lineup by offering a candy corn beer (via Daily Herald). Buffalo Creek is, of course, in Illinois, America's hot spot for candy corn concoctions. The candy corn beer starts as a cream ale, a style known for its drinkability and lack of bitterness (via Bon Appetit). Buffalo Creek brewmaster Mike Marr then adds real candy corn to the mix, giving the beer a sweet finish. The first batch of this sugary ale was a joke, but customers actually enjoyed it so the brewery added it to its yearly rotation. If you're tired of all the pumpkin spice beers you're offered during the spooky season, candy corn ale might be the change of pace you've been looking for.
13. Candy corn cereal
The halls of snack food history are littered with discontinued candy corn-flavored gimmicks. One we really wish we could try is Candy Corn Pebbles cereal from Post. This came out in 2014, and it looks amazing, with the pebbles dyed in three different colors to represent the different sections of a piece of candy corn. A reviewer at Mr. Breakfast Cereal enjoyed it, saying that it had a pleasant caramel flavor. Alas, it never returned after its initial run. In the distant past of 2001, Kellogg's made its own candy corn cereal, introducing limited-edition Candy Corn Pops that also died a quick death (via Mr. Breakfast Cereal). Just because the big food conglomerates have given up on the idea doesn't mean you can't eat candy corn for breakfast. Just make this blogger's recipe for pumpkin spice candy corn granola and eat it in a bowl with milk. It has oats and nuts in it, so you can even trick yourself into thinking it's healthy.