Halloween on a budget: Readers weigh in on soaring candy costs — and their favorite treats
Your morning catch-up: The bittersweet cost of Halloween, high tides damaged 114 structures in seaside Huntington Beach and more big stories
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Happy Halloween! Trick-or-treaters across the nation tonight get to show off their costumes and indulge in their favorite candy and treats.
But don’t be surprised if your kids get less candy this year.
Candy and gum prices are up 44% over a five-year period, according to government data.
Earlier this week, the supermarket chain Aldi advertised a 135-piece variety pack of Mars Inc. chocolate bars — including Milky Way, Trix and Snickers — for $19.87. That’s almost the same price consumers paid for a 250-piece variety pack five years ago.
That should come as no surprise to you, our Essential California readers. Over the last couple of weeks, we asked you to tell us about your favorite Halloween candy and how much you’ve spent on candy this year.
Most of you picked chocolate candies, which are some of the most expensive on the market right now thanks to climbing cocoa prices.
After rising in January 2025, global cocoa prices had finally started to come down in March, only to begin climbing again as the Iran war disrupted Africa’s fertilizer supplies. Africa supplies 70% of the world’s chocolate.
There won’t be any relief in sight as the El Niño weather pattern is also expected to hurt production, with hot, dry conditions expected through February. The unusual weather patterns are a threat to cocoa crops.
That hasn’t stopped chocolate lovers from purchasing their favorite sweet treats.
Of the top 10 candies sold by ounce in October, seven were chocolates, according to Instacart’s Halloween sweet tooth report. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups took the No. 1 spot.
Among our Essential California readers, Michael L. was the only one to mention Reese’s.
“Nothing says a warm Halloween in California quite like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. It’s the very perfect compliment for the taste buds. As a kid, nothing made me happier than to see a Reese’s being given out when we knocked on a door. They are even better [after cooling] in the fridge,” he wrote.
More reader favorites
“Nestle Crunch is my favorite Halloween candy.” – Glenn C.
“Growing up in the Central Valley a small corner grocery store would have, only during Halloween, a triangular shaped sweet harmonica you could play with and chew on. I don’t remember the name of it, though this was popular back in the 60’s and 70’s. Also a chocolate and caramel bar on a stick was called Black Cow. I miss those times.” – Joe A.
“I’ll shamelessly admit this. The most maligned Halloween candy out there is my all time favorite: candy corn!” – Jody S.
“Frozen Snickers, Twix or Almond Joy, yes.” – Laura G.
“My favorite Halloween treat & old-school memory was a homemade popcorn ball made by our sweet old lady neighbor, Miss Lily, who lived across the street. We would always go trick or treating there first to get our delicious goodie made with love and kindness. That was in the 1950’s before the tainted candy and hidden razor blades. A Mayberry memory.” – Mary M.
“My favorite Halloween candy was not a particular brand or flavor. It was size that mattered. When I was a child, a few of our immediate neighbors who knew our family would have full size candy bars for us. That gesture always made me feel special and privileged. I have never forgotten their kindness.” – Scott E.
“BABY RUTH!” – Lillian B.
“Why, Twizzlers of course!” – Skylar B.
“It was always a good Halloween when I was given large sized Milky Ways or plain M&Ms. For a kid, bigger was always better.” – Jim D.
How much readers spent
“$0. Last year I had no trick-or-treaters come to my house. They all go instead to local events organized by schools and churches. That left me with all the candy. With the price of a bag of candy reaching obscene levels, no thanks.” – Carol B.
“We do a whole ‘thing’ at my house, with decorations, including some lighting and sound effects, and both live and animatronic characters, so we get lots of kids. But this year we only spent $600 on candy ... Last year we spent just under $1,000 and managed not to run out of candy — but it was close.” – Amy L.
“Too much! Prices for bags (which never say how many pieces are included) seem to have soared to absurd levels. But you can’t just ignore the eager little faces at your door, the slightly embarrassed middle schoolers or the laughing teenagers who come later.” – Michael R.
The week’s biggest stories
Coastal calamities
- High tides damaged 114 structures in seaside Huntington Beach. The city warns of more flooding to come.
- The water has receded, but officials warn late November tides could be higher.
- Orange County coastal towns are losing the battle against El Niño flooding and it’s about to get worse.
State elections
- The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals again denies the Trump administration request to block 20,000 California ballots.
- California officials and independent voting rights groups welcomed the appellate court’s latest ruling as a major win for the state.
- Xavier Becerra widens his lead in the governor’s race as voter focus shifts to Trump, a new poll shows.
- Your last-minute guide to Proposition 38: Research funding for immunology, immunotherapy.
- Here are fast answers for stalled 2026 voters.
L.A. city and county elections
- L.A.’s Black leaders are uneasy about Mayor Karen Bass’ reelection prospects amid declining clout at City Hall.
- Mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Nithya Raman are in a dead heat, the latest Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll shows, but Bass is dogged by high disapproval numbers.
- The L.A. city Board of Public Works is more than 120 years old. A ballot measure could quietly hasten its end.
- Your last-minute guide to obscure but important L.A. County election races.
Transportation concerns and investigations
- Robotaxis are hogging EV chargers in San Diego, causing scarce availability for others.
- San Diego EV drivers say newly deployed Waymo robotaxis are filling scarce fast-charging stations, leaving some motorists waiting to plug in.
- NTSB releases new details on a deadly Yosemite National Park firefighter helicopter crash in September.
More news
- L.A. County officials ghost a Chiquita Canyon Landfill hearing as a toxic chemical fire burns.
- A San Diego woman pleads guilty to killing her best friend’s baby.
- An LAPD officer who was accused of holding his girlfriend at gunpoint was also charged with abusing kids.
- ‘Days of Our Lives’ actor Robert Kelker-Kelly’s official cause of death revealed.
- Patrick Stewart had Lewy body dementia. What is this condition?
- Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general election
Editor’s pick
Many Westside residents without air conditioning told The Times they drastically altered their daily routines due to oppressive heat and humidity. Some avoided cooking and slept on friend’s couches.
More picks
- How the Emerald Isle became Hollywood’s latest hub for global production.
- Election denialism is on the ballot in Arizona. These volunteers are pushing back.
Things to do
- 🎸 Aerosmith argues for a future at the Hollywood Bowl with the second rare appearance taking place on Sunday.
- 🎥 These are 10 movies you need to see in L.A. in November.
- 💀 ‘Crypt Jam’: Unearthing the Crypt Keeper’s 1992 hip-hop hit from a bygone era.
Today’s recipe
This recipe for a Halloween “Cup of Dirt” milkshake is inspired by memories of watching old Halloween-themed episodes of cooking shows and cooking editor Cody Reiss’ love of malts. “For the dirt topping, feel free to follow your imagination and taste, substituting or replacing any of the ingredients with your favorite chocolate cookies or treats while still keeping the visual appearance of a varied, crumbly soil,” he wrote of the recipe. “If you can’t get your hands on Chocolate Malted Krunch, that’s too bad, but don’t let it stop you. Substitute the pint of Chocolate Malted Krunch for a pint of your favorite chocolate ice cream and a few tablespoons of malted milk powder.”
Photo of the day
Games
Here’s today’s mini crossword, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jack Dolan, investigative reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
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