When my sweet tooth comes with a side of childhood memories, I head to Five Below. These 10 nostalgic candies are the picks I’d grab to revisit old favorites and the playful fun that made them memorable.
1. Zagnut® Candy Bar 1.51oz – $1.99
No chocolate needed: Zagnut® combines peanut butter crunch with toasted coconut in a genuinely old-school bar. I grab one when I want a hard-to-find retro treat that feels more interesting than the usual checkout candy.
Taste: The peanut butter is dense, nutty, and salty-sweet, with a toffee-like crunch underneath. Toasted coconut adds a light chew and a warm finish, though the crumbly texture can get messy.
Make It Better: Eat it slowly with a glass of cold milk, and keep the wrapper underneath to catch the crumbs.
Parting Thoughts: Retro candy hunters should find this unusual little bar well worth the $1.99.
2. Necco Wafers – $1.99
For anyone who remembers sorting penny candy by flavor, Necco Wafers deliver chocolate, licorice, cinnamon, lemon, lime, orange, wintergreen, and clove in one roll. They date back to 1847, and they still taste unapologetically old-fashioned.
Taste: Each wafer dissolves with a distinctly chalky texture rather than turning chewy or juicy. The wide-ranging flavors are fascinating but polarizing, especially the licorice and clove.
Make It Better: Sort the roll before eating and trade away the flavors you dislike; that ritual is half the nostalgia.
Parting Thoughts: Love them or hate them, few candies provide a more convincing trip to an old-fashioned candy counter.
3. Runts® Theater Box Candy 5oz – $1.50
Movie night gets a proper ’90s touch from a box of fruit-shaped Runts®. The 5oz box lasts through a feature and invites plenty of shape-picking debates when poured into a shared bowl.
Taste: The fruit flavors stay distinct instead of blending into one generic candy punch. Each piece can be slowly dissolved or bitten for a clean, firm crunch.
Make It Better: Pour them into a bowl before the movie so everyone can hunt for favorite shapes instead of rattling the box during quiet scenes.
Parting Thoughts: For a low-cost movie snack with real throwback appeal, this box earns its place in the cart.
4. Big League Chew® Bubble Gum – Outta Here Original™ 2.12oz – $2.00
At a ball game or backyard cookout, passing around this pouch brings instant dugout nostalgia. The shredded format lets everyone choose the size of their wad, and it is ready for bubble blowing right away.
Taste: Outta Here Original™ is sweet, fruit-forward, and slightly tangy. The soft shreds quickly gather into a cohesive chew without a stiff starting bite.
Make It Better: Use the resealable pouch to portion out smaller pinches; starting modestly makes bubble blowing much more manageable.
Parting Thoughts: Baseball nostalgists get plenty of gum and plenty of fun for the $2.00 price.
5. Iconic Candy Retro Sours Mango Candy Tin 2.12oz – $3.50
Anyone still mourning Altoids Sours should recognize this mango revival immediately. The compact tin is handy for a road-trip treat, and it can be reused for earbuds or mints after the candy disappears.
Taste: A fast, sharp sour hit settles into a recognizable mango flavor without a lingering artificial finish. The small, hard pellets are made for slowly working through rather than chewing by the handful.
Make It Better: My trick is buying two tins—one to open immediately and one to save for later.
Parting Thoughts: The sharp-sour crowd will appreciate both the Altoids Sours nostalgia and the useful tin.
6. Nik-L-Nip® Mini Tropical Flavor Drinks 8-Pack 2.7oz – $3.00
Half the fun of Nik-L-Nip® is remembering the strange little ritual: bite the wax bottle, drink the syrup, then chew the wax. With eight tropical-flavor bottles, this pack works especially well in a party bowl for curious first-timers.
Taste: The liquid is intensely sweet with a candy-fruit tropical profile. After the syrup, the nearly flavorless wax supplies the odd, satisfying chew that defines the experience.
Make It Better: Set the bottles out without instructions and let newcomers figure out the bite-and-sip routine for themselves.
Parting Thoughts: Kids and adults who enjoy playful candy will get more from the ritual than from the flavor alone.
7. Fun Dip® Cherry Yum Diddly Dip Candy 0.43oz – $0.50
A tiny packet of Fun Dip® turns eating candy into an activity, which is exactly why it remains memorable. The single cherry serving is an easy addition to party favors, road-trip bags, or a personal nostalgia stash.
Taste: Cherry Yum Diddly Dip is bright, fruity, and unabashedly sugary. The fine powder coats the dipping stick, then dissolves quickly on the tongue.
Make It Better: Use light dips instead of burying the stick; the powder lasts longer and is less likely to spill.
Parting Thoughts: At fifty cents, this is an easy yes for anyone who still remembers rationing the dipping stick.
8. Pop Rocks® Strawberry Popping Candy 0.33oz – $1.50
The first crackle of Pop Rocks® can transport a candy lover straight back to childhood. This strawberry packet is best saved for a small shared laugh or a quick solo novelty rather than treated like a substantial snack.
Taste: Sweet strawberry flavor lands alongside the signature fizzing, crackling sensation. The tiny crystals snap and dissolve instead of providing a conventional crunch or chew.
Make It Better: Try a small pinch first and keep your mouth slightly open if you want to hear the popping clearly.
Parting Thoughts: Pure novelty is the point here, and the familiar crackle still delivers it.
9. Mallo Cup® Giant Size 4-Pack 3oz – $2.99
When a plain chocolate cup feels predictable, Mallo Cup® brings in a whipped creme center and coconut. The four-cup pack is convenient for sharing, though I would understand keeping an extra cup for later.
Taste: Milk chocolate gives way to a creamy, airy marshmallow-style center with coconut flavor. The contrast is soft and sweet rather than dense or intensely chewy.
Make It Better: Serve the cups with hot coffee to balance their sweetness and make the chocolate-and-mallow combination feel a little more grown-up.
Parting Thoughts: Marshmallow-cup loyalists should enjoy this softer alternative to a nut-filled chocolate cup.
10. Sneaky Stardust™ Sour Strawberry Gum Powder – $2.00
Bubble Jug gets a playful revival in Sneaky Stardust™ Sour Strawberry Gum Powder, which changes from powder into gum as it is chewed. The little jug is made for anyone who misses interactive ’90s candy as much as the flavor itself.
Taste: It starts as sour strawberry powder with an immediate sugary tang. As you chew, that powder gathers into soft gum, creating a transformation more memorable than an ordinary stick.
Make It Better: Pour a modest amount for the first try; it is easier to enjoy the powder-to-gum change without ending up with an oversized wad.
Parting Thoughts: Choose this for the Bubble Jug nostalgia and transformation, not for a long, conventional gum chew.
