16 Valentine’s Day Candies That Kids Will Love and Parents Will Want to Sneak After Bedtime

Perhaps the GOAT of all holiday candy, not just Valentine’s Day. Anytime the Reese’s Cup formula gets applied to a seasonal shape, it’s a winner (I’m looking at you, Reese’s Pumpkins.) This is both the first piece of candy I request from my kids’ holiday bounty and the one that requires intense negotiation.

For fans of milk chocolate, these silky-smooth chocolate hearts are the way to your, well, heart. Individually wrapped in Valentine’s Day-appropriate pink foil, these are a simple, timeless treat.

In any shape, York Peppermint Patties always remind me of my dad, and those memories are very sweet — almost as sweet as the classic combination of dark chocolate and refreshing mint. I can usually snatch a few of these from my 7-year-old’s candy stash with very little resistance.

I have no interest in eating those chalky conversation hearts, although I admit they’re cute in a kitschy way. I like the idea of them, and when it’s applied to the wrapper of a Hershey’s Kiss, I’m all in.

I have a severe weakness for Ferrero Rocher. The combination of sweet milk chocolate and earthy hazelnuts is, hands-down, my favorite, and I appreciate the fact that the Ferrero folks are obviously as uninterested in messing around with a good thing as I am. Here, the hazelnut truffles are simply packed up in a heart-shaped box.

Peanut M&Ms are increasingly rare in a school setting due to the prevalence of peanut allergies. But I love the classic candy (in pink hues called “Cupid’s Blend” for Valentine’s Day) when I find it in the wild.

There has been no single innovation to the candy arts as important as the creation of Nerds Gummy Clusters (and before it, Nerds Rope) in my lifetime, and that’s a hill I will die on. The Valentine’s variation plays up the pink and red with its gummy core and tangy-crunchy Nerds on the outside.

Vegan, gluten-free, and free from the top nine allergens, these gummy candies are a good alternative for folks who are particular about their candy’s ingredient list.

KitKat has been flexing new flavors lately, and these raspberry creme versions are among their best work. The tangy raspberry creme complements the crunchy cookie interior in a delightful way, making these a top contender for best flavor.

I love the caramelized sugar bits in these white chocolate hearts. When you taste the slightly bitter edge of bruléed sugar in this Valentine’s Day exclusive candy together with the super sweet white chocolate? *Chef’s kiss.*

If you think parents don’t love sour candy, we must not have met. My issue is that usually it’s not sour enough! These deliver a powerful pucker, plus pleasantly fruity strawberry lemonade, watermelon, and fruit punch flavors.

Hear me out: While these aren’t explicitly Valentine’s Day branded, they’re certainly pink enough to qualify, and they happen to be delicious thanks to their creamy-tangy raspberry and passionfruit coating. They’re the perfect unexpected treat to include in a sweet Valentine’s Day basket.

For its pick-me-up abilities, a Snickers bar will always have a place in my heart; and now the folks at Snickers have whipped up heart-shaped Snickers, an instant new classic.

The dipping candy I’ve tried in the past leaves me wanting for flavor. But these Dig ‘n Dip candies, available in lime with a strawberry dipper or orange with a lemon dipper, deliver.

The original Hershey’s Cookies & Cream Bar was released in 1994, absolutely rocking my 10-year-old world. But the hearts are a 2022 invention, and a particularly great one.

Maeve, formerly Seattle Chocolate, makes some of the most interesting, delightful bonbons and truffles on the market right now, and they have a few Valentine’s Day offerings that I would personally love to receive. This sampler, featuring Dark Salty Toffee, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, and Pink Bubbly (my favorite, with popping candy inside!) bonbons in the brand’s signature maximalist packaging will win the heart of any recipient.