Halloween candy prices hit record highs as cocoa shortage forces candy makers to cut corners

The sweet part of Halloween just got sour. According to a new CNN report citing data from the Groundwork Collaborative, the average price of candy is up 10.8% from last year - nearly four times the overall inflation rate. Blame it on cocoa. Soaring bean prices have candy makers cutting costs, trimming portions, and leaning into cheaper ingredients. Cocoa futures shot up 178% in 2024, following a 61% jump the year before. The surge traces back to poor harvests in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, which supply most of the world’s cocoa.

Those sky-high prices are still working their way through the supply chain, so the chocolate in stores this fall was made from some of the priciest beans on record.

That is why even Hershey’s and Mars variety packs are hitting wallets harder - up 22% and 12%, respectively. Reese’s went up 8%, and even gummies like Sour Patch Kids rose nearly 9%, CNN reported.

Less chocolate, more sugar and gummies

At stores, the change is easy to see. Candy makers are quietly giving customers less chocolate per bag or swapping out chocolate altogether. Hershey told retailers it was adjusting its “price pack architecture,” corporate jargon for shrinkflation - smaller portions, same price.

Some boutique brands are tweaking recipes too, using lower cocoa content to stretch margins. CNN’s report noted that some producers have moved from 75% cocoa to 65%, making bars sweeter and cheaper to produce.

Gummies are the real winners here. Younger buyers are obsessed with sour and chewy candies, and those are cheaper to make. The National Confectioners Association said sour candy sales jumped 7% year over year, a trend candy giants are eager to ride. That’s why KitKat’s cinnamon-toast flavor and other non-chocolate options are popping up - a creative way to dodge cocoa costs.

Small chocolate makers feel the squeeze

For independent chocolatiers, this season is brutal. At Escazú Chocolates in Raleigh, North Carolina, owners told CNN they are paying three to four times the usual price for cacao sourced from small Latin American farms. On top of that, tariffs have jacked up the cost of packaging materials.

“The tariffs have hit every single every single piece of what goes into every single thing. There is no new normal,” co-owner Tiana Young said.

Escazú has already cut costs - offering smaller hot chocolates, pushing non-chocolate ice cream toppings, and even relocating to a cheaper space in the city. With energy and packaging costs still high, experts say candy prices are not falling anytime soon.

FAQs

Why is Halloween candy more expensive this year?

Cocoa prices skyrocketed in 2024 due to poor harvests in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

How much more are candy prices this Halloween?

Candy costs are up about 10.8% compared to last year, CNN reported.

Are candy companies reducing chocolate content?

Yes, some are lowering cocoa percentages or producing more gummies to cut costs.

What did Hershey and Mars do about the rising prices?

Both raised prices and adjusted packaging sizes to manage higher production costs.