Candy Corn and Peanuts Is the Halloween Combo You’re Not Trying (Yet)

When you think of classic Halloween pairings, you probably think of flavor combos like caramel and apple, pumpkin and pecan, even peanut butter and chocolate (everyone loves the shaped Reese’s best, right?). But it turns out there’s another combo we’ve been overlooking this whole time: candy corn and peanuts.

This combination was entirely unknown to me until recently, but it turns out it has quite a following. I asked my mom about this since she’s a candy corn fanatic. If anyone would know about this strange mix, she would.

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Candy Corn and Peanuts?

Of course, when I asked my mom about mixing the Halloween candy that everyone loves to hate (or hates loving) with peanuts, she knew exactly what I was talking about and had rave reviews. “It’s good! Really. It tastes like a Salted Nut Roll.”

My mom doesn’t steer me wrong when it comes to food, so I grabbed a bag of candy corn and a jar of peanuts and mixed them together in equal parts. My mom recommends plain, salted peanuts, but I opted for dry roasted (they were on sale!). Another word to the wise: “Get the traditional candy corn—not the chocolate kind.”

How Does This Combo Taste?

I couldn’t try this pairing alone, so I recruited some other Taste of Home editors to try this new-to-us-treat out. Since none of us were die-hard candy corn fans, we were all skeptical. Adding peanuts couldn’t really make candy corn better, could it?

It turns out that this combo is better than any of us could have expected. I heard a lot of wows come from the tasting table (plus an emphatic “This is actually really good”). The saltiness of the peanuts along with the sort-of-waxy, sort-of-creaminess of the candy corn played together well—and it did taste like a Salted Nut Roll. It was one of those snack mixes that we just found ourselves digging into again and again.

But this seemingly odd pairing shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Salty and sweet is a winning combo. After all, who doesn’t love salted caramel or a chocolate-covered pretzel?

So this Halloween, don’t fret about having an excess of candy corn. Just mix with some salted peanuts for a salty-sweet snack you can enjoy all fall.

Try These Fun Candy Corn-Inspired Recipes

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Cute Halloween Sandwiches

I make these for my grandchildren. You can change the cutter shape and food coloring to suit any occasion, but this is a surefire trick-or-treat winner! —Jane Whittaker, Pensacola, Florida

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Candy Corn Cookies

Get a head start on these buttery cookies by shaping and chilling the homemade dough ahead of time. When you're ready, just slice and bake the tricolor treats. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Orange Gelatin Pretzel Salad

Salty pretzels pair nicely with the sweet fruit in this refreshing layered salad. It’s a family favorite that is a slam-dunk at potlucks. —Peggy Boyd, Northport, Alabama

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Candy Corn Quesadillas

Celebrate the season with a savory touch! These candy corn triangles will be a smash with kids, and the flavor will win over adults. Let kids join in the fun by filling a bag with the nacho tortilla chips to crush with a rolling pin while you do the rest. —Marie Parker, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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