So, What Candies Do Mothers Really Want For Mother's Day?

A good question seeing that just about all of us are buying or receiving Mother’s Day gifts now. Is candy among them? Should it be? If so, what kinds? Being a research-based candy company, we decided to dig deep. We looked up stats online, compared sales of clothes, flowers, jewelry and, of course, candy. The findings are clear – flowers, jewelry and candy are at the top. Of course, plenty of other favorites were in the mix… some not presents exactly, but ideas like time off! A day of freedom, as in time away from the kids. That came up a lot.

True Treats for Mother's Day

For obvious reasons, we decided to focus on candy. So, we turned to our Facebook friends for the most reliable data possible about what their mothers’ favorites. Now remember – we didn’t ask our friends’ ages – or for that matter, their mothers’ ages which may have changed the response. We guessed, given the age of our average customer, their moms are likely in their 50s and 60s. Regardless – the results were surprising to say the least. Here’s what we found...

Our Favorite Response:

Our favorite response comes from David Mills who said: “She liked everything. Seriously, there was nothing that she didn't like.” We love knowing that. Melanie Mills, a relative, weighed in, indicating David’s Mom was not only a candy lover, but a candy influencer. Melanie said: “She loved circus peanuts and she was the one who made me try black licorice. She even got my sister to like black licorice. She and my mom would share a box of, I think it was, Good and Plenty.” Hey David and Melanie – did you know Good n’ Plenty is the nation’s oldest brand, made in 1893?

Moms Love Old Time Licorice

Our friends’ list included lots of licorice - a total surprise as licorice isn’t on the horizon of most loved candies for anyone. Good n’ Plenty (circa 1893), as David and Mel told us, plus black jelly beans, general black licorice anything and Twizzlers. When you think about Twizzlers, you probably think 1970s. But this company outdates even Good n’ Plenty. It started in 1845!

Retro Candy – the Big Surprise!

We could have guessed Moms like retro candy – most people lean in that direction. But the kinds of retro were a surprise. For the most part, our friends’ mothers skewed old school. No late 1900s favorites such as Jelly Belly Beans, Zotz or even Gummies (only one mention of these). These Moms went 1800s including the most controversial candy ever – Circus Peanuts, made in the late 1800s for…you guessed it … circuses. Also – Candy Corn, which also started life in the late 1800s. Originally called Chicken Feed, it was a summertime snack at first - not made for Halloween! Gwen Wyttenbach told us her Mom would mix them in a dish with “Spanish” peanuts. Interesting.

What about CHOCOLATE for Mother's Day?

Industry experts all point to chocolate as women’s preferred flavor. Not so in our Mother’s Day findings. Of all 78 responses, less than half mentioned chocolate and of that number, only a few mentioned chocolate as the only, or most preferred, candy. Is that because chocolate has historically been a man’s food? Remember: chocolate originated as a drink, dating back to Mesoamerica where it was esteemed by men – namely soldiers and tyrannical leaders – who enjoyed the drink for virility and strength. Hmmmm…

Mothers Do Love Chocolate... But Not What You Might Think!

OK – we expected to hear a lot about fancy chocolates – the type that started in the late 1800s when eating chocolate became quite the thing. This line-up includes sumptuous truffles, creams, and other varieties still around today. But our Facebook friends told us about classic candy bars, which got their start as energy bars and part of the first rations in World War I. Among the names named - Snickers, Rocky Road, 1000 Grand, and Almond Roca. Several did mention Cherry Cordials – made popular by the now defunct Brach’s in the early 1930s and chocolate covered raisins, a favorite of yours truly, and a hit in the early movie theater concession stands.

Lots o’ Outliers, TOO!!

We love outliers and are happy to say these included sea foam (from Lucile Allen, a True Treats alumni) and chocolate covered honeycomb – another version of sea foam; halva (we carry this – ancient and Middle Eastern); the gummy-esque Wisconsin Raisins from, that’s right, Wisconsin, little known but shouldn’t be; and my friend and neighbor Karen McMullen’s mom’s favorite - Bit O’ Honey from the 1920s. Our Facebook friend Peg Norton Foster told us about “…white nougat things with little pieces of gumdrops in them. Peg added: “I know mom had them around a lot in the late 50s and 60s. I am a chocolate freak so she got them mostly to herself.” Peg – we actually carry your Mom’s favorite, although the gum drops have been replaced by it’s candy cousin, jelly beans!

We Asked Some of Our True Treats Employees... What's Mom's Favorite Candy?

Susan Benjamin, True Treats President - "My mother actually didn't like candy! But if I had to pick, I'd say the peanut butter cup. She ate one maybe every other year!" Alvino Sandoval, Web & Distribution Manager - "Peppermint patties and Rolos. My grandma loves butterscotch hard candies and starlight mints... typical grandmother!" David Bussard, Strategic & Creative Director - "Dark chocolate nonpareils and three color coconut bars." MaryAnn Fisher, Social Media & Outreach Coordinator- "Hershey Milk Chocolate Bars!" Jackie Woods, Packer - "My mother's a donut and cookie person... but I'm a momma and I love anything chocolate or All-American Caramel." Pam, Packer - "Hershey kisses, Hershey with almond... Always Hershey. My favorite candy is Payday, but I love Mounds too." Jess, Packer - "Peanut M&M's and that's about it!"

Here’s the Full List of Mother’s Day Favorites From Facebook

THANKS EVERONE!! We LOVE your Feedback. And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there!! French gums, gummy hearts, chocolate covered raisins, and halva. - Andrea Blavat She liked everything. Seriously, there was nothing that she didn't like. Hilarious... she loved circus peanuts and she was the one who made me try black licorice. She even got my sister to like black licorice. Her and my mom would share a box of I think it was good and plenty, and I always got the good and fruity for at the drive in. - Melanie Mills Believe it or not ... circus peanuts! - Jennie Gist My mother's favorite "of all things" ... Candy Corn at Halloween! - Gwen Wyttenbach My mom would mix them in a dish with “Spanish” peanuts (in reference to candy corn) - Jan Rayl Kierstead It's candy raisins from Wisconsin and I'm blessed that she's still around! - Jennifer Wyatt Caramels and those white nougat things with little pieces of gumdrops in them. - Peg Norton Foster Almond Joy - Denise Braithwaite 10000 Grand candy bars. - Laura Lee Bear Lemmon Probably those cream drops, my mother loved them - Angela Zimmerman Moth balls (cream filberts) and Opera Creams - Claire Mojave Black Licorice - Dwayne Richards Godiva. If they weren’t available Hershey Special Dark. She was a dark chocolate fiend.- Krissi Bainbridge Almond Joys and chocolate - Heidi Rohrer Russel Stovers Caramels in particular - Suzanne Healy Barnhart Black licorice - Mary T Coconut cream egg - Shelly Williams Lemon drops and chocolate covered raisins. - Nell McCollum Tedder Bit o Honey - Cathy Kisovec Rodgers Chocolate. Just, all of the chocolate. - Crystal Cruz I still get her dark chocolate and heath bars - Jennifer Bortman My mom wasn't a candy person. Black licorice, I suppose, or Coffee Nips. My dad had the sweet tooth. - Amy Wax Storyteller Chocolate covered cherries - Josephine Ann Calderone Black Licorice and black jellybeans! - Brenda Sue Payne Peanut Brittle - Tabitha Falls Almond Joy maybe - Kelly Preziosi Black licorice - Rick Doty Almond Roca - Randy Hanenburg Chocolate, peppermint, & lemon drops.- Sandra Lewis Chocolate-covered cherries and sea foam - Lucile Allen Snickers candy bars was her favorite. She's not really a candy fan. Ice cream is where it's at - Elizabeth Bennett Snickers but can’t eat them unless it sugar free which I don’t they have it n take one if sugar low due to I am a diabetic - Selina Dion Black licorice - Marylouise McKillip Fannie Mae turtles - Anne Marie Trumbla Chocolate covered cherries. - Karen McMullen Mary Janes and Fannie May turtles. - Allison May Rocky road or those mountain bars if she could find them - Jaye Ahkinga Heath bars... black jelly beans - Patricia Smith Violett Almond Roca - Linda Mitchell Black Jelly beans - Francine Rybarczyk Clouse Almond Roca - Debbie Coman I don’t think she has a favorite- Matthew Ryan Neely Coconut watermelon slices. - Carla Johnson Kanthak Chocolate fudge - Karen Schultz Candy corn and cinnamon gummy bears - Dana Perkins Whitman's cream filled candies - Marilyn Hennessey Chocolate gingers and cherry cordials - Elizabeth Ford Starlight mints - Julie Burke Chocolate covered honeycomb - Bella Kittrell Hard candy - Betty Jagodzinski Rybarczyk Baby Ruth - Larry Berkman Circus marshmallows - Natalie Kreitzman Chocolate covered cherries, marshmallow peanuts, creme drops, and orange slices - Mary Earp Chocolates! - Pam Howard Butterfinger - Marchia Kirkland Reese's peanut butter cups - Victoria Ordonez Butterfinger - Debra Hatcher Orange slices - Patsy Dickson Anything Fannie May - Dave Mead Three Musketeer Bar - Lia Rock-Wright Butterscotch - Libby Wilson Reese’s Peanut butter cups - Nancy Shaffer Thiele Caramels with white filling! (Goetze's Caramel Creams!) - Rodney Thomas Everything - Linnet Guidry Lewis Malted Milk Balls - Karen Lynne Mike & Ike - Lee Andrews Lawson Satellite wafers - Sarah Côté Nestle crunch - Peggy Lynch Verville Cordial - Amber Nichole Scorched peanuts - Gail Hart Wintergreen - Elaine Moore She is alive, and at last check, a big fan of Whitmans Samplers. - Jasmyn Dawn Orange Slices - Donnette Sligar Sibille Hershey bar - Jeannie Clement Cherry cordials - Donna Marie Reynolds Twizzlers - Ellen Patterson Fudge - Martha D Clark Balser