5 Oldest Candy Bars In The World

By Author: Emma Candy Ville
Total Articles: 29
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Most of the world's most iconic candy bars were created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nearly all of the candy bars on this list are still popular today and are sold around the world.

As of February 2021, the information on this list is as accurate as possible and will be updated as needed.

1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Year Created: 1928

Country of Origin: United States

Candy Company: H.B. Reese Candy Company (now owned by The Hershey Company)

Still Sold:

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are probably the most well-loved and iconic candy bars in America. Peanut Butter Cups were created in 1922 by H. B. Reese and today the combination of peanut butter and chocolate is classically American. Reese, who had 16 children, worked several jobs to support his family.

In 1917, he began working on a dairy farm owned by Milton Hershey. Reese worked on the farm for many years and eventually started working in the chocolate factory. He was so inspired by Milton Hershey, that he started making his own chocolates. In 1928, Reese ...
... began selling peanut butter filled chocolates he called peanut butter cups. In the early 1960s, The Hershey Company acquired Reese’s company, along with the peanut butter cups.

Did You Know?

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are so popular that the candy generates more than $2 billion in annual sales for The Hershey Company.

2. Oh Henry!

Year Created: 1920

Country of Origin: United States

Candy Company: Williamson Candy Company (now owned by Nestlé)

Still Sold: Yes, only in Canada (Canadian Oh Henry! Is manufactured by Hershey)

Oh Henry! The candy bar was created by the Williamson Candy Company in Chicago, Illinois in 1920. It is made of peanuts, caramel, and fudge that is coated in milk chocolate. According to legend, the candy bar was named after a young man named Henry, who often came to the Williamson factory to flirt with the female workers. The women began asking Henry for favours and often exclaimed Oh Henry, will you do this?, etc. When Mr. Williamson needed a name for a new candy bar, he thought of Henry. While this story is widely told, a more believable theory says that the bar was named after Tom Henry, the candy’s original inventor, who sold the original recipe to the Williamson Company in 1920.

For several decades, Oh Henry! Was manufactured by Nestlé in the U.S. Nestlé sold the rights to Oh Henry! In 2018, Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero SpA, discontinued the candy bar in 2019 without notice. However, Oh Henry! Still exists in Canada, where the candy bar is manufactured by the Hershey Company.

Did You Know?

The Canadian version of Oh Henry! Is different from the American version and features one bar with the fudge in the centre, the fudge surrounded by a thin layer of caramel, and the nuts surrounding that layer before it is surrounded by the coating.

3. Clark Bar

Year Created: 1917

Country of Origin: United States

Candy Company D. L. Clark Company (now owned by NECCO)

Still Sold: Yes, only in Western Pennsylvania for now (will be re-released around U

The Clark Bar was one of the earliest candy bars produced in the United States. The bar is similar to the more well-known Butterfinger, and has a crunchy peanut butter centre surrounded by milk chocolate. It was created by David L. Clark, an Irish-born candy salesman, in 1917. Clark went on to found the D. L. Clark Company to create and manufacture his own candy bars.

In addition to the Clark Bar, the company created the Zagnut bar, another retro American favorite. The Clark Company remained family owned until 1955. After that, it was passed around to several different companies before finally being acquired by NECCO in 1999, which continued to produce the Clark Bar until the company went bankrupt in 2018. The rights to the Clark Bar were sold to the Boyer Candy Company, the makers of the regional candy Mallo Cup, which started producing the Clark Bar in 2020. Initially, the Clark Bar will be sold in Pennsylvania, following a nationwide release at a later date.

Did You Know?

The process for making the Clark Bar is pretty intense and takes about 90 minutes.

4. Fry’s Turkish Delight

Year Created: 1914

Country of Origin: England

Candy Company: J. S. Fry & Sons (now owned by Cadbury)

Still Sold: Yes

Fry’s Turkish Delight is a unique candy bar created by J. S. Fry & Sons in 1914. The bar features rose-flavored Turkish delight (a jelly-like confection created in the Ottoman Empire) covered in milk chocolate. After Cadbury acquired J. S. Fry & Sons in 1919, the company has continued to call the bar Fry’s Turkish Delight due to the already established name recognition.

In some international markets, such as Australia and New Zealand, there is a range of Turkish delight products including mini Easter eggs, ice cream, and bite sized versions of the candy used in boxed chocolates. In 2010, Cadbury began producing the Turkish Delight bar without artificial colors, except for in New Zealand.

Did You Know?

In Ireland, Cadbury produces a slightly different version of the Fry’s Turkish Delight, called Dairy Milk Turkish, which is made with dairy milk chocolate and a different Turkish delight centre.

5. Goo Goo Cluster

Year Created: 1912

Country of Origin: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Candy Company: Standard Candy Company

Still Sold: Yes

The Goo Goo Cluster may not be the oldest candy bar around, but it is the oldest combination candy bar, which means it contains several different types of candy. The unique sweet treat contains a roundish mound of caramel, marshmallow nougat, fresh roasted peanuts, and real milk chocolate. The American South staple was invented in 1912 by Howell Campbell and the Standard Candy Company.

Since then, the Goo Goo Cluster recipe has remained the same, but additional flavors like pecan and peanut butter have been added to the line up. According to the Standard Candy Company’s history, the Goo Goo Cluster got its name from the sound a baby makes. Campbell had told other passengers on a streetcar about his new candy, but could not come up with a name. A teacher, eventually asked Campbell about his son and Campbell said that he’d just said his first words: “goo goo.” The teacher suggested that Campbell should use that as the name and it stuck, giving rise to the candy’s slogan: “Goo Goo! It’s so good, people will ask for it from birth.”

Did You Know?

Although the Standard Candy Company does have an official story for the Goo Goo Cluster’s name, one long-standing fan theory is that the name came from the candy’s longtime partnership with the Grand Ole Opry (“GOO”), but the Opry was formed 13 years after the Goo Goo Cluster was introduced.

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