11 Discontinued Candies Of The 1980s That You Might Remember

The 1980s was a decade of neon colors, bold flavors, and excess. The candy aisle of the '80s was much of the same, with colorful wrappers, treats that felt larger than life, and many new daring flavors for the sweet-toothed consumer. For anyone growing up at the time, each bite was a tiny sugar-fueled adventure with novel creations entering the candy scene that reflected the creative and vibrant decade that was the '80s.

While much of the candy of the 1980s was unique in flavor, these treats were also unique in their packaging. Bright designs, vivid colors, and neon hues were the norm, inspired by the fashion trends at the time. Sweet creations were also inspired by popular TV shows and movies, not only because they became merchandise but also because some played star roles on the big screen. For anyone whose childhood was in the '80s, these were not just candies — they were pop culture icons tucked into lunchboxes, traded at recess, and immortalized in the hands of movie characters. 

While E.T.'s much-loved Reese's Pieces candies are still available today, other sought-after treats that were savored during the '80s have sadly left the snack racks. Some vanished because of corporate buyouts, others fell victim to changing tastes, and a few were just a little too ahead of their time. No matter the reason, their absence is still felt by those who once tore into their crinkly wrappers with giddy excitement.

Introduced to candy lovers in 1987, Hershey's Bar None was an instant hit. It featured a decadent combination of milk chocolate, crispy wafers, peanuts, and chocolate cream, all smothered in a delicious chocolate coating. The satisfying crunch combined with a melt-in-your-mouth texture made it extremely popular with both kids and adults. In Canada, it was known as the Temptation bar.

In a 1989 advert, Hershey's called it "the supreme chocolate extravaganza" and indicated it would "satisfy the chocolate beasty lurking in us all." While some compared it to the texture and flavor of KitKat during the '80s, today, most people don't even know that it existed. While it was popular in the late '80s and into the '90s, a key decision led to its downfall — they decided to change it.

In 1992, Hershey's made the call to change the original bar by making it into two sticks as opposed to one large bar and adding caramel. It seems the public didn't like it as sales started to decline, which led to Hershey's taking it off the shelves in 1997. Today, Bar None is only a nostalgic reminder of one of the greatest treats of the late '80s and early '90s.

The Wonka Bar was originally introduced by The Quaker Oats Company in 1971, the same year that the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" was released. Based on the iconic treat from the movie, the Wonka Bar didn't have the welcome that was expected as it was pulled from shelves shortly after its release because of production issues. The problem was that the treat kept melting as The Quaker Oats Company couldn't get the recipe right.

Its revival was announced in the late '80s when Nestlé purchased the brand, much to the delight of candy lovers and fans of the classic film. The bar was released alongside a variety of other candy inspired by the movie. In 2005, Nestlé then launched a nationwide campaign in the U.S., where Golden Tickets were hidden in five Wonka candies. Each Golden Ticket meant a different prize for the finder, but there was only one Wonka Bar, and it had a prize of $10,000 in cash.

From there, sales for the iconic candy bar dwindled, and the company pulled it off U.S. shelves in 2010. Despite Nestlé trying to create more popularity of the bar with new flavors in countries like the U.K., it was ultimately discontinued in 2014. Since then, nostalgic fans of the Wonka Bar have tried in vain to convince Nestlé to bring it back.

For as long as anyone can remember, parents have been telling their kids not to play with their food. In the late '70s, one business threw a spanner in the works: Fleer Company. It produced and sold a product called Mr. Bones Puzzle Candy. Not only was this a sugary treat, but kids could build the candy pieces into a skeleton character, Mr. Bones. It was considered a sweet puzzle. A plastic coffin, which housed the candy, was then used for whatever kids of the time wanted to store after they had consumed Mr. Bones.

Fleer Company not only created the Mr. Bones Puzzle Candy but is also credited with bringing bubble gum to the masses. In Philadelphia in 1928, an accountant by the name of Walter Diemer, who worked for Fleer Company, invented the ever-popular bubble gum.

While bubble gum is still all the rage, Mr. Bones never lived past the mid-'90s when the product was discontinued. Those who have fond memories of the treat have not given up hope of a resurrection. A Change.org petition was started to bring Mr. Bones back to life, but to date, they haven't been successful.

Another chocolate bar lived (albeit shortlived) in the limelight during the '80s — the Summit Bar. What set this treat apart from the many others on the shelves was that it was marketed as not only candy but also a cookie. Inside the brown packaging was not one but two wafers that were covered in chocolate. When bit into, there was a crunch because of the added roasted peanuts. After its launch, it was promoted through various television adverts aimed at teens and young adults.

The Summit bar was first made by Mars in the late 1970s, and its popularity as a savored treat lasted until the early 1980s. There was one problem with the bar, though — as with the Wonka Bar, it couldn't stand up to the heat and melted. Even after Mars relaunched the bar in 1983, promising a more chocolatey taste with 30% more chocolate, some consumers complained that they had to keep it in the fridge to avoid it melting.

The public wasn't buying the new Summit Bar, and it was ultimately discontinued in the mid-1980s, even if it was delicious. Today, it's simply a sweet memory for those who grew up in the '80s.

In the early 1970s, Nestlé launched a new chocolate bar called Choco'Lite. It was dubbed the first puffed milk chocolate bar with crispy chips made in the U.S. Introduced across New England and the Midwest, its popularity soared through both the '70s and 80's before it was discontinued towards the end of the decade of decadence.

Described in adverts as "big, thick bites of light and creamy chocolate with crispy chips" (via Collecting Candy), it was considered to be unlike any other chocolate bar on shelves at the time. It's been compared to the Aero Bar because of its aerated milk chocolate texture, but it's the toffee-like crispy chips that really set it apart.

Some versions of the packaging featured an image of the dark aero chocolate and a striking logo, reminiscent of the groovy '70s, with a gold foil inner wrapper. Towards the end of the '80s, the bar was removed from shelves, leaving many fans distraught. Social media pages were created in an effort to bring it back, but to date, their efforts have borne no fruit. While one of the facts about Nestlé is that it has over 2,000 brands today, Choco'Lite is not one of them.

A candy company called Peter Paul created the PowerHouse candy bar in the late 1960s. Containing peanuts, caramel, and chocolate, it enjoyed a popular run of more than 20 years. Peter Paul, which was founded in 1919 by Peter Paul Halajian — an Armenian immigrant — and five of his Armenian friends, is better known for its candy bar creations called Mounds and Almond Joy. These treats were first made in Connecticut in 1920 and 1948 respectively. 

The PowerHouse candy bar came much later. What set the bar apart was that it was marketed as an energy-packed treat. The high-protein bar was considered ahead of its time and advertised as an energy booster. While the bar was popular, it never made it out of the 1980s.

In 1978, Peter Paul merged with Cadbury, and 10 years later, Hershey's bought the U.S. division of Peter Paul/Cadbury. Following the acquisition, PowerHouse was discontinued in the late '80s.

The Milkshake Bar, produced by the Hollywood Candy Company, was originally created in the 1920s as a rival to the Milky Way candy bar. They both shared similar ingredients — caramel, nougat, and milk chocolate. There were, however, two elements that made the Milkshake Bar a standout — a fluffier and lighter texture and its malted nougat. It was like a milkshake in solid form; during the summer months, candy lovers would place them in the freezer and eat it the same way they would eat an ice cream bar.

Originally located in Hollywood, Minnesota, which was the inspiration behind the name, Hollywood Candy Company was founded by Frank Martoccio, who, at the time, was involved in a pasta noodle business. He produced a number of candy treats, including the PayDay bar, which changed hands a few times before it was bought by Hershey's in 1996.

The Milkshake Bar was a popular treat that enjoyed its place in the candy aisle until the Hollywood Candy Company was sold in 1988 to the Leaf Candy Company. After the acquisition, all candy originally produced by Hollywood Candy Company was phased out, with the exception of Zero Bar and PayDay. The Milkshake Bar was yet another well-loved chocolate treat that was pulled off the shelves due to a corporate buyout.

Even though the "Jurassic Park" movie franchise was non-existent back then, dinosaurs were a massive deal in the 1980s. New species were announced by scientists each year which caught the imagination of the youth. Dinosaurs were in cartoons and featured in kids' model kits, and the candy industry was not going to be left out.

The Willy Wonka Brand created the Dina-Sour Eggs in 1981, and it didn't take long for them to become an iconic '80s treat for kids. Marketed as the only "giant sour jawbreaker" (via Collecting Candy) at the time, advertising claimed that the treat would last for as long as 60 minutes. The company called it Willy Wonka's biggest breakthrough, and the kids loved it. You could buy them as a single egg or a pack of two. They even gave the dinosaur a name: "Dee Dee DinaSour."

Things changed by 1987, though. They were no longer called giant jawbreakers, and the eggs had begun to shrink in size. In the 1990s, they joined the list of discontinued candies when they were taken off the shelves to become yet another nostalgic memory for those who grew up in the '80s. Today, they are somewhat of a collector's item, with online marketplaces listing the original packaging for a great deal more than their 1980s purchase price. While we may not know for certain what dinosaurs tasted like, we do know that the flavorsome mix of grape, orange, cherry, and lemon in Dina-Sour Eggs was a hit.

In the 1970s, popping candy became all the rage when General Foods began a regional, national roll-out of the iconic Pop Rocks. A few years later, the company introduced a new popping candy product, Space Dust. The only real difference between the two popping candies was the texture. Pop Rocks was made of solid candy pieces, but its candy cousin was the finer powder version.

While Space Dust was popular with kids, parents had a different opinion. They began complaining that the sweet treat's name was too similar to Angel Dust, an illegal drug at the time. The powdery look of Space Dust certainly didn't help things. General Foods then decided to change the name to Cosmic Candy. Popping candy was then again put in the firing line when rumors began to circulate that kids' stomachs were exploding when they combined the candy with soda. General Foods resorted to taking out adverts to dismiss the rumors. While Pop Rocks candy is still available today, Space Dust left the planet in the 1980s.

A treat with a unique look, Topps Bubble Gum was an odd-looking candy creation that was presented in what appeared to be a juice carton. There were several flavors, or "juice," as Topps called it, including grape, apple, and orange. Small bits of bubble gum of various sizes resembling small rocks or fish tank gravel poured out of the carton. For kids of the '80s, it was considered a cool product and captured a lot of attention.

This candy was all about the packaging and less about the taste. Most people remember Topps Bubble Gum for its short-lasting flavor, which disappeared after 30 seconds. This didn't seem to bother consumers of the time, though, as its popularity soared during the '80s and became a staple for many.

While these unique candy cartons were taken off the shelves many years ago, their packaging can still be found on marketplaces like eBay. They do come with a warning that the gum was produced many years ago and is not fit for consumption!

Considered the most valuable food brand in the world, Nestlé has created many tasty sensations since the company's journey first began in 1866. The Nestlé Alpine White bar was, for a while, one of these. It was a distinctive white chocolate treat that was stuffed with almonds and did particularly well up until the '90s. Its ingredients included vanillin, sugar, cocoa butter, and milk. In 1986, Nestlé launched a 30-second TV advert for the bar that positioned it as a sophisticated "adult" chocolate treat. The Nestlé Alpine White bar ad featured young men and women against a background that appears to be a Swiss mountain with a backtrack describing the "creamy white" of the bar.

The bar was originally released in 1948 and became known as the first mass-distributed white chocolate in the U.S. In 2022, "The Tonight Show" honored the advert with a parody featuring Jimmy Fallon and other members of the team who reenacted the commercial. Of course, they had their own take on it. Comments from fans called for Nestlé to bring the bar back, but to date, it remains only a memory for those who savored it.