The Top 10 Candy Shops In New York City

New Yorkers love a bit of indulgence now and again and nothing works to hit the spot like candy. We profile New York City’s top ten candy shops sure to satisfy the most discerning sugar aficionados because sometimes life calls for a little bit of sugar.

1. Economy Candy

School, Shop, Store

Economy Candy has been a Lower East Side staple since the 1930s. Passed along from one generation to the next, Economy Candy maintains its old-fashioned feel. With approximately 2,000 different candies to choose from, this downtown gem is the perfect place to find classics like Chico-Sticks, Peanut Chews, and Charms, as well as ‘Shakespearean Insult Gum’ and ‘I Really Hate You’ chews. For classic collectors, Economy Candy has an impressive selection of vintage lunch boxes, Pez dispensers, and trading cards. Shop by the pound or by the bag, by sugar-free, color, era, sweetness, sourness, chewiness, and more.

2. The Sweet Life

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The Sweet Life is a cozy corner shop that’s been around for over 30 years. Essentially, this is the place to find anything that can be covered in chocolate; new and classic candies, dried fruits, handmade chocolates, and goodies from around the world. Their most popular offering is the ‘Milk Chocolate Softy Pop,’ a duo of marshmallows stacked onto a skewer and dipped in chocolate.

3. The Sweet Shop NYC

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Tucked away between avenues on Manhattan’s Upper East Side is this compact little candy shop, assuring that its visitors will be ‘taken to a place where we spark a childhood memory.’ The Sweet Shop NYC does just that with its vintage vibes and well-rounded inventory of rare treats. Over 60 varieties of candies fill the apothecary jar-lined shelves, along with more than 40 types of licorice, handcrafted artisanal chocolate bars, biscotti, and more.

5. Aji Ichiban

Candy Store, Seafood, Asian

Specializing in Asian candies and snacks, Aji Ichiban is the go-to spot for milk jellies, ginseng candies, gummy chicken feet, and Thai coconut candy. Located in Chinatown, Aji Ichiban is one of the few places in New York where you can find macha, green tea, cheesecake, and sweet potato Kit Kat bars. They also offer a selection of dried fruits, preserved meats, spicy nuts, and various flavors of jerky. Plenty of free sample options are available to help you find your new favorite snack.

6. papabubble New York

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Skilled artisans craft innovative treats right before your eyes at this delightful little shop. Hard candy is created in-house in audacious flavors such as mango chile pepper, lime, salt, and chile, and tangy raspberry. Natural flavors at papabubble include orange, strawberry, pear, banana, and passionfruit. Opt for a customized ring pop, which comes in plenty of fun shapes and messages for any occasion.

7. IT'SUGAR

Candy Store, American

Sometimes a six-ounce box of candy just isn’t enough to satiate a severe sugar craving. Luckily, IT’SUGAR carries sugary sweets by the pound. Something of a super-sized candyland for tried-and-true favorites, this popular and expanding chain is where you’ll find Nerds, Mike and Ikes, and Sour Patch Kids in 1.5-pound boxes. They also house a three-pound gummy worm, five-pound gummy bears, and a giant Tootsie Roll pop that measures over two feet tall. Items like ‘Flinging Poo Candy’ (chocolate-covered banana chips), ‘Pop’n Chocolate’ (a milk chocolate bar infused with pop rocks), and Sriracha chocolate make IT’SUGAR a lead contender for some of the wackiest selections around.

8. Dylan's Candy Bar

Shop, Store

Dylan’s Candy Bar is the NYC mecca of all things sweet. Their recently renovated flagship store is an astounding three floors filled with every kind of candy you could possibly imagine; choose from film-themed candy collections, sour candies, gummies, chocolates, gumballs, and more. There’s more; a candy-coated stairway, jumbo gumball machine, and a ‘Candy Bar’ that serves classic cocktails with a twist, from the ‘Drunken Sour Patch’ to the ‘Nerdy Mojito.’ For the overwhelmed and the undecided, Dylan’s Candy Bar offers a Candy Bar Box subscription service, delivering a fresh assortment of curated goodies every month.

9. M&M's World

Store, Shop

Located in the middle of Times Square, M&M’s World is unsurprisingly dedicated to all things M&M’s. With two floors of wall-to-wall chocolate and merchandise, this store is enough to leave the most die-hard M&M’s fanatic in awe. M&M’s World has over 20 colors, including gold, silver, black, electric green, and more lining the ‘world’s biggest wall of M&M’s.’ Their wall of specialty M&M’s offers exclusive flavors like cherry and strawberry, also bringing back forgotten favorites like M&M’s minis, pretzel, peanut, dark chocolate, and mint, to name a few.

10. Hershey’s Chocolate World

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Image Courtesy of Hersheys Chocolate World

Also located in Times Square, Hershey’s Chocolate World is home of the exclusive five-pound Hershey’s Chocolate Bar. Made with serious chocolate lovers in mind, this is the place to go for all of your favorite Hershey’s chocolate in extreme sizes. Shoppers are typically greeted with a friendly associate and given a complimentary Hershey’s Kiss to get in the chocolate spirit.

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