British candies are a delightful adventure for your taste buds, blending centuries-old recipes with quirky flavors you won’t find anywhere else.
From chewy toffees to creamy chocolates, the UK’s confectionery scene offers treats that have charmed locals and visitors alike for generations. Ready for a sugar-fueled journey across the pond?
Let’s explore these unmissable British sweets that deserve a spot on your snacking bucket list!
1. Cadbury Dairy Milk
Nothing compares to the silky-smooth texture of this iconic purple-wrapped chocolate bar! Created in 1905, Cadbury perfected the milk-to-cocoa ratio, creating a creamier experience than American chocolate.
What makes it special? The distinctive melt-in-your-mouth quality comes from using fresh milk, giving it that unmistakable Cadbury taste. Grab one and experience chocolate bliss!
2. Jelly Babies
Ever bitten into a squishy, sugar-dusted baby-shaped treat that dates back to 1918? These colorful jelly candies aren’t just adorable—they’re bursting with fruity flavors that pack a surprising punch in each bite. Famously beloved by The Beatles and Doctor Who, each color delivers a different taste experience.
From blackcurrant to lime, these nostalgic treats continue to charm sweet-toothed fans across generations!
3. Flake
Crumbly chocolate perfection that defies physics! How do they create those delicate, folded chocolate layers that shatter at the slightest touch? The mystery is part of its charm. Cadbury’s Flake consists of thin streams of chocolate folded into an imperfect bar, creating air pockets that give it that signature melt-away texture. Despite being notoriously messy to eat, chocolate lovers worldwide can’t resist its unique appeal!
4. Jammie Dodgers
Imagine two shortbread biscuits sandwiching a heart-shaped raspberry jam center – that’s the magic of a Jammie Dodger! Since 1960, these playful treats have been stealing hearts across Britain.
Though the recipe has evolved slightly over the years, the distinctive heart cutout on top remains unchanged. When was the last time you enjoyed that perfect combination of buttery biscuit and sweet, tangy jam? Time to rediscover this classic!
5. Wine Gums
Contrary to their misleading name, Wine Gums contain absolutely zero alcohol! These firm, chewy candies come in shapes stamped with wine varieties like port, sherry, and champagne – a marketing genius move from the 1900s. Why so addictive?
The extended chewing time releases deep fruit flavors that evolve in your mouth. Their unique texture sits between soft gummies and hard candies, creating an oddly satisfying treat that’s impossible to stop eating!
6. Maltesers
Pop one Malteser in your mouth and you’ll understand why these light-as-air chocolate spheres have been a British favorite since 1937! The crispy, honeycombed malt center creates a delightful contrast against the smooth milk chocolate coating.
Unlike similar American treats, Maltesers maintain their distinct malty flavor and airy crunch. Can you really eat just one? Their melt-then-crunch texture makes these little balls dangerously addictive!
7. Sherbet Fountain
Whoever invented this fizzy, tangy powder paired with a licorice stick was clearly a mad genius! The Sherbet Fountain delivers an explosive sensory experience that’s been tickling British taste buds since the early 1900s.
How do you eat it? Lick the licorice stick, dip it into the sherbet powder, and experience the fizzy-sour sensation. Though the packaging has modernized from paper to plastic, that distinctive zingy flavor remains gloriously unchanged!
8. Crunchie
Honeycomb toffee encased in milk chocolate? Yes, please! The Crunchie bar’s golden honeycomb center shatters satisfyingly between your teeth while the chocolate coating melts away.
Launched in 1929, this ingenious combination creates a textural marvel unlike anything else. Friday feeling, anyone? The iconic “It’s Friiiiday!” commercials may have cemented this bar as a weekend treat, but we won’t tell if you indulge any day of the week!
9. Smarties
M&Ms who? British Smarties outdate their American cousins and offer a completely different experience! These colorful button-shaped chocolates come in iconic hexagonal tubes with collectible plastic lids that once featured letters.
Unlike their competitors, Smarties have a thicker candy shell with a unique taste. Remember the orange ones? They’re the only ones flavored differently—with orange-infused chocolate! Which color do you save for last?
10. Fruit Pastilles
Sink your teeth into these chewy, sugar-coated fruit jellies that have remained virtually unchanged since 1881! Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles offer an intense burst of natural fruit flavors that puts ordinary gummy candies to shame. Can you resist the challenge?
Tradition says you shouldn’t chew them—instead, let them slowly dissolve to release their full flavor. With their distinctive firm-yet-yielding texture, these classic pastilles represent British confectionery at its finest!
11. Aero
Aerated chocolate that melts on your tongue with tiny bubbles releasing flavor? Pure genius! Aero bars feature millions of microscopic air bubbles trapped in smooth milk chocolate, creating that signature melt-away sensation.
Launched in 1935, this bubbly delight comes in various flavors, though the original and mint remain most popular. Why so addictive? The bubbles actually enhance the chocolate experience by allowing flavor to spread across your palate more effectively!
12. Double Decker
Why choose between nougat and crispy cereal when you can have both? The Double Decker bar brilliantly stacks a chewy top layer over a crispy, chocolate-flavored bottom layer, then coats everything in milk chocolate.
Named after London’s iconic red buses, this hefty bar satisfies serious sweet cravings with its contrasting textures. Launched in 1976, it’s relatively young in British candy terms but has quickly become a national treasure. Take a bite and taste the genius!
13. Liquorice Allsorts
Look at these whimsical, multicolored confections that seem designed by a Victorian psychedelic artist! Bassett’s Liquorice Allsorts combine liquorice with coconut, aniseed jelly, and fondant in various eye-catching patterns and shapes.
Created by accident in 1899 when a salesman knocked over his samples, these distinctive sweets have become a polarizing British institution. Love them or hate them, their artistic appearance and bold flavor combinations make them an essential British candy experience!
14. Fry’s Turkish Delight
Mysterious, exotic, and utterly bewitching – just like in C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, where it tempted Edmund to betray his siblings! This rose-flavored jelly encased in dark chocolate has enchanted British sweet lovers since 1914.
Though traditional Middle Eastern Turkish delight contains various flavors, Fry’s version focuses on the distinctive floral rose essence. The contrast between the firm, fragrant jelly and thin chocolate coating creates an unusual yet addictive combination that’s simply magical!
15. Yorkie
Not for girls? The controversial marketing campaign may be gone, but this chunky chocolate bar’s reputation for robustness remains! Launched in 1976, the Yorkie was specifically designed to be substantial – thicker and chunkier than other chocolate bars. Named after Yorkshire, this no-nonsense bar contains solid milk chocolate divided into thick chunks.
Without fancy fillings or frills, it celebrates simplicity with its satisfying snap and melt. When only serious chocolate will do, reach for a Yorkie!
16. Curly Wurly
Stretchy, chewy caramel latticed with milk chocolate? What sorcery is this! The Curly Wurly’s distinctive intertwined design creates a uniquely satisfying eating experience that’s been delighting British children since 1970.
How long can you make yours stretch before it snaps? This playful candy encourages interaction unlike any other treat. Though slightly smaller than its original 1970s version, the Curly Wurly remains a playground legend and dental filling challenger!