Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Home & Garden
  • Style & Culture
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021

      The trendy haircuts you’ll be seeing everywhere next year. Read More Next
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More Next
    • The Right Way to Heat a Pre-Cooked Ham

      It's so easy, trust us. Read More Next
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food

    Lost Cakes of the South

    These simple and spectacular Southern cakes deserve a comeback
    • All Food
    • All Recipes
    • Holidays & Occasions
    • Quick Fix Suppers
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Casseroles
    • Healthy Recipes
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See All Holidays & Entertaining

    70 Wedding Vow Examples That Will Melt Your Heart

    Fight writer's block and find ways to express your love with these romantic, funny, and short wedding vow examples.
    • Christmas
    • Entertaining
    • Thanksgiving
    • Southern Weddings
    • Easter
    • Kentucky Derby
    • Valentine's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Mother's Day
  • Home & Garden

    Home & Garden

    See All Home & Garden

    7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020

    ‘Tis the season to ditch your all-white palette in favor of something a little bolder and brighter.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Before & After
    • Inspired Communities
    • Curb Appeal
    • House Plans & Builders
    • The Grumpy Gardener
    • Plant Names A-Z
  • Style & Culture

    Style & Culture

    See All Style & Culture

    50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime

    Curl up with a classic!
    • Southern Culture
    • Hair
    • Travel
    • Beauty
    • Pets
    • Southern Fashion
    • Healthy Living
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. food
  3. Desserts
  4. Candy
  5. The South’s Most Iconic Candy

The South’s Most Iconic Candy

By Melissa Locker
April 13, 2017
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Credit: Iain Bagwell
In most Southern households there is always room for dessert. If you’re not indulging in a slice of homemade pie or freshly baked cake, you might find yourself hankering for a MoonPie or praline. These Southern treats are just a few of the iconic sweets that can be found in local drugstores and next to cash registers in corner stores. They’re the treats our grandparents gave us after church or dentists gave us before cleaning our teeth. In short, they offer a taste of a Southern childhood. Here are 15 candies that have been satisfying many a Southern sweet tooth for years:
Start Slideshow

1 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Pralines

Credit: Southern Living

Pecans, sugar, and a whole lot of dairy products are the secret to one of the South’s prides and joys—the humble praline. These treats were brought to the South in the 17th century possibly by nuns with a wicked sweet tooth and have been a staple of the Southern candy kitchen ever since. Swing by Southern Candymakers the next time you’re in New Orleans to try their classic take on the treat.

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Goo Goo Clusters

Credit: Courtesy of Goo Goo Cluster

It’s hard to imagine, but before the Goo Goo Cluster was invented in 1912, no one had ever combined caramel, marshmallow, roasted peanuts, and chocolate for a candy bar. Thank goodness for the geniuses at Nashville’s Standard Candy Company who brought those flavors together for a sugar bomb that has become a classic. As for that iconic, yet silly name, the company’s history claims it pays homage to babies who can recognize quality candy when they see it and will ask for it from birth!

2 of 15

3 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Potato Candy

Credit: Photo: Alison Miksch

Potato candy is one of those things that stumps people who didn’t grow up in the South. Why would you put mashed potatoes in your candy? The answer is that the combination of mashed potatoes, peanut butter, and sugar is completely delicious and the best way to prove is to try some. Potato candy is not to be confused with Irish potato candy popular in Philadelphia, but is a uniquely Southern charmer. Whip up a batch at Christmas and be the star of the neighborhood sweet swap.

3 of 15

Advertisement

4 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Bourbon Balls

Credit: Iain Bagwell

We can thank Ruth Booe for blending two vices—candy and liquor—into one delectable, bite-sized treat. The idea came about at Frankfort, Kentucky’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1936 and Mrs. Booe perfected the recipe for two years before unveiling her heady bourbon balls. The liquor-filled treats were an instant hit and been a regular at Kentucky Derby parties and cookie swaps ever since.

4 of 15

5 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Moon Pies

Credit: Mary Margaret Chambliss

This Southern delicacy came about when a Kentucky coal miner asked a traveling candy salesman for a snack “as big as the moon.” The folks at the Chattanooga Bakery took up the challenge and delivered a marshmallow-filled graham cracker sandwich coated in chocolate that was sure to satisfy even the hungriest coal miner (or kindergartner). The treat was a hit and has been a favorite in the South and beyond for over 100 years. And as any Southerner knows, MoonPies are best served with a frosty cold RC Cola.

5 of 15

6 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Peanut Brittle

Credit: Charles Walton

There are many legends about the origins of peanut brittle but this is our favorite: A Southern housewife was trying to make taffy, but added baking soda instead of cream of tartar. She tasted the error, added some peanuts, and was delighted by it—as have generations of Southerners since. Now, the “mistake’ is celebrated nationwide as January 26 which was declared National Peanut Brittle Day.

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Divinity

Credit: Charles Walton

Made from sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, and more sugar, divinity is a Southern favorite at Christmas or, really, any time of the year. This candy owes a hat tip to the marketing department at the Karo brand corn syrup company, who pushed divinity as a great way to use their product. Divinity is fun to make, but notoriously finicky too, so no one will think less of you if you opt to pick up this sweet tooth charmer at either Nandy’s Candy in Jackson, MI instead.

7 of 15

8 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Modjeskas

Credit: via muthscandy.com

A Louisville candy maker created these delights to honor the Polish actress Helen Modjeska who dazzled him with her performance in “A Doll’s House” at a local theater. Her name lives on in the form of these caramel-covered marshmallows that pack a sweet punch. Louisville’s local treat, ideally from Muth’s Candy who make them in small batches in traditional copper pots.

8 of 15

9 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Gopher Turtles

Credit: via savannahcandy.com

While Turtles are technically a trademark of the DeMet’s candy company, they are a long-time Southern favorite. Mobile’s Three Georges Candy Shop has been churning out their own version of the delectable caramel-pecan-chocolate treat for years, while the so-called Gopher Turtles at the Savannah Candy Kitchen involve made-from-scratch caramel poured over a bed of pecans, and topped off with rich chocolate.

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Red Bird Peppermint Puffs

Credit: via piedmontcandy.com

North Carolina’s Piedmont Candy Co. has been churning out treats since 1890, making batches of their now-iconic Red Bird Peppermint Puffs in large copper kettles. The company has modernized since then but their candy stripes are still applied by hand giving each puff a homey touch. Sure, you can buy these tasty treats at Wal-Mart and Staples now, but they are a fully Southern delight.

10 of 15

11 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Blue Monday

Credit: via ruthhuntcandy.com

This Kentucky treat dates back to the 1930s when, as rumor has it, a traveling preacher told candy maker Ruth Tharpe Hunt that he liked to have a little sweet to cure his “blue Mondays.” She turned those words of wisdom into cream-filled chocolate that comes in milk or dark chocolate or paired with mint. The factory where these beauties are made has been designated an official Kentucky landmark and Ruth Hunt Candy is now the official candy maker of the Kentucky Derby.

11 of 15

12 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Cherry Mash

Credit: via cherrymash.com

While Missouri’s membership in the South is a subject of some debate, we’re willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one, just because the Cherry Mash is so darn good. A thick layer of chocolate and roasted peanuts cover a cherry center made from real maraschinos. They’ve been making the bars for decades in their family operated candy factory in St. Joseph, Missouri and it is the best-selling cherry candy bar in America and can be found all over the South.

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Coconut Patties

Credit: via anastasiaconfections.com

It might be easy to brush off coconut patties as a version of a Mounds bar, but that’s a disservice to these traditional Florida delights. The best versions feature shredded, creamy coconut enrobed in dark chocolate, and occasionally mixed with tropical flavors like key lime, rum, or piña colada. Orlando candy company Anastasia’s version is a delicious souvenir of a trip to the Sunshine State, but if you’re eager for a hand-dipped version, you can try to make your own.

13 of 15

14 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Chick-o-Stick

Credit: via atkinsoncandy.com

Born in Texas in the 1930s this crunchy peanut flavored treat has a national following. The snacks originally earned the name "chicken bones" thanks to their scrawny chicken-leg like shape and the coconut coating adding a fried-chicken look. Eventually renamed Chick-o-Stick the sweet treats are still made by the Atkinson Candy company in Lufkin, who also make classic candies like the Slo-Pokes and Black Cows.

14 of 15

15 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Roman Candy

Credit: Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images

If you’ve spent enough time in New Orleans you’ve undoubtedly seen the horse-drawn wagon selling Roman Candy. This unique treat, whose recipe has been passed down in the Cortese family for generation, is like taffy’s more elegant cousin, sold in carefully wrapped, elongated packages. While you can buy the candy online, it’s not nearly as much fun as waving down the wagon as it rolls through the New Orleans streets.

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Melissa Locker

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 15 Pralines
2 of 15 Goo Goo Clusters
3 of 15 Potato Candy
4 of 15 Bourbon Balls
5 of 15 Moon Pies
6 of 15 Peanut Brittle
7 of 15 Divinity
8 of 15 Modjeskas
9 of 15 Gopher Turtles
10 of 15 Red Bird Peppermint Puffs
11 of 15 Blue Monday
12 of 15 Cherry Mash
13 of 15 Coconut Patties
14 of 15 Chick-o-Stick
15 of 15 Roman Candy

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Southern Living

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Books from Southern Living
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Southern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

View image

The South’s Most Iconic Candy
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.