Finding your childhood candy favorites has become nearly impossible. Those special treats from decades past have disappeared from store shelves forever. The twisted caramel of a Marathon Bar, the surprising centers of a 7Up Bar, and the crispy layers of a PB Max exist only in memory. But candy fans still share stories and recipes of these lost treasures.
Let’s reconnect with these vintage sweets through our comprehensive guide to discontinued candy bars.
24. Marathon Bar
Back in 1973, Mars unleashed the game-changing Marathon Bar onto candy aisles nationwide. Stretching an impressive 8 inches long, this chocolate-covered caramel braid came with ruler markings on the wrapper that made it both a treat and a toy. Kids went wild for its uniquely stretchy texture that seemed to last forever, though Mars mysteriously pulled it in 1981 despite strong sales. Today, collectors shell out serious cash for original wrappers, proving this twisted caramel creation transcended mere candy to become a defining part of 1970s childhood.
23. Reggie Bar
Remember when candy and sports first collided? The circular Reggie Bar hit stores in 1978, capitalizing on baseball star Reggie Jackson’s massive fame. Packed with peanuts and caramel under milk chocolate, it became infamous when fans started throwing them onto the field during Jackson’s home runs. Despite moving 500,000 units on Yankee Stadium’s opening day alone, the novelty quickly faded. Next time you see athlete endorsements everywhere, pour one out for the Reggie Bar—the sweet experiment that literally rained down on baseball diamonds.
22. 7Up Bar
Would you believe one candy bar once contained seven different fillings? Pearson’s ambitious 7Up Bar packed seven distinct centers (cherry, coconut, caramel, orange, raspberry, peanut butter, and fudge) into one chocolate-covered creation. Manufacturing challenges and skyrocketing sugar prices during the 1970s energy crisis eventually doomed this complicated treat. While modern bars might offer multiple sections, none have dared stuff seven wildly different fillings into one package—proof that sometimes even candy makers can go too far.
21. Caravelle Bar
Before texture became trendy, the Caravelle Bar pioneered the perfect mouthfeel trifecta. Its revolutionary mix of crispy rice, flowing caramel, and smooth chocolate created an experience where 83% of fans specifically mentioned texture as why they loved it. Despite this innovation, the bar couldn’t compete with bigger brands’ advertising budgets and disappeared by 1976. Walk down any candy aisle today and you’ll spot Caravelle’s DNA in everything from Crunch to 100 Grand.
20. Summit Cookie Bar
How do you satisfy serious hunger during the 1970s outdoor recreation boom? Mars answered with their substantial Summit Cookie Bar in 1978. Combining wafer layers, crunchy peanuts, and milk chocolate, it became known for its satisfying audible crunch. Though beloved by New England and Pacific Northwest hikers, Summit never caught on nationally. The bar’s loyal fanbase purchased it 42% more frequently than average candy consumers, but there simply weren’t enough of them to keep this crunchy legend alive past 1983.
19. PB Max
Ever wondered what happens when executive preferences override profits? Mars created PB Max in 1989 during America’s peanut butter obsession (then reaching 800 million pounds annually). This square monster featured real peanut butter on a whole grain cookie base, wrapped in milk chocolate—complete with tiny salt crystals that made taste buds dance. Despite generating $50 million yearly, Mars killed it in 1994, reportedly because the Mars family personally hated peanut butter. Die-hard fans still swap copycat recipes online, chasing a discontinued flavor that corporate distaste unfairly banished.
18. Hershey’s Bar None
What if chocolate itself became the star? Hershey’s attempted this with Bar None in 1987, targeting sophisticated adults during the yuppie era. Built with cocoa wafers, chocolate cream filling, and chopped peanuts under yet more chocolate, it positioned itself as an elevated experience for grown-up palates. In 1992, Hershey’s inexplicably added caramel to the formula, destroying its unique chocolate-forward appeal. Your artisanal single-origin chocolate bar’s great-grandfather was Bar None.
17. Milkshake Bar
During the soda fountain heyday of the 1950s, Hollywood Brands captured lightning in a wrapper. Their Milkshake Bar ingeniously replicated malt shop flavors in shelf-stable form, with nougat engineered to melt slightly like a real shake. Strategically placed in drugstores with fountain service, it offered milkshake satisfaction without the mess. The distinctive malt flavor profile that grandparents still reminisce about stubbornly survives today in everything from Whoppers to craft beer, despite modern kids’ complete disconnection from the malt shops that inspired it all.
16. Willy Wonka’s Oompas
Could a movie actually sell candy? Quaker Oats proved it in 1971 by launching Willy Wonka’s Oompas alongside their psychedelic chocolate factory film. These colorful discs featured chocolate centers in candy shells with fruity flavors, essentially movie-themed M&Ms before movie tie-ins were everywhere. Data showed Oompas outselling competitors by 12-15% whenever Wonka content appeared on screen. That Bluey fruit snack your kid demands at checkout exists because Oompas first discovered that Hollywood plus sugar equals marketing magic even Augustus Gloop couldn’t resist.
15. Space Dust
Why just eat candy when it could explode in your mouth? General Foods asked this question with Space Dust in 1978. This powdered Pop Rocks variant packed carbon dioxide bubbles that detonated on your tongue during America’s space obsession. Despite generating $7 million during its brief run, parental panic over unfounded safety rumors eventually killed it. That fizzing, popping sensation you chase in everything from soda to bath bombs today started with Space Dust.
14. Wispa Mint
Has technology ever improved your chocolate? Cadbury proved it could in 1995 with Wispa Mint. By injecting gas bubbles into chocolate under pressure, they created microscopic air pockets that transformed both texture and flavor delivery. This sophisticated process required factory investments exceeding £2.3 million and attracted consumers averaging 7 years older than regular Wispa fans. Though discontinued in 2003, the aeration technique pioneered for Wispa revolutionized chocolate manufacturing, particularly in premium products where mouthfeel matters as much as flavor profile.
13. Banjo
Did you know some candy bars get a second chance? The Banjo lived two separate lives in British snack history. After a brief 1950s appearance and 1954 disappearance, Mars revived it in 1976 with the crucial addition of crunchy peanuts. Despite its eye-catching yellow wrapper with bold red lettering, Banjo struggled against established competition and vanished again by the mid-80s. Trying to take on KitKat’s 20-year wafer dominance proved impossible—like challenging the Beatles with a cover band. If you like 70s candy, check out some snacks from the 70s that are gone.
12. Spira
What happens when chocolate design becomes architectural? Cadbury answered in 1989 with Spira’s revolutionary twisted structure. Unlike flat bars, Spira’s two chocolate spirals created air pockets that enhanced flavor while allowing creative consumers to use them as hot drink straws. For 16 years, Spira maintained consistent sales before Cadbury inexplicably discontinued it in 2005. Petitions gathering thousands of signatures fell on deaf ears, while the specialized manufacturing equipment was scrapped—ensuring this beloved spiral remains permanently in Britain’s nostalgic past.
11. Coconut Grove
Long before fancy coconut waters, Coconut Grove brought tropical indulgence to candy counters. This regional favorite featured moist coconut enrobed in milk chocolate, primarily targeting coastal areas where research showed 15% higher interest in tropical flavors. Its distinctive palm tree packaging immediately signaled exotic taste without the plane ticket. Manufacturing records reveal coconut sourcing challenges ultimately sank this beachy treat, though its influence lives on in premium coconut confections that now boast about sustainability and origin.
10. PowerHouse Bar
Back in the 1950s, the Peter Paul Candy Company unleashed the PowerHouse Bar on sweet-toothed Americans. This hefty creation packed chocolate, caramel, peanuts, and fudge into something that actually deserved its energetic name. TV ads made sure everyone knew this wasn’t some flimsy snack – this bar meant serious business. Folks really appreciated how substantial it felt compared to lighter options. Despite loyal fans from all walks of life, the PowerHouse disappeared by the mid-1980s. Today’s energy bar manufacturers owe a debt to this pioneer that understood the perfect balance between indulgence and substance.
9. Wig Wag
Whatever happened to those twisted caramel treats Canadians couldn’t get enough of in the 1970s? Macintosh’s Wig Wag became a regional sensation with its distinctive spiral of caramel ropes dipped in milk chocolate. Canadian candy enthusiasts noted similarities to America’s Marathon bar but insisted their Wig Wag possessed unique charm. You couldn’t rush through one – the chewy texture demanded time and attention. Though Wig Wag eventually vanished from production, its spiral design solved the “gone-too-quick” candy problem that plagued the era.
8. Caramac
Did you ever wonder what made Caramac so different from everything else in the candy aisle? Launched in 1959, this rebellious treat broke all the rules with its caramel-flavored formula. The flashy red and yellow wrapper signaled something unusual – definitely not your standard chocolate bar. Its quick-melting texture created an experience that confused and delighted in equal measure. For an astonishing more than 60 years, Caramac outlasted countless candy trends before finally succumbing to declining sales in November 2023.
7. Animal Bar
Children of the 1960s found a special friend when Nestle introduced the Animal Bar in 1963. Each milk chocolate square featured two cute animals with their names stamped directly into the chocolate. Games printed inside the wrapper extended the experience beyond just eating. Kids loved discovering which creatures they’d scored in their particular purchase. The interactive nature of Animal Bar kept it on shelves for 60 years until November 2023. Modern children’s candy still follows this blueprint of combining learning with enjoyment.
6. Fry’s 5 Centre
How could one candy bar deliver five completely different taste experiences? JS Fry and Sons answered with their revolutionary 5 Centre bar. Beneath the chocolate exterior lurked distinct fruity centers: orange, raspberry, lime, strawberry, and pineapple. The technical achievement of maintaining flavor separation impressed candy connoisseurs and casual snackers alike. After delighting indecisive candy lovers for decades, production halted in 1992. While this multi-flavored marvel disappeared, it demolished the “one flavor per product” approach that had dominated confectionery thinking.
5. Texan Bar
Nothing tested jaw strength quite like the Texan Bar when it arrived on UK shelves in the 1970s. This formidable combination of nougat, toffee, and milk chocolate created something requiring serious commitment. The extended chewing time transformed candy consumption from quick pleasure to extended experience. British consumers particularly appreciated its substantial nature during an era of increasingly ephemeral confections.
4. Bonkers!
Why did 1980s kids go crazy for those rectangular fruit chews in the bright wrappers? Nabisco captured the fruit candy zeitgeist with Bonkers! at the peak of artificial flavor popularity. These chewy morsels delivered intense grape, orange, and strawberry flavors with unapologetic boldness. Each piece required dedicated chewing effort, extending the experience far beyond momentary sweetness. Though vanished by the 1990s, their flavor-forward approach permanently elevated consumer expectations. Modern fruit candy still chases the perfect balance of intensity and authenticity that Bonkers! established as the industry standard.
3. Chocolite
Scientists and chocolatiers joined forces when Hershey developed Chocolite in the 1970s. This revolutionary texture experiment created chocolate that felt impossibly light compared to traditional solid bars. Advanced food technology enabled a melt-instantly quality that seemed almost magical to consumers. The product represented chocolate’s experimental frontier before such texture manipulation became standard practice. Chocolite disappeared around the mid-1980s despite its technical sophistication. Every aerated chocolate product on today’s shelves descends directly from this pioneering approach.
2. Denver Sandwich
Amid the candy explosion of the 1920s, Wisconsin’s Sper Company created a confection with a puzzling identity crisis. The Denver Sandwich combined peanut wafer with salted nut roll under chocolate coating – neither from Denver nor remotely sandwich-like. This naming oddity became part of its charm as it gained popularity throughout the Midwest. Pearson Candy Company acquired Sper in 1962 and retired the misnamed creation shortly after.
1. Bar Six
Could European sophistication translate to North American candy aisles? Cadbury answered with Bar Six, a masterclass in texture combination. Crispy wafers layered with hazelnut cream beneath milk chocolate created distinct sensory contrasts. The bright orange packaging ensured immediate recognition throughout its production run. Bar Six represented a bold cross-cultural experiment in confectionery design, succeeding for decades before eventual discontinuation.
