17 bygone candy bars you will never eat again

Alas, you will never bite into a PowerHouse, Reggie, Go Ahead or Marathon bar again.

Recently we popped into a store to buy candy before a movie and were delighted to find a selection of retro treats. It was an array of Abba-Zabas, Sky Bars, Big Hunks, Mallow Cups and Cherry Mashes. Naturally, we stocked up. 

That sweet tooth flashback got us thinking about the other vintage candy bars that did not survive. Today, Hershey's and Mars dominate the checkout aisle, but decades ago candy companies like Hollywood, Clark, Peter Paul and Annabelle cranked out delectable bars filled with nougat, nuts, brittle and fudge.

There are too many bygone candy bars to list here, but here are some of our favorite. Which one — or ones — would you want to bring back?


1. Chicken Dinner Bar

 

We start with the strangest — in name, at least. Rest easy, there was no poultry involved. This nickel nut roll had peanuts and "light sweet coating." The name was a reference to President Hoover's legendary "chicken in every pot" speech.

Image: Flickr / jasonliebigstuff

2. Nestle's Alpine White

 

White chocolate, which is not really chocolate at all, is a devisive dessert. That did not stop Nestlé from trying to make the creamy confection a fancy alternative for the skiing set.

Image: the-foods-we-loved.wikia

3. Reggie

 

Reggie Jackson was superstar enough to warrant his own chunky candy bar. Yankees fans will never forget the 1978 home opener when Reggie Bars were given away to the crowd, who promptly showered the field with the chocolate after Reggie homered in the first.

Image: collectingcandy

4. Muhammad Ali Crisp Crunch

 

Reggie was not the only sports icon to get a candy bar. The Greatest threw a jab filled with puffed rice.

Image: eBay

5. PowerHouse

 

Four heaping ounces of "Caramel • Peanuts • Fudge." BOOM. To put that in perspective, a full size Snickers bar is now 1.86 oz.

Image: Flickr / jasonliebigstuff

6. No Jelly

 

It seems like a rather odd marketing technique to brand a candy bar with something we would never expect inside one. Sure, we understand the familiarity of PB&J, but when has anyone wanted that in a candy bar? This might as well have been called No Ham. Hey, Chicken Dinner sold well.

Image: collectingcandy

7. Starbar

 

Sticking with Peter Paul, here is a galactic chew loaded with peanuts, nougat and caramel, perfectly branded for the era of glam rock, disco and Logan's Run.

Image: Flickr / jasonliebigstuff

8. Marathon

 

Another 1970s favorite, the squiggly, caramel-filled Marathon bar is deeply missed today. You can still find the equivalent imported in Cadbury's Curly Wurly, at least.

Image: Jason Liebig / Collecting Candy

9. Seven Up

 

No, there are no lemon-lime flavors here — but just about everything else. Pearson's out-flavored Necco's Sky Bar with even more fillings. Mint, nougat, butterscotch, fudge, coconut, butter cream and caramel in one bar? This is a mini buffet.

Image: Jason Liebig

10. Summit

 

A bit like Twix or Kit Kat, these crunchy bars from Mars enticed kids with music giveaways. Just mail in ten wrappers and you could get a single by Jefferson Starship, .38 Special or REO Speedwagon! Alas, Summit crumbled in the mid-'80s.

Image: retroist

11. Go Ahead

 

Eat candy without the guilt! Sure, it had peanut butter and chocolate, but it's fortified with vitamins.

Image: Gone But Not Forgotten Groceries

12. Big Time

 

The Hollywood Candy Company churned out numerous bars, a couple of which, Pay Day and Zero, remain today under different corporate umbrellas. Big Time was akin to a Snickers with whipped nougat, peanuts and caramel. We'd also love to sink our choppers into a Sno-King or Polar bar, too.

Image: rooftopantiques

13. Old Nick

 

The Old Nick was manufactured by the same folks who produced the Bit O' Honey, Schutter out of Chicago. This nut roll was marketed as "American's Favorite Candy Bar!" but we're not sure if that was backed up with sales figures.

Image: Flickr / olivander

14. Butter Brickle

 

"Got a nickel? Butter Brickle,... candy bar!" Essentially, this was a Heath.

Image: Flickr / jasonliebigstuff

15. Wonka's Super Skrunch

 

Loaded with "skrunch" this Butterfinger-like treat came along at the dawn of the 1970s. It too was "scrumdidilyumptious."

Image: collectingcandy

16. Calypso

 

Coconut and butterscotch made Nestlé's tropical(-ish) Calypso one of a kind.

Image: collectingcandy

17. Choco'lite

 

It's diet! Sure, it's still regular milk chocolate, but it has air in it, too. That's guilt-free snacking. We'd love to get those Star Wars pendants offered on this 1979 wrapper, too.

Image: theswca

Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
Close

13 Comments

marniewinnick 9 months ago
I know that I am not imagining this. In the 1970's, Chunky had a chocolate bar that did NOT contain peanuts and raisins. It was just pure chunky milk chocolate. Does anyone remember those? I don't think they are available anymore.
MiTmite9 24 months ago
Butter Brickle. Man, oh, man. That really takes me back. I forgot those even existed ---- and when I was a kid, I loved those things.
RaynaGorowitz 35 months ago
Summit bars were DIVINE! I used to get them at my day camp canteen!
TonyClifton 39 months ago
I miss Milkshake bars, Zero bars, Marathons bars (a LOT!), Space Food Sticks, and Bub's Daddy and Mouthfull bubble gum. I don't miss that weird gelatinous crap that was in the Seven Up bar, however. Ewww.
Fleiter 40 months ago
The US Mars Bar with milk chocolate, nougat, and almonds. I loved them so much.
Akambe 42 months ago
Wonka's Super Skrunch was THE. BEST. I mourn its loss.
Jamie777 44 months ago
Loved the no jelly and alpine white! 2 others I loved were these m&m style peanutbutter and chocolate candies. I think they were called Oompas (wonka candy). Then there were these Hershey kiss styled candy that came unwrapped in a tube. I'm pretty sure they were called Flicks. Made by either Wonka or Ghirardelli.
Mukusthebadd1 44 months ago
Summit. My absolute favorite.
Just the right amount of crisp.
eddiec 44 months ago
Loved those Choco'Lites. Even got a Superman ring for redeeming the wrappers.
MikkiMichele 44 months ago
You missed Sky Bar. So many of the candy bars back then should still be made. Chunky was another one and I haven't seen those in years.
idkwut2use 44 months ago
Ones that should absolutely still exist:

-Seven Up (brilliant!! The whole chocolate box in one--why even bother trying to choose?! How could they have discontinued this?!?!?)
-Calypso
-Choco'lite (well, we have Aero from Europe and Hershey had had an aerated variety for a while...the air bubbles in it are soooooo goooood...)
-Alpine White (mmm, white chocolate is great)
-Starbar
-Summit (if it's dark chocolate?)
I've heard of Marathon but I guess I'm not old enough to have had one...
Amalthea 55 months ago
I loved Marathon and Choco-Lite. The rest I could give or take...particularly since most of them have either nuts or coconut, neither of which I can stand.
LisaMaria Amalthea 44 months ago
Choco lite bars I’ve found I the International aisle of our local grocery store or at World Market
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?