But let’s be honest. Halloween is mostly about candy. And once your kids come home with their plastic pumpkins overflowing with individually wrapped sugar bombs, certain parental rights kick in. You bought the costume. You walked the streets (ahem, “Get out there!”). You carried the pumpkin when little Lucy decided it was “too heavy.” You deserve compensation.

Here are the top five Halloween candies worth “taxing” (some would say stealing) from your kids before they realize what hit ’em. 

Twix

Cookie. Caramel. Chocolate. Twix has the ideal candy structure. The cookie gives it crunch, the caramel provides chew, and the chocolate ties the whole thing together. It’s substantial without being exhausting. Sweet without being one-dimensional. And satisfying without sticky after effects. 

Twix also has the rare quality of feeling like a dessert rather than candy. Like an elevated cookie. I just wish the package included four bars instead of two. Either way, Twix is basically a better KitKat. Because caramel. This isn’t complicated math, people.

Reese’s

Peanut butter and chocolate is an unbeatable pairing. Reese’s takes that combination one step further and puts it inside a little ridged cup that somehow makes the whole thing more fun to eat. The chocolate melts quickly. The peanut butter is denser and slightly crumbly. Together, they create the kind of contrast that keeps you reaching for another cup, even after your brain has suggested two was enough.

That addictiveness explains why Reese’s has been America’s favorite candy for over 20 years.  Whether it’s the chocolate, peanut butter, or ridges–I don’t know. I just know I’d like another cup.

Tootsie Fruit Chews

Here’s the sleeper pick. Tootsie Fruit Chews don’t get near the attention of the big Halloween candy, which is precisely why you should be paying attention when you see one in your kid’s stockpile. These individually wrapped fruit chews are softer, fruitier, and noticeably bigger than the more popular Starburst. Indeed, they are seriously more substantial than their humble packaging suggests.

Tootsie Fruit Chews also have the wonderful quality of making you reach for another flavor just to see if it’s better than the one you just ate. And you can mix and match flavors for new creations. Vanilla with cherry for pie flavor. Vanilla with lime for key lime pie. You get the idea. And if your child doesn’t like Tootsie? Congratulations. You just found the easiest candy to steal.

Snickers

Chocolate. Peanuts. Caramel. Nougat. Salt. More chocolate. This is not a candy bar. It’s a complete meal. (Fun fact: Marathoners and Ironman-ers actually ran on Snickers before “PowerBars” became a thing.) What’s more, Snickers may have invented the sweet-and-salty formula we’ve wholly embraced now. 

They’re also proof that “more is more.” For example, Snickers “fun size” delivers an entire amusement park of textures in a package roughly the size of a small thumb. That’s probably why the world’s favorite candy bar is one of the first things parents quietly remove from their kids’ Halloween stash. They’re perfect.

M&M’s

The champion doesn’t need to overcomplicate things. M&M’s are chocolate surrounded by a candy shell. That’s it. They’re small enough to feel harmless and addictive enough to turn that feeling into a complete lie.

The hard candy shell gives your teeth a satisfying crunch before revealing the soft chocolate center. They are colorful, portable, and nearly impossible to eat one at a time. You tell yourself to slow down. Then suddenly you’re staring at an empty bag wondering where all the fun went. 

The peanut version is arguably superior. But either way, M&M’s remain an October classic for good reason. So when your kids leave their Halloween haul unattended this year, remember this list before petty theft-ing. They’ll get over it. Probably.

Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and seasoned travel journalist to all seven continents. He lives in Provo, Utah with his wife, five children, and one ferocious chihuahua.