30 Valentine’s Day Candy Picks to Make This Season Much Sweeter

“Conversation candy” has been around since the 1860s — originally as party favors at weddings — emblazoned with eyebrow-raising phrases like "Married in Satin, Love will not be lasting."

Of course, nowadays, the phrases have been updated and thankfully shortened, so these bite-sized classic treats can tell your sweetheart to “Be Mine” or “Kiss Me,” or even tell your “BFF” to “Text Me.”

More: Valentine's Day Gift Ideas to Wow Your Sweetheart

Instead of popping open a bottle of bubbly, impress your sweetie with a box of these pretty gummies instead. These tiny bears are made with real Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne, so get ready to get your sugar buzz on.

As much as "crude, off-color sentiments" on candy hearts may upset Principal Skinner, some of us want to mix a bit of sour into this overly-sweet holiday.

Enter Sour Patch Kids, which bring their signature snark to the conversation candy game. With the same sour taste as their classic gummy candies, these tiny hearts sport phrases like "Over It," "SMH," and "NO TY."

A dozen red roses is great and all, but a dozen red roses made from pure milk chocolate is what we really covet this Valentine's Day. Give these treats out individually to your besties, or present the whole dozen to someone special.

There's nothing quite like a Lindt truffle. The ideal candy for lounging, the circular chocolate shell carries a rich flavored center that reveals itself at first bite.

In time for Valentine's Day, Lindt has rolled out two seasonal flavors: a white chocolate Strawberries and Cream truffle, and, for those who like a darker chocolate, the limited-edition Dark Strawberry.

This 28% white chocolate bar from fair-trade chocolate brand Tony's Chocolonely is so tasty, it literally pops in your mouth. Made with real raspberry and popping candy bits, it might just be the most fun chocolate bar we've ever tasted.

Your S.O. might balk at the "cliche" of the overtly heart-shaped box, but you're still a traditionalist at heart. So, this provides a perfect way to blend your two sensibilities as seamlessly as Ferrero Rocher blends chocolate and hazelnut.

This packaging sports only a few small hearts around the label plus a subtle dip at the top, making it ideal for a more understated expression of affection.

Valentine's Day can look a little different for parents, and not just because finding alone time can be tricky. Younger kids often participate in Valentine exchanges in class, having to provide a little card or gift to every classmate. This year, in lieu the "I Choo-Choo-Choose You"-type card, opt for some classic candies like Skittles and Starburst to make them the coolest kid in class.

Though these days, PEZ dispensers can sport characters from everything from Frozen 2 to Game of Thrones, their holiday-themed dispensers are still a hit with candy-lovers of all ages.

This most recent assortment includes two adorable "love bears" and two different funny-faced hearts. Best of all, these compact dispensers can fit perfectly in a purse or pocket, making it the rare Valentine's Day candy you can casually consume on a commute!

The iconic Haribo bear has been around for 100 years, and has inspired everything from toys to a collaboration with PUMA (cruelly only in kids' sizes). So it stands to reason that the classic Gold-Bears are a Valentine's Day staple.

Just remember: If they’re the type who wants teddy bears and candy, you cannot play this off as “But it’s like two-in-one!” Trust us.

What’s your ideal chocolate? A crispy core? A peanut butter center? Or pure chocolate all the way through? If your answer is “I don’t know,” Hershey is here to save the day with a heart-shaped box of miniatures that offers the best of each option: Kit-Kats for crunch, Reese’s mini-cups for peanut butter, and of course, the classic Hershey bar for chocolate lovers.

We love the cute to-from addition to these individually-wrapped mini Skittles candy packs. Even if your Valentine lives in the same household as you, these treats will let them know you heart them.

If you're a Kit-Kat fanatic, you know that in Japan, these crispy, crunchy candy bars come in a wide range of flavors — from Summer Mango to Matcha and more.

Finally, for a limited time, the delectable Raspberry Creme Kit-Kat is coming stateside, and just in time for Valentine's Day. But act fast. Much like love itself, if you don't savor it while it's here, it could be gone before you know it.

Paris may be called the City of Love, but San Francisco is a strong runner-up. Not only did crooner Tony Bennett famously leave his heart there, but the other food of love (besides music) also has strong roots there — thanks to Ghirardelli, the chocolatier founded in the city 170 years ago.

Perfect for Valentine's Day, these individually wrapped strawberry bark chocolates sport hearts on their packaging and deliver the high-quality chocolate taste you can expect from Ghirardelli.

Melt their heart with these iconic mini candies that melt in your mouth, but not in your hand. Plus, thanks to the compact tube container, they won't melt all over their purse or backpack, either.

These lemon-, cherry-, and berry-flavored jelly hearts are just the right mix of sweet and sour. They are great to give as a non-romantic gift option, too!

This giant solid milk chocolate heart from Hershey's is technically five servings — but we won't judge you if you eat the whole thing in one sitting. It's that delicious!

Individually wrapped and perfect for sharing, this Valentine's Day bag o' treats includes both classic milk chocolate kisses, as well as milk chocolate and white crème-swirled chocolate hugs.

Stocking up on Valentine’s Day candy for gift exchanges or staff parties? These adorable pink-and-white-wrapped M&M’s will make the candy exchange so much sweeter!

We're a sucker for the classics, and these Madelaine red foil-wrapped milk chocolate hearts are as classic as it gets! These treats are perfect for stashing at your desk or in your backpack.

Sweet, sugary, and just slightly sour, these color-changing Fun Dips come individually packaged in 24-card pouches — the perfect treat for you or your little one to enjoy at home.

No matter what anniversary you're on with your sweetheart, you can't go wrong with these sweet hearts that are celebrating an anniversary of their own!

That's right: The Reese's heart-shaped peanut butter cups have been with us for 25 years. And just like the loved ones in your life, you can’t imagine Valentine’s Day without them.

Look, we all know those famous lyrics: “A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but soy-free candy gems in a variety of six fruity flavors like strawberry, blue raspberry, very berry punch, sour cherry, watermelon, and twisted berry blast are a girl’s best friend.”

So if you're going to go for a ring this V-Day that isn't the ring, well ... these gems sure taste better than cubic zirconia.

Sure, your kid's classroom Valentine Exchange gets the smaller candies — because let's face it, quantity matters over quality there. But if you're doing a small-scale Valentine's Exchange of your own amongst close friends, don't Bob and Carol deserve the big candy bars? This set of six full-sized Hershey bars are sure to be a V-Day hit amongst those lucky few.

These decadent milk chocolate Promises from Dove are perfect for giving out to loved ones. Or, let's be honest: stashing in your desk for a quick candy fix at work.

Lollipops are a classroom hit for a reason: They take a while to finish, so the flavor can be savored. Plus, they won't melt as quick as some candies — and even if they do, they still taste pretty darn good.

So, send the kids off to school with these heart-shaped Dum-Dums. With this exchange box, they truly will have “enough to share with the class.”

Whether your connection to your Valentine is romantic like Yoshi and Birdo, a fraternal bond like Mario and Luigi, or a ... surprisingly complicated bond like Bowser, Peach and Bowser Jr., these Super Mario candies are the perfect way to show some love to the prince or princess of your castle.

Call him The Child. Call him Grogu. Call him Baby Yoda (seriously, Jon Favreau says it's OK). Whatever you know him as, you know he is the most adorable galactic creature this side of the Porgs. So, for the aspiring Jedi in your life, get them these cute, Grogu-shaped candies, accompanied by a plush of the tiny Mandalorian star.

Trolli, the candy company best known for sour candies and surreal commercials, has gotten in on the Valentine's Day candy game as only they know how. The chewy, sour taste of their classic worms now come in heart form — perfect for the Valentine who finds typical Valentine's Day traditions too sweet.

We all recall that time way back in the ’90s when Jolly Ranchers were essentially classroom currency, right? Various flavors rising and falling in favor, as if the stock market were comprised of green apple and watermelon candy logs?

Now in lollipop form, you can send your kid to class with these still hugely popular candies, and have them handing out a real hot commodity in their classroom Valentine exchange.