Sugar is a universal language, but our memories of it are often tied to specific letters on a shelf. Think about it. You walk into a gas station or a high-end chocolatier, and your brain automatically scans for the hits. But when you specifically hunt for candy that starts with the letter d, you realize that this category holds some of the most iconic—and some of the most tragically overlooked—treats in confectionery history. We aren't just talking about a single bar here. We are talking about decade-spanning classics like Dum Dums and sophisticated European imports that most people can't even pronounce.
Honestly, the letter D is a powerhouse in the candy aisle.
You’ve got the massive hitters. Dove. Dots. Then you have the weird stuff that only exists in the Midwest or at your grandmother’s house during the holidays. It’s a mix of high-end cocoa butter and neon-colored corn syrup. If you are looking for a nostalgia trip or just trying to win a very specific trivia night, you’ve come to the right place.
The Heavy Hitters: Dove, Dots, and Dum Dums
If we are being real, Dove is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the "D" category. Owned by Mars, Incorporated, it’s the brand that tried to make "silky smooth" a personality trait. What’s interesting about Dove is its dual identity. In the UK and various other parts of the world, it’s actually sold as Galaxy. Same recipe, same texture, different name. Why? Branding history is messy. But in the US, Dove is known for those tiny foil-wrapped squares with the "promises" written inside the wrapper. Some people find the messages cheesy, but for others, it's half the reason they buy the bag. The dark chocolate variant actually holds up surprisingly well against craft brands because of its high fat content and fine milling process, which eliminates the grittiness you find in cheaper bars.
Then there’s Dots. They’re polarizing. People either love the chew or they hate how they feel like they’re going to pull out a molar. Launched in 1945 by Mason, and now produced by Tootsie Roll Industries, Dots are technically a gumdrop, but they lack the sugar coating that defines the genre. They are "vegan-friendly" by accident, mostly because they use food starch instead of gelatin to get that bounce.
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- The original flavors: Cherry, Strawberry, Lemon, Lime, and Orange.
- The rare finds: Tropical Dots and the seasonal Ghost Dots that are all "mystery" flavored (usually just sugar and vibes).
- Crowd favorites: Crows. Yes, Crows are actually black licorice Dots. They’ve been around since the 1890s and still have a cult following among people who actually enjoy the taste of anise.
And we can’t talk about the letter D without mentioning Dum Dums. These are the ultimate "bank candy." Created in 1924 by the Akron Candy Company, they were named "Dum Dums" because the founder thought it was a word any kid could say. Simple. Brilliant. Today, Spangler Candy Company pumps out millions of them. The "Mystery Flavor" is the best part—it’s not a secret recipe. It’s actually just the result of the machine transitioning from one flavor batch to the next. Instead of stopping the line and cleaning it, they just wrap the "mix" and call it a mystery. It saves money and creates a marketing legend.
The Deep Cuts and Regional Rarities
Ever heard of a Daim bar? If you spend any time at IKEA, you definitely have. It’s Swedish. It’s crunchy butter almond toffee covered in milk chocolate. It was originally launched as "Dajm" in Sweden and Norway in the 1950s, influenced by the American Heath bar, but it eventually developed its own identity. It’s thinner than a Skor bar and has a much more aggressive snap.
Then you have Divinity. It’s not a brand, but a type of candy that starts with the letter D which feels very specific to the American South. It’s basically a cloud of egg whites, corn syrup, and pecans. It’s finicky to make. If the humidity is too high, the candy won't set. It just stays a sticky mess. But when it works? It’s like eating a sweet, nutty marshmallow that melts the second it hits your tongue.
Does anyone still eat Dutch Licorice?
Serious question. Dutch Licorice (Dubbel Zout) is the final boss of D candies. It’s loaded with ammonium chloride. It’s salty. Like, really salty. In the Netherlands, this stuff is a staple, but for the uninitiated American palate, it’s a shock to the system. It’s medicinal and intense. But if you're looking for something that isn't just a sugar bomb, this is where the nuance lives.
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Why the "D" Category Matters in Confectionery History
The business side of candy is a game of acquisitions. Take Dairy Milk. It’s the flagship of Cadbury. While it starts with "D," it’s often categorized under Cadbury, but for the sake of our list, it counts. It’s the bar that changed the UK market by using a higher proportion of milk than previous recipes.
There is also Dino Sour, the gummy dinosaurs that have been a staple of bulk bins for years. They represent a specific era of "sour" candy that relied on a heavy dusting of citric and malic acid. Unlike modern "extreme" sours, these actually had a fruit profile underneath the zing.
- Dentyne: Technically gum, but often found in the candy aisle. It was marketed originally as a dental hygiene product (hence the name).
- Double Bubble: The quintessential pink bubblegum. It was the first "less sticky" bubblegum ever made, invented by Walter Diemer in 1928.
- Dagoba: For the organic, high-percentage cacao crowd.
The Health Perception vs. Reality
Let's talk about Dark Chocolate. It’s the "healthy" candy. We’ve all seen the headlines. "Dark chocolate is good for your heart!" Well, sort of. Most of the benefits come from flavanols found in the cocoa bean. The problem is that many commercial dark chocolates (including some "D" brands) process the cocoa so much that the flavanols are destroyed. If you want the health benefits, you have to look for "non-alkalized" or "raw" dark chocolate. If the ingredients list "processed with alkali" (Dutch processing), you're getting the flavor but losing a lot of the antioxidants.
Still, compared to a bag of Dixon’s Mints or Dolly Mix, dark chocolate is a nutritional saint. Dolly Mix, for the record, is a British classic consisting of small multi-colored fondant shapes. It’s pure sugar. No pretense. No health claims. Just vibes.
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How to Find the Best D-Letter Candy Today
If you’re looking to stock up, don't just hit the local pharmacy. The best stuff is hidden in specialty shops.
For the high-end experience, seek out Dragees. These are essentially any nut, seed, or piece of fruit coated in sugar or chocolate. The term comes from the French, and they are the ancestors of the M&M. If you find a shop that makes artisanal chocolate-covered almonds, those are technically dragees, and they are miles ahead of anything in a plastic wrapper.
If you’re on a budget, the "Dollar Store" is ironically the best place for "D" candies. You’ll find Dad’s Root Beer Barrels there. These are hard candies that actually use real wintergreen and anise oils to mimic the flavor of root beer. They last forever. One barrel can take twenty minutes to dissolve, making them the most cost-effective candy on this list.
Actionable Tips for Candy Lovers
If you're looking to explore the world of D-themed sweets, don't just settle for the first thing you see.
- Check the labels on Dove: If you want the best experience, look for the "Deepest Dark" 82% cacao version. It has a significantly different melt point than the standard milk chocolate.
- Temperature matters for Daim: European toffee-based candies like Daim are best eaten slightly chilled. It enhances the "snap" of the center.
- The Divinity Rule: If you’re buying Divinity from a boutique, check the "made on" date. Because of the egg whites, it has a shorter shelf life than corn-syrup-heavy candies. If it feels hard like a rock, skip it.
- Dum Dum Hacks: If you’re a teacher or a doctor looking for rewards, the "Creamsicle" and "Root Beer" flavors are statistically the first to disappear from the jar. Plan your bulk buys accordingly.
The world of candy that starts with the letter d is surprisingly vast. From the salty, polarizing depths of Dutch Licorice to the smooth, mass-market comfort of a Dove bar, there’s something for every palate. Next time you're in the candy aisle, look past the Snickers and the Reese's. There’s a whole alphabet out there, but D is a pretty great place to start.
To get the most out of your candy experience, try pairing a high-percentage dark chocolate with a tart fruit like dried cherries. The acidity of the fruit cuts through the bitterness of the cacao, creating a much more complex flavor profile than you'd get from a standard candy bar. If you're going the nostalgia route, grab a bag of original Dots and see if you can still name all five flavors without looking at the box—it's harder than it sounds.