Kit Kat Deemed “Most Influential Candy Bar of All Time” by Time Magazine

Chocoholics, take notice:

Time magazine has published a list of the top 13 candy bars that have made the biggest impact on the chocolate-bar industry and the world. The people at Time interviewed "candy experts and historians" to compose the list.

Kit Kat was named the most influential candy bar of all time, surpassing the popular Hershey’s Milk Chocolate (No. 2), Nestle Milk Chocolate (No. 4) and Snickers (No. 5).


Kit Kat was not only the first to be marketed as a "social snack," but also the first to become a global obsession, according to Time. The magazine noted that Google's Android called its new operating system "KitKat" last year and that Kit Kat opened its first store in Tokyo this past January, featuring flavors such as wasabi, edamame and sweet potato. Today, the crispy wafer-filled candy remains a favorite.

Toblerone, the triangular prism chocolate bar that dates back to 1908, came in third place. Early versions of the Swiss sweet had a filling that is traditionally found in candies like Almond Joy and Three Musketeers.

Time ranked the Nestle Crunch bar in tenth place, stating that the candy used cheap puffed rice to lower the cost of candy bars.


At No. 12, Time gave credit to Milky Way for being the first chocolate bar to mimic an actual dessert: the Milky Way malted milkshake.

The least influential of the top 13 was the Wonka Bar, which was introduced after the 1964 publication of the Roald Dahl children's novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Quaker Oats Company, which financed the movie in 1971, brought the candy bar to life, Time reported.

Click here to read how your favorite candy bars stack up.

Contact Us