10 Best Snacks You'll Only Find On Canadian Shelves

As a Canadian, I take great pride in some of the amazing people, food, and scenery our country has to offer. While icons of Canadiana like maple syrup and rye whisky are famous among our exports, some products are too quintessentially Canadian to share beyond our borders. Fortunately for us (or those making the trip to our beautiful country), these products are readily available –– and entirely delicious –– on Canadian store shelves.

When you've got a case of the munchie, need a sweet pick-me-up, or simply have to haul home some delectable Canadian souvenir, these are the 10 snacks you'll want to consider. You may be familiar with some of them — indeed, a couple have once been available to Americans before being cruelly pulled from your grasping fingers. Others are entirely unique Canadian creations that Canucks have come to know, love, and readily recommend to any tourist or traveler.

As an avid snacker and one of the few Canadian writers here at Tasting Table, I'm more than happy to share the love and the insight into the 10 best snacks (in my humble opinion) that you'll only find on Canadian shelves.

If you ask any Canadian what snack is a must-buy when you take a trip up north, nine times out of 10 they will tell you Hawkins Cheezies. Think Cheetos, but better. Light, crunchy, and made with real cheddar cheese, the iconic Canadian Cheezies have just the right amount of grease and perfect level of salt to keep your hand reaching back in the bag for one more (and another after that, and so on).

While Cheetos come in multiple shapes and flavors (which a Tasting Table writer has already ranked), Hawkins Cheezies don't try to mess with a good thing. These crunchy morsels come in one flavor only, albeit in multiple sizes, from small snack-sized bags ideal for Halloween to supersized packs to better indulge in all that cheesy goodness. Made in Canada with the same recipe and original equipment since the company began after World War Two, the legendary snack food has the unique distinction of only being available on Canadian shelves and sold absolutely nowhere else. Need even more reason to score a bag of these tasty treats whenever you can? Hawkins never invested much in advertising its product (unlike Cheetos), relying instead on positive reviews and word-of-mouth to turn these delectable bites into the long-standing success that they are.

When I previously wrote an article about the best Canadian candies, I had to give credit where it was due to Coffee Crisp. This is an iconic Canadian chocolate bar, one that has the welcome distinction of perhaps not being beloved by children –– all the better for hungry parents who can filch it from Halloween bags.

Coffee Crisp is a chocolate bar with layers of wafer and coffee creme, all covered in a thin enrobing of chocolate. It's delightfully crisp and not too sweet. Plus, it's coffee-flavored (albeit mildly so), making it almost a perfectly suitable substitute for breakfast on a busy morning.

While Coffee Crisp is absolutely Canadian, it actually began in the United Kingdom in the 1930s, where it was known as Rowntree's Wafer Crisp. In 1939, Canadians got a hold of it when it was renamed Biscrisp (for the wafer layer). By 1948, the now-dubbed Coffee Crisp was one of the most popular candies among Canadians, and it's enjoyed that status ever since. In fact, Coffee Crisp is still produced in the original Toronto, Ontario factory where it first began. While I prefer the original take for its perfect, delicious simplicity, Coffee Crisp does offer other options like Double Double and Cold Brew.

Also appearing on my list of the best snacks you'll only find on Canadian shelves are Smarties. In the United States, Smarties do exist, but they're entirely different from the Canadian version. First, American Smarties aren't chocolate. Instead, they're flat, chalky-flavored, vaguely fruity discs twisted up in a clear wrapper. (We have these too, except they're called Rockets.) Canadian Smarties, on the other hand, are small, round chocolate candies with a hard candy shell. They're much more similar to M&Ms, except, like with the difference between Hawkins Cheezies and Cheetos, Smarties aren't available in nearly as many flavors, but the overall quality is much, much better.

First, the quality of the chocolate is better. This isn't personal bias; it's an actual fact. American chocolate only has to contain a mere 10% of cocoa solid to earn the name chocolate, while Canadian chocolate must have a minimum of 25%. American chocolate is also allowed to use vegetable fats in their chocolate, while Canadian chocolate must contain only cocoa butter. The result is a richer, smoother, more intense, and balanced taste when comparing the same chocolate bars head-to-head.

Smarties are an example where both the chocolate and the candy shell are superior to the American version. The candy shell in Smarties is thicker, snappier, and has a better crunch. Grab a few packs to take home on your next trip and see for yourself.

Have you ever looked at a plate of fries and thought to yourself, "These need to be smaller, and thinner, and I want to be able to stuff them in my mouth by the handful"? Then let me introduce you to Hickory Sticks, one of the more unhinged creations in the Canadian snack world, in my humble opinion.

Hickory Sticks are thinly sliced, baked potato sticks that they're crispy, crunchy, with a unique smoky flavor that is apt, given the name. They're the work of Hostess, a Canadian brand that made potato chips (not snack cakes) and was once the #1 purveyor of potato chips in Canada. Now, Hickory Sticks are the only item the company still makes, which stands as a testament to how dang good they are.

The Original flavor is the best one, and the one most widely available on Canadian shelves (I've heard of Salt & Vinegar and BBQ flavors, but neither seems to stand in comparison to the OG). These miniscule matchstick chips aren't just great for snacking out of the bag; they also taste amazing as a crunchy addition to hot dogs or burgers or ground up and used as a breading for chicken.

If you want Caramilk bars as Canadians know them –– with milk chocolate pillows encasing smooth, liquid caramel –– you'll have to go to Canada. As it turns out, a bar also from Cadbury called Caramilk does exist in the United Kingdom, but it's an entirely different beast...er, bar.

Caramilk in the UK is a caramelized white chocolate, which means no luscious, free-flowing caramel. While I have never tasted that version, I'm more than a little familiar with the Canadian one, and it's the one I recommend you try should you ever be gifted the opportunity.

Also available in a salted caramel flavor, Caramilk is a sweet treat that blends two flavors –– chocolate and caramel –– together into a bar of sweet decadence. Yes, this chocolate candy is sweet, but its perfectly designated portions make it much easier to enjoy a couple squares and tuck the rest away for later. If you really want a delicious experience, storing this bar in the fridge or even freezer is the best way to enjoy it. The caramel is of a low enough viscosity that it just thickens up a touch rather than chilling into a solid, tooth-aching mass. Combined with the cool chocolate, it's a wonderfully indulgent experience.

Americans may have Raisinets and Goobers, but these vintage candies go way harder with Canada's Glosettes, which are available in both Peanut and Raisin varieties. Sold in colorful, flat cardboard boxes, this movie theater candy features either a crunchy peanut or slightly chewy raisin covered in milk chocolate. Glosettes Peanuts are nutty, crunchy, and impossible to stop at just one, but I'm particularly partial to Glosette Raisins. Each morsel is equal parts tangy, chewy, sweet, and chocolatey, and the nostalgia of this treat is hard to resist.

As already mentioned when I wrote about Smarties, Glosettes are prepared with a higher caliber of chocolate, making them a more balanced, not-too-sweet indulgence. While I like tipping a container directly into my mouth or plucking them out one at a time (there is no in-between), both the Peanuts and Raisins would be a great addition to trail mixes, too. The glossy chocolate coating (they are well-named) is attractive and enticing versus the matte appearance of the American version, and the overall flavor is simply fresher and more enjoyable. If raisins and chocolate (or chocolate and peanuts) are your thing, consider grabbing a pack at a Canadian gas station the next time you can.

I have always had a soft soft for peaches or anything peach-flavored (indeed, peaches are my favorite fruit). That may be why I am so fond of Fuzzy Peaches, the chewy, gummy candy with a slightly tart taste that you can only find on Canadian shelves.

When it comes to candy, Fuzzy Peaches are a bit of a new kid on the block. While previously mentioned Canadian sweets like Coffee Crisp and Caramilk have been around for ages, Fuzzy Peach didn't hit the candy scene until the 1990s. Inspired by peach schnapps, Fuzzy Peaches are juicy, fruity, and more sweet than sour. Try them as a garnish for a peachy drink like a Fuzzy Navel and see how the inspo compares to the creation. They also have the added bonus of being a gummy candy that contains no gelatin –– a boon to sweet-toothed vegetarians like myself. If you like any sort of gummy candy but have a particular preference for peach-flavored ones (peach rings, anyone?), you won't want to miss out on sampling Fuzzy Peaches if you get the chance. The confections come from Maynards, a company that churns out plenty of beloved fruity sweets, like Swedish Berries, Sour Cherry Blasters, and more.

There's an argument to be made that this entire list could be composed of Vachon snack cakes. The Canadian equivalent to Little Debbie or Hostess, Vachon is a Canadian company renowned for its craveable, cellophane-wrapped snack cakes. Beginning as a bakery that opened its doors in 1923, Vachon was a family-owned company with roots in Québec. Now, Vachon snack cakes are a staple in Canadian grocery stores across the country.

Twinkies and Ding-Dongs are all well and good, but have you ever had a Passion Flakie? Introduced in 1980, it features layers of cream filling and sweet fruit filling sandwiches between flaky puff pastry. Or how about an Ah Caramel!? The square-shaped vanilla sponge cake sits below a pillow of creme and oozy caramel before being smothered in chocolate. Perhaps a Jos Louis is more your style. The first treat Vachon introduced in 1932 features a chocolate cake with a creamy filling covered in chocolate.

If you were a lucky kid at lunch time, your parents packed you a Vachon snack cake in your bag. Whether you traded it for something else (heaven forbid) or enjoyed it down to the last crumb, you were envied for your delicious riches.

Sold in bakeries, gas stations, and grocery stores across the country, butter tarts are one of the most beloved sweet treats Canadians hold dear. In fact, there are multiple butter tart festivals that take place across the country where bakers and businesses offer up samples of these gooey confections.

While recipes slightly differ based on personal preference, it's generally agreed that a proper butter tart has an all-butter pastry crust and a rich, gooey, sweet filling. That filling can be studded with raisins, walnuts, or pecans, or left plain. Butter tarts can be enjoyed warm, cold, at room temperature, or alongside a scoop of ice cream.

Where you may find the best butter tart varies greatly, depending on location and what you're looking for. Canadians have strong opinions when it comes to the best butter tart, but don't let the search for perfection inhibit you from trying ones that are merely good or great. A bakery in Canada is your best bet for quality butter tarts and, if you happen to have a Costco membership, you can even score butter tarts in bulk –– it's one of the items you'll only find on Canadian Costco shelves.

Once upon a time, in a simpler era, you could find Oh Henry! bars in the United States. The chocolate bar was invented in 1920 and was sold in the United States until 2019. Unfortunately, after Nestle sold the rights to the candy bar, Oh Henry! disappeared from American shelves. However, if you find yourself with a hankering for Oh Henry!, you would be in luck. Assuming you make the trip north to Canada, of course.

The bar is still sold in Canadian grocery store checkout lanes, gas stations, and convenience stores everywhere. That delightful combination of peanuts, caramel, and fudge smothered in a chocolatey coating is still alive and well in the Great White North. In fact, it's even offered in a couple varieties, including one that adds peanut butter to the chunky bar and a mash-up with beloved Reese that involves pretzels.

If you want a substantial candy bar, in the realm of Snickers, Oh Henry! is your guy. This is a sold chunk of chocolate (or "chocolatey," as the label intends –– look back to the section on Smarties to see how strict Canada is about its chocolate rules). It's definitely worth picking up one or two to give it a try.