We are all aware of the influence of Halloween on the cacao industry. The month of October is a period when the sales go up tremendously, the chocolate production plants are running overtime, and the chocolatiers are very much involved in the process of creation to win over the consumers' attention.

To specify the United States, the consumers in this country alone spent over $7 billion on chocolate and candies during Halloween 2023. Chocolate has always been a clear-cut winner and a star of the festival since it constantly beats sugar candy in sales. Do you remember the time when you went for trick or treating as a child? Just admit it, receiving chocolate bars was indeed much more thrilling than anything else!

The entire cacao supply chain feels the impact of these sales: from farmers in Ecuador who are fermenting the beans in small farms to the craft makers who are very innovative and producing the entire range of their seasonal recipes.

What Was the Origin of It All?

Candy was not the first thing that came up with Halloween. The origin of Halloween goes back more than 2,000 years! It has connection to a Celtic festival called Samhain, which is the celebration of the end of the harvest and the start of winter. The people held that during this night the “barrier between the living and the dead” was very thin, and food offerings were part of the rituals. Quite spooky, isn’t it?

The Samhain festival gradually changed into All Hallows’ Eve as Christianity spread. In the Middle Ages, people started forming customs similar to “souling” and “guising”: the volunteers of these practices would go from house to house and pray or sing for food or money in return for their services. This custom migrated to America, where it eventually became the trick-or-treating tradition that is now so loved in the U.S. and in many countries around the globe.

It was not until the 1930s and 1940s that candies became the preferred items for offering. In the past, the kids would usually be given nuts, fruits, or homemade treats. However, the combination of food safety issues and the big candy companies recognizing a chance to step in allowed the small packaged treats to dominate the market.

 

A Global Phenomenon

Europe: Halloween in the U.K. and Ireland is similar to ancient celebrations, but now supermarkets offer a wide array of seasonal candies in the whole month of October.

Japan: Halloween has evolved since the 1990s into a commercial and cultural event, where everywhere you go, you can find themed chocolates and sweets.

Latin America: Even though Día de los Muertos has its own distinctive traits in Mexico, it is practically the same Halloween celebration there as in the U.S.

The celebration of Halloween has not only become a cultural export but also a global marketing strategy for the chocolate industry.

An Opportunity

Matching the price of mass-produced candy such as Hershey’s and Mars is nearly impossible. Nevertheless, there are a few aspects where smaller players could really shine:

Format: Small artisan bars, Halloween-colored barks, caramel-nib clusters, and hot chocolate kits all have a good resonance with the season. The concept is not a new one: it is bite-sized and sharable, yet quality has been improved. Moreover, as consumers are becoming more health-conscious and eco-friendly, the option of treating oneself to small-batch artisan Halloween-themed sweets is getting more and more tempting than the standard mass-produced candy from the drugstore.

Ingredients of Cacao for Halloween Creations

At CocoaSupply we offer cacao in different forms, and each one is always part of the holiday launches:

Cacao Liquor (Paste): The rich and intense bars and truffles (just imagine pumpkin-shaped bombons) will be made on it. The bold “dark season” flavors are just the right shades for this one.

Cacao Butter: The pumpkin, bat, or skulls have to be tempered and molded first for the shiny look, this is where the cacao butter comes in. It is the natural color carrier and does it beautifully.

Cacao Powder (Natural or Alkalized): The spiced hot chocolates, lattes, and fun Halloween desserts will not be possible without the powder. The natural powder makes them bright; the alkalized one provides a smoother and more mellow profile. Hot chocolate cauldrons could get you the trick-or-treaters!

Cacao Nibs: They bring crunch and roasted intensity and are perfect for brittle, bark, or toppings. Also, brewers use nibs for stouts and porters in seasonal beer releases. What could be cooler than a limited-time Halloween-themed dark beer?!

Cacao Husk: Brewed into chocolatey, aromatic tea—a cozy, lower-caffeine option for chilly October nights.

 

From Farms to Fall Festivities

Despite the fact that Halloween is a holiday full of commerciality, it still has an agricultural start. The little piece of chocolate in a child’s candy bag after a night of trick-or-treating was once a cacao bean that was picked carefully, fermented in wooden boxes, and then dried in the open air.

CocoaSupply’s open sourcing policy really helps in making sure that the quality of the products is based on stable and moral grounds. The makers of the chocolate get the advantage of obtaining reliability in the ingredients thus getting high quality and consistent flavor. Farmers get fair pay and a long-term partnership.

Halloween is a holiday of fantasy, and chocolate is the star of the show. The whole point is not only to provide children with candy but to provide them with memorable products that have in them craftsmanship, origin, and meaning.

If you use cacao ingredients like beans, nibs, liquor, butter, powder, and husk in a creative way, then you can turn a global holiday into a season of spooky storytelling and innovation.