Valentine’s Day is all about love, but let’s talk about something just as important—candy. CandyStore.com dug through mountains of sales data to find out which sweets Americans are stocking up on, and Illinois just got a major glow-up.

A Sweet Redemption Story

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For years, Illinois has been making questionable life choices. No, not the deep-dish vs. thin-crust debate (which isn’t even a debate, by the way). I’m talking about our embarrassing loyalty to those chalky little heart-shaped disappointments: Conversation Hearts.

The Big Candy Shake-Up

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In 2023, CandyStore.com exposed our 15-year obsession with these flavorless sugar pebbles. But in a shocking turn of events, they updated their sales data for 2024, and guess what?

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Chocolate finally took the crown. Illinois has officially entered its era of taste and reason. According to CandyStore.com,

Illinois' most popular Valentine's Day candy: Chocolate Hearts

Before we get too excited, those stubborn little hearts haven’t disappeared. They’ve only been demoted to second place, proving that nostalgia (or a love of disappointment) is a powerful force. And in third? Plain M&M’s. Solid choice. Respectable. But let’s be real—if you’re picking M&M’s for Valentine’s Day, peanut or peanut butter should be in the mix.

My Take: Only the Best Will Do

As a type 2 diabetic, I don’t mess around with candy. If I’m indulging, it’s going to be GOOD candy. And if Illinois had continued its love affair with dusty pastel sadness, I might have lost all hope.

Want to see if your out-of-state friends have better taste? Check out the full CandyStore.com list. Spoiler: Some states made even worse choices.

Source: CandyStore.com.

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