11 Classic Massachusetts Snacks That Locals Still Brag About

Craving a taste of Massachusetts? Skip the tourist fare and head straight for the state’s snack legends.

From sweet tooth–pleasing confections to salty staples that keep locals hooked, these bites prove that the Bay State knows how to snack in style.

Warning: reading this list may cause sudden cravings.

1. Marshmallow Fluff & Fluffernutters

Born from Archibald Query’s 1917 recipe in Somerville, this gooey marshmallow cream became a Massachusetts icon.

The classic Fluffernutter, peanut butter and Fluff on white bread, has sparked countless childhood memories and even inspired Somerville’s annual ‘What the Fluff?’ festival.

Growing up, my grandmother would sneak me double-decker Fluffernutters when mom wasn’t looking, claiming the sticky white goodness was ‘building character’ in my molars.

2. Cape Cod Potato Chips

These extra-crunchy kettle-cooked chips started in a tiny Hyannis storefront back in 1980. Unlike mass-produced alternatives, each batch gets cooked slowly in small batches, creating that distinctive hearty crunch.

Still made on Cape Cod despite now being owned by Campbell’s, these chips maintain their authentic New England character.

The lighthouse-stamped white bag has become synonymous with Massachusetts road trips and beach days.

3. Table Talk Pies

Since 1924, these pocket-sized treats have been Worcester’s sweetest contribution to Massachusetts snack culture. The 4-inch snack pies come in varieties from apple to blueberry, but locals know the lemon as the hidden gem.

Founders Theodore Tonna and Angelo Cotsidas started with a small Greek bakery before creating the perfectly portable pies.

You’ll find these iconic treats at corner stores, gas stations, and supermarkets throughout the Commonwealth.

4. Sky Bar

When NECCO folded in 2018, this beloved 1938 candy bar with four distinct filling sections seemed lost forever. Thankfully, a determined local entrepreneur rescued the recipe and equipment, reopening production in Sudbury.

Each segment offers a different filling: caramel, vanilla, peanut, and fudge.

Last summer, I took my kids to the Sky Bar shop in Sudbury, watching their eyes widen at the same chocolate marvel that amazed me at their age. Some traditions deserve saving.

5. Hoodsie Cups

These half-chocolate, half-vanilla ice cream cups from Lynnfield-based HP Hood have fueled Massachusetts Little League games since 1947. The tiny wooden spoon that comes with each cup is almost as iconic as the ice cream itself.

Hoodsies remain unchanged after all these decades – the perfect two-bite dessert.

The distinctive red, white, and blue packaging triggers instant nostalgia for Bay Staters of every generation.

6. Necco Wafers

These paper-wrapped sugar discs created near Boston in the 1800s have survived two centuries of changing candy trends. The eight-flavor roll contains chocolate, licorice, cinnamon, clove, wintergreen, lemon, lime, and orange wafers.

After briefly disappearing in 2018, they returned in 2020 to the relief of loyal fans.

I still remember trading flavors with my grandfather, who insisted the licorice ones were medicinal. Pure Massachusetts stubbornness in candy form.

7. Newtons (Fig Newtons)

Named after the Boston suburb of Newton, these fruit-filled cookies were originally produced by Kennedy Biscuit Company in Cambridge. The machine that created the uniquely filled cookie was revolutionary when invented in 1891.

While now sold simply as ‘Newtons’ by Nabisco, locals know the true heritage of this chewy treat.

The fig filling remains the classic, though strawberry and blueberry versions have their devoted followers.

8. Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Massachusetts gave the world its most beloved cookie when Ruth Wakefield mixed chopped chocolate into her butter cookie dough at the Toll House Inn in Whitman during the 1930s. The happy accident created culinary history.

Nestle eventually bought her recipe, but Massachusetts claimed the chocolate chip cookie as its official state cookie in 1997.

Though the original inn burned down in 1984, a plaque marks the birthplace of this sweet revolution.

9. Cranberry Bog Frogs

Combining Massachusetts’ beloved cranberry bogs with chocolate-making expertise, these clusters blend tart Cape cranberries with buttery caramel, crunchy cashews, and rich chocolate. The sweet-tart flavor profile perfectly captures southeastern Massachusetts’ cranberry heritage.

Local gift shops throughout Cape Cod showcase these treats year-round.

During autumn harvest season, cranberry bog tours often end with samples of these indulgent morsels, celebrating the state’s agricultural pride.

10. Cabot’s Salt Water Taffy

Provincetown’s legendary taffy shop has been stretching, pulling, and twisting this chewy treat by hand since 1927.

The colorful candy barrels lining Commercial Street have become as much a P-town landmark as the Pilgrim Monument.

Unlike machine-made versions, Cabot’s maintains traditional pulling techniques that create the perfect texture.

The peppermint and molasses flavors remain local favorites, though they offer dozens of varieties in their iconic striped paper wrappers.

11. Grillo’s Pickles

From a wooden cart in downtown Boston to national refrigerated pickle fame, Grillo’s represents Massachusetts’ modern food entrepreneurship. Using a 100-year-old Italian family recipe, founder Travis Grillo started selling crisp dill spears in 2008.

The simple ingredients – cucumbers, salt, dill, garlic, water, vinegar – create pickles with exceptional crunch and flavor.

The mascot, Sam the Pickle Man, wears a pickle suit and Red Sox cap, cementing the brand’s Boston roots despite its nationwide expansion.