Icelandic Candy: Chocolate, Licorice And Sweet Treats

Icelandic sweets are known for creamy milk chocolate, crunchy candy bars, and a full-blown love affair with licorice (lakkrís), especially the salty salmiak style. Favorites like Nóa Kropp, Prince Polo, Lakkrísreimar, and Lindu Rís Buff are easy to spot across Iceland and make excellent road-trip snacks and gifts to bring home. Want to know which Icelandic candies are actually worth trying, what they taste like, where to buy them in Reykjavík or at Keflavík Airport, and how much they usually cost? You’re in the right place. Grab a snack and let’s get into it.

• Icelandic candy is best known for milk chocolate, licorice, and the sweet-salty combinations of the two.

• Popular candies to try include Nóa Kropp, Prince Polo, Draumur, Þristur, Lakkrísreimar, Hraunbitar, Lindu Rís Buff, and Súkkulaðirúsínur.

• Supermarkets like Bónus, Krónan, and Nettó usually offer the best combination of price and selection for Icelandic candies.

• Sweet Icelandic treats make one of the easiest souvenirs to bring home because they are travel-friendly, shareable, and closely tied to local food culture.

• If you’re new to Icelandic licorice, start with chocolate-covered options like Draumur or Þristur.

The defining flavor in Icelandic candy is lakkrís, or licorice. In Iceland, licorice is not a niche candy category. It appears across everyday sweets, from chewy ropes and pastilles to chocolate bars and chocolate-covered bites.

Another flavor to know is salmiak, a salty licorice style. It tastes sharper and more intense than sweet black licorice, which is why many first-time tasters find it surprising.

Alongside lakkrís, Icelandic shelves are full of creamy milk chocolate, crisp wafer bars, and snackable sweets from long-running brands such as Nói Síríus, Freyja, Góa, and Sambó.

Candy also has a visible place in everyday life. The tradition of Laugardagsnammi, or Saturday candy, reflects the long-standing habit of saving sweets for one day of the week, and sits alongside other staples of Icelandic food culture like skyr, rúgbrauð, and licorice-flavored drinks. If you visit a supermarket on a Saturday, you may find good pick-and-mix deals.

If you only try a handful of Icelandic sweets, start with a mix of classic chocolate, chocolate-and-licorice combinations, and a more traditional lakkrís candy. That gives you a good feel for what local candy does best: crisp and chewy textures and sweet-salty pairings. If you'd rather taste local flavors with a guide, our Reykjavík Food Walk covers Icelandic specialties alongside sweet treats.

There is no single official winner when it comes to the most popular candy in Iceland, but a few clear favorites stand out. Prince Polo is one of the best-known candy bars, alongside long-time staples like Nóa Kropp, Draumur, and Þristur. In general, the most popular Icelandic candies include wafer bars, crunchy chocolate treats, chocolate-covered licorice, and chewy licorice candy.

Prince Polo is not originally from Iceland. Hailing from Poland, it’s been part of Iceland’s snack scene for so long that it absolutely belongs in this guide. This chocolate-coated wafer bar, available in both milk and dark chocolate, is crisp, light, and familiar, which makes it one of the easiest sweets for visitors to start with.

Part of Prince Polo’s appeal is its simplicity. There is no salty licorice surprise, no unexpected Nordic twist, just a reliable wafer bar that pairs nicely with coffee, milk, or an afternoon snack break on the road. If you want a safe first pick, Prince Polo is hard to beat.

Nóa Kropp is one of the easiest Icelandic candies to recommend. These light, crunchy corn puffs are coated in milk chocolate and have a texture that makes a bag disappear suspiciously fast once opened. They’re easy to share, easy to pack, and one of the safest candy gifts to bring home, because they tend to go down well with just about everyone.

For first-time visitors, Nóa Kropp is a smart pick because it delivers classic chocolate flavor with a familiar crisp rather than anything too unusual. It works especially well for self-drive road trips, hikes, and snack breaks during tours.

Draumur combines milk chocolate with a licorice center, creating one of Iceland’s most recognizable sweet-salty candy experiences. The milk chocolate makes it approachable, while the center gives it the distinctly Nordic flavor profile many travelers want to try at least once.

Its name means “dream,” which feels fair enough if you already like black licorice. If you’re still undecided, it can also serve as a gentler introduction, as the chocolate softens the bolder side of the traditional candy inside. It makes a good option for packed lunches, movie snacks, and first experiments with Iceland’s chocolate-and-lakkrís habit.

Þristur is another classic local candy that brings together chocolate and licorice, but in a smaller, more snackable format than Draumur. It usually comes as individually wrapped pieces inside a larger bag, making it easy to carry, share, and keep on hand for later. Soft, smooth, and pleasantly chewy, it delivers Iceland’s signature chocolate-and-lakkrís pairing in a format that feels less intense than more traditional flavors. For travelers curious about licorice but not ready to dive straight into the deep end, Þristur is one of the most approachable places to start. It’s widely loved, easy to find, and often surprises people who are convinced black licorice is not for them.

Lakkrísreimar, or licorice laces, are one of the most classic forms of Icelandic sweet lakkrís candy. They’re chewy, fun to eat, and often sold in several versions, including plain licorice, marzipan-filled styles, and stronger salmiak variations. If you’re curious to understand Icelandic candy culture beyond chocolate, this is one of the best sweets to try. Lakkrísreimar gives you a more direct taste of Iceland’s love for licorice and is better suited to adventurous snackers than to cautious first-timers. Because there is no chocolate to soften the profile, it gives you a more straightforward sense of how this flavor shows up in Icelandic sweets.

Súkkulaðirúsínur are chocolate-covered raisins, and while they may sound simple, they’re a real classic in Iceland. They have an old-school feel and taste like childhood to many locals. Easy to share and easy to like, they have the kind of broad appeal that works across age groups.

These are especially practical for a straightforward hiking snack. They also pair surprisingly well with salted peanuts for an easy trail mix with a little more energy and texture. You’ll usually find Súkkulaðirúsínur in both milk and dark chocolate versions, though the milk chocolate version is more popular. They may not be the boldest candy in Iceland, but they’re dependable, familiar, and pleasantly unfussy.

Hraunbitar, sometimes translated as “lava bites,” are bite-sized wafer treats covered with crispy corn puffs and two layers of milk chocolate. Their puffed coating gives them a slightly lava-like look, which makes the name feel especially well chosen in Iceland. These beloved treats are light, crunchy, and very snackable.

These are a good middle-ground choice if you want something chocolatey but not too sweet. The balance of wafer and chocolate keeps them crisp and not overly rich, which is part of why they pair so well with coffee. Hraunbitar is also the kind of candy that earns a permanent place in a picnic bag, the glove compartment, or a shared snack stash.

Lindu Rís Buff is a sweeter, more indulgent take on crunchy chocolate candy. It combines milk chocolate, rice puffs, and a chewy marshmallow center. Because it’s softer and melts more easily than sturdier bars, this is not the most travel-proof local candy. It is, however, a strong choice for bus rides, sweet cravings, and anyone who likes their chocolate with both chew and crunch. If you need a quick sugar hit, this is one of the more direct routes.

Kúlusúkk is a classic Icelandic treat made with soft licorice coated in chocolate. It’s simple, traditional, and exactly the kind of sweet that explains why Icelanders enjoy mixing chocolate with lakkrís so much. Compared with Draumur or Þristur, it leans more clearly toward lakkrís, which makes it a better fit for travelers who already know they’re interested in Iceland’s signature flavor combination. It also has a nostalgic reputation, the kind of candy that's been around long enough to earn real loyalty. Light and compact, it works well for hiking, sightseeing, or bringing home as a souvenir.

Kúlur are chewy toffees coated in chocolate and sold in a few varieties, including licorice-flavored ones. They’re rich, sticky, and satisfying, with a texture that feels more indulgent than crisp wafer bars or lighter puffed-rice sweets.

Kúlur is a good choice for movie snacks, an afternoon sugar break, or anyone who prefers chewy candy over crunchy bars. Just know that these are committed little toffees, not delicate sweets, so they deserve a bit of respect if you have tooth fillings. They also travel well as a souvenir, since their firmer texture makes them less prone to melting than softer chocolate sweets.

Import restrictions played a big role: for many years, sweets sold in Iceland were produced mostly by local candy makers rather than international brands. This gave Icelandic confectionery companies greater influence over what people grew up eating and helped flavors like lakkrís become deeply rooted in everyday candy culture.

Licorice itself was better known as a medicinal ingredient before it became a sweet, long associated with cough remedies and traditional treatments. Over time, it moved into the candy world, and children helped make chocolate-and-lakkrís pairings especially popular. While lakkrís may feel unusual to many travelers, to many Icelanders, it's simply part of what candy tastes like.

If you’re new to lakkrís, use this as a quick guide:

Tip: Start with chocolate-covered licorice and move on to stronger, saltier varieties later.

Icelandic chocolate tends to feel more milk-forward than the strongly bitter dark chocolate traditions elsewhere in Europe. That means many Icelandic sweets come across as creamy, smooth, and easy to like.

Another difference is how often chocolate is paired with licorice or incorporated into crisp candy bars rather than presented only as a stand-alone gourmet product. It’s often part of a broader candy culture rather than a separate category.

If you want a more classic tablet-style Icelandic chocolate, look for Nói Síríus chocolate bars in supermarkets. Their Traditional Icelandic Chocolate line is a tourist favorite. It includes milk, dark, caramel-and-salt, praline, and other flavor variations. For a more premium take, Omnom Chocolate offers small-batch bean-to-bar chocolate made in Reykjavík and is one of the country’s best-known specialty chocolate names.

Icelandic treats are easy to find across the country, but the best place to buy them depends on what matters most to you: value, convenience, or gift-ready presentation. For most travelers, supermarkets like Bónus, Krónan, and Nettó are the best place to start. Airport shops and souvenir stores are better for last-minute purchases and neatly packaged treats.

Candy in Iceland is usually affordable enough to buy casually, especially in supermarkets, but prices are typically higher at gas stations, souvenir shops, and the airport. In December, Iceland's Christmas markets are another good place to browse festive sweets and edible gifts. If you want a broader sense of what things cost during a trip, read our prices in Iceland guide. For more general buying tips, see our shopping in Iceland overview.

Candy is one of the easiest souvenirs to bring home from Iceland because it’s compact, shareable, and easy to pack. The best choice depends on whether you want a safe chocolate pick or something with Iceland's signature lakkrís flavor.

Prince Polo and Súkkulaðirúsínur are excellent choices if you’re bringing candy home for people who are new to Icelandic sweets or unlikely to enjoy lakkrís flavors. These chocolate-forward picks travel well, skip the licorice, and tend to be the safest options for gifting. If you’re buying for coworkers, relatives, or a group back home, Nóa Kropp and Hraunbitar are also easy to share and generally more crowd-pleasing than stronger licorice sweets.

For people who already like black licorice or want something more distinctly Icelandic, go for Draumur, Þristur, Kúlusúkk, or Lakkrísreimar. These bring out the sweet-salty lakkrís side of Icelandic candy more clearly than the safer chocolate picks.

To bring Icelandic candy home in good shape:

• Pack chocolate in the middle of your suitcase, cushioned between soft clothes.

• Keep bars flat so they don’t crack under heavier items.

• Put softer or chewier candy in a separate pouch so it doesn’t get squashed.

• In warmer months, buy chocolate closer to departure rather than early in your trip.

For more easy gift ideas, see our guide to the best Icelandic souvenirs.

You can buy Icelandic chocolate in supermarkets like Bónus, Krónan, and Nettó, as well as in convenience stores, gas stations, souvenir shops, and at Keflavík Airport. For most travelers, supermarkets are the best place to start because of their relatively low prices and wide selection. If you want something more premium, visit specialty shops in the capital, including Omnom Chocolate’s factory shop in the Grandi harbor area of downtown Reykjavík.

A standard candy bar, like Hraun, in Iceland usually costs around 250 to 550 ISK (about $2 to $4), depending on the brand, size, and where you buy it. Supermarkets usually offer the best prices, while gas stations, souvenir shops, and airport stores are often more expensive.

A standard chocolate bar, like Nói Síríus, in Iceland costs approximately 350 to 500 ISK (about $2.50 to $3.50) at budget supermarkets such as Bónus or Krónan. Specialty or premium bars, including brands like Omnom, often cost more and can easily go above 1,000 ISK (about $7 or more).

Some of the best Icelandic sweet souvenirs include Prince Polo, Nóa Kropp, Draumur, Þristur, Hraunbitar, and assorted candy bags. The best choice depends on whether you want safer chocolate picks or stronger licorice flavors.

Prince Polo is a chocolate-coated wafer bar. Although it originated in Poland, it has become so familiar in Iceland that it’s often treated as part of the country’s everyday candy scene. For visitors, it is one of the easiest and most recognizable sweets to try.