If you’re putting out a candy buffet just for people to sample, figure on roughly a quarter to half a pound of candy per guest and if the same table is doing double work as the take-home favor you’ll want to go up to something like half a pound to a pound each. Round up either way (events always go through more candy than anybody planned for).
The per-guest rule
A sampling buffet, where guests just take a small handful as they wander past, runs about a quarter to half a pound a person, while one where everybody fills a bag to carry home gets closer to half a pound up to a full pound. You multiply by the guest count and then pad it a bit, mostly because the early arrivals always seem to pack their bags heavier than anyone who shows up after them.
Splitting the assortment
A good buffet mixes a few bigger statement pieces in with smaller fillers, so the jars look full without you spending a fortune on the whole thing and buying by color is an easy way to keep the table on theme. Ordering by the case helps the quantities scale up without much fuss too, and there’s more on that in bulk candy for candy buffets.
Don’t forget the vessels
The jars end up deciding more than people expect, since a few big ones will swallow a lot more candy than a bunch of little ones for the same full look on the table. I’d pick the vessels first and then buy enough to fill them with a little left over for topping up.
FAQ
How much candy per person for a candy buffet?
For a sampling table it’s about a quarter to half a pound per guest, and when the buffet is also the favor you’re looking at roughly half a pound to a pound for each person.
How do I keep a candy buffet from looking empty?
Choose your jar sizes on purpose and don’t leave it to chance, put a few larger statement pieces next to the small fillers and buy enough to fill every jar with a little extra so nothing looks picked over halfway through.
