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We Ranked All 50 Jelly Belly Flavors

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UVA chapter.

For as long as I can remember, jelly beans have always been my favorite candy. After a lifetime of studying and tasting these flavors (okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration), I’ve decided to make an official ranking of all 50 Jelly Belly flavors.

#SpoonTip: Keep your eyes peeled for some pretty awesome Jelly Belly recipes featured throughout the article. 

50. Buttered Popcorn

flavors

Photo by Kirby Barth

I think it goes without saying that Buttered Popcorn is notorious for being the worst flavor. While I appreciate Jelly Belly’s creativity, I’m not sure that I’ve met anyone who truly enjoys this flavor (but all power to you if that person is you).

49. Licorice

flavors

Photo courtesy of mommyish.com

While this flavor definitely has some loyal fans, I just can’t relate. Once again, though, no judgement towards all the licorice lovers out there.

48. Maple Syrup

flavors

Photo courtesy of simplyscratch.com

Once again, I like the idea, but maybe not in practice. Let’s save the maple flavor for some other recipes.

47. Red Apple

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Photo by Alix Gottschalk

Though quite delicious, this flavor doesn’t really resemble an actual apple. Although this is normally the case with fruit flavors, apples are my favorite fruit, so I couldn’t let this one slide.

46. Chocolate Pudding

flavors

Photo by Katherine Baker

Simply because imitating chocolate is never as good as the real thing. It’s close, but just not quite there.

45. French Vanilla

flavors

Photo courtesy of jellybelly.com

As one of the two vanilla flavors, this one is yummy but just a tad boring. However, if you combine it with other flavors, it adds that essential vanilla taste to the mix.

44. Caramel Corn

flavors

GIF courtesy of reactiongifs.com

Think Buttered Popcorn, but just a little bit sweeter. While I find this one a bit more bearable than Buttered Popcorn, it’s still not my favorite.

43. Cappuccino

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Photo by Abby Mainwaring

If this one actually had caffeine, it’d be much higher up on the list. Until then, this jelly bean will stay at number 43.

42. Bubble Gum

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GIF courtesy of giphy.com

The bubble gum flavor + the texture of a jelly bean = too much confusion for my brain. It almost reminds me of when the dentist tries to give you bubblegum toothpaste to make it “taste better”… but not quite.

41. Strawberry Cheesecake

flavors

Photo courtesy of cookdiary.net

Think strawberry ice cream: it’s good, but rarely someone’s favorite. Sometimes it is, but this is a rare occasion.

40. Pomegranate

flavors

Photo by Dina Zaret

The Pomegranate flavor has a lot to live up to when you compare it to the actual fruit. However, this jelly bean still has a sweet and refreshing taste.

39. Mango

flavors

Photo by Alex Weiner

With Mango, you get a pretty good mango flavor, minus the difficult preparation that comes with eating the real stuff. It’s no wonder that grocery stores charge $5 for approximately two mango slices.

38. Lemon

flavors

Photo by Kirby Barth

Because, let’s be honest, lemon is never the a front runner in candy flavors. Other examples of this include Starbursts, Skittles, etc.

37. Tutti-Frutti

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Photo by Santina Renzi

The name is pretty adorable, but this combination of fruit flavors has a lot going on. However, tutti frutti in froyo form is another story.

36. Top Banana

flavors

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

This jelly bean is complete with a realistic touch of brown spots on the jelly bean because, let’s be honest, no real banana is ever perfectly yellow. Thanks for being real, Jelly Belly.

35. Pink Grapefruit

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Photo by Justin Schuble

All of the delicious flavor of a grapefruit, but maybe minus its bajillion health benefits. Totally still worth it, though.

34. Orange

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Photo by Abby Mainwaring

Along with Raspberry and Crushed Pineapple, Orange is an essential ingredient to the Citrus Berry Mimosa recipe. Perhaps in a real mimosa recipe as well?

33. Lime

flavors

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

Although a great flavor, this one lives in the shadows of its sibling, Lemon Lime. It’s okay, Lime, it’s still a great effort.

32. Cantaloupe

flavors

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

I appreciate Cantaloupe for being brave enough to represent the melon community in the jelly bean world. Let’s just be thankful it’s Cantaloupe instead of its colleague, the honeydew.

31. Strawberry Daiquiri

flavors

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

Considering the fact that it’s missing the booze found in a normal daiquiri, you can’t help but be just a tad disappointed. I think I’m just asking for too much at this point, though.

30. Kiwi

flavors

Photo by Justin Shannin

Fun fact: the full name for Kiwi is Kiwifruit. Perhaps something to put in the Jelly Belly name suggestion box?

29. Green Apple

flavors

Photo courtesy of jellybelly.com

Pair two Green Apple jelly beans with one Cinnamon, and there you have the flavors of the most classic American dessert. It might not quite live up to your grandma’s apple pie, but maybe it can tide you over until next time.

28. Raspberry

flavors

Photo by Torey Walsh

Sweet and a little tart, the Raspberry jelly bean resembles its original fruit quite well. It also complements nearly any other Jelly Belly flavor, so don’t be afraid to throw in a Raspberry jelly bean when you’re eating one with a different flavor.

27. Cotton Candy

flavors

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

Eating this flavor is a conflicting feeling of loving the taste while also missing the delicious fluffiness of the original food. It’s overall a pleasant experience but evokes a hint of nostalgia for real thing.

26. Orange Sherbet

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Photo courtesy of gimmesomeoven.com

The Orange Sherbet flavor is basically a creamsicle in jelly bean form.

#SpoonTip: If you’re still confused about the difference between sherbet and sorbet, this article can help you out.

25. Tangerine

flavors

GIF courtesy of giphy.com

This midpoint is right where it starts getting tricky. There’s not much explanation for why Tangerine is here; it just is.

24. Dr. Pepper

flavors

Photo courtesy of jellybelly.com

Dr. Pepper is part of Jelly Belly’s Soda Pop Shoppe jelly beans. While Dr. Pepper, Root Beer and Cream Soda are included in the Jelly Bell 50 Official Flavors, they also make 7UP, Orange Crush and Grape Soda.

23. Blueberry

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Photo courtesy of blueberrycouncil.org

Although this flavor definitely hits the spot, (spoiler alert) see below for an even better version of blueberry. Also, keep this one in mind when you’re celebrating National Blueberry Month.

22. Coconut

flavors

Photo courtesy of jellybelly.com

Pair two Coconut jelly beans with two Lemon ones, and it tastes like lemon meringue pie (just like the recipes on the bag promise).

Also, while we’re on the subject on of meringues, try out this delicious recipe that I made for meringue cookies.

21. Plum

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Photo courtesy of eatingrichly.com

When eating a Plum jelly bean, it’s hard not to want skip through exams and go straight to summertime. On the other hand, maybe we can use this flavor to motivate us through the end-of-the-year stress.

20. Birthday Cake Remix

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Photo by Abby Mainwaring

As a fairly recent addition to the Jelly Belly flavors, Birthday Cake Remix does not disappoint. Also, in case you’re wondering where the “Remix” part comes from, it’s named after the Cold Stone ice cream flavor Birthday Cake Remix, which mixes birthday cake ice cream, rainbow sprinkles, brownie and fudge (yum).

19. A&W Cream Soda

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Photo courtesy of designomicon.wordpress.com

Cream Soda was actually one of the eight original Jelly Belly flavors. Props to Cream Soda for still going strong.

18. Crushed Pineapple

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GIF courtesy of giphy.com

I’m not sure what makes a crushed pineapple different than a regular one, but I’ll go with it. Regardless, it’s fruity and delicious.

17. Sour Cherry

flavors

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

When ranking Sour Cherry, I tried to ignore the fact that I’m too much of a wimp to like sour foods. So, here’s my best shot at giving Sour Cherry a fair chance.

16. Lemon Drop

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Photo by Sarah Silbiger

Whether you’re thinking of the lemon-flavored hard candy or the vodka-based cocktail, Lemon Drop is delicious either way. Whatever floats your boat.

15. Mixed Berry Smoothie

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Photo by Abby Mainwaring

Add some avocado toast, and there you have a well-balanced breakfast. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

14. Piña Colada

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Photo courtesy of youtube.com

Piña Colada: the flavor most likely to make you wish you were sitting on a beach like the one pictured above. For now, you’ll just have to enjoy the tropical flavor and stare longingly at the picture.

13. Lemon Lime

flavors

Photo courtesy of jellybelly.com

Jelly Belly has a sorting of each region’s top flavor, and Lemon Lime is the frontrunner in Asia. Apparently it’s also a key ingredient to the rainbow sherbet recipe pictured above, so Lemon Lime’s a pretty big deal.

12. Toasted Marshmallow

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Photo by Abby Mainwaring

I find it pretty incredible that Jelly Belly is able to make a jelly bean somehow taste toasted with this one. So, that in combination with its delicious smoky vanilla flavor puts Toasted Marshmallow at number 12 on the list.

11. Very Cherry

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Photo courtesy of amoils.com

According to Jelly Belly, Very Cherry has been the most popular flavor since 2003, and I can totally see why. However, this one is a little too traditional to make it to number 1 on my list.

10. Wild Blackberry

flavors

Photo courtesy of heritagegarden.uic.edu

Another random Jelly Belly fact: it takes 7 to 14 days to make a single jelly bean. So, the next time you pop a Wild Blackberry jelly bean into your mouth, maybe you’ll have a new appreciation for that delicious flavor.

9. Margarita

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Photo by Katherine Richter

Potential dessert idea for your next Taco Tuesday? Maybe you can even dip the jelly beans in salt if you’re feeling really ambitious. Maybe not.

8. Peach

flavors

Photo courtesy of pastrypal.com

In case you overslept last Saturday’s farmer’s market, the Peach jelly bean does a great job of imitating the sweet juiciness of a real peach. You’ll have to miss out on the flowers in Mason Jars and fresh iced coffee, but this can hold you over until next week.

 7. A&W Root Beer

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Photo courtesy of jellybelly.com

For this jelly bean, Jelly Belly uses actual A&W syrup to create an authentic flavor. In other words, this is the real deal.

6. Strawberry Jam

flavors

Photo by Amanda Shulman

As the third strawberry-themed flavor, Strawberry Jam definitely has the most authentic strawberry taste. Its sweet tartness is surprisingly powerful when you consider how small the jelly bean is.

5. Watermelon

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Photo by Julie Haupin

In addition to its delicious summery flavor, the Watermelon jelly bean even has a green exterior and pink interior that resembles the real thing. This one has always been a favorite of mine.

4. Island Punch

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Photo by Jenna Johnston

Sadly, the beach and pineapple slice are not included with the Island Punch jelly bean. Once again, someone should definitely add that to the Jelly Belly suggestion box.

3. Juicy Pear

flavors

Photo by Abby Mainwaring

Juicy Pear is listed as one of the “Adult Faves” on the Jelly Belly website. I guess that makes me an adult, and to be honest, I’m not quite sure how I feel about that.

2. Sizzling Cinnamon

flavors

Gif courtesy of giphy.com

Beware: this one has a bit of a kick. However, once your mouth cools down a little, you start to really appreciate the familiar, spicy flavor that is so delicious.

1. Berry Blue

flavors

Photo by Abby Mainwaring

Aaand we have a winner! Berry Blue is the #1 Jelly Belly flavor because it beautifully combines a classic blueberry flavor with a twist of citrus. While all 50 flavors are super tasty, Berry Blue puts a modern twist on a traditional flavor and is my absolute favorite.