I will unabashedly admit that I love gummy bears, especially the sour ones. Gummy candies were favorite childhood treats when I wanted a snack that was both playful and flavorful. Haribo gummies are childhood favorites for many people, including myself, and they have a vast array of shapes and flavors to fulfill everyone's gummy craving. In the name of quality assurance, I decided to rank 10 of the most popular Haribo gummies from "no thanks" to "these are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G."
10. Berries
This was my first time ever trying these and I wanted to like them because I love berries, but my initial reaction was, "What was that? No thanks" (sorry Haribo!). These gummies had no discernible flavor, but the taste you did get from them was very artificial, almost medicine-like. Also, the nonpareil outside was a very odd texture and when combined with the gummy inside made this gummy treat fall flat for me.
9. Friendship Rings
The shape of this one threw me off. I think these rings would be cool for kids to put on their fingers, but as an adult, I was not a fan. While the taste was similar to the original Gold Gummy Bears, overall these weren't as good.
8. Happy Cherries
I wanted to rank these higher because the cherries are fun to look at, yet for "happy cherries" they lacked that distinct cherry taste I was hoping for. I liked how they are now bite-sized, which made them easier to eat, but the weak cherry flavor was their Achilles' heel.
7. Twin Snakes
Going into this ranking, I thought for sure these would be my number one, but I was left disappointed. All of the flavors tasted artificial, especially the lemon, which was very overpowering. I tried eating them both separately and as "twins," but neither gave me a true sense of what their flavors were supposed to be. Additionally, as a sour lover, I was hoping to get that sour taste, but it was non-existent.
6. Gold-Bears
The quintessential gummy item, these bears were sadly not the best. Haribo says there are five flavors for the bears lemon, orange, pineapple, raspberry, and strawberry, and unlike some of the other gummy creations, I tasted all of those flavors. But they left a slight waxy aftertaste in my mouth. While the Gold-Bears might be the favorite for many, I was left hoping there would be better products to come.
5. Happy Cola
These cola bottle gummies brought back so many memories. The cola flavor was not overpowering, but was balanced perfectly and was a surprisingly accurate cola taste. The gummy consistency was spot on coupled with the size, which was perfect to pop in your mouth. The only drawback for these was that because the flavor was so great I wouldn't want to eat that many at once.
4. Sour Gold-Bears
I loved these and definitely could have eaten the entire bag. Sour Gold-Bears were the right amount of tart mixed with chewiness. The only downside to these bears was that when I tried them without knowing the flavors it was harder for me to pick up on what they were supposed to taste like. When I went back to look to see, I could then identify the flavor as I was eating them.
3. Frogs
The Haribo Frogs were peach flavored, which surprised me. Since they're green, I was expecting them to be apple or strawberry. I did really enjoy the rich peach taste, and these gummies were the right balance of firm and chewy (plus the frog design was just neat). I would have eaten several more if I was not in the middle of taste testing all the rest of the products.
2. Dinosaurs
I should preface this by stating that I am a big fan of dinosaurs. I still remember the words to dinosaur songs I learned in elementary school when I attended Dinosaur Camp, so I might have some slight bias towards these. Even without my bias these held their own and were great! The four different dinosaur shapes added to the fun experience, making these a winning, delicious treat.
1. Peaches
This one surprised me and some might protest, but Peaches are easily the best Haribo product. I honestly thought these were going to fall flat, but I was pleasantly surprised. The sugary outside coupled with the gummy inside was sheer perfection. The flavor was so vibrant it was almost as if I was biting into a peach. Ten out of ten, I would eat these again and again.
BONUS: Starmix
If you love Haribo gummies, but can't commit to just one product, try the Haribo Starmix, which includes Happy Cherries, Happy Cola, Friendship Rings, Twin Snakes, and Gold Bears. With this mix, you are sure to find your all your favorites in one bag (except the amazing Peaches, unfortunately).
While my ranking might not please all Haribo gummy lovers, I would encourage you to go try them out for yourself. Branch out from the usual bears and snakes and see what kind of gummy goodness you find yourself liking. As for myself, you'll find me snacking on some Haribo Peaches!