Sour Patch Kids Snapple Fruit Flavor Mix Are Mouth-Watering Juicy Gems: Here's Our Review

What could be better than a refreshing bottle of Snapple, which has a surprisingly explosive origin story, or a mouthful of the top-ranking sour candy, namely Sour Patch Kids? These brands wondered the exact same thing, and came up with a mash-up that is sure to set your summer ablaze. This limited-edition line of Sour Patch Kids Snapple Fruit Flavor Mix is sure to make your lips pucker and your mouth salivate.

The new candies come in one bag that contains three snappy varieties, each inspired by the Snapple flavors of Mango Madness, Kiwi Strawberry, and Fruit Punch. This blend is now available at retailers nationwide, while supplies last. It comes in both 3.61-ounce and 8.02-ounce bags, and sells for a suggested retail price of $1.20 and $2.88, respectively.

As a fan of both Snapple and Sour Patch Kids, I was delighted to get an opportunity to sample this new combination. What I wasn't banking on was that I'd also receive a package of the Swedish Fish Snapple Fruit Flavor Mix from these brands. To give both candies a fair assessment, I purchased a bottle of each of the original Snapple juice drinks. I smelled and tasted these alongside their respective flavors while sampling the Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish candies. Below are my opinions on how well they fared, and whether you should run out and purchase a bag for yourself.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

The least successful candy flavor was the Kiwi Strawberry variety. The classic Snapple drink version smells more strawberry than kiwi, but its flavor is quite well-balanced between the two. This drink is sweet, but not cloying, and it has a tart aftertaste that some perceive as a kind of tingling sensation. This may be a symptom of something known as Oral Allergy Syndrome, which sometimes occurs when eating kiwis.

The Swedish fish iteration of this flavor lacked a distinct aroma, and had a characteristic chewy texture that gives your jaw a workout. The flavor is exceedingly sweet, with perhaps a slight strawberry undertone. However, these flavors are not enough to mask the treat's synthetic flavor. It also lacked any of that tartness that I happen to love in kiwi-flavored foods.

When it came to the Sour Patch Kids, while the aroma was imperceptible, the texture was far less toothsome. However, they did have that slight citric acid graininess that these candies are known for, which is directly responsible for their sourness. The flavor of this candy was far less artificial, with that lip-puckering initial hit of acid yielding to a sweet and tart taste far more reminiscent of kiwis and strawberries. That said, while this was a superior execution to the Swedish Fish, neither candy was a perfect facsimile of the original Snapple beverage.

The Fruit Punch iteration of these candies was far more successful in capturing the slightly sweet yet jammy Snapple juice drink, which has notes of cherry and apple. Like the kiwi strawberry iteration, the aroma wasn't all that intense, and the texture was super chewy. But the Swedish fish candies were still a slight letdown in the flavor department. 

The taste, while markedly less artificial than the former, still didn't entirely capture the fruit punch vibe. It did have more balanced sweet and tart notes, with some of the aftertaste leaning into the apple elements of this original beverage. These, perhaps more than the others, reminded me most of the classic taste of Swedish Fish, which is that of lingonberries, but with a twist.

The Sour Patch Kids version had a far more distinct aroma, and that quintessential sugary, granular mouthfeel. While these also began quite tart, they weren't as sour as the Kiwi Strawberry. They also yielded a sweeter flavor profile more quickly, really capturing those cherry notes. Though this was not a perfect match for the beverage, it was far more convincing.

The most successful iteration of these Snapple candy blends was the Mango Madness variety. The beverage was redolent with an intense mango aroma and flavor that was so luscious it was almost like eating the fruit with a spoon. Since I was so enamored with this drink, I was prepared to be let down by both candy versions. This was not the case.

While the Swedish fish didn't have an aroma, the taste was quite well-executed. I could really tell that the sweetness of this candy was tamed, allowing for that almost punchy, vibrant flavor to come forward. There was no residual artificiality in this candy, and I was quite pleased with it.

As much as I liked the Swedish Fish, the Sour Patch Kids were even tastier. The aroma was faintly that of mango, with a slightly more chewy texture to contrast that gritty coating. While the sourness lingered for quite a while on this candy, when the mango finally emerged, it was utterly delightful. It had just the right balance of sweet and tart, and you could practically feel the mango juices dripping down your chin. Overall, this union was a winner.

As far as nutritional content, the Swedish Fish Snapple Fruit Flavor Mix contains 110 calories per 5-piece serving, with 30 milligrams of sodium and 22 grams of sugar, while the Sour Patch Kids Snapple Fruit Flavor Mix has the same number of calories for a 12 piece serving, as well as 25 milligrams of sodium and 23 grams of sugar.

While I was most interested in seeing how faithful each flavor of candy represented its original Snapple inspiration, I thought it would not only be fair, but yummy, to eat all three of each together. I started with the Swedish Fish. While a couple of these tasted quite artificial on their own, together, that synthetic flavor dissipated, leaving behind a much stronger fruit flavor that was redolent of cherries and mango. I enjoyed eating all three at once. The Sour Patch Kids were a little less pleasing when eaten together, with the sourness somewhat overwhelming the fruit, even after the citric acid punch wore off.

Should you find yourself with any leftover sour candies, there are a few ways to use them up, besides just eating the whole bag. They can be frozen for an oddly satisfying multi-sensory experience – though it may be somewhat harsh on your tooth enamel.