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Sour candies may be a bit masochistic, but they’re also a whole lot delicious. And with Halloween just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to gather all of our favorite sour candies into one place.
The SPY team has a couple of sour candy-obsessed editors, and so we asked them to pucker up and help us find the very best sour candy for Halloween or any occasion.
If you just love the feeling of a sour treat and crave it more than sweet, then you’re speaking our language. We can’t stop tasting and trying every spectrum of sour, from the more muted sourness of a Sweet + Sour Skittle to the insufferable sourness of Warheads, and everything in between. Depending on your taste buds, we have 29 different sour candies we’d recommend tasting that are all available to shop online.
These sour candies also double as some of the best Halloween candy, so you might as well stock up! Meaning, put one of each in your cart and then come back and tell us which sour candy wins out overall once you’ve tasted your way through the list. (Oh, and while you’re adding these to cart, add some toothpaste to go right along with ’em…)
Below, you’ll find the best treat from our favorite sour candy brands, from classics like Sour Patch Kids and Skittles to lesser-known options you haven’t tried yet.
Did we miss anything? Let us know on Twitter and we’ll be sure to add your favorite to the list.
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Sour Patch Watermelon
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Image courtesy of Amazon Sour Patch Kids are classic but this watermelon-flavored varietal has become a fast favorite among sour candy lovers. If you love watermelon-flavored sour candies, then the greatest thing about this bag is you’ll never reach in and pull out a disappointing flavor. This bag is 1.9 pounds, and it’s definitely made for splitting with friends.
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Sour NERDS
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Image courtesy of Amazon What’s unique about these NERDS candies is they are not only sour but they offer a crunchy and chewy consistency that few other sour candies can match. These are new on the market, but already a best-seller and go-to for candy lovers.
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Super Sour Candy Assortment
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Image courtesy of Amazon Why pick one when you can have them all? Sour Patch Kids, Warheads, Airheads, Pop Rock Dip, Sour Razzles, Trolli worms and more of the best sour candy make up this super sour assortment that’s going to light your mouth on fire and DEMAND an extensive tooth-brushing afterward. Proceed with caution!
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Airheads Extremes Rainbow Berry
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Image courtesy of Amazon Airheads Extremes are this perfect mix of sour and sweet. They come in 12 individual packages so you can stock up your pantry and skip the concession line at the movies. We also particularly love sour rope candies which can be more fun to eat — almost like a Fruit by the Foot, but the sour kind!
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Warheads Extreme Sour Hard Candy
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Warheads are a pucker-worthy childhood classic that most people have tried at least once. In 2021, the same beloved sour hard candy is still available on Amazon, offering an extreme experience for your tastebuds in a range of flavors. While some sour lovers complain about candy not being sour enough, that is definitely not a complaint when it comes to Warheads. This bulk pack is enough for your personal stash, but can also be stored and handed out to kids when Halloween comes around.
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Jolly Rancher Fruit N’ Sour Candies
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon This is a festive take on the classic Jolly Rancher candy that combines fruity and sour flavors into one hard candy. The delicious flavor selection includes green apple, watermelon, cherry, blue raspberry and wild strawberry. Take your pick — they all sound great. You get three 6.5 oz. bags so you’ll have plenty of time to pick your favorite.
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Skittles Sour Candy
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Sour Skittles are more bite-sized than other sours on the market, making them the perfect snack if portion control is a concern for you. They have all the delicious, classic Skittles flavor, reinvented as a sour remix, with sour lemon, orange, grape, strawberry and green apple options. Plus, they look as vibrant as they taste. Some reviews even use these candies as decorations or in arts and crafts projects. There’s no denying it — a bowl of these babies would look eye-catching anywhere.
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Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Image courtesy of Amazon If you know a sour lover out there who has a birthday or special event coming up, gift them this 5 pound bag of sour worms. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! And it may even cue a bit of nostalgia because these sour worms have been around forever… and it’s because they are delicious!
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Smart Sweets Sour Blast Buddies
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Okay, this brand is legit. I know the whole “Kick Sugar Keep Candy” things sounds ridiculous and if you’re going to eat candy you might as well eat the sugar-y stuff but I’m telling you — if you love candy but want to decrease the amount of sugar you’re eating this is the way to do it. This sour candy is just sour enough and the gummy bites are the perfect size. I highly recommend them.
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Haribo Sour S’Ghetti
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon These sour spaghetti bites include red, green and blue strands flavored cherry, blue raspberry and grape. Each one is coated in sour goodness and has a gummy, sweet inside that’s flavor comes through with each bite. This pack comes with 12 4oz bags you can pass around and enjoy with friends!
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Juicy Drop Gummy Dip n’ Stix
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon There aren’t too many sour dipping stick options left on the market, and this set by Juicy Drop is the best offering out there, in that category. While this is a common purchase for kids’ birthday parties and celebrations, adults also can’t get enough of this candy, which consists of soft, chewable gummy sticks that are dipped into a decadently thick sour gel. This allows you to customize the amount of sourness, which you can’t do with any other candy on this list. Also, they’re perfectly portable and travel-friendly, so you won’t end up one massive, glommed together mess.
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Nobel Japanese Super Lemon Candy
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon This sour lemon candy is made in Japan so you know the sourness is intense. I haven’t personally tasted this candy, but reviewers love it, describing the sensation of the lemon as a “WOW” level of sour followed by a sweet lemon center. Yum. They’re a bit more expensive because they ship from Japan but if you’re a sour afficionardo you should treat yourself, you know?
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SweeTARTS Extreme Sour Chewy Candies
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon SweeTARTS, but make them sour. For those who are averse to hard candies, we present this chewy alternative offers the traditional SweeTARTS with a sour-coated twist. They’re different from the original line but offer refreshing new flavors and textures. If you just can’t get your sweet fix without a jolt of tang, these colorful chews are a must. It’s also a fun trip down nostalgia lane; as one buyer puts it “I was so stoked when I found out that my 90’s fav candy was still around.”
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Cry Baby Tears Extra Sour Candy
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon The name is no joke — these candies might actually make you tear up. Cry Baby candy is so addictive, one reviewer says “Can’t stop eating. I think my tongue is going to fall off.” Others confirmed that they needed to hide the box from themselves — too much sour candy can make your mouth feel raw, but the consequences are so worth it for that in-the-moment explosion of juicy acidity that so many people adore.
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Sour Jacks Candy Gummy Snacks
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Sour candy might have a lot of avid fans, but sour watermelon gummies have their own cult following. After all — they’re the perfect mix of sweet and tangy. You can choose between a pack of just watermelon, but we opt for the variety pack since you get Wildberry, a rare but delicious flavor that reviewers can’t get enough of. They’re described as light and fluffy, with “sourness just right.” Some sour candies are excessively sticky, so this elevated texture is appreciated.
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HUBBA BUBBA Sour Blue Raspberry Chewing Gum Tape
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Hubba Bubba tape gum is a childhood classic, but instead of getting an endless rope of sickeningly sweet bubble gum flavor, this is an electric departure, flavored with sour blue raspberry. Host a bubble-blowing contest with friends, or eat the whole roll to yourself. We won’t judge. Grab your roll here, since this isn’t a product or flavor that you can commonly find in stores. For kids and adults alike, this will remain a timeless favorite.
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Quattro Sour Power Straws
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon If you haven’t tried Sour Power straws at least once, are you even a real fan of sour candy? These straws are commonly available in Strawberry and Green Apple, but here’s a unique rendition in the options of Pink Lemonade, Berry Blue, and our favorite, the Quattro, which is a rainbow streak of all the flavors combined. There’s something almost meditative about sucking on one of these belts, which come in a box full of “over 2lbs of sour happiness,” as one observer puts it.
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Starburst Sours Mini Chews
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon For those who find certain sour candies unbearably acidic, Starburst offers the ultimate middle ground, as well as a soft texture that’s easier to chew than other sour sweets, which can get gummy and stick on your teeth. The flavors themselves can be easily differentiated, although the coating of sour powder is liberal. For sweets lovers who want to dip their toe into the sour pool without being drowned by it, we recommend Starburst Mini Sours.
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Sour Power Green Apple Straws
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon While the rainbow Sour Power straws are a crowd favorite, anyone who’s tried the green apple flavor in their childhood knows that it brings a different kind of face-twisting, shudder-inducing sourness. This one comes in a giant box with 200 individual straws, ensuring a way fresher option than what’s offered at your local store. The ultimate trip down nostalgia lane.
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Flavor Specific Sour Patch Kids
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon If you’re one of those people who loves eating one specific color of Sour Patch Kids, you’ve just found paradise. The green, black and orange colors are great for Halloween, while other colors allow you to customize any occasion without needing to pick out all the other colors. Available in a two-pound and five-pound resealable bag. Buyers call this party essential “fresh and delicious.”
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Albanese World’s Best Sour Gummy Bears
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Target According to their many fans, Albanese gummy bears are the best sour candies in the world. With 12 different flavors that always keep you guessing, these fat-free gummy bears have earned tons of five-star reviews online. From apple to mango, these are some unusual tastes that you won’t experience elsewhere. Despite being absolutely addictive, they contain zero high-fructose corn syrup which is a perk for many.
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YumEarth Organic Sour Giggles
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon If you’re trying to be “healthy” about your candy obsession or are just looking to consume fewer artificial, sugary ingredients, consider YumEarth’s organic chews, which are some of the best sour candies for those on a slightly more health-conscious journey. Although reviewers agree that they’re a little on the pricey side, many consider them a delicious alternative to Skittles with a nearly identical taste.
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Toxic Waste Sour Smog Balls
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon While the name doesn’t exactly make everyone salivate, true sour candy masochists will appreciate everything about toxic Waste Sour Smog Balls. Providing a burst of flavor with a chewy sour center in six different flavors, these have a refreshingly different texture than other sour gummies. They’re described as the more pucker-worthy candy for those who find that other “sour” candies are simply too sweet.
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Warheads Super Sour Spray and Double Drops
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon For some people, the best sour candies are more than a dessert – it’s an experience. Can’t decide between a sour spray or Channel your inner child when you try these Warheads spray and drops candy which is ideal for those who are sick of chewing. Kind of a novelty buy, but also a must-try for any sour lover who wants to try something new or doesn’t enjoy the many sour gels that are available online.
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Now and Later Shell Shocked Candy
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon These legendary candies are hard to get your hands on, but they’re a seriously underrated alternative to brands like Sour Patch and Warheads. These chewy candy-coated bites start out hard and end up soft, providing a crunchy and soft experience all at once. They come in several fruity flavors like cherry, grape and apple. One buyer says, “This candy is worth buying in bulk when you can’t find it in the stores anymore.
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Strawberry Sour Strips
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Target If you don’t want to buy a gigantic box of bulk candies (the temptation is real) consider these Strawberry Sour strips. Along with green apple, strawberry is a super popular flavor that lends well to a sour taste, making this one of the best sour candies options These strips don’t skimp on the flavor — they feature an extreme coating on every piece.One reviewer comments, “Super sour, then sweet and delicious. Texture is spot on. “
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Hi-Chew Sweet and Sour Candies
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Japanese sour candies are tasty and nuanced on a whole other level. While you’ve probably had regular Hi-Chews, your mind is about to be blown by this sweet & sour mix. With a flavor that’s both sweet and acidic at the same time, these Hi-Chews are perfect for those who can’t decide whether they want a lip-puckering experience or a regular candy. Using real fruit juice and purees, these are a fantastic choice for anyone who enjoys that extra chewy Hi-Chew texture.
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Image Credit: Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon It’s pretty common knowledge that those little sour watermelon edges are the creme de la creme, but unfortunately, vegans don’t get to indulge in them because, like most sour candies, they contain gelatin. Well, we’ve found our unicorn with London brand Candy Kittens, which sells those coveted little watermelons in a palm-oil free, 100% vegan formula that everyone can enjoy.