We bought and tasted more than three dozen Haribo flavors. Discover our favorites and the ones you must try at home and during your travels. They’re fruity, fizzy and fun.

Haribo gummy candies weren’t available in America when we were kids. We surely would have eaten our share of gummy bears had they existed back then.

Times have changed. Just like us, Haribo has gone global. Its colorful, squishy bears are now available in nearly 200 countries around the world. But beyond cute little bears, Haribo’s product line has expanded exponentially since 1920 when Hans Riegel started producing candy in his Bonn, Germany kitchen.

Today, Haribo sells billions of gummy bears and other candies each year. Interestingly, not all of the candies are gummies. Marshmallows and licorice candies have joined the Haribo family.

• Our top five Haribo flavors are Goldbears, Berries, Watermelon, Peaches and Happy Cola. All five are easy to find in the US.
• Haribo sells more than gummies. Its lineup includes licorice (Black Edition and Color-Rado) and marshmallows (Chamallows). The company also owns the Maoam candy line.
• Many of the most interesting flavors are Europe-only, including Dragibus, Pearls and Pixel FIZZ. Look for them at Haribo shops in Europe or order them from NYC’s Economy Candy.
• Most Haribo gummies contain gelatin. Three flavors in this guide (Frutissima, Flower Zourr and Pixel FIZZ) are fully vegan.
• European Haribo flavors keep crossing the Atlantic. Starmix arrived in the US in 2025, followed by Bananas and Balla Bites (aka Pico-Balla) in 2026.

We first discovered Haribo candy when the German candy company entered the US market in 1982. More recently, after noticing the wide variety of Haribo flavors both at home and during our travels, we started buying different flavors in the US and in Europe. Two bags quickly became ten and then twenty. Before we knew it, we had purchased dozens of Haribo candies, and it was go-time for Project Haribo.

We didn’t conduct Project Haribo alone. After we photographed all of the candy, we enlisted trusted taste-testers ranging in age from 21 to 84 to participate in our analysis of the various flavors. The process was both grueling and fun.

Disclosure
We list the American Haribo names regardless of what’s printed on the bags we photographed. We also note whether each flavor is easy to find in the US. Don’t despair if you can’t find a particular flavor. You can always try to order a bag from NYC’s Economy Candy.

Based on our sweet analysis, these are our favorite Haribo candies and the ones you need to try:

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

We have to give props to Haribo Goldbears. First sold in 1922 in Germany, where they’re called Goldbären, this classic Haribo flavor is beloved around the world. Call us sentimental but eating Goldbears makes us happy. We’re not alone in our Goldbears nostalgia since it’s a global top-ten flavor.

Firm and chewy, OG multi-colored gummy bears come in six fruity flavors: apple, lemon, orange, pineapple, raspberry and strawberry. (The American version omits apple as a flavor.) Haribo also sells Sour Goldbears, Tropical Goldbears and Wild Berry Goldbears.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Haribo Berries resemble real-life blueberries and raspberries at first glance. That’s where the similarities end. Unlike juicy berries that grow on bushes and vines, these candy berries are simultaneously crunchy and chewy thanks to their soft gummy centers and sugary shells.

These berry look-alikes aren’t for everybody. Apparently, some people find them overly sweet. As for us, we find Haribo Berries impossible to resist.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

We recently discovered two great ways to eat watermelon. The first involves sprinkling pink salt onto fresh slabs. The other is eating Haribo Watermelon gummies straight out of the bag. Both versions are sweet and vibrantly multi-colored. But they’re not the same.

While actual watermelon is firm and juicy, Haribo Watermelon gummies, which debuted in 2019, are soft and sugary. Another difference is that gummies don’t have any seeds to spit or swallow. We consider that difference to be a major plus.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Unlike real-life peaches, a summertime favorite, Haribo Peaches are a global top-ten flavor during all four seasons. We understand the popularity. These pit-free, peach-flavored gummy candies have a tangy center and a sugary coating. The combination is sweet but not cloyingly so.

Haribo Peaches are shaped like donut peaches. We love donut peaches, and we love Haribo Peaches. We also love Bellini cocktails made with donut peaches but that’s a different topic for a different article.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

While drinking soda quenches our thirst, eating Haribo Happy Cola gummies makes us smile. Perhaps this joy is due to the candy’s bottle shape or maybe it’s because these gummies actually taste like soda. Either way, Haribo hit the mark when it introduced the quirky flavor in 1965. It’s now a global top-ten flavor.

Haribo later introduced a Fizzy Cola flavor for those who appreciate soda with a sour tang. The company introduced a limited-edition Cola & Orange flavor in 2026 (see below).

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Unlike traditional fruit salad, which combines a variety of fresh fruit in a bowl, Haribo Fruit Salad has six specific sugar-dusted fruit flavors: cherry, grapefruit, lemon, orange, passion fruit and peach. But that’s not the only difference between real fruit salad and Haribo’s gummy version. The bigger difference is that Haribo Fruit Salad doesn’t contain a significant amount of real fruit in its ingredient list.

Since we’ve never spotted this flavor in Europe, we were happy to snag a bag in New York. That bag had all of the fruit flavors we loved back in our Philly days. Ironically, the gummies weren’t produced in the US or Europe. Instead, they were made in Turkey.

8. Balla Bites Images: ©2foodtrippers

Easy to Find in the United States: Not Yet

Haribo Pico-Balla was a unicorn flavor in the US for a quarter century despite its global top-ten ranking. That status changed in 2026 when Haribo brought the popular flavor to the States, albeit with a new name: Balla Bites. Making up for lost time, the company brought over a sour version too.

Balla Bites are popular for good reason. Each miniature candy has a firm outer ring and a soft, two-flavor center. In other words, each Balla Bite packs a trio of flavors that include apple, blackberry, forest fruit, lemon, orange and strawberry. (The American versions replaces forest fruit with wild berry.)

We love the way that Balla Bites taste in our mouths and even more so after we swallow them. This flavor’s sweet aftertaste is outstanding.

9. Tropifrutti Images: ©2foodtrippers

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Haribo’s Tropifrutti flavor takes the fruit salad concept in a tropical direction with its selection of fun shapes and flavors. We’re talking about melon-flavored palm trees, pomegranate-flavored parrots and mango-tangerine-flavored orange wedges, just to name Tropifrutti’s most exotic combinations. (Other flavors include banana, blackcurrant, passion fruit and pineapple.)

Tropical flavors are special within the Haribo universe. Considering those flavors and the candy’s soft but firm texture, it’s no surprise that Tropifrutti is a global top-ten flavor. It’s one of our top flavors too.

10. Dragibus Images: ©2foodtrippers

Easy to Find in the United States: No

Haribo didn’t miss a beat after it acquired Dragibus from a French company, Ricqles-Zan, in 1987. Instead, it grew the brand by introducing soft and sour versions of the colorful, round candy. It’s currently one of France’s most popular candies.

Here’s where things get interesting. Haribo doesn’t disclose the flavors of its six Dragibus colors (black, blue, green, pink, red and yellow). We can guess the flavors but we’re not really sure what they are. After purchasing a package of soft Dragibus candy online, we are sure that we like the French flavor. Finding the bag was a win. Taste-testing the six colors was pure pleasure.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Haribo Rainbow Frogs leap beyond OG Haribo Frogs. Both candies are frog-shaped and have squishy white layers. However, while Haribo’s original peach-flavored, frog-shaped gummies are exclusively green, Rainbow Frogs come in a variety of shades. They also feature multiple flavors including lemon, orange, raspberry and strawberry.

We prefer Rainbow Frogs over original Frogs. The variety of both colors and flavors hits our gummy sweet spot.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Haribo combines colorful, fruity gummies with black, spicy licorice candies in each Color-Rado bag. The result is a candy mix with something for everybody.

We like all of the Haribo mixes, but this mix is one of our favorites. Its eclectic assortment satisfies our fruit and licorice candy cravings in one fell swoop.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

We don’t know why banana candy is so popular in Northern Europe. Maybe it’s because real bananas don’t grow in cold-weather climates. Or maybe Scandinavians are simply bananas for the tropical, yellow fruit. Regardless of the actual reason, Haribo started producing banana gummies decades ago and sold the flavor around the world. However, the flavor didn’t enter the US market until 2026.

We like this flavor, which coats soft banana-shaped candy with a crispy shell and a dusting of sugar. These gummies are sweet, chewy and fun to eat. However, to be clear, we prefer real bananas when we’re making smoothies or need some potassium.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Proving that not all gummies are the same, Haribo Ginger-Lemon gummies are uniquely flavored with ginger extract and lemon juice concentrate. This flavor, with a history that dates back to 2011, is spicier and less sweet than every other Haribo flavor featured in this guide.

Ginger-Lemon gummies aren’t for everybody. Case in point: Our 21-year-old taste-tester practically spit one out of his mouth. But don’t rule the flavor out if, like us, you have a sophisticated palate. We like eating one or two as an after-dinner treat.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

The Haribo Phantasia gummy mix is easily the most creative Haribo flavor we’ve yet encountered. Evolving since the flavor debuted in 1997, its disparate cast of characters currently includes alligators, cola bottles, fish, race cars, snakes and T-Rex dinosaurs.

We can’t help humming Bohemian Rhapsody every time we eat Phantasia gummies. However, unlike Freddie Mercury, we don’t ask ourselves if these gummies are real life or fantasy. Instead, we savor a world where dinosaurs and race cars are colorful, fruity and fun.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Originally called Twin Cherries when the candy debuted in 1982, the Haribo Happy Cherries flavor is in the global top-ten. Maybe it’s so popular because cherry-flavored candy is loved around the world. Or maybe it’s so popular because each Happy Cherry candy cleverly attaches two red cherry gummies to a green gummy stem.

While we’re typically on team cherry, we don’t love this flavor as much as we love other Haribo fruit flavors like Peach and Watermelon. To our cherry-loving surprise, we find Happy Cherries better to look at than to eat.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

A popular flavor in Europe for decades, Haribo Smurfs hit American store shelves in 2013, the same year that The Smurfs 2 hit the theaters. Just like the movie, this Haribo flavor features a blue cast of characters including Papa Smurf and Smurfette. Their red, yellow and white hats are strawberry, lemon and pineapple respectively.

The Haribo Smurf bag we bought was produced in Belgium, the same country where Pierre Culliford, also known as Peyo, introduced the Smurf characters in 1958. We liked the bag’s three vegetarian flavors but didn’t like the way that they stuck to our teeth. These gummies are as sticky as they are playfully fun.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

We give Haribo props for coming up with the idea of extruding gummy candy into little ‘spaghetti’ strands and dusting those strands with sour sugar. In America, Haribo Sour S’ghetti includes a mix of blueberry, green apple, strawberry and watermelon flavors. The European bag we bought had just one flavor: watermelon.

Since we didn’t grow up eating gummy candy, it should be no surprise that sour, spaghetti-shaped gummies weren’t part of our childhood candy experiences. Now that we’ve tried watermelon-flavored Sour S’ghetti, we can say that we’d rather eat Italian pasta, with or without meatballs, than eat the sour gummy version.

21. Frutissima Images: ©2foodtrippers

Easy to Find in the United States: No

Haribo Frutissima gummies surprised us with fruity flavors (apple, blackberry, lemon, orange and strawberry) and a pleasing texture that reminds us of French gelées. A dusting of sugar adds a finishing touch that tickles our tongues and makes us smile.

The bigger surprise occurred when we realized that Frutissima gummies are vegan. Sure, Haribo produces a handful of vegetarian flavors without gelatin. But this flavor is full-on vegan without gelatin, shellac, beeswax or other animal products.

22. Black Edition Images: ©2foodtrippers

Easy to Find in the United States: No

While Haribo achieved its global footprint with fruit-flavored gummy bears, the German candy company sells a variety of black licorice candies in Europe. Europeans, especially in Northern countries, love intense licorice flavors. The company offers several licorice variations, including the three included in the Haribo Black Edition mix: cream-filled Konfekties, Rotella wheels and stick-shaped Salinos.

While we’re not European and have no ties to Scandinavia, we’re licorice lovers. So it’s no surprise that we’re big fans of Haribo Black Edition. However, we need to clear up one thing. Despite its name, this mix isn’t purely black. The cream inside of the Konfekties is pink and yellow.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

All types of pearls are coveted around the world. While most people are partial to black and white cultured and freshwater pearls, we’re fans of colorful Haribo Pearls. Produced in a wide range of flavors that include banana, melon and pineapple, these candy gems have soft, chewy centers and crispy, sugary shells.

Haribo Pearls are super popular in Scandinavian countries. Although we don’t have roots in that part of the world, we like eating these sweet baubles one at a time. We also like eating them by the handful.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Haribo Mega Roulette is this guide’s only entry that isn’t sold in a bag. Instead, this global top 10 favorite is sold as a plastic-wrapped candy roll. Here’s the important part: each roll has 18 lemon, orange, pineapple, raspberry and strawberry flavored gummy discs.

In Europe, Mega Roulettes include a sixth flavor: blackcurrant. We didn’t try that flavor since we bought our Mega Roulette at a NYC bodega. We didn’t miss it. The five flavors we tried were all great.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

We weren’t optimistic about Haribo Z!NG Sour Streamers since sour candy isn’t usually our jam. To our surprise, we really like this colorful, flat candy with just the right amount of zing and an odd but pleasing mouthfeel. It’s a fun candy to eat bite-by-bite and strip-by-strip.

Note: We tasted the European version called Pasta Basta Pika, which has cherry, cola, raspberry and tropical flavors. The American version, which debuted in 2018, has sour apple, sour blue raspberry, sour cherry and sour grape flavors.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Haribo has taken the ABCs from the classroom and the soup bowl to the sweets aisle with its Alphabet Letters flavor. These colorful gummy letters span the alphabet and feature five familiar flavors: lemon, orange, pineapple, raspberry and strawberry.

We tasted a random selection of gummy letters after we completed the obligatory step of finding our initials. The flavors reminded us of Goldbears; however, these gummies are firmer and chewier compared to their bruin brothers. Perhaps we should have found the letters to spell yum before we finished the bag.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

Strawberry is clearly a popular Haribo flavor. It shows up in a lot of mixes and is the sole Tagada flavor. Haribo’s Strawberry Mix, sold in Portugal as Fresca Mix, leans deep into the strawberry patch with three strawberry variations: strawberry, strawberry jam and tart strawberry.

After trying Strawberry Mix and Mini Tagadas, we prefer this mix. Not only are the tri-color gummies chewier and less sweet than the Tagada gummies, but they’re also prettier.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

The Haribo Sour Tropifrutti flavor takes OG Tropifrutti to the next level by giving each gummy a tart, sugary coating. The tropical flavors are the same (banana, blackcurrant, mango-tangerine, melon, passion fruit, pineapple and pomegranate), but the tangy finish adds an element that some people prefer.

We agree to disagree about this flavor. One of us (Daryl) prefers the sour version, while the other (Mindi) is a gummy purist.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

Shaped like colorful, spiral-shaped wheels, Haribo’s Fruit Rotella candy doesn’t look like a typical Haribo candy. Its shape isn’t the only differentiator. Made with fruit and plant concentrates, this gelatin-free Haribo candy is also vegetarian.

While you can hypothetically bite into a Fruit Rotella, we like to unwind each wheel into a string and eat it slowly. Though we usually gravitate toward red candy, the green apple wheel is our favorite.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

The Haribo Sour Tongues flavor gets its name for two reasons. The obvious reason is that each gummy candy is shaped like a human tongue. The other reason, according to the Haribo website, is that “it feels like a teddy bear is dancing on your tongue” when you eat them.

While we missed the ‘teddy bear dancing on our tongues’ sensation during our taste-test, we enjoyed eating tart apple, cola, lemon, orange juice and raspberry gummies shaped like tongues. Perhaps we need to taste them again for the full Sour Tongues dancing-on-the-tongue experience.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

We felt the power of Haribo’s Flower Zourr flavor when we spotted the pretty mix of spaghetti, filled sticks and stripes at a local store. We then experienced the power when we tasted the super-sour, tongue-tingling candy.

Perhaps this candy’s true power is that it’s one of just three vegan flavors featured in this guide. We didn’t know it was vegan when we taste-tested a handful of Flower Zourr gummies. However, we knew we liked their whimsical designs and intense flavors. The fact that they’re vegan is an unexpected bonus.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

Haribo got creative when it assembled its current Funky Mix. The bag we bought included a colorful mix of bears, cream-filled licorice, eggs and strawberries.

We appreciate the variety and flavors in this gummy mix. Our bag had all hits and no misses. However, to be honest, we don’t find Haribo Funky Mix to be funkier than Haribo’s other mixed bags.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

Haribo Tagada has been wildly popular in France since its 1969 debut; however, since we’re not French, it’s not a flavor that we grew up eating. Upon spotting a bag of Mini Tagadas at a Portuguese Haribo shop, we were intrigued to find out what the candy would taste like. After just one bite, we had our answer: strawberry.

Each Mini Tagada has a chewy white center and a pink, sugary coating. Since we like strawberry-flavored candy, we like this candy. We’d like it better, though, if it weren’t so sweet.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

Haribo Mini Miny Mix features a myriad of colorful gummy shapes including bears, friendship rings and frogs as well as equally colorful jelly beans. The different candies all have one thing in common: they’re all miniature in size.

This gummy mix is proof that less is more. We like that we can eat five or ten candies without making a big dent in the bag or overly expanding our waistlines.

Easy to Find in the United States: Yes

Haribo Cocktail is a gummy mix that doesn’t live up to its name. Instead of featuring gummy bear cocktails, it’s made up of of multi-colored bears, blackberries, colas, eggs and frogs.

While we were surprised by the gummies in this mix, we weren’t disappointed. It’s a fun mix with some of Haribo’s most popular shapes and flavors. Okay, we were a little bit disappointed.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

Haribo Sour Cocktail takes Haribo’s Cocktail mix in a different direction by adding sour flavors and sugar coatings. The bear, blackberry, cola, egg and frog shapes are the same in both mixes, but their flavors are totally different.

We appreciate this mix’s variety of tangy flavors. However, similar to the Cocktail mix, we’re scratching our heads as to why this mix doesn’t have any sour cocktail flavors.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

We grabbed a bag of Haribo Hearts when we encountered the flavor in February. The red, heart-shaped gummy seemed like it would be an ideal Valentine’s Day treat and indeed it was.

Each Haribo Heart combines a strawberry-flavored gummy and white foam. The result is both visually appealing and fun to eat. It would be cliché to say that this flavor stole our hearts but you get the picture.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

We couldn’t resist buying a bag of Haribo Love Edition gummies when we spotted the colorful bag at a local store. The mix of colorful, fruit-flavored hearts and bear pairs caught our eyes. Sparks flew, and we were instantly smitten.

We’re suckers for both gummies and romance. Fingers crossed that we spot this flavor again next February.

41. Cola & Orange (Limited Edition) Images: ©2foodtrippers

Easy to Find in the United States: No

Combining cola with orange soda is nothing new in Europe. Coca-Cola sells an orange-flavored cola called Mezzo Mix, while Brauerei Riegele sells a similar soda called Spezi. And since this flavor combo is especially popular in Germany, it makes perfect sense that Haribo, would introduce a limited-edition orange-cola-flavored candy in 2026.

Shaped like soda bottles and colored in brown and orange to look like orange cola, Haribo Cola & Orange initially seemed weird to us. As Americans, we weren’t previously familiar with orange-flavored cola. However, we really like the flavor of these soft gummies, which oddly remind us of root beer. We definitely need to try Mezzo Mix or Spezi when we return to Germany.

Easy to Find in the United States: No

Haribo has taken its gummies to the shore! Its Beach Party flavor screams vacation with colorful gummies shaped like summer drinks. Don’t expect to find Daiquiris or Mojitos in this mix. Instead, Haribo’s Beach Party drink flavors include cherry-banana, lemon iced tea, orange-lime, pineapple-coconut-peach, pineapple-passion fruit and strawberry-watermelon.

We dig this theme. The shapes are fun, and the flavors are unique. However, when it comes to real-life beach parties, we’d rather drink cocktails than eat cocktail-shaped gummies.

Discover more great candy in America and around the world.

Daryl and Mindi Hirsch

Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on their website 2foodtrippers. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers a unique taste of the world.