First Take: Sour Candies
The sour candy sector is dominated by neon colors and surprisingly delightful flavor combinations. Packaging and product colors are as bold as the punch of tartness that consumers’ taste buds are hit with. The rising popularity of sour candy is encouraging companies to enter the category and captivate a new set of consumers with fearless options. Existing confectionery manufacturers are driven to maintain their status with inventive flavor creations that will intrigue people of all ages who crave a tart buzz.
Sour gummy brand Trolli recently joined forces with Mountain Dew and launched two limited edition products that blended tangy with sweet, promising consumers a flavor explosion in both a chewy gummy form and as a beverage: Trolli x Mountain Dew Sour Brite Crawlers gummi candy and Mountain Dew Zero Sugar x Trolli Cherry Lemon.
Together, these two iconic brands, both widely appreciated for their nontraditional, yet refreshing, flavor profiles, are intent on pushing the envelope and aligning with Gen Z consumers who crave unexpected flavors with their collaboration. “Trolli stands for taking bold risks and creating unexpected flavor experiences, and pairing with Mountain Dew delivers on our consumers’ love of daring to think differently,” said Chad Womack, Brand Director at Trolli. “When you combine the signature citrus kick of Mountain Dew with our soft, chewy sour gummy candy texture, you get something truly next-level tasty. These Trolli crawlers deliver that unmistakable Mountain Dew taste in a completely new way that’s going to surprise and delight fans of both brands.”
Trolli x Mountain Dew Sour Brite Crawlers feature a trio of adventurous flavor combinations in each bag: Original Citrus; Original Citrus x Cherry; and Original Citrus x Blue Raspberry. Each crawler drops the unmistakable Mountain Dew citrus taste, balanced with the soft and chewy sour gummy candy texture that Trolli is recognized for.
Meanwhile, Sour Patch Kids launched Sour Patch Kids Strips that offer the candy’s iconic one-two punch of sour then sweet, but in a revamped chewy ribbon format. With the new tape-like format, consumers can tear and twist strands to enjoy in bite-sized pieces or share.
“Fans have always loved Sour Patch Kids for its iconic sour-then-sweet flavor and the creative, culture-driven innovations that are core to our brand experience,” said Carly Stern, brand manager at Mondelēz International. “We are excited to deliver a refreshing take on the popular belt candy format by bringing the mischievous spirit, bold taste, and beloved sour that only the No. 1 sour brand in candy, Sour Patch Kids, can deliver. This format gives our fans a fresh, playful way to enjoy the flavors they crave.”
Within the sector, there are candy manufacturers making exciting strides to jolt taste buds and taking risks with daring flavor profiles that tempt adults and come in vibrant colors and packaging.
Better Sour stands out by analyzing its consumer demographic beyond the typical flavors they prefer. In the coming year, Better Sour foresees Millennials as their top consumer. These shoppers, aged 29 to 44, are expected to have the highest purchasing power and thereby the strongest influence over the types of candies being offered at brick-and-mortar and online retail. “A deeper, data-driven understanding of the true sour candy consumer is critical,” said Isabella Hughes, Co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Better Sour. “While much of the conversation centers on Gen Z and Gen Alpha, current data shows Millennials are on track to become the highest-spending cohort in the non-chocolate and chewy category within the next two years—where sour gummies sit. This group is growing in both purchasing power and influence, making them a key driver of category growth.”
“With the sour confectionery category growing as preferences change with the new generations, there is more room to innovate in the category than ever before,” said Haley Peyron, Marketing Manager for Candy Dynamics. “Whether innovation on texture, flavor or branding, the sour category appears as one of the leading categories in confection, having grown across all segments, such as dollar, unit and volume sales.”
Better Sour is intent on upgrading the sour candies tier. Typically merchandised to younger consumers with garish packaging and impish mascots, sour candies are taking on a refreshed image where Better Sour is concerned. With tasteful color combinations and appetizing flavors, Better Sour is drawing in foodies and consumers who are curious to taste test flavor combinations outside of what they were offered as children. “Our primary focus is strengthening differentiation by leaning into what makes Better Sour unique: globally inspired flavors crafted for a more adventurous, foodie-minded consumer,” Hughes said. “We see a strong opportunity to elevate sour gummies beyond novelty or for kids, and offer more culinary, premium, bold flavor experiences that aren’t widely represented in the sour gummy set today.”
“We at Candy Dynamics will continue to innovate on our most well-known products while expanding into additional categories,” Peyron said. “With 2026 being the 25th anniversary of the Toxic Waste brand, we plan to emphasize the most iconic product of our brand: Toxic Waste Hazardously Sour Candy.”
Bringing flair to a highly saturated shelf is harder than it sounds. But Better Sour is confident in its data-driven approach. “Limited-time offerings and seasonal launches remain powerful tools to drive trial and urgency, while thoughtful brand collaborations can unlock new audiences. Equally important is leveraging strong data in the market to clearly demonstrate value and performance to prospective, new retail partners.”
“Staying involved in the category means staying informed about the consumer base,” Peyron said. “With the demographics of sour candy being much younger than any other confectionery category, it is imperative that companies stay up to date with their preferences. While we have seen legacy brands make waves in the confectionery space, those same tactics cannot be used for a generation with rapidly moving trends.”
