Swedish Candy Vs American Candy: What Makes Them Different?

Everyone's obsessed with Swedish candy these days. It's having a moment in the spotlight, sweeping TikTok with #swedishcandy posts featuring bright, sugar-coated gummies in all shapes of hearts, skulls, ovals, and red-striped twists. Sour and sweet gummies are at the center of the Swedish candy craze, with flavors and textures that might be new to an American palate. Instead of American sour candies like Warheads and Sour Patch Kids, or other single-color and flavor offerings, most Swedish gummies contain several flavors apiece.

There was such a demand for Swedish candies at the beginning of 2024 that retailers announced strings of delays in filling orders through the first half of the year. And while the passion for Swedish candy got its start on social media, it's picked up real-world traction. People line up around city blocks for treats outside places like Bon Bon candy company in New York, waiting for their little pink bag of gummy goodies. They're adding Swedish candy to orders from DoorDash and Uber Eats. At Bon Bon, the gummies are so popular they've hired a "candy bouncer" to keep order around the place as they serve customers. The world of Swedish candy is much different than that in the U.S. and Americans are diving in headfirst.

Fun shapes and bright colors are the trademarks of the Swedish candy industry. Like American candy, you'll find gummies shaped like rings and soda bottles, bears and worms. But Swedish candy is sold in countless other shapes like hearts and stars, strawberries and fish. Candies from the Swedish brand Bubs are some of the most popular, especially mixed platters of a variety of gummies like sour skulls, juicy soda bottles, and sour ovals. The company focuses on creating a "playful mix of taste, texture, and form" — a theme echoed throughout the rest of the Swedish candy industry. The company Ahlgrens offers car-shaped marshmallows, for example, and don't forget Malaco's undeniably delicious but mysteriously flavored Swedish Fish.

Shape isn't the only visual difference between American and Swedish gummies, you can tell the two apart by their colors. While most of the commonly available American gummies are a single color, Swedish gummies are multicolored in shades of luminescent green, yellow, red, and even black, as well as milky pink and white that fade together in different combinations.

Swedish candy is a licorice lover's dream and there's a long list of favorite licorice combinations, particularly combining flavors with black licorice. From heavily salted black licorice chunks to black licorice gummies in all shapes and sizes, licorice is a staple in Swedish sweets. You can find a wide range of licorice and raspberry combinations, as well as licorice and lemon. There's even the popular sweet licorice bonbons with a spicy hot center called Turkisk Peppar.

In addition to licorice, Swedish candy comes in hundreds of flavors with combinations that aren't found in American candy. For every American chocolate-covered raisin, chocolate-coated blueberry, and chocolate orange, Swedish candy has milk chocolate-covered soft toffee and minty hard candies with chocolate inside. Swedish candy makers also dip every kind of gummy into chocolate, resulting in a wide array of chocolate-covered gummy berries, fruit wedges, and Swedish fish. And the chocolate and fruit combinations are only the beginning of the flavors you find in Swedish candy.

Swedish candy has a texture somewhere between marshmallow, taffy, and a classic gummy — very different from most American gummies. It has a softer, springier, fluffier texture that's easy to sink your teeth into. Some Swedish gummies are described as foamy and others are even labeled as fizzy gummies. The springy, bouncy texture that gummies are known for is made with air bubbles instead of gelatin in Swedish candy. You can also find Swedish candy that is crunchy, stretchy, and everything in between.

There are plenty of gluten-free American candies, and just as many vegan candies that are perfect for people on a restricted diet. But, nearly all of Swedish candy is gluten-free and vegan. Because of stricter regulations in their food industry, Swedish candy is also made with fewer additives than American candy, making it seem like a better option for sweet snacking. There's no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors like Blue 1, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, no bromine or artificial sweeteners, or fake sugars like Aspartame. 

In most Swedish candy, glucose is used instead of gelatin and there are no trans fats. Swedish candy makers focus on using natural ingredients, and there is often a "natural candy" selection in Swedish candy products offering even more granola alternatives like dried fruit. Throw in the fact that Swedish candy has no preservatives either, and it's no wonder why Americans have started lining up around city blocks for the candy. With such a wide variety of flavors, textures, chocolate styles, and gummy wonders, there's a Swedish substitute for every kind of American candy — and then some.