Easter is approaching, and, even for those who aren’t religious, it’s time to spend time with family and especially with children. What would Easter be without Easter baskets? And every Easter basket should have jelly beans inside.
1. Jelly Belly
They’ve been around for quite a long time. In 1869, Gustav Goelitz started a candy business in Belleville, IL. From there, history was made. Jelly Belly Candy Company is now based in Fairfield, CA, and makes over 100 flavors of them. The most popular are very cherry and buttered popcorn. But buttered popcorn is also the most controversial, followed by licorice. They make 1,680 jelly beans each second, and 15 billion of them are consumed every year. They’ve even been to space.
2. Brachs
Brachs came a little later. It started with Emil J Brach in Chicago, IL, in 1904. They started making jelly beans in the 1910s. The jelly beans from Brachs come in classic, spiced, speckled, and tiny varieties. Also, look for special seasonal flavors. You can even find recipes for making desserts with them on their website.
3. Starburst
The Starburst brand is owned by Mars Wrigley and dates back to 1959 in the UK. It was called Opal Fruits back then. The date they started making jelly beans is unclear, but we’re glad they’re available now. Fans of Starburst candies will love this take on the jelly bean because it pairs the Starburst candy flavors with the jelly bean shape. The best of both worlds.
4. Skittles
Another Mars Wrigley brand, the fruity Skittles candies with their hard shells, are also transformed into a jelly bean shape for the Easter season. They’re available from many retailers, although they aren’t featured on the Skittles website.
5. Sweetarts
Everyone knows those little rows of chalky, plastic-wrapped candies that make a big appearance every Halloween. They were introduced in 1963 by Sunline Inc. For fans of the sweet inside and tart outside of these iconic candies, Sweetarts makes jelly beans. We’re heading to the grocery store to see what these are like.
6 Russell Stover
We’re getting mixed signals on this one. Some retailers are showing the popular pectin jelly beans from the chocolate maker since 1923, Russell Stover. On other sources, we’re seeing it reported that they stopped making them.
7. Welch’s
Well-known juice brand Welch’s, founded in New Jersey in 1869, also has their own jelly beans on the shelves for Easter. They mix concord grape, strawberry, white grape, peach, raspberry, and orange. They are made with apple juice as an ingredient. These look like a good pick for vegans.
8. Bertie Bott’s
These are also produced by Jelly Belly, so we considered leaving them off, but they’re a phenomenon of their own. These jelly beans are styled after the candy of the same name in the Harry Potter franchise. And the flavors are interesting. These aren’t for the faint of heart. Flavors include things like cherry and lemon. But you could also end up biting down on soap, rotten egg, or earwax (or worse). Eat at your own risk.
9. Warheads
For the fan of sour candy, Warheads, under Impact Confections, is a leader. Their jelly beans have a sour shell and a sweet center. Give them a bite!
10. Claussen
Here’s a controversial pick for you. Pickle-flavored jelly beans. Frankfort Candy, with Kraft Heinz, started offering them in 2023. Do you know someone who just loves pickles? Surprise them with a bag of these. It’s novel, to be sure!
The Wrap-Up
These are not all of the brands of jelly beans available out there. We’re sure there are many more, including those made by those small local candy shops that hand-make their confections. Don’t forget to visit them! And, for those with specific diets, many may not be vegetarian. Check ingredients carefully for the things you want to avoid. Have a happy Easter!
