Every Ring Pop Flavor Ranked Worst To Best
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Any true child of the '90s is intimately familiar with Ring Pops. The "juicy jewel of flavor" came onto the scene in the 1970s but really took off in the following decades (via Candy Favorites.) An elegant spin on the classic lollipop, it's a sucker you can wear for as long as you want. Are there potential issues that could come from wearing a half-eaten, sticky lollipop on your hand all day? Sure, but let's not focus on the negative here. The point is, Ring Pops are an iconic spin on the humdrum lollipop that is somehow both nostalgic and modern at the same time.
Ring Pops have become so deeply enmeshed in our pop culture that people even propose with them, ditching the pricier (and more permanent) diamond ring for a sugar-based one. There's even a whole Etsy category devoted to Ring Pop ring boxes. If you're looking to reconnect to your inner child, or are thinking of popping the question, use this definitive ranking of all the Ring Pop flavors to find out which Ring Pops still hold up.
Tropical Lemonade
So there's already a Sour Lemonade Ring Pop flavor out there (and spoiler alert: it's underwhelming). But Ring Pop fans can get a Tropical Lemonade flavor as well. What makes this Ring Pop tropical instead of regular old lemonade? It's hard to tell just by tasting it. And that's part of the reason this flavor comes in last place.
The primary flavor in the Tropical Lemonade Ring Pop is lemon, which is hardly a tropical fruit. Sure, lemons grow in warmer climates but ... come on. There is maybe the slightest hint of something more tropical, like a pineapple or mango. But as one TikTok candy reviewer put it, the overwhelming reaction to tasting this Ring Pop is: "Eh." According to her, the Tropical Lemonade Ring Pop hardly even tastes like lemonade, which is tough considering that's supposed to be its main flavor. Basically, with so many Ring Pop flavor options out there, you can pass on the Tropical Lemonade.
Citrus Craze
Citrus Craze is one of the Twisted Ring Pop varieties on the market. They are currently really hard to locate individually but do seem available in variety packs. The whole idea behind the Twisted Ring Pops was to blend two high-intensity flavors together into one Ring Pop. But in this case, Citrus Craze just seems to be blending ... lemon and orange? Two of the snooziest, least exciting candy flavors out there.
A Mashed poll has proven that, at least when it comes to Starburst candy, lemon and orange are everyone's least flavors, and we can't imagine it's that different when it comes to Ring Pops. It's not that the Citrus Craze Ring Pops are bad, per se. If you like lemon or orange candy, then you'll enjoy this Ring Pop. But most people just don't get all that excited about lemon-orange flavored candy, which is why it's close to the bottom of our ranking.
Grape
When it comes to candy flavors, grape is a little controversial. You either love it or you hate it. We at Mashed are grape candy defenders; we think it's sweet, satisfying, and actually tastes a teeny tiny bit like the Concord grapes the flavor is modeled after. In fact, grape was one of the original two flavors of Ring Pops ever available (via Snack History.) But alas, the Grape Ring Pop is no more. Suffice it to say, if it had been a home run of a flavor, it would probably still be on our shelves.
The closest thing you might still be able to get to a true Grape Ring Pop is the Tongue Painter Ring Pop in Purpleberry Punch, which was made available around Halloween in 2019. Purpleberry is not a thing, but grape is, and one reviewer made it clear these Ring Pops tasted a lot like grape. And to be clear, he found this to be a good thing.
Sour Lemonade
When the Ring Pop Sours were released, it seemed obvious that they would include the mother of all sour flavors: lemon. The Sour Lemonade Ring Pop was of course sour, but because it was lemonade and not just straight-up lemon, there was room for sweetness, a crucial part of any Ring Pop flavor profile. After all, what's a glass of lemonade without some sugar?
But the Sour Lemonade Ring Pops were perhaps too sour for Ring Pop fans. They're currently impossible to find online, which likely means they've been phased out. Lemon is few people's favorite candy flavor, even if it's dressed up as lemonade. But the Sour Lemonade Ring Pop was likely not sour enough (a common complaint with the other sour flavors) so you end up with just ... a lemon-flavored Ring Pop. Unfortunately, with so many other more interesting flavors, the Sour Lemonade Ring Pop never stood a chance.
Very Berry Punch
The Very Berry Punch is one of Ring Pop's tropical flavors, along with Fruit Punch, Strawberry Watermelon Splash, and Tropical Lemonade. The Very Berry Punch is definitely not the worst of the bunch (that honor goes to Tropical Lemonade.) At first glance, it's a darker red-purple color so you might mistake it for grape, and it does have a somewhat grapey flavor. In fact, one review compared it to the sugar-free Jolly Rancher grape-flavored candies, which is either an insult or a compliment depending on how you feel about sugar-free grape candy.
Ultimately, the Very Berry Punch is pretty good, though it suffers from a case of confused identity. It tastes a bit like if a Grape Ring Pop and a Strawberry or Cherry Ring Pop had a baby. The "punch" flavor just adds an extra bright tanginess to it, which is nice. If you want to try it for yourself, know that the Tropical Flavors can be harder to find, but luckily you can buy a single Very Berry Punch Ring Pop on Etsy.
Sour Green Apple
Sour green apple is a pretty classic candy flavor, as far as sour candies go, and it really is no surprise that Ring Pops got into the sour green apple game. What is shocking is that it took the company until 2016 to release a sour green apple option (via Drug Store News.) A nod to the real-life green apple, which isn't exactly sour but is the tartest of the apple varieties, it's a candy flavor that can be pretty easy to find. But is the Ring Pop Sour Green Apple worth buying?
The answer is: yeah, sure. It's a perfectly good sour apple flavor, and it's actually more sour than some of the other Ring Pop Sours out there, at least according to one review. If you really love a good sour candy, you'll enjoy this Ring Pop. But it's just such a common flavor that it's hard to get too excited about it, and honestly, we prefer the Green Apple Jolly Rancher to the Ring Pop.
Sour Watermelon
The watermelon-flavored Ring Pop is one of the most well-loved flavors, according to commenters on Influenster. So Ring Pop decided to give watermelon fans a new flavor when it introduced Sour Watermelon Ring Pops in 2016 (via Drug Store News.) So was this a case of Ring Pop taking a good thing and needlessly messing with it, or providing watermelon devotees with another way to worship their favorite flavor?
The answer is a little bit of both. The sour watermelon flavor hits you with the sour taste first before giving way to the much sweeter watermelon flavor. But then the sour flavor just kind of fizzles out. This review by two people with discerning palates — a.k.a. young children — shows them ricocheting between loving and hating this flavor, before finally declaring that it tastes like toothpaste (presumably the fruity kind.) Not the most glowing review. So if you're a Watermelon Ring Pop stan, approach this flavor with caution.
Twisted Blue Raspberry Watermelon
Take two of Ring Pops' most beloved flavors, Blue Raspberry and Watermelon, combine them together, and you get this fun and flavorful Twisted Ring Pop. The Blue Raspberry Watermelon Ring Pop just looks fun to eat, with those bright blue and green swirls. Anyone with a sophisticated candy palate will tell you that the sweet, satisfying, and bright watermelon flavor mixes really well with the slightly more sour-sweet taste of the blue raspberry. The flavors do tend to blend together a bit, so the Blue Raspberry Watermelon Ring Pop can start to just taste like general sweet fruitiness. But is that such a bad thing?
Unfortunately, the Twisted Blue Raspberry Watermelon Ring Pop seems to no longer be available. It looks like the world wasn't ready for this powerful flavor combo. You'll have to scour the dark web to try this for yourself, or hope you have some candy hoarders in your life who are holding.
Fruit Punch
A fruit punch-flavored Ring Pop feels like an obvious evolution for this finger-adorning candy. Part of the Tropical Ring Pops line of flavors, the Fruit Punch Ring Pop tastes exactly as advertised, like a candy version of that familiar Hawaiian Punch we all drank as kids. It's delicious, it's oh so fruity, it's nostalgic, and it's sadly almost impossible to find nowadays.
But some reviewers who were able to get their hands on this elusive treat confirmed that the fruit punch-flavored Ring Pop was a hit, delivering on that fruity and ever so slightly citrusy flavor that hints at tropical fruits like passion fruit, guava, or pineapple. They did point out that it's odd how the Fruit Punch Ring Pop is almost orange in color, since true fruit punch is iconically red. But that really doesn't matter once you pop it in your mouth. Hopefully Ring Pop can revive this beloved tropical flavor.
Sour Cherry
For any fans of sour candies out there, be it Warheads or Sour Patch Kids, you'll be happy to know that Ring Pop also got into the sour game (via Snack History.) For those of us that sometimes crave a sour pucker along with our sweets, Sour Cherry Ring Pops will not disappoint. That classically satisfyingly rich cherry flavor is undercut with just a hint of sour that cuts any cloying sweetness and makes for a much more fun eating experience. Is it sweet? Is it sour? It's both.
But be warned, this flavor isn't for everyone. One reviewer (a kid, no less) declared that the Sour Cherry Ring Pop wasn't sour enough and had a kind of medicinal cherry taste. In other words, both too sweet and not sour enough. So while we found the Sour Cherry Ring Pops to be a hit, they're definitely not a hit for everyone.
Strawberry Watermelon Splash
One of the Tropical Ring Pop flavor options, the Strawberry Watermelon Splash really does sound like summer in a Ring Pop. A blend of two of Ring Pops's best, lightest, fruitiest flavors, this Ring Pop is a real home run. According to one reviewer, the Strawberry Watermelon Splash Ring Pop even smelled good before they tasted it, with the strong watermelon smell really grabbing them.
Sadly, the Tropical flavors seem harder and harder to come by these days. But taste tastes have shown that while this Ring Pop was delicious, the strawberry flavor tended to beat out the watermelon flavor, which could be a deal breaker if you're a real watermelon fan. It's even been compared to those iconic Arcor Strawberry Bud candies found in grandmothers' candy bowls for eons. So the Strawberry Watermelon Splash is a winner, but be warned, if you ever manage to get your hands on one, the watermelon flavor does seem to take a backseat.
Twisted Berry Blast
At some point, Ring Pops were doing so well that the company started to offer some new, cool Twisted Ring Pops that blended two flavors into one. Enter the Twisted Berry Blast Ring Pop, a red and blue swirled ring that seems to combine the best of all the berry-flavored Ring Pops into one finger-mounted sucker.
Ostensibly a combo of blue raspberry and either strawberry or raspberry flavors (the company is mysteriously mum on exactly which berries are being twisted on this Ring Pop), it really packs a punch of berry flavor. Or, rather, a blast. It's definitely super sweet and reminiscent of other classic candies of the '90s. As one reviewer put it, it tastes a lot like a Gusher wrapped in a Fruit Roll-Up. If that sounds delicious to you, then you're gonna love this Ring Pop. And considering we eat with our eyes, and these are made for kids, the bright bold colors don't hurt the eating experience.
Cherry
Perhaps the most classic of all candy flavors, cherry was in fact one of the first two flavors of Ring Pops to ever exist (via Snack History.) That means Cherry Ring Pops laid the foundation for all Ring Pops to come, simply by being delicious. Cherry Ring Pops are always sweet, with a deep ruby red berry flavor to them. If we had to find fault with them, we'd say Cherry Ring Pops can err on the side of being slightly too sweet. And honestly? They're a little boring.
But cherry has always been a crowd-pleasing favorite flavor when it comes to candy. According to a poll conducted by Mashed, it's one of the leading Starburst flavors. Starburst even sells entire bags of just the red cherry-flavored chews. So while we've all had cherry candy before, and while it might be a little predictable, it's also tried and true. You just can't go wrong with a classic cherry-flavored Ring Pop.
Strawberry
Is there any candy flavor more reliably delicious, sweet, and satisfying than strawberry? You'd be hard-pressed to find a Ring Pops fan who doesn't love the strawberry flavor. Honestly, you'd be hard-pressed to find any candy fan who doesn't love strawberry. Strawberry Ring Pops are for candy purists, people who want their candy to be super sweet but still somewhat resemble the actual fruit they're modeled after. While chomping down on Strawberry Ring Pop is not the same as biting into a fresh strawberry, at least it tastes reminiscent of the actual fruit with a distinct berry flavor that's somehow light and fresh.
Strawberry Ring Pops are multi-seasonal too. A perfect summertime treat to be enjoyed on the bus ride home from summer camp, they also make for a festive, bright pink Valentine's Day gift, or look great tucked into an Easter basket. And good news: You can get a giant bag of them from Walmart for only $30.
Watermelon
A very close runner-up for first place, Watermelon Ring Pops are another huge fan favorite, placing highly on lists on Influenster and Reddit. Watermelon-flavored candy has always been a crowd pleaser, and the iconically green watermelon-flavored Ring Pops are no different. It does beg the question: why green when watermelons are mostly red? There's not much info out there, but most likely it's so the Watermelon Ring Pops can stand out from the Cherry and Strawberry Ring Pops.
We are big fans of the Watermelon Ring Pops. Sure, they taste absolutely nothing like actual watermelon fruit, which is usually sweet and, well, watery. Watermelon-flavored candy is really its own unique flavor that is satisfyingly sweet, fruity, and just sour enough to keep it from being cloying. And of course, you don't have to deal with any pesky seeds. When given the option, we'd always reach for a Watermelon Ring Pop.
Blue Raspberry
Blue Raspberry comes in at number one in our ranking for best Ring Pops flavor. Why? Because when you're a kid (or kid at heart) what is more fun than a ring-shaped candy that also turns your mouth bright blue? There's something so nostalgic and iconic about blue raspberry-flavored anything. Ring Pops fans have weighed in over at Influenster and blue raspberry repeatedly comes up as people's favorite flavor. And this poll over on Reddit also shows Blue Raspberry as the clear front runner.
As for us, we love the sweet but still tangy flavor of a Blue Raspberry Ring Pop. Sure, blue raspberry isn't an actual fruit, and it really only exists in candy form. In fact, the flavor "blue raspberry" was invented in the 1970s and introduced to the masses by ICEE when it debuted its blue raspberry flavor (via Insider.) It turned out that the blue dye was safer to consume than red dyes found in popular flavors like cherry. But there's something so appealing about that bright blue color and that satisfying berry flavor that makes Blue Raspberry the best Ring Pop out there.