Mike And Ike Flavors Ranked From Worst To Best
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
If you're going out to the movie theater and are looking for a nice, sweet snack to enjoy during your viewing experience, a deliciously fruity kind of candy may just hit the spot. Mike and Ike candy certainly fits that bill. The bite-sized candies in the Mike and Ike box are colorful and filled with various fruit flavors that everyone can enjoy. Even if you aren't going to see a movie, Mike and Ikes are a great thing to have around, whether you're bingeing a show, want to add a little extra kick to an ice cream sundae, or simply desire a sweet snack.
While you may be most familiar with the brand's bright green box, there are loads of different Mike and Ike candy varieties out there, some with a single unique flavor, others with a mix. Either way, each one brings something new to the table. But when you're presented with all of the options of Mike and Ike candies out there, it may be difficult to pick a favorite. But fear not! We've ranked some of the most popular Mike and Ike candies from worst to best. Now, when you next have a craving for these classic candies, you'll know which flavor is the most worthy.
11. Jolly Joes
Grape-flavored candies always seem to be the last flavor picked out of the bag. There must be a market for good grape candies, however — why would they be sold otherwise? Among the Mike and Ike products, grape candy is found under the name "Jolly Joes." These look exactly like your typical Mike and Ike candies, only with a purple hue.
The Jolly Joe's flavor does exactly what it sets out to do: provide a strong, rich, and overpowering grape taste within each capsule of candy. These Mike and Ike's aren't overly sweet, as per taquitos.net, and have a strong grape odor. If you like grapes, you'll like these candies. But if you don't, the strong smell and distinct taste can put you off. What puts this candy a little lower on the list, besides the divisive flavor, is how hard it is to find these things, which are often unavailable.
10. Sour Lemon
Who doesn't love a hit of fresh lemonade or a chance to savor a mouth-puckering Lemonhead? The tangy, yet sweet taste of most lemon candies is undeniably delicious, so when it comes to Mike and Ikes, you'd think that would be the case too. Right? But, no matter how good this flavor might be, accessibility is an issue. If a flavor is incredibly difficult to find, is there a reason to go on a quest for it when it's so much easier to find another sour lemon candy?
If you do manage to find Mike and Ike sour lemon candy variety, you'll surely pick up the sour nature of the candy, though the fruit flavor still manages to shine through. All told, it comes out to be a fine Mike and Ike pack. But, unless you're extremely lucky, there's a high chance that you won't run into this Mike and Ike flavor in stores. Given the many other flavors of Mike and Ikes — not to mention a plethora of sour candies from other brands — we don't suggest wasting much time looking for them.
9. Patriotic
When Independence Day makes waves in the U.S., all you'll see are red, white, and blue. Not only is this an incredibly patriotic look, but there's quite a bit you can do with these colors when it comes to candy flavors. In the summer of 2021, a limited Mike and Ike's pack made waves with three different flavors: cherry pie, blueberry cobbler, and vanilla ice cream. These flavors are quite delicious, but finding this mix is going to be quite a challenge.
Vanilla ice cream-flavored candy might seem weird, but it worked wonderfully here. While the candies don't taste exactly like ice cream or real blueberry cobbler, the fruity and sweet flavors shine through and make for an outstanding set. However, this is a limited edition flavor of Mike and Ike, so you won't be able to purchase it at any time. When the Fourth of July does roll around, however, and you're looking for a festive candy, these Mike and Ike's are perfectly suited to the holiday.
8. Sour Watermelon
Watermelon isn't usually sour, though you can find watermelon flavor amongst some sour sweets. So, how does the Sour Watermelon Candy of Mike and Ike hold up? These green candies come in a bright pink box, offering a sweet-yet-sour promise to anyone who tries out this flavor. Yet, while that flavor is great, the Sour Watermelon Mike and Ike variety falls victim to a lack of availability.
Sour Watermelon is often unavailable. And if a flavor is not as easy to find as the others, it's a bit difficult to taste it and make a decision, much less claim it as your favorite. Don't let this steer you away from keeping your eyes open for this variety of Mike and Ike, however. It's still got an amazing taste, but with intense flavor, as one Amazon customer noted. In terms of sourness, it's pretty decent, so if you ever happen upon this flavor in stores, count yourself lucky and give these sour sweets a try.
7. Berry Blast
Most of the Mike and Ike packs that we've listed thus far have been single flavors, but the brand is more known for its packs of multi-flavored candy. The Berry Blast Mike and Ike candy box is filled with five different flavors: wild berry, blue raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, and peach berry. Yes, we know that peaches aren't berries, but we'll let it slide, as that flavor in particular works surprisingly well here.
Admittedly, the flavors within this pack aren't especially intense and can come off as a bit bland. Peach and blueberry have a far more mild taste here, though the strawberry is delightfully light and sweet. One reviewer on Amazon wrote that this was their second-favorite flavor of Mike and Ikes. But when you look for a good candy, you aren't looking for second-best. You may still enjoy a pack of these Mike and Ike candies, but don't expect anything to knock your socks off.
6. Red Rageous
Red candy had a pretty solid track record. Flavors like strawberry, cherry, and even the sometimes mysterious fruit punch are pretty reliable bets. Mike and Ike's has a pack that takes most of its red and pink flavors and presents it as Red Rageous. Filled with the flavors of watermelon, fruit punch, cherry, strawberry, and raspberry, you'll surely find your favorite red-based flavor somewhere in this mix.
We think that just about every flavor within this mix is good, though it's not the easiest to differentiate between the different colors, since they're all pink and red, as one Amazon customer noted. What is a little more worrying is that some people don't have the easiest time finding these flavors in a nearby store. That's a shame, given that most seem pretty satisfied with the taste of these hard-to-get candies. If you do happen upon the Red Rageous mix, grab a box and give it a try.
5. Cherry
Where there's a sweet treat, there's bound to be cherry flavor somewhere. Icees, Jolly Ranchers, even Lifesavers — cherry flavor is everywhere, and for good reason. Even if this isn't your favorite flavor, cherry is still a reliable member of the classic candy taste lineup. For those of us who love the bright red, fruity cherry that's in the classic Mike and Ike original pack, the company has produced a dedicated cherry-only mix.
If you've ever had an original pack of Mike and Ike's, then you know how great the cherry flavor is. Rich, juicy, and sweet, we think there's a lot to love about cherry Mike and Ike candy. There's a reason the brand chose to make an entirely separate product for the flavor. It grants people the ability to enjoy their favorite without the waste of throwing away or chewing through less favorable flavors. Of course, if you're looking for variety, you won't find it here. Unless you're a big fan of cherry Mike and Ike, this pack could get monotonous after a few bites.
4. Sour Mega Mix
Sweet candies are certainly delicious, but if you want something with a bit more of a bite, sour is surely the way to go. The Mike and Ike brand carries a few sour candies, but none shine as much as the Mega Mix Sour. The 10 different sour flavors are perfect for anyone who's cut their sour tooth on Warheads, Sour Patch Kids, and more. From Sour Zappin' Apple to Sour Power Pineapple, there's a lot to pick from in a pack of this candy. Frankly, it all tastes great, so long as your taste buds can take it.
If you're looking for the sourest candy ever, this isn't it. That's not so bad, though, as dialing back the sourness allows the flavors to shine. However, those flavors may vary from box to box. One Amazon reviewer noted that their bag's distribution of flavor varieties seemed uneven. That mix varies from bag to bag, so everyone's experience with this flavor could well be a little different. Assuming you're not too picky about getting one flavor over another, there's a lot to enjoy with each serving of this Mike and Ike variety.
3. Tropical Typhoon
While an original flavor mix can be delicious, sometimes you want to try something with a more unique flavor. What about a tropical mix? It's a popular tactic for many brands, including Mike and Ikes with its Tropical Typhoon pack. Served in a bold pink box, this mix contains five different flavors with a tropical spin. You'll find mango, kiwi-banana, paradise punch, Caribbean punch, and strawberry banana within each pack. They all come with their own seriously sweet taste, as well as the classic chewy texture of Mike and Ike candy.
That flavor is pretty intense, as you may be walloped by scent and taste. But if you're a fan of tropical candy, then chances are pretty good that you'll love this mix wholeheartedly. The only downside may come if you don't like one of the flavors, as it's not easy to pick and choose among them. While this product may not be as popular as the original Mike and Ike mix, we recommend you try it out the next time you find it.
2. Mega Mix
One of the greatest parts about Mike and Ike's is that you get a variety of flavors, to the tune of nearly any fruit you can call up. Most Mike and Ike packs come with at least five flavors, but why stop there? If you're craving true variety, there is one mix with a lot more than a mere five tastes. Mike and Ike's Mega Mix boasts 10 different flavors for the consumer who craves a mix of almost everything.
Many of the flavors from previous mixes make a return in this pack. These include Caribbean punch, watermelon, grape soda, and blue raspberry, along with kiwi banana, mango delight, and the oddly-named yet still tasty peach berry. All of these flavors are pretty good, and you get a nice mix of all. However, there are a lot of flavors, so you aren't getting much of one type in particular. If you like the blue raspberry, for instance, you'll only find it occasionally in this box. Even so, all of the flavors here are pretty solid, and we recommend this candy to any Mike and Ike fan out there.
1. Original
Of course, we couldn't make a Mike and Ike ranking without including the candy that started it all. The Mike and Ike Original Fruits is the brand's most popular candy, with classic lemon, cherry, lime, orange, and strawberry flavors in each box. If you've ever been in a candy store or movie theater, there's a good chance that they were selling at least these original boxes. While the taste is good, it's also easy to tell all of them apart, so you'll know which kind of flavor you're holding at any given moment.
Everyone who loves Mike and Ike's seems to love the original candy and there's good reason this candy is at the top of our ranking. Each flavor brings a familiar, yet outstanding taste to the table. Moreover, there aren't too many to overwhelm you, allowing you to simply enjoy each bite-sized candy. The next time you treat yourself to some Mike and Ike candy, know that the classic is there for a reason.