Crystal Light Mix Flavors Ranked Worst To Best

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When you want to cut the calories, the first two things you tend to look at are sweets and drinks. While we love a good Starbucks Mocha Cookie Crumble or frozen slushie from 7-Eleven, there's no denying that those drinks are loaded with sugar and calories, and aren't the healthiest for us. The healthiest drink would be water, but where's the fun in that? We aren't trying to say you shouldn't drink water, but it can be exciting to add a bit of flavor into your beverages, especially when you're able to do it in a fun, easy, and relatively healthy manner.

We, of course, are talking about Crystal Light drink mixes. Much like a Kool-Aid or Lemonade mix, these mixes are packed with a powder that will elevate your drink in terms of flavor. With Crystal Light, adding a single pouch to a glass of water will change your drink from clear and flavorless to fruity and colorful. As a bonus, Crystal Light mixes are relatively healthy — most Crystal Lights are just ten calories and have no sugar. There are numerous flavor choices to choose from with this brand, so we've taken all the Crystal Light mixes we could find, and ranked them from worst to best. By the end of this list, the next time you want a delicious drink with few calories, you'll know which ones to try.

Citrus

A citrus drink can refer to several different fruit flavors. It could mean lime, lemonade, or even zesty oranges. If a drink's name is "citrus," instead of orange juice or lemonade, you may be a bit confused by the ambiguous name of the beverage — almost as much as the color names of Gatorade drinks. The Crystal Light Citrus Drink Mix was a little confusing to us, as the brand already has several lemonade mixes and an orange-flavored juice. That left us thinking the flavor might be lime, but the graphic on the box is orange and shows a sliced mandarin instead. This drink might easily be mistaken for the classic orange mix, though it should be noted that the Citrus flavor also includes some caffeine.

We could certainly taste the citrus in this mix, though it wasn't as flavorful as some of the other beverages. The jolt of energy from the caffeine was great as well, though this wasn't the best caffeinated drink we've had. Mandarins are also a bit sweeter than oranges, but we didn't pick up on that with this mix, as the citrus gave the beverage a tart hint that masked any extra sweetness — which we didn't mind, but also didn't expect. While we won't actively try to have this drink again, we wouldn't feel sour if offered this again.

Pomegranate Green Tea

The next green tea we're featuring is Crystal Light's Pomegranate Green Tea. Pomegranate tea is typically brewed with pomegranate seeds or flowers, and it may benefit heart and skin health (per Weaver's Coffee & Tea). While not as popular as peach or other variants of fruity teas, it is a well-received type of tea that is generally depicted as a brilliant shade of red. With pomegranate green tea, the drink becomes a yellow or brown tea color. 

This tea mix wasn't the best of the best when it comes to Crystal Light mixes, but we didn't mind it. We could certainly taste the rich flavor of pomegranate, but it was more like a regular pomegranate tea as opposed to a green tea. Reviews for this product are also mixed, with some shoppers really enjoying this flavor, while others aren't as big of fans. One Amazon reviewer writes "I've been drinking crystal light raspberry green tea for years. It's the only thing I drink. I was running low and I thought I would try this. (It) tastes nothing like pomegranate at all. If I had to guess, it tastes like feet." Even if you like pomegranate drinks, this might be a hit or miss. Feel free to try it, but don't expect to be blown away.

Strawberry Kiwi

Strawberry kiwi is an incredibly popular fruit juice flavor, most widely known because of the incredible Capri Sun drink with the same name. While it's difficult to replicate the iconic flavor the Capri Sun drink manages to capture, most strawberry kiwi drinks are almost as amazing, and are most definitely just as satisfying. Crystal Light also has a powder flavor using this fruit combination, which is their Strawberry Kiwi Drink Mix. This drink could never fully replace the iconic taste of other strawberry kiwi beverages, but would be a decent substitute — if only it were easier to find.

This drink was solid, with a nice flavor that didn't taste too strongly of kiwi, but certainly had a kick of strawberry. One review on Amazon even goes as far as to claim that this flavor is their favorite. However, what turns us away from picking these pouches of drink mix is the listing price on Amazon, as well as how difficult it is to find this flavor in stores. It would be much easier to find a Kool-Aid mix or Capri Sun pouch of the same flavor that tastes ten times better than this mix. When put up against other Crystal Light mixes, this drink also doesn't stand out all that much, so this is not our first mix recommendation.

Peach Mango

Not to be confused with their peach iced tea, Crystal Light also offers a Peach Mango Drink Mix. This beverage is shown with mangoes and sliced peaches on the box, and comes out as peach, almost tea-like color. Mango is another fruit that can be found in drink form, and even in a salsa. Peaches are commonly mixed with other fruits, such as mango, to make smoothies or other beverages. They're known for their sweetness and softness, and have a milder flavor to the tropical, juicy mango, making for a wonderful fruity combination with an amazing taste. While we might have as much expertise on mangoes as Ayesha Curry, we do know when we've had a great mango drink mix.

This caffeinated drink was not only energizing but light, tropical, and incredibly thirst-quenching. The drink comes out as a wonderful orange, the same shade of a ripe mango. The reception of this flavor has been pretty positive as well, with Amazon reviewers enjoying the satisfying drink and ease of preparation. One reviewer writes "It hits you with peach, and then as you take a breath there is the delicious mango flavor. Sooooo good." While we felt that the peach flavor was a little underwhelming, and soon gets buried under the strong taste of mango, this was a great mix for Crystal Light to include in their lineup.

Strawberry Orange Banana

One of the most popular fruit smoothie combinations is strawberry banana. You may have had this fruity dessert beverage at McDonald's or the Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Wherever you have tried this drink, however, there's no denying just how great it is. The sweet red strawberries and the potassium-packed yellow banana blend to make a beautiful pink smoothie. Now, what if you add orange into that mix? Crystal Lights Strawberry Orange Banana Drink Mix does this, and creates a wonderful tropical twist on a classic flavor of the drink. This drink mix features strawberries, sliced bananas, and an orange on the box, and appears to be a brown-orange color.

While this drink might not share the same pretty pink color as a smoothie, it still tastes just as wonderful. While it's a bit more difficult to find in stores, the Strawberry Orange Banana mix provided us with a super fruity drink that did not disappoint. The strawberry and banana flavors work well together, as always, and the addition of the orange adds a hint of citrus that was surprisingly pleasant. This was certainly one of the better Crystal Light Mixes we tried, and though we wish we could either find it in stores more easily, or find it for a cheaper price on Amazon, we really liked this flavor, and would love to have it again in the future.

Raspberry Iced Tea

Not to be confused with the Raspberry Green Tea mix, Crystal Light also sells a naturally flavored Raspberry Iced Tea Drink Mix. This beverage enhancing flavoring offers a unique spin on iced tea with the sweet addition of raspberry flavoring. Raspberries are usually a sweeter fruit, and are often used in various fruit punches and desserts to add a sweet kick. In the case of this drink mix, the raspberry is more likely used to provide an additional fruity flavor to this already super sweet-tasting drink — though it does add a bit of sweetness. When mixed, this drink looks exactly like an Iced tea — we almost couldn't tell the difference.

In many cases, looks can be deceiving, and nice-looking drinks can actually taste awful. Fortunately, this isn't the case for Crystal Light's Raspberry Iced Tea mix. It is just as amazing as the other great flavors this brand has to offer. While some feel as though the drink is a little sweeter, despite not having lots of sugar, reviewers online also adore the flavor of this drink, with one Amazon shopper claiming that "I have been searching everywhere for Brisk Raspberry Iced Tea and haven't had any luck. This is the closest to taste that I can find." Whether or not you like Brisk might play a huge part in whether you like this drink, but we enjoyed this raspberry iced tea, and would definitely have it again.

Grape

While grapes are a staple fruit for salads, wines, and lunchboxes, the fruit is a controversial flavor for many: you either love it or hate it. Some people will try to avoid the grape-flavored Airheads and Jolly Rancher in their candy bags, and leave the purple sugary treats for last. This flavor is so strange that there isn't even a grape-flavored ice cream offered in Baskin Robbins or Dairy Queen. Those who do enjoy the sweet bold flavor of grape, however, will get a kick out of Crystal Light's Grape Drink Mix with caffeine. This flavor comes out a brilliant purple, and is excellent as a source of morning energy, or to add to a cocktail.

While some fruit juices only taste like fruit-flavored water, this beverage tasted like genuine grape juice. We could really taste the grape in this mix, and while it stained our tongues a dark purple, we'd happily mix this into a sparkling drink or dessert. Shoppers on Amazon who like the flavor of grape drinks also enjoy this drink, with one reviewer writing "This grape flavoring is very delicious. I was afraid of a weird aftertaste but truly there isn't any." The only reason we wouldn't place this higher is that everyone doesn't love grape drinks, but if you do, this is as good as it gets.

Wild Strawberry

Who doesn't love the sweet, juicy taste of a strawberry? The small red fruit is perfect for just about anything: desserts, salads, ice cream, and fruit-flavored drinks like lemonade. Everywhere you go, you'll be hard-pressed not to find somewhere or some brand that doesn't have something that offers strawberries in it. As for Crystal Light? They have their Wild Strawberry Energy Drink Mix, which is fruity, fresh, and includes caffeine that will offer you a nice jolt of energy throughout the day. This drink comes out as a nice dark pink, almost red color, and is a Crystal Light flavor that you can generally find in stores easily.

Just as expected, this drink was sweet, fruity, and tasted of strawberries. The caffeine was definitely notable, and we certainly felt a lot more energized after having this Crystal Light mix. Even though this strawberry beverage was great, and while the strawberry was there, it didn't taste as strongly of the red fruit as we thought it might. We could see ourselves using this to flavor a cocktail or ice pop more than having it as a standalone drink. We would certainly purchase this again, and definitely recommend you try this flavor out if you want a scrumptious strawberry-flavored drink.

Blackberry Lemonade

The next flavored drink mix on this lineup is Crystal Light's Blackberry Lemonade Drink Mix. This is one of the newer drink mix flavors Crystal Light has to offer, and while it's not as popular as their other lemonades and teas, this is still a wonder drink mix that we were surprised to enjoy. This mix is branded with dark blackberries and sliced lemons, which mixes into water to make a lemonade drink that looks a lot like an iced tea. While these drinks don't contain any actual fruit, we were hoping to taste a tart lemony beverage with a hint of sweet blackberry.

While this drink wasn't as tart as we expected, this mix definitely had a strong taste of blackberry to it. Like most other Crystal Light mixes, this drink is low in calories, with no sugar, yet still manages to be full of blackberry flavor. Blackberries are generally used in sweeter desserts, such as pie or cobbler, so we appreciate having a blackberry-flavored drink mix. The biggest criticism of the drink we have is that it's rather difficult to find in stores, though that's understandable because it's a somewhat newer product. Though it might not taste exactly like your grandmother's hot blackberry pie, this drink is perfect for anyone who loves blackberries.

Raspberry Green Tea

The color green is often associated with broccoli and vegetable drinks like V8 or a kale smoothie. It's also the color of one of the healthiest beverages out there: Green tea. Green tea is known for its health benefits, such as improvement of brain function and protection from heart disease and cancer, according to Healthline. While it's generally served hot with a green color, many different kinds of green tea flavors add a little more flavor to the incredibly healthy drink. While it's not a piping hot beverage, Crystal Light's Raspberry Green Tea Drink Mix is just as refreshing as any cup of warm green tea.

Though it doesn't have all of the health benefits green tea has, the Raspberry Green Tea mix is healthy in the sense that it's a low-calorie beverage, and it also has a great taste. This drink is a favorite among Crystal Light fans, and many favor this as one of the best tea mixes the brand has to offer. The green tea flavor is light and bittersweet, while there's a sweet side to the tea mix from the raspberry flavoring. Neither flavor overpowers the other, which results in a nice balanced mix that is perfectly simple to add in water. If you want a unique take on a traditional and healthy hot drink, this drink is the one for you.

Lemonade

Who doesn't love a fresh glass of lemonade? This drink brings us a bittersweet nostalgia as we remember setting up small lemonade stands and selling lemonade by the glass for 25 cents each. While we may no longer be the ones starting up the stands, we still love to drink lemonade — even if it's store-bought now. This next drink took us right back to summer break when we'd kick back at a pool with an ice-cold glass of lemonade. Crystal Light's Lemonade Drink Mix was just as good as any homemade lemonade, and perfect to freeze as an ice pop, as well.

This lemonade tastes so much like a genuine lemonade, we wouldn't be able to tell the difference if you put this and another drink in front of us. It had that same sweet and tangy lemon taste, and was the same color as any good lemonade. Reviews indicate this Crystal Light product has been positively received by fans of these drink mixes, who not only love the lemonade's flavor, but the ease of using the mix. A shopper on Amazon claims that the lemonade was "Delicious, easy to make, and light in calories!" This healthy lemonade alternative is a lovely, lemony drink that will make you pucker your lips in delight.

Black Cherry Lime

Cherries might not be as popular as strawberries or apples, but cherry sodas, popsicles, and juice drinks are some of the most iconic and loved drinks of their kind. We don't know anyone who would turn down a cherry Coca-Cola, and it's a well-known fact that the Kool-Aid man himself is cherry flavored. Black cherries are much like their juicy red counterparts, though black cherries tend to be a bit sweeter than red cherries. If you want a drink mix that balances out the sweetness of a cherry, you might look for something that combines the cherry with something a little less sweet. If so, then look no further than Crystal Light's Black Cherry Lime Drink Mix.

Just because this wasn't as sugary as a Kool-Aid or Hawaiian Punch, that didn't stop this drink mix from being just as good. The sensationally sweet black cherry pairs perfectly with the slightly sour lime flavoring. Even though this mix isn't as easy to find in stores as Crystal Light's pink lemonade, this is certainly a drink you'll want to have more than once. Not only does this bright red drink stand well on its own, but it's also an excellent mix to add to a frozen treat or sparkling beverage. When it comes to black cherry drinks, this Crystal Light mix absolutely puts the cherry on top.

Fruit Punch

Who doesn't remember going to a party and seeing a giant round bowl of red fruit punch? Whether you had Hawaiian Punch or Kool-Aid's fruit punch flavor, it's impossible to say that you've never gotten a chance to try this fruity beverage. Fruit punch can be a variety of colors, from blue to pink, though is most commonly red. It also can have different fruits mixed into it, though is often mixed with cherries, pineapples, and some sort of citrus fruit, like oranges. This next Crystal Light beverage is their Fruit Punch Drink Mix, which is portrayed on the box as a bright red beverage surrounded by cherries, blueberries, and oranges.

Lots of people love this fruity flavor of Crystal Light. It has a stronger flavor than many of the other drinks, and we can taste the flavors of different fruits, even though there's no fruit in this mix. One reviewer on Amazon writes that "I love the flavor of this Crystal Light. It is my favorite. I love adding it to a little sparkling water and it feels like I'm having a real treat!" Though this drink has a little more sodium than other flavors of Crystal Light, this was still as tasty as any Kool-Aid you've had — and with far fewer calories.

Peach Iced Tea

Feeling Peachy? We are too, with this next Crystal Light mix, their sugar-free Peach Iced Tea! This is one of the many tea drinks that Crystal Light has in their powdered mix lineup, and also is one of their caffeinated beverages. Peaches are soft and sweet, so to know that you aren't only getting a hint of the superb fruit in your drink, but are also able to get a kick of caffeine, really seals the deal with this Crystal Light beverage. It's the same color as the fruit, if a little more on the brown-tea side, and tastes just as good as any canned "Just Peachy" Peace Tea drink you may like to sip on a hot day.

The combination of peach and tea is already a brilliant concept: the sweetness of the peach balances out the normally not-so-sweet taste of the tea. This flavor is extremely popular on Amazon, and is one of Crystal Light's best sellers. One reviewer on Amazon writes that this is one of their favorite flavors, and that "The peach flavoring is really good yet not over-flavored. It's very refreshing and for a mix comes very close to home-brewed." If you're looking for a sweet (but not too sweet!) iced tea, then this drink will leave you feeling the same way we felt: Peachy!

Pink Lemonade

While some may avoid the drink due to what a few people might perceive to be a "girly" color, they're missing out if they've never tried a glass of pink lemonade before. We have drinks that are named after the fruit they contain, and there are drinks that are named after the hue of the beverage, but pink lemonade is a unique drink that is named after both its color (pink) and the fruit (lemonade). Pink lemons exist, though they don't make pink lemonade — Crystal Light's Pink Lemonade Drink Mix, however, does turn into a beautifully bright pink drink the moment the water mixes with the powder.

This pink drink might not be from Starbucks, but it tastes exactly like a pink lemonade that you'd find at a lemonade stand. It's got that nice sweet taste that lemonade usually has, and the same tart kick that we love about the lemon-y drink. Some might consider the tartness a little overwhelming, but that's what we love about this summer beverage. This ranks above the normal lemonade mix not only for its pretty color, but we also found it tasted slightly sweeter — even though there's no sugar. Out of all the pink drinks Crystal Light has to offer, you won't be disappointed with this perfectly pink lemonade.

Lemon Iced Tea

How could we not put a classic lemonade iced tea towards the top of this list? A piping hot mug of chamomile or earl gray with a dash on honey might be perfect for a sore throat or cold winter morning, but when summer and spring kick off, a colder iced tea is perfect for any occasion. Add a little lemonade to it, and you've got yourself a perfectly sweet lemonade iced tea. While Crystal Light's Lemon Iced Tea Drink Mix might not be prepared the same way a homemade lemon iced tea is, it's just as thirst-quenching. If you're trying to save some room for a sugary dessert at a summer party or for the Fourth of July, then this drink mix is perfect for your taste buds.

This lemonade iced tea comes out the same dark almost caramel color as your standard lemonade iced tea, and tastes just like the real thing. Reviewers on Amazon love the taste of this lemon iced tea, and claim that they can taste both the lemon and the sweet tea of the drink, even though it's a mix. One shopper on Amazon expresses that "it's great for anyone who needs to keep hydrated but gets bored by the lack of flavor water has." If you're looking for the best iced tea product Crystal Light has to offer, then this is it.

Raspberry Lemonade

The Crystal Light drink mix that places third on this list also happens to be the final lemonade flavor the brand offers. While the Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade Mix isn't as much of a classic as regular or pink lemonade, this beverage surpassed the other flavors thanks to its incredibly sweet and fruity flavor. When you mix this drink, the color starts off as a little murkier than the bright and colorful pink or yellow of the other lemonades. However, as it fills up, it starts to take on a darker, more raspberry color. If you were smart enough not to let the darker color steer you away, then you know just how great the raspberry lemonade is.

Raspberries tend to be more sweet than tart, and the raspberry lemonade of Crystal Light is certainly less tart than the other two lemonades, which we thought was actually a nice twist on a lemonade drink. It does have a tang to it, but it's balanced out by the sweet raspberry flavoring, making for a wonderfully refreshing drink. This flavor is also pretty common in stores, so you can likely find it in your nearest Target or Giant. If you're looking for a drink that truly tastes like raspberries, then this drink is perfect to pair with a shepherd salad or cold cut sandwich at lunch.

Classic Orange

We all remember waking up in the morning to buttermilk flapjacks and an ice-cold glass of orange juice. Orange is a universally loved flavor, and whether it's orange soda or orange cream pops, there's no denying the orange fascination that has swept across the world. Despite the many orange-flavored drinks available, it's difficult to find one that is minimal in sugar yet captures the citrusy taste of a glass of orange juice. When we first tried Crystal Light's Classic Orange Flavor, we were shocked by just how authentic it tasted, and it took us right back to our favorite morning breakfast drinks.

The classic orange flavor is a lot like the Citrus offering of Crystal Light, with more orange flavor as opposed to an ambiguous citrus taste. The boxes do look similar though, so make sure you're reading the flavor labeling before purchasing this beverage. While it doesn't have any caffeine in it, there was nothing we could complain about in regards to the flavor of this drink, and we wish it was just as popular as the lemonades and iced teas. Nevertheless, if you see the orange-colored box of this Crystal Light flavor, you won't be disappointed, and this drink will make your day just as refreshing as a real glass of OJ.

Cherry Pomegranate

The first time we tried this flavor, we were instantly blown away. If we're being honest, Crystal Light's Cherry Pomegranate mix was one of the greatest drink mixes we've ever had. If Crystal Light only made this one mix for the rest of our lives, we'd be satisfied. This drink was on par with Kool-Aid's red drinks. This drink packs a lot of flavor, and is perfect to mix in with your SodaStream drinks, or even to stand alone. When you first add the water in with the glass of the mix, you are met with a solid red color, much like a cherry Hawaiian Punch drink – but more dark and bold.

That translates into the flavor as well, as you can taste the wonderful combination of rich pomegranate juice and the sweet flavor of cherry. The only thing we'd be worried about with this drink is staining our clothes and teeth, though we wouldn't mind a couple of stains on our shirts if we get to drink this beverage again. One reviewer on Amazon captures our thoughts perfectly, writing "It is a delightful mix of pomegranate and cherry, perfectly and evenly balanced so that one does not stand out over the other. You'll like it!" We didn't just like it — we loved it. If you only drink one Crystal Light in your life, it's got to be Cherry Pomegranate.