Swedish candy is having a moment — but with hundreds of options, where do you actually start? This guide ranks the 10 best Swedish candies for first-timers, organized from most crowd-pleasing to most adventurous. No surprise salmiak, no extreme licorice — just the picks that convert new fans every time.
The TL;DR Starter Pack
If you only buy three things: BUBS Sour Skulls (sour gummy), Marabou Mjölkchoklad (chocolate), and Ahlgrens Bilar (the uniquely Swedish one). That covers three completely different candy experiences and will tell you what you like.
How We Picked These
We chose based on three criteria: does it taste good to someone with American candy expectations, is it distinctly Swedish (not just a slightly different gummy bear), and can you actually buy it from the US? Everything on this list hits all three.
The 10 Best Swedish Candies for First-Timers
1. BUBS Sour Skulls — The Crowd Favorite
Category: Sour gummy | Difficulty: Easy | Where to buy: Online, Amazon
BUBS Sour Skulls are the reason Swedish candy went viral on TikTok. The sour coating is intense — more face-puckering than Sour Patch Kids — and the gummy underneath is soft and packed with real fruit flavor. Naturally colored with spirulina and beetroot (no Red 40). If you only try one Swedish candy, this is the one.
American comparison: Like a dramatically better Sour Patch Kid
2. Marabou Mjölkchoklad — The Chocolate Revelation
Category: Milk chocolate | Difficulty: Easy | Where to buy: IKEA, online, Amazon
Marabou's milk chocolate bar is what makes people say "I didn't know chocolate could taste like this." Real cocoa butter (not vegetable oils), creamy texture, and a richness that American milk chocolate doesn't come close to. Available at IKEA for ~$4-5, making it one of the easiest Swedish candies to try.
American comparison: Imagine Hershey's but smooth, creamy, and actually chocolate-flavored
3. Ahlgrens Bilar — The Uniquely Swedish One
Category: Foam/marshmallow | Difficulty: Medium | Where to buy: IKEA, online
Ahlgrens Bilar (Ahlgren's Cars) is Sweden's #1 best-selling candy and there's nothing like it in America. They're car-shaped, marshmallow-ish, with subtle fruit flavors (lemon, orange, raspberry). The texture is unique — not gummy, not marshmallow, but something in between. Some Americans are confused at first, most become fans by the third piece.
American comparison: Nothing. This is genuinely unique.
🛒 Shop at Mums Swedish Candy →
🛒 Also available at Swedish Sweets →
4. Daim — The Gateway Bar
Category: Chocolate/caramel | Difficulty: Easy | Where to buy: IKEA, online, Amazon
Daim is a thin bar of crunchy almond caramel covered in milk chocolate. Like a Skor bar, but better. The caramel shatters satisfyingly when you bite, then melts into the chocolate. This is the easiest "gateway" for Americans because the format is familiar — it's a candy bar — but the quality is unmistakably Swedish.
American comparison: Like a premium Skor/Heath bar
5. BUBS Watermelon Skulls — The Mellow Option
Category: Sweet gummy | Difficulty: Easy | Where to buy: Online, Amazon
If BUBS Sour Skulls are too intense for you (or for kids), the Watermelon Skulls are the sweeter, milder sibling. Same naturally colored gummy, same soft texture, but with a sweet watermelon flavor instead of face-puckering sour. These are especially popular with kids and people who prefer sweet over sour.
American comparison: Like a much softer, naturally flavored Watermelon Sour Patch Kid (minus the sour)
6. Tutti Frutti — The Classic Fruit Gummy
Category: Fruit gummy | Difficulty: Easy | Where to buy: Online
Tutti Frutti is a classic Swedish fruit gummy assortment — each piece is a different shape and flavor, naturally colored with fruit and vegetable concentrates. The flavors are more distinct and fruit-forward than American gummies. If you like gummy bears, you'll love Tutti Frutti.
American comparison: Like Haribo but softer, with real fruit flavors and no artificial dyes
7. Plopp — The Fun Name, Great Candy
Category: Chocolate/toffee | Difficulty: Easy | Where to buy: Online, some IKEA
Yes, the name makes Americans giggle. But Plopp is a genuinely delicious candy — soft toffee covered in Cloetta milk chocolate. The toffee center is chewy (not hard or brittle like Daim) and the chocolate coating is thick and rich. Once you get past the name, it's one of the most satisfying Swedish candy bars.
American comparison: Like a Rolo, but with better chocolate and softer toffee
🛒 Shop at Mums Swedish Candy →
🛒 Also available at Swedish Sweets →
8. Dumle — The Caramel Lover's Pick
Category: Chocolate/caramel | Difficulty: Easy | Where to buy: Online, some IKEA
Dumle is a chewy caramel wrapped in chocolate. Simple concept, excellent execution. The caramel is buttery and long-lasting, the chocolate coating is smooth Fazer chocolate. These are addictively easy to eat — the bag will disappear faster than you expect.
American comparison: Like a Milk Dud but genuinely good
9. Malaco Gott & Blandat — The Sampler
Category: Mixed bag | Difficulty: Medium | Where to buy: IKEA, online
"Good and Mixed" is the best Swedish candy sampler you can buy. Each bag contains an assortment of gummies, foam candy, and mild licorice — giving you a taste of several Swedish candy textures and flavors in one bag. The licorice pieces are mild (not salmiak), so it's safe for beginners. Available at most IKEAs.
American comparison: Like a Haribo mix but with wider variety and a couple of mild licorice pieces thrown in
10. Djungelvrål — The Adventurous Pick
Category: Salty licorice | Difficulty: Hard | Where to buy: Online
Djungelvrål ("Jungle Roar") is your first step into the wild world of salty Swedish licorice. It's not extreme — the saltiness and salmiak are moderate — but it's definitely different from anything in American candy aisles. We include it because no Swedish candy education is complete without trying at least mild salty licorice. Many people who think they hate licorice discover they love it with this candy.
American comparison: Nothing. Welcome to Scandinavia.
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Building Your First Order
Based on your candy preferences, here's what to order:
- Love sour candy? → BUBS Sour Skulls + Tutti Frutti
- Chocolate person? → Marabou Mjölkchoklad + Daim + Plopp
- Adventurous? → All of the above + Djungelvrål + Gott & Blandat
- Shopping for kids? → BUBS Watermelon Skulls + Ahlgrens Bilar + Tutti Frutti
- Just want the essentials? → BUBS Sour Skulls + Marabou + Ahlgrens Bilar
Where to Buy
Three options depending on your patience level:
- Right now (no shipping): IKEA — limited selection but authentic and instant
- Fast shipping (Prime): Amazon — good for individual items
- Best selection: Online Swedish candy stores — BonBon, Sockerbit, Swedish Candy Store
For the complete buying guide with store reviews, see our where to buy Swedish candy guide. And once you've tried the basics, check our complete beginner's guide to Swedish candy for the deeper story behind the culture.
Founder & Editor
Former Swedish candy & FMCG professional turned US-based founder of SwedishCrave. Built the site to fill the gap he saw when he moved stateside.
