IKEA's Swedish Food Market is most Americans' first encounter with Swedish candy. But how does IKEA candy compare to what you'd find in a real Swedish candy store? We compared everything.
Is IKEA Candy Real Swedish Candy?
Yes — and no. The candy you find in IKEA's Swedish Food Market is genuinely imported from Sweden, mostly from Malaco and Cloetta, two of the country's biggest candy manufacturers. The ingredient lists match what you'd find in Swedish grocery stores. The chocolate is real Marabou. The Daim bars are identical to what Swedes eat.
But IKEA's candy selection is like visiting Sweden through an airport gift shop. You get a curated sample of the safe, mainstream options — while missing the wilder, more interesting products that make Swedish candy culture so distinctive. Think of IKEA as a legitimate introduction, not the full experience.
What IKEA Gets Right About Swedish Candy
Authentic brands and ingredients
IKEA sources directly from Swedish manufacturers. The Marabou chocolate at IKEA is the same Marabou you'd buy at an ICA supermarket in Stockholm — real cocoa butter, natural vanilla, no PGPR or vegetable oil fillers. The Malaco gummies and licorice use the same natural colorings and EU-standard ingredients as their Swedish versions.
This matters because some American retailers sell "Swedish style" or "Nordic inspired" candy that's actually made in the US with American ingredients (including synthetic dyes like Red 40). At IKEA, what you're getting is the genuine article.
Competitive pricing
IKEA's pricing on Swedish candy is often the best you'll find without ordering in bulk. A Marabou bar typically costs $4-6 at IKEA versus $6-10 from online importers. Daim bags are similarly well-priced. Since IKEA imports massive volumes for their 400+ worldwide stores, their per-unit costs are lower than smaller specialty retailers.
No shipping wait
Walk in, grab candy, walk out. For Americans used to ordering Swedish candy online and waiting 3-7 days (or paying premium for expedited shipping), the instant gratification of IKEA is a genuine advantage. No melting risk from summer shipping, no damaged packages.
What IKEA Gets Wrong (Or Skips Entirely)
No BUBS — the biggest gap
The most glaring omission from IKEA's candy selection is BUBS. Most IKEAs don't carry BUBS Sour Skulls, Watermelon, Dizzy Skull, or any of the BUBS products that made Swedish candy go viral on TikTok. This is like visiting Italy without trying pizza — BUBS is arguably the most exciting thing happening in Swedish candy right now, and IKEA doesn't carry it.
Why? BUBS is owned by Orkla (not Cloetta, which supplies most of IKEA's candy), and IKEA's food market deals tend to be exclusive arrangements with specific distributors. The result is a selection that's authentic but incomplete.
Minimal licorice and salmiak selection
Swedish candy culture runs on licorice. From mild, sweet licorice to intensely salty salmiak that makes your eyes water, the licorice spectrum is vast and central to Scandinavian candy identity. IKEA typically carries one or two basic licorice options — usually Skipper's Pipes or a Malaco licorice mix — while a real Swedish candy store might offer 20-40 licorice varieties.
If you've never tried salmiak, IKEA won't give you the opportunity. You'll need to order Djungelvrål or Saltlakrits from a dedicated retailer to experience what Swedish licorice is really about.
No pick-and-mix (lösgodis)
The heart of Swedish candy culture is lösgodis — choosing individual candies from bins to build your own custom bag. Most IKEA locations phased out their pick-and-mix stations years ago. Without lösgodis, you're limited to pre-packaged bags, which removes the personalization and discovery that makes Swedish candy shopping special.
Some IKEA locations in Scandinavia still have lösgodis walls, but the vast majority of American stores do not.
Variable freshness
IKEA's candy turnover depends entirely on store traffic. High-volume locations (NYC, LA, major metro areas) move product quickly, so freshness is usually fine. Smaller, lower-traffic IKEAs may have bags sitting on shelves for months. Swedish candy uses fewer preservatives than American candy, which means a stale bag of Malaco gummies is noticeably worse than a fresh one.
Always check the best-by date. If the date is less than 3 months away, the candy has been on the shelf a while and may have lost some texture quality.
What to Buy at IKEA vs. What to Order Online
Best buys at IKEA
- Marabou chocolate bars: Best IKEA price for Sweden's #1 chocolate. Keeps well, rarely a freshness issue.
- Daim bars and bags: Often the cheapest source. The bite-sized bags are perfect for sharing.
- Malaco Gott & Blandat: Classic Swedish mixed bag with gummies and licorice pieces. A good intro to the variety of Swedish candy.
- Polly and Polly Röd: Chocolate-covered foam bites. Unique texture, rarely found outside IKEA or specialty importers.
- Kexchoklad: Chocolate-covered wafer bars that outsell Kit-Kat in Scandinavia. Light, crispy, and surprisingly addictive.
- Polkagris (peppermint sticks): Traditional striped peppermint candy that's hard to find online. Worth grabbing if they have them.
Skip at IKEA — order online instead
- BUBS anything: IKEA doesn't carry it. Order from BonBon, Mums, or other specialty stores.
- Salmiak licorice: IKEA's licorice selection is too limited. For the full range, you need a dedicated retailer.
- Fazer chocolate: Fazer is Finnish, not Swedish, and IKEA focuses on Swedish brands. Order Fazer Blue from specialty stores.
- Candy People / S-Märke: Surt Skum and Supersurt aren't typically at IKEA. These are among Sweden's best sour candies.
- Pick-and-mix experience: Can only be done through dedicated online candy stores.
- Seasonal and limited edition: IKEA stocks a fixed rotation. Specialty stores get seasonal releases, holiday editions, and new flavors first.
IKEA Candy Price Comparison
How does IKEA stack up on pricing? Here's a rough comparison for popular items:
| Product | IKEA Price | Online Store Price | Amazon Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marabou Mjölkchoklad 200g | $4-5 | $6-8 | $7-10 |
| Daim bag 200g | $4-5 | $5-7 | $6-9 |
| Malaco Gott & Blandat | $3-4 | $4-6 | $5-8 |
| Kexchoklad 8-pack | $4-5 | $5-7 | $6-9 |
| BUBS Sour Skulls | Not available | $6-8 | $8-12 |
Prices are approximate and vary by location and time. IKEA prices are consistently lowest for items they carry.
The IKEA Swedish Candy Experience: What to Expect
If you've never visited IKEA's Swedish Food Market specifically for candy, here's what the experience looks like:
The candy section is usually located at the end of the store, near the checkout area, alongside Swedish food items like lingonberry jam, crispbread, and meatball gravy. It typically occupies one to three shelving units, depending on the store size. Products are clearly labeled with Swedish names (with English translations), and pricing is straightforward.
How to make the most of your IKEA candy trip
Go with a plan: Decide beforehand whether you want chocolate (Marabou, Daim), gummies (Malaco, Ahlgrens Bilar), or a mix. IKEA's selection rotates slightly, so not everything is always available.
Buy chocolate in bulk: Marabou bars store well and the IKEA price is unbeatable. Grab 3-4 bars if you find them — you won't regret it. The Schweizernöt (hazelnut) and regular Mjölkchoklad are the safest bets.
Try one thing you've never heard of: The beauty of IKEA's candy section is low-risk experimentation. A $4 bag of something unfamiliar won't break the bank. Polly Röd (dark chocolate-covered raspberry foam) or Malaco Gott & Blandat are good options for adventurous first-timers.
Check the seasonal section: Around Christmas, Easter, and midsommar, IKEA sometimes stocks seasonal Swedish candy that isn't available year-round. These limited-edition items are worth grabbing when you see them.
What IKEA teaches you about Swedish candy culture
Even with its limited selection, IKEA introduces several concepts that define Swedish candy:
- Quality over flashiness: Swedish candy packaging is clean and understated compared to the neon explosions of American candy aisles. The product speaks for itself.
- Licorice is normal: The presence of licorice products alongside chocolate and gummies signals that in Sweden, licorice isn't niche — it's mainstream.
- Ingredient transparency: Swedish candy labels list every ingredient clearly. Compare a Marabou label to a Hershey's label and you'll notice the difference immediately — shorter lists, recognizable ingredients.
- The lördagsgodis mindset: Swedish candy isn't positioned as an impulse buy. It's presented as something worth choosing carefully — a small luxury, not a thoughtless snack.
Our Verdict: Start at IKEA, Graduate to Specialty Stores
IKEA is a genuinely good introduction to Swedish candy. The products are authentic, the prices are fair, and the convenience is unbeatable. If you've never tried Swedish candy before, picking up some Marabou chocolate and a bag of Malaco gummies from IKEA is the easiest possible starting point.
But once you've tasted what IKEA offers and want to go deeper — if you want the viral sour gummies that broke TikTok, the intense salmiak licorice, the full pick-and-mix experience — you'll need to order from a dedicated Swedish candy retailer. IKEA shows you the mainstream. Specialty stores show you why Swedish candy has taken over TikTok.
For a complete breakdown of what's available at IKEA and which locations have the best selection, check our detailed IKEA Swedish candy guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is IKEA candy the same quality as real Swedish candy?
Yes — the candy sold at IKEA is imported from the same Swedish manufacturers (Malaco, Cloetta, Marabou) that supply Swedish grocery stores. The ingredients, formulations, and quality are identical. The difference is in selection breadth, not product quality. IKEA carries 15-25 products; a dedicated Swedish candy store carries 100-200+.
Does IKEA still have pick and mix candy?
Most American IKEA locations no longer have lösgodis (pick-and-mix) stations. Some Scandinavian IKEAs still do, but it's increasingly rare in the US. For pick-and-mix, order from online specialty stores that offer build-your-own bag options.
Does IKEA carry BUBS candy?
Most IKEA stores do not carry BUBS products. BUBS is owned by Orkla, while IKEA's candy supply deals are primarily with Cloetta (which owns Malaco and other brands). To get BUBS Sour Skulls and other viral BUBS products, order from dedicated Swedish candy retailers or Amazon.
Is IKEA candy cheaper than ordering Swedish candy online?
For the products IKEA carries, yes — IKEA pricing is typically 20-40% lower than online importers. They benefit from massive import volumes and don't charge shipping. However, IKEA doesn't carry many products that specialty stores do (BUBS, Fazer, artisan licorice), so the comparison only applies to overlapping products.
Which IKEA stores have the best Swedish candy selection?
Larger, higher-traffic IKEA locations in major metro areas (NYC area, LA, Chicago, DFW) tend to have the widest selection and freshest inventory. Smaller suburban locations may have a more limited Food Market with fewer candy options and older stock. The Elizabeth, NJ and Burbank, CA locations are often cited by Swedish candy enthusiasts as having particularly good selections.
Can I buy IKEA candy online?
IKEA's online store carries some food items, but the candy selection available for delivery is more limited than what you'll find in-store. Shipping food items from IKEA can also be expensive relative to the product cost. For online Swedish candy ordering, dedicated retailers like Mums, BonBon, and Swedish Candy Store offer better selection and competitive shipping rates. Check our Amazon guide for another convenient online option.
Are IKEA candy ingredients different from what Swedes actually eat?
No — the formulations are identical. IKEA imports the same products that are sold in Swedish grocery stores, with the same EU-standard ingredients. The Marabou chocolate at your local IKEA uses the same real cocoa butter and natural vanilla as the Marabou bar on a shelf in Stockholm. The only difference is that Swedish grocery stores carry 10x the variety that IKEA does. For a full comparison of Swedish vs American candy ingredients, see our detailed breakdown.
Is the candy in IKEA's restaurant the same as the packaged candy?
IKEA's restaurant and bistro sometimes serve Swedish candy and desserts (like Daim cake or chocolate), but these are prepared versions rather than the packaged retail products. The packaged candy in the Swedish Food Market section is what you want for an authentic take-home experience. The Daim bar you buy packaged is the same product the restaurant uses in its Daim cake.
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.
