You’ve had sweet, you’ve had sour. You’ve even had weird candies. But do you dare to try spicy? Spicy candy has actually been around for ages in many parts of the world (looking at you, Mexican candy). But the trend has taken off in the U.S., and we’re all about it!
Most Americans are familiar with Red Hots and Hot Tamales, those bright red chewy candies flavored with cinnamon. But today’s spicy candy is a whole new ballgame, with much more intense levels of heat as well as expanded flavor profiles to reflect different cultures. Old favorites like Starburst and Sour Patch Kids are heating up their recipes with chili and lime, while totally new candies flavored with tongue-singeing peppers are cropping up to join the ranks of the world’s spiciest candy.
Scroll down to check out a list of the hottest candies in the world.
The Hottest Candy in the World
Kick’n Mango-Lime Red Hots
These are not your grandma’s Red Hots. Lots of international candy is based on combinations of fruit and chilis, and Kick’n Mango-Lime Red Hots take inspiration from this sour-spicy combo. Get ready for seriously mouth-popping flavor.
Sweet Heat: Starburst and Skittles
We didn’t see that coming either! Known for tart fruity flavors, Starburst and Skittles now offer some extra heat with their Sweet Heat line. If there’s anything better than sour fruit candies, it’s spicy fruit candies!
Sour Patch Kids Fire
First they’re sour, then they’re sweet – and then apparently they’re spicy. It was probably only a matter of time before these notoriously sassy candies ventured into a different kind of mouth-puckering flavor. Try at your own risk, and be careful around any pranksters in your life, because these little guys look a lot like regular Sour Patch Kids.
Hot Tamales 3 Alarm
Classic Hot Tamales not hot enough for you? Try tripling that heat. The neatest thing about these novelty Hot Tamales is that you get pieces in three different colors – dark red, bright red, and orange – signifying three different spice levels. You might want to grab a glass of milk!
Atomic Fireballs
There’s no way to underestimate the heat in a candy with a name like that! Invented by the same company that gave us Lemonheads, Atomic Fireballs prove that cinnamon-based candy can pack just as much heat as the rest of them. Well… with a little help from capsaicin, the super spicy chemical that makes hot peppers burn.
Hot Cinnamon Candy Flaming Hearts
Like Sour Patch, Hot Cinnamon Candy Flaming Hearts may look sweet, but they pack a famously hot punch. Unless your sweetheart has a “heat tooth” and actively seeks out the hottest candies in the world, maybe just stick with regular conversation hearts this Valentine’s Day.
Unbearably Hot Cinnamon Candy Bears
Did you know Jelly Belly has made their own foray into the spicy candy world? Apparently these cinnamon-flavored gummy bears are unBEARably spicy. So if you love gummy candies with some extra heat, these might be the treat for you.
Hot Lix Pepper Suckers
Yes, these hard candy lollipops contain actual peppers! If you’re up to the challenge, you can try Hot Lix in red chili, jalapeño, or habanero flavor. Talk about a sucker-punch…
Incidentally, Hot Lix also makes lollipops that contain real bugs, like scorpions and crickets. When they say their pepper pops are “hot,” we believe them.
De la Rosa Pulparindo
Mexico is home to tons of chili-covered candies, but one of the most popular is de la Rosa’s Pulparindo. This delectably unique candy is made from tamarind pulp covered with sugar, salt, and chili pepper. It’s this sweet, salty, sour, and spicy combo that makes some people call Pulparindo “addictive.” For those who want robust flavor and not just searing heat, this is the candy to try.
A**-Kicking Ghost Pepper Jelly Beans
If you’re seeking the hottest candy in the world, you can’t go wrong with this one. This ghost pepper candy is so spicy, they put it in the name. The ghost pepper is all the rage right now, famous for hitting around a million on the Scoville heat scale. That means it’s spicier than pretty much all of your standard peppers, up through jalapeño and habanero. If that sounds like a tasty challenge to you, you might want to grab yourself some of these truly fiery jelly beans!
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