The Best Haribo Gummy Candies Actually Aren't The Classic Bears

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Today's confectionery forecast is cloudy with a chance of berry. In our ranking of popular Haribo gummy candies, Berry Clouds beat Goldbears and came out on top — and it was no easy decision. Who could pick between the chain's Happy Cherries and its Ginger-Lemons? Answer: Tasting Table. Now, we're here to explain our decision in crowning the candy that ultimately took us to cloud nine.

If you haven't tried them before (you're missing out), the Haribo website describes its cloud-shaped candies as "a triple-layer foam gummi with a soft, cloud-like texture." Haribo Berry Clouds are tri-color (red, blue, and purple) and tri-flavor (Strawberry, Blueberry, and Wildberry), bottomed by a creamy white "cloud" layer. Visually, texturally, and flavor-wise, that creamy cloud-like base is what makes these foamy, marshmallow-y bad boys stand out from the pack. Indeed, Haribo's mastery of chewy-firm-toothy texture is arguably what makes its offerings so iconic amongst the vast gummy candy category. 

That standout texture even got a nod in Season 1 Episode 3 of the culinary-centered and realistic FX series "The Bear," when Chef Carmy describes an esteemed plum gelée dessert that was supposed to be "the consistency of Haribo gummy bears, which we could never do. Thick but also squishy. But not too squishy. No one could do it." It's that classic, inimitable Haribo toothiness that makes these soft, chewy Berry Clouds Tasting Table's top pick — praise which cannot be given to Haribo's weirdly-textured Sour S'ghetti, which fell to last place in our ranking.

When it comes to popular gummy candies, texture is what sets apart the good treats from the great ones, and it's texturally that Haribo's Berry Clouds truly stand out. As we noted in our review, Haribo gummy candies tend to be "a little on the translucent side with a gummy toughness to them." But the brand's Berry Clouds stray slightly from this texture and it totally works, upping the already-craveable ante with extra thickness and more chew per individual candy.

Reddit fans rave, "I love the gummies with the fluffy white puff on the bottom" and "my favourite kind of gummy! Fruity with the puffy lil base!" One Walmart reviewer states that Berry Clouds are "like Trolli's Strawberry Puffs but better. I love the gummy texture of these — light and not super chewy, with a little bit of sour and a nice fruity taste." 

Haribo Berry Clouds are a relatively new product, first hitting the market in 2023 after three years of thorough research and development beginning in 2020. When they finally got their release, Berry Clouds won the prestigious 2023 Product of the Year USA award in the non-chocolate candy category. At the time of the win, Haribo of America Senior Associate Brand Manager, Terry Do, said in a press release: "We prioritize innovation because we know our consumers are looking for new and exciting treats, and our whimsical Berry Clouds deliver on both."