Sour Patch Kids Cherry Review: Tart And Tangy Treats Have Never Tasted So Sweet

Of all the amazing flavors those geniuses behind Sour Patch Kids could think of to spin off into a solo show, sour cherry seems to be a highly logical pick. It's one of the most familiar fruit and candy flavors in the world, and when done properly, it comes with an element of nostalgia that transports everybody back into the world of old-fashioned confections. For such a modern candy to choose a classic flavor like cherry rather than a wild hybrid peanut-butter-melon or banana-bacon-grape for its limited edition release shows that this confectionery factory honors its roots authentically rather than opting for weird inventions.

Is it possible that Sour Patch Kids could top the usual flavor family with a novel take on its humanoid-shaped chews packaged in a more food-oriented shape? Or does a cherry-flavored, cherry-shaped offshoot of the original treat fall too far from the family tree? There's not a chance in Candyland that I'd skip the chance to bite into these sugary bits to discover the truth about Sour Patch Kids Cherry candies. So off I went into the wild world of the Sour Patch to find out just how this new crop compares ranks among other Sour Patch flavors and what it adds to the growing panoply of products in the Patch's portfolio.

Keeping things in perspective — this is candy, after all — you may think twice before ripping into a bag of Sour Patch Kids Cherry and grabbing a handful. A scant seven piece serving — what we in the snacking game call "just getting started"— comes up to 110 calories and 24 grams of sugar! Compared to the Sour Patch Kids nutrition facts for the strawberry-shaped version of the candy, which provide 120 calories and 25 grams of sugar, the layout is awfully similar. With cherry' allowing a seven-piece serving versus strawberry's nine-piece serving, you get plenty of cherry-flavored candy to enjoy for a similar dietary sacrifice.

In addition to the less-than-nutritious base ingredients, there's a selection of synthetic dyes with unattractive names like red 40, yellow 5, and blue 1, which are nothing out of the ordinary for the Kids or their side offerings from the patch. Though these substances help the carnauba wax and corn syrup take on its vibrant red-and-green hue to mimic actual cherries, the USDA recommends they be consumed in very restricted quantities due to potentially negative health side effects. Red 40 in particular is an albatross around the necks of snackers who can't resist noshes that are sweet and colorful. Minimizing consumption of this additive is highly recommended, which means enjoying Sour Patch Kids Cherry with caution.

Anyone intrigued enough to give Sour Patch Cherry candies a try can head to Walmart to score their own goodie bag, similar to other temporary releases like 2023's Sour Patch Kids Popcorn. The package says it's share size, though this is a suggestion, not a requirement. Any Sour Patch fan worth their sugar could easily devour a bag this large all on their own, though if they're wise, they'll dole out the portions over the week to avoid picking up a dastardly case of Gummy Tummy or symptoms of eating too much sour candy. It'll also make this limited-time-only delight last a little longer.

The 10.86-ounce bag contains approximately 10 seven-piece servings, and the pieces inside are notably larger than the usual piece of Sour Patch candy. This is bound to please devoted fans who love shoveling in the smaller candies one after another but sometimes think a bigger version would make for a more satisfying one-piece dip-in. There's no known release date, so you'll want to keep your eyes peeled on your next few Walmart runs to see when these cherries pop up to shake the candy tree.

It feels like the Sour Patch is expanding to become a full-fledged confectionery farm, with new fruit-shaped releases coming on a regular basis. Sour Patch Cherry is just the latest in a side collection separate from the kids themselves, a growing garden that includes watermelon, grape, strawberry, peach, and apple offerings. Some are found regularly on pegs and shelves at retailers with enough space to house the whole acreage, while others are pop-up crops that come and go like they have their own dedicated seasons. Half the fun of the Sour Patch enterprise is watching and waiting to see what the new fruit-flavored twist will be.

Hawk-eyed shoppers may find other versions of Sour Patch Cherry treats during online searches and in stops at specialty shops around the U.S. Cherry Blasters have made their way to listings on Amazon under the Canadian name Maynards Sour Patch Kids, while in 2022, American shoppers found Sour Patch Kids Cherry in 7-Eleven convenience stores. The main difference between previous releases and this new iteration is the shape; the current contemplation contains charming twin cherries topped with vivid green leaves, closer to a Pac-Man gobble or a slot machine win than the older treats.

Cherries may be a summer fruit in the produce world, but thanks to Sour Patch Kids, you can enjoy cherry candy as a featured fall flavor this year. There's no indication as to why cherry was the choice for a late-year release, but anyone who may have tasted the previous versions are sure to rejoice at giving them another go. Word is that the cherry in this take is slightly different from the prior formulation, so maybe it's just too exciting a prospect to sit on until next summer.

The hope that usually passes among candy fans is that a special release will prove popular enough to join the regular assemblage of existing options, something Sour Patch lovers will surely pick up on, considering previous appearances made by these cherry-flavored goodies. If you love what you taste too much to take a chance Sour Patch Kids Cherry disappearing, you have time to stock up on a solid stash to stave off cravings after the limited time offer runs out.

You won't find pocket-sized bags in the $2.00 impulse section of the grocery store like you find other Sour Patch Kids. Since the pouches are larger sized, you'll have to search in the regular candy aisle to harvest a bushel of these cherries for a cool $4.00-plus. But you'll have so many tartly sweet chews on hand, it'll be worth the extra expense.

While you have a veritable farm stand of Sour Patch produce at your disposal, you could easily grab the other fruit shapes and make a candy salad to get in on the craze going around the Internet. In this case, you could call yours a Sour Patch fruit cocktail and start a new fad. Toss in a few of the Kids for garnish and you have a themed treat to share with your fellow sugar fiends. For a more adult interpretation of Sour Patch Kid Cherry, you can turn your $4.00 bag into a tangy candy-flavored cocktail by dissolving them in vodka and turning the whole pouch into a high-octane juice with a sour cherry kick. With so much delicious potential, $4.00 a bag seems like a bargain.

Being a die-hard fan of Sour Patch everything, I was convinced well ahead of the taste test that this new-ish flavor would be a sweet success. But when I tore open the bag and grabbed a piece for a sample, the impact was far tastier than I'd anticipated. It could have been made too sour to be fun or too flat to be enjoyable. The truth is these cherry chewies are as close to a classic Jolly Rancher cherry candy as Sour Patch is likely to get. It's juicy and bright and brought a fun tingle to my tongue before I bit into it to get a splash of sweetness. It's not just the flavors that are exciting; the translucent red-and-green hues that can be seen beneath the sugary crust are a fun change-up from the usually opaque substance of Sour Patch everything.

Beyond the simple enjoyment of a modern gummy serving up vintage flavor, Sour Patch Kids are one of the few chewy candies that are vegan friendly, thanks to the omission of gelatin from the recipe. It's a done deal for plant-eaters who miss the squish of gummy-style and love the ice cream truck stylings of a chew that isn't afraid to ramp up the bold tart cherry taste.

Since Sour Patch Kids Cherry isn't available in stores yet, the manufacturer provided a sample for me to work from. Waiting for it to arrive was akin to watching the chimney in hopes of glimpsing Santa. I may have a too-close relationship with candy, but that's an issue for a different day. Needless to say, there was excitement a-plenty when I looked out the door to find the glowing yellow Sour Patch Kids box resting on my porch like a new friend.

If only there were an elegant way to describe how this taste test went. Sadly, it was something of a frenzy as I sliced through the packing tape and tore into the bag. A single piece was enough to deliver the full effect: a bit softer than the usual Sour Patch Kid thanks to the lingering summer heat, but every bit as powerful flavor-wise, and with the quintessential sugar crunch coating the exterior. I let the first sample sit for a few seconds to get the full impact of the flavor. After that, I kept returning to the bag for another sample to make sure I liked them as much as I thought I did. It turns out I was right from the start.