In recent years, Joyride has risen to prominence in the market for lower-sugar and healthier alternative candies. Their aim has consistently been to deliver the flavors you crave without the usual sugar load. For a brand that shuns artificial coloring and excessive sugars, it’s quite impressive that they’ve managed to keep producing treats that people genuinely want to eat.
With every new flavor they released, we stayed curious about how they actually tasted and whether they serve as a genuine alternative to the usual full-sugar candies. When Joyride invited us to sample their holiday lineup, we saw it as a prime chance to compare the fresh flavors. After all, the holidays bring plenty of sugar your way. A lighter option to snack on during the festivities is something we’re glad to welcome. Let’s dive into the review, shall we?
Our Official Sporked Ranking
- Sour Santa Smacks
-
What I genuinely appreciated about these candies is that they aren’t attempting to mimic the artificial flavors that many healthier candy options still use, simply without the sugar. Instead, the taste comes across as much more natural and familiar. These bears, in particular, embody that idea well, since they evoke a nostalgic Welch’s Fruit Snacks vibe. And the texture carries a similar energy too.
Not only does the gummy’s cell-like shape hint at the holiday season, but the red and green hues make them feel even more festive. If you’re searching for a festive alternative to gummy bears to enjoy during the holidays that still feels celebratory, this is the package I’d reach for most. Plus, the slight sour kick from the outer coating lends these a more refined and nuanced flavor.
- Polar Cherry Sour Strips
-
Right away, these set a high bar for Joyride. Cherry can easily come across as medicinal if mishandled, but these stay in the juicy and fruity territory. The cherry flavor is authentic and not overly artificial. Not only is the actual fruit flavor pleasant on its own, but as someone who has a knack for detecting artificial, zero-sugar sweeteners, this didn’t present much of that issue. And there isn’t a strong aftertaste from the sweetener either.
The texture is addictive here as well. The candies feature vertical stripes, allowing you to tear off and eat the strips individually, or to chew larger chunks depending on your preference. One odd note is the coating: a granular, sweet-and-sour exterior signals that these aren’t your standard gummies. The sour aspect is pronounced, but the sweetness doesn’t dominate.
- Frosted Polar Bears
-
Prior to trying this final flavor, I hadn’t fully realized how critical the balance between sweet and tart, acidic notes was to the overall success of these offerings. Each of the earlier flavors hit that balance well, but I can’t say the same for these. Not only was the berry flavor disappointing in comparison to the others, but the texture also suffered noticeably. They felt denser, and each flavor came across as a bit more odd and off-putting than the last. I would happily finish any of the other flavors we sampled today, but I wouldn’t point you toward these. That said, if you already enjoy black currant and similarly fruity berries in gummy form, these might still appeal to you.
