Sockerbit is taking Swedish pick & mix somewhere it has never been: the natural grocery aisle. The Swedish candy company announced on September 30 that it is partnering with Sprouts Farmers Market to launch packaged candy in nearly 500 Sprouts stores nationwide this October, plus a Swedish pick & mix bulk program in 17 stores across California and Florida. It is the first Swedish pick & mix program at a national natural grocery retailer.
What is actually launching
Two things, on two timelines. The packaged range lands first: a 12-SKU assortment of Sockerbit candy arriving in nearly 500 Sprouts stores during October. Everything is made with no high-fructose corn syrup and no Red 40, with natural flavors and colors.
The more interesting part is the bulk program. Seventeen Sprouts stores across California and Florida are getting a real Swedish pick & mix wall: 12 varieties to choose from, including four that are exclusive to Sprouts. Shoppers build their own bag from the bulk department, exactly like the lösgodis walls in Sweden.
Three new flavors, only at Sprouts
Sockerbit is using the launch to expand its best-selling Dream Series beyond the original Strawberry Dream for the first time. Banana Dream and Sour Berry Dream join the lineup, available in Sprouts bulk. Sockerbit Mallows are also making their grocery debut at Sprouts, led by Sour Peach, a new flavor launching exclusively with the retailer.
Why this matters
Sockerbit introduced Swedish pick & mix to the US back in 2010, and the company has been building the category here ever since. “This launch is meaningful to me because Pick & Mix has always been part of how I grew up with candy,” said co-founder Stefan Ernberg in the announcement. “It is about choosing your favorites, trying something new, and sharing the experience with the people around you.”
A pick & mix wall inside a mainstream natural grocer is a milestone for Swedish candy in America. It puts lösgodis in front of shoppers who have never set foot in a specialty candy store. If the pilot performs, expect more doors.
Sockerbit’s story started small. Husband-and-wife founders Florence Baras and Stefan Ernberg opened their first shop in New York’s West Village in 2010 after pooling some $500,000 in savings. “We opened New York with $8.65 in our account,” Baras told Inc. “We had to succeed.” With no marketing budget, they tapped the city’s Swedish expat network as brand ambassadors, and a second store followed in Los Angeles in 2014.
What this changes is the format, not just the availability. Until now, most Americans met Swedish candy as pre-packed bags at Target or Five Below. The Sprouts bulk wall is the actual Swedish ritual: fill your own bag, pay by weight, mix exactly what you like. If 17 pilot stores become hundreds, pick and mix stops being a specialty-store novelty and becomes a grocery aisle fixture. What the pilot has not revealed yet is bulk pricing, which will decide whether the wall competes with the pre-packed bags on value.
Sockerbit is also still expanding at Target, where its candy landed earlier this year. Read our Sockerbit at Target guide for what to buy there. New to the whole concept? Our pick & mix guide explains how to build a great bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Packaged Sockerbit candy arrives in Sprouts stores during October 2026. The bulk pick & mix pilot is already running in 17 stores.
Seventeen stores across California and Florida for now. The packaged range goes to nearly 500 Sprouts stores nationwide.
Banana Dream and Sour Berry Dream in bulk, plus Sour Peach Mallows. All three are Sprouts exclusives.
Yes. The Sprouts range is made with no high-fructose corn syrup and no Red 40, using natural flavors and colors.
At Target stores nationwide, from Sockerbit’s own shops, and online.
BUBS Just Dropped Two New Berry Flavors for Fall
BUBS is not slowing down. The Swedish candy brand that went from zero to more than 60,000 US retail stores in twelve months just added two berry flavors to its lineup for fall, plus a Halloween edition of its iconic skull. Here is what is new and where to find it.
Sour Forest Berries Ovals: Five Below exclusive
First up is Sour Forest Berries Ovals, a seriously sour mix of blueberry and raspberry in the soft, chewy texture BUBS is known for. It is available exclusively at Five Below in 5.5-ounce bags for $3.
Sweet Wild Berry Pomegranate Ovals: at Target
The second addition takes a sweeter approach, pairing strawberry with bold pomegranate in the light, foamy texture BUBS fans expect. Find it at Target in 8-ounce bags for $4.99 and 5.5-ounce bags for $3.19.
A Halloween Skalle, also at Five Below
BUBS is getting into the Halloween spirit for the first time. Its Lemon Raspberry Skalle, the distinctive skull shape, arrives in limited-edition Halloween packaging exclusively at Five Below for $3.
The BUBS formula stays the same
All BUBS candy is vegan-friendly and gluten-free, made without palm oil, high-fructose corn syrup, trans fats, or Red 40. “It has been incredible to watch BUBS go from a viral sensation to a staple on the US candy aisles,” said head of marketing Asa Gisel in the announcement. “These new flavors, sizes and seasonal designs are our way of giving fans even more of what they love, with plenty more still to come.”
BUBS is playing the long game in America. “We’re not in it to just capitalize on the hype,” Niclas Arnelin, who leads the brand’s international expansion, told Retail Brew. “We are in it for the long run. We want to be a big player in the market.” The brand was founded by Sweden’s Lindström family and sold to Norwegian food giant Orkla in 2023, just before the US craze hit. Its American candy is now made in Texas by Mount Franklin Foods.
The pattern worth noticing is retailer segmentation. Five Below gets the sour exclusives and the Halloween seasonal; Target gets the sweeter flavor in two sizes. If you want the full fall lineup, you will need to check both stores. It is also the clearest sign yet of the BUBS playbook: seasonal shapes and retailer-exclusive flavors feeding the viral cycle. With production now in Texas alongside the Swedish lines, the company is building for sustained US demand rather than a one-off spike.
Sour Forest Berries Ovals (blueberry and raspberry, sour) and Sweet Wild Berry Pomegranate Ovals (strawberry and pomegranate, sweet), plus a Halloween Lemon Raspberry Skalle.
Sour Forest Berries Ovals and the Halloween Skalle are Five Below exclusives. Sweet Wild Berry Pomegranate Ovals are at Target.
$3 for the 5.5-ounce Five Below bags. At Target, $4.99 for 8 ounces and $3.19 for 5.5 ounces.
Yes. All BUBS candy is vegan-friendly and gluten-free, made without palm oil, high-fructose corn syrup, trans fats, or Red 40.
We Compared 5 Swedish Candy Stores. The Winner Ships From Texas.
We compared the five biggest online Swedish candy stores shipping in the US (on price per pound, shipping speed, shipping cost, curation and freshness) and ranked them. Prices checked October 2026.
Quick verdict: our top 5, ranked
Sötsak: best overall: $19.99/lb, ships fast from Texas, genuinely curated mixes
Swedish Candy Land: best sale prices: $16.99/lb on sale, huge variety, ships from Sweden
Mums: the TikTok-famous one: fast & free shipping, 30-day risk-free
Sockerbit: best subscription: mixes from $12, packed in LA
1. Sötsak: the best place to order Swedish candy online
Sötsak is a Houston, Texas-based Swedish candy store that tops our ranking for one simple reason: it removes every annoyance of ordering Swedish candy online. The candy is 100% made in Sweden, but it’s packed and shipped from Texas, so you get real Swedish pick-and-mix freshness with fast, reliable US shipping and no waiting on an international parcel.
Price: $19.99 per 1 lb bag, $6.49 for 3.5 oz. No inflated “was $39.99” games. The price is the price. Five curated mixes cover every taste: Sweet & Sour, BUBS, Sour, Sweet and Fish. The Fish Mix is worth singling out: real Swedish candy fish with a completely different chew from the American “Swedish Fish”, no Red 40, no artificial flavors, no mineral oil.
Extras: a monthly subscription (1 lb of your choice plus a free 3.5 oz surprise mix each delivery), office candy plans and event gifting. If you want the single best overall ordering experience, start here: browse Sötsak’s mixes.
2. Swedish Candy Land: best sale prices
Swedish Candy Land is the price hunter’s pick. Their 1 lb mixes regularly sell at $16.99 (listed against $24.99), which undercuts everyone else on this list when the sales hit. The trade-off: orders ship from their warehouse in Sweden, so US delivery takes 3–6 business days, and shipping is $9.99 flat ($7.99 over $30, free over $70). Everything ships Delivered Duty Paid, so no surprise customs fees. The selection is enormous: BUBS, licorice, chocolate, vegan and gluten-free collections.
Best for: stocking up during sales and shoppers who want the widest selection.
3. Mums: the TikTok-famous pick
Mums (mumscandy.com) says it has served more than 250,000 customers since riding the #SwedishCandy TikTok wave, and the ordering experience is built for converts: fast & free shipping, secure payments and a 30-day risk-free purchase promise. Their Sweet and Sour Swedish Mix runs $28.99 (listed against $39.99), pricier per bag than Sötsak, but the mixes lean heavily on BUBS and viral favorites, and a $13.99 starter pack makes it cheap to try before committing.
Best for: first-timers who want the TikTok-famous unboxing experience with zero risk.
4. Sockerbit: best subscription
Sockerbit, the LA-based Scandinavian candy company now also selling in 1,900+ Target stores, is the subscription play: mixes from $12 with 15% off every subscription order and free shipping over $70. Bags are packed to order in Los Angeles for freshness, and the company leans into clean ingredients (non-GMO, no high fructose corn syrup, no trans fats).
Best for: set-and-forget monthly candy and shoppers who like a US brand with retail presence.
5. SwedishCandy.com: the solid all-rounder
SwedishCandy.com rounds out the list with fresh-packed mixes in 500g/1.1 lb, 1 kg and 2 kg sizes, a mix-your-own collection and the same clean-ingredient positioning (no GMOs, no Red 40, no parabens). A dependable option if you want bulk sizes the others don’t offer.
Best for: bulk buyers who want 2 kg bags.
Side-by-side: the top 5 compared
All prices per 1 lb (or closest size) as listed October 2026; sale prices change often. Check our live price comparisons before you buy.
Sötsak: $19.99/lb · ships from Texas, fast US delivery · 5 curated mixes · subscription available
Swedish Candy Land: $16.99/lb on sale (reg. $24.99) · ships from Sweden, 3–6 days · $9.99 flat shipping · biggest selection
One honest caveat: if rock-bottom sale price is all you care about, Swedish Candy Land’s $16.99/lb sales are hard to beat. Sötsak wins overall because the price is honest every day, the candy ships fast from inside the US, and the mixes are curated rather than random.
Sötsak is our top pick: $19.99/lb, real Swedish candy packed and shipped fast from Texas, five curated mixes and no inflated discount games. Swedish Candy Land is the best budget alternative when their $16.99/lb sales run.
Expect roughly $17–$29 per pound depending on the store and whether you catch a sale. Sötsak charges a flat $19.99/lb, Swedish Candy Land drops to $16.99/lb on sale, and Mums runs around $28.99 per mix.
US-based stores (Sötsak in Texas, Sockerbit in LA) ship domestically, so delivery is fast. Stores shipping from Sweden, like Swedish Candy Land, take about 3–6 business days to the US.
Target’s Sockerbit bags ($4.99) and BonBon’s Moomin candy ($4.99/4.1 oz) are cheapest per bag in stores, but online 1 lb bags ($17–$20/lb) win on price per pound if you’re stocking up. See our guide to buying Swedish candy in US stores.
The Swedish Candy Invasion Just Hit San Francisco
Three Swedish candy shops opened in San Francisco within a year
Something is happening in San Francisco. In the span of about a year, three shops dedicated to Swedish candy have opened their doors across the city, from the Marina to Cow Hollow to the Haight. Swedish candy, the TikTok-fueled obsession with Scandinavian pick-and-mix, has officially become a San Francisco thing.
Here is every Swedish candy shop in San Francisco right now, who runs them, and what to try at each one.
Plock is the real deal, an authentic Swedish lösgodis (pick-and-mix) shop run by Swede Louise Norman, who moved to San Francisco from Sweden and wanted to bring the Saturday candy tradition with her. Norman previously worked as a category manager at ICA Gruppen, Sweden’s leading grocery retailer, so she knows candy. “Plock means ‘to pick’ in Swedish,” she says, “and that is exactly what the Swedish candy store experience is all about.” Her pitch is simple: “A little piece of Sweden, now in San Francisco.”
Inside: self-serve walls with over 150 types of candy: gummies, chocolates, caramels, sour candy, licorice, foam candy, and chewy classics, scooped into bags by weight. Early visitors report prices around $18 per pound, which is standard for premium pick-and-mix in the US. The Infatuation has already listed it, noting it follows “on the heels of Lil Sweet Treat in the Marina” as another neighborhood pick-and-mix spot.
Lil Sweet Treat beat Plock to the punch by a few months, opening in June 2026 on Chestnut Street. This one leans sour. If your idea of Swedish candy is the face-puckering stuff, this is your shop. The Infatuation’s review put it bluntly: “Sour candy-lovers will never get bored of Lil Sweet Treat.” It holds a 4.5-star rating on Yelp across 19 reviews, which for a months-old candy shop is a strong signal.
Candy’s Candy Shop: the Haight comeback story
Address: 1352 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117 (Haight-Ashbury) Follow:candys.com
The most San Francisco story of the three. Candy’s is a longtime Haight Street candy institution that nearly died when a fire destroyed the shop in April 2025. What saved it? Swedish candy. Owner Max Kolegue, a 15+ year food and beverage veteran formerly of PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz, leaned into BUBS and the Swedish candy wave to fuel the comeback, reopening in late July 2025. FoodNavigator-USA covered the turnaround: “How Swedish candy helped save a San Francisco candy shop.” Kolegue is a believer: “I don’t think Swedish candy is going anywhere. The market is going to double in the next couple of years.”
And down south: Kändi’s LA empire
San Francisco does not have a monopoly on California Swedish candy. In Los Angeles, Kändi has built a three-store mini-empire: the Studio City flagship (12188 Ventura Blvd), Santa Monica (1230 Montana Ave), and Westfield Century City, all opened between February 2025 and August 2026. Founder Lucas Halac is refreshingly honest about his credentials: “I am not Swedish myself, so I am still pretty new to this all. But I have done a lot of research and learned about the culture.” His take on why it works: “It tastes better than the candy in the US and it is made with no HFCS, no artificial dyes, no artificial flavoring, and healthier ingredients in general.” His personal favorite? BUBS Tutti Frutti: “the texture is what makes you love it so much. People describe it as foamy.”
How much does Swedish candy cost in San Francisco?
In-store pick-and-mix in SF runs around $18 per pound at the dedicated shops, on par with premium candy stores nationally. For comparison, pre-packed Swedish candy mixes online run $19.99 per pound from shops like Sötsak. See our product price comparisons to see how the numbers stack up before you go.
San Francisco has three dedicated Swedish candy shops: Plock (3101 Fillmore St, Cow Hollow), Lil Sweet Treat (2209 Chestnut St, Marina), and Candy’s Candy Shop (1352 Haight St, Haight-Ashbury). All three opened between 2025 and 2026.
For the authentic Swedish pick-and-mix (lösgodis) experience, Plock in Cow Hollow is the closest to the real thing: 150+ varieties run by a Swedish founder. For sour candy, Lil Sweet Treat in the Marina is the specialist. For the classic SF candy shop vibe with a Swedish selection, Candy’s on Haight Street is the pick.
Expect around $18 per pound at San Francisco’s pick-and-mix shops, based on early visitor reports. Pre-packed Swedish candy online typically runs $15–$20 per pound. Compare current prices on our product pages.
Yes. Kändi operates three Swedish candy stores in LA (Studio City, Santa Monica, and Westfield Century City) and ships nationwide with free shipping on orders over $60.
From the Lower East Side to 1,900 Targets: BonBon Goes National
BonBon just went big-box
New York’s favorite Swedish candy store is now a national brand. BonBon Swedish Candy Co. has launched its BonBon Originals line in more than 1,900 Target stores across the country (plus Target.com) making it one of the biggest Swedish candy retail rollouts in the US to date.
The launch, announced September 15, 2026, brings two products to Target shelves: Moomin Sour Candy Gummies and Moomin Strawberry & Blueberry Candy Clouds. Both are $4.99 per 4.1 oz bag. Here is what they are, what they cost, and the story behind the brand.
Which BonBon products are at Target?
1. BonBon Sour Candy Gummies x Moomin: 4.1 oz, $4.99
Character-shaped sour gummies featuring the beloved Moomin characters, in lemon, raspberry, cola, and melon flavors. They are vegan, made with natural colors, and produced by Fazer (the Finnish confectionery giant behind some of Scandinavia’s most iconic candy). This is proper Scandinavian sour: chewy, fruity, and sour without the citric-acid burn of American sour candy.
Foamy, airy candy clouds with real strawberry and blueberry flavor, also made with natural colors. If you have never had Scandinavian foam candy (the soft, marshmallow-adjacent texture Swedes grew up on), this bag is the introduction. Light, fruity, and dangerously poppable.
How much is BonBon at Target?
Both bags are $4.99 for 4.1 oz, which works out to about $1.22 per ounce, notably cheaper per ounce than most specialty Swedish candy bags. For a licensed character product made in Scandinavia with natural colors, that is a strong price. If you want to compare against other Swedish candy prices, our product pages track current per-ounce costs across stores.
In-store or online?
Both. BonBon Originals are on shelves in more than 1,900 Target stores nationwide (the company says the rollout reaches consumers in every state) and on Target.com. If your store is out of stock, check Target.com for pickup or delivery options.
What is BonBon?
BonBon Swedish Candy Co. was founded in New York City in 2017 by three Swedish friends (Selim Adira, Robert Persson, and Leonard Schaltz) who opened the first store on Manhattan’s Lower East Side to introduce New Yorkers to lördagsgodis, Sweden’s Saturday pick-and-mix tradition. It has since grown to seven stores across New York and Connecticut, imports 100% of its confections from Scandinavia, and its candy is now sold in more than 5,000 stores nationwide. The Target launch is its biggest retail moment yet. As co-founder and CEO Leo Schaltz put it, “an incredible full-circle moment” nine years after opening the first store.
Target sells two BonBon Originals products: Moomin Sour Candy Gummies and Moomin Strawberry & Blueberry Candy Clouds. Both are $4.99 per 4.1 oz bag and are sold in more than 1,900 Target stores nationwide plus Target.com.
Both BonBon bags at Target cost $4.99 for 4.1 oz, about $1.22 per ounce. Prices are the same in-store and on Target.com.
Both. The BonBon Originals line launched in more than 1,900 Target stores across every US state in September 2026, and is also available on Target.com.
The Moomin Sour Candy Gummies sold at Target are vegan and made with natural colors. BonBon imports 100% of its confections from Scandinavia.
TikTok’s Favorite Swedish Candy Just Hit Target Shelves
The viral Swedish candy finally hit Target shelves
If you have spent any time on #SwedishCandy TikTok, you have seen the Sockerbit bags, those pastel pouches of Swedish pick-and-mix that Americans keep unboxing like treasure. The good news: you no longer need to order them online. Sockerbit is now sold in more than 1,500 Target stores nationwide, plus on Target.com.
The rollout started in November 2025, and it is the real thing, the same candy Sockerbit sells in its New York and Los Angeles stores, now sitting in the Target candy aisle. Here is every Sockerbit product you can buy at Target, what it costs, and which ones shoppers rate highest.
Sockerbit’s own brand: not the classic Swedish brands
One thing to know before you buy: the Sockerbit bags at Target are Sockerbit’s own brand. These are Sockerbit’s private-label mixes, not the classic original Swedish candy brands like BUBS, Malaco, Cloetta, or Ahlgrens bilar that you find at dedicated pick-and-mix shops. They are Swedish-style candy made to Sockerbit’s recipes, and they are good, but if you are hunting for the original brands, compare prices on our product pages instead.
Which Sockerbit products are at Target?
Target carries five Sockerbit candies, all in 2.82 oz bags, all $4.99. A few of them are exclusive to Target. You will not find them on Sockerbit’s own site.
1. Sockerbit Swedish Candy Sweet Mix: 2.82 oz, $4.99
The crowd-pleaser. A mix of Sockerbit’s most popular sweet pieces: fruity gummies and chewy favorites with no sour bite. Rated 3.9 out of 5 from 94 Target reviews. If you are buying Swedish candy for the first time, this is the safest bag to start with.
2. Sockerbit Swedish Candy Sour Mix: 2.82 oz, $4.99
The sour lover’s pick: tangy, chewy Swedish sour classics. Rated 4.1 out of 5 from 104 reviews, and it is gluten free and non-GMO. Swedish sour candy hits different from American sour candy: less face-melting acid, more actual fruit flavor.
3. Sockerbit Swedish Candy Strawberry Dream: 2.82 oz, $4.99
The highest-rated bag in the lineup at 4.4 out of 5 from 173 reviews. All strawberry, all the time: soft gummies and foamy pieces in strawberry flavors. Gluten free and non-GMO. This is the one TikTok keeps restocking in hauls.
4. Sockerbit Swedish Candy Sour Cola & Cherry Bottles: 2.82 oz, $4.99
Cola bottles are a Swedish candy staple, and the cherry version is the cult favorite. Sour-coated, chewy, dangerously easy to finish in one sitting. Rated 4.3 out of 5 from 53 reviews. Gluten free and non-GMO.
Sour and fruity heart-shaped gummies, and the only fully vegan bag in the Target lineup. Rated 4.3 out of 5 from 38 reviews. Gluten free, non-GMO, and vegan.
Every bag is $4.99 for 2.82 oz. That works out to roughly $1.77 per ounce, more expensive per ounce than bulk pick-and-mix online, but you are paying for the convenience of grabbing it on a Target run with no shipping. For comparison, building your own mix from pick-and-mix retailers usually lands cheaper per ounce if you buy a pound or more. See our product comparisons for current prices.
In-store or online?
Both. The five Sockerbit candies are sold in physical Target stores nationwide (over 1,500 locations) and on Target.com with pickup, delivery, and shipping options. If your local store is out of a flavor, Target.com usually has it, and you can check in-store stock on the product page before driving over.
What is Sockerbit?
Sockerbit (Swedish for “sugar cube”) was founded in 2010 by Florence Baras and Stefan Ernberg, a couple who met working at a candy company in Europe, to bring Sweden’s lördagsgodis (the Saturday pick-and-mix ritual) to the US. The flagship store opened in New York City in 2010, followed by Los Angeles in 2014. Their candy is made with clean ingredients: no high-fructose corn syrup, no artificial additives or dyes, and they now wholesale to more than 3,000 locations, including World Market, Wegmans, and The Paper Store.
Target sells five Sockerbit candies: Sweet Mix, Sour Mix, Strawberry Dream, Sour Cola & Cherry Bottles, and Sour & Fruity Heart Gummy. All come in 2.82 oz bags priced at $4.99, and some are exclusive to Target.
Every Sockerbit bag at Target costs $4.99 for 2.82 oz (about $1.77 per ounce). Prices are the same in-store and on Target.com.
Both. Sockerbit launched in more than 1,500 Target stores nationwide in November 2025, and all five products are also available on Target.com with pickup, delivery, and shipping.
Several of the Target bags are labeled gluten free and non-GMO, including the Sour Mix, Strawberry Dream, Sour Cola & Cherry Bottles, and Sour & Fruity Heart Gummy. Sockerbit’s candy is also free of high-fructose corn syrup, trans fats, and artificial additives or dyes.
Are Swedish Fish Actually Swedish? The Real Story
Ask an American to name a Swedish candy and most will say two words: Swedish Fish. They are in every movie theater, every Halloween bowl, every gas station checkout lane. But here is the question that trips everyone up: are Swedish Fish actually Swedish?
The short answer is: sort of. They were invented by a Swedish company, for Americans, and the fish you buy in the US today are made in Canada. Let me untangle it.
The history: a Swedish invention for the American market
Swedish Fish were launched in the US in 1957. The original owner was Malaco, a Swedish confectionery company that wanted to expand into North America and entered a partnership with Cadbury to do it.
Malaco needed a product that would catch an everyday American’s eye while still reflecting Sweden somehow. Fishing was (and still is) a huge part of Swedish culture and the Swedish diet, so the company landed on a fish-shaped chewy candy. The shape was a deliberate nod to Sweden’s fishing heritage, designed from day one for the North American market.
So yes, Swedish Fish really were born in Sweden. But they were never really *for* Sweden. They were an export product from the start, Sweden’s candy ambassador to America, you could say.
What “Swedish” means on the bag today
Here is where it gets less Swedish. Today, Swedish Fish are owned and distributed in the US by Mondelez International (the same company behind Oreo). The fish sold in North America are manufactured in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In Canada they are even sold under Cadbury’s Maynards brand.
The American Swedish Fish bag, made by Mondelez, not the same as original Swedish candy fish.
Nothing about the modern supply chain touches Sweden. The recipe, the branding, the fish shape: Swedish in origin. The factory: Canadian. It is a bit like asking whether a Volvo designed in Gothenburg but built in South Carolina is Swedish. The honest answer is “it’s complicated.”
Pastellfiskar: the Swedish cousin you have never met
Meanwhile, back in Sweden, Malaco still sells fish-shaped candy. There it goes by the name *pastellfiskar*: literally “pastel fish.” They look familiar, but there are differences: the Swedish version does not have the word “Swedish” stamped into its side, and it comes in flavors Americans rarely see, including salmiak, the salty licorice flavor that Sweden loves and the rest of the world fears.
In Sweden, fish are just one shape among many in the pick-and-mix wall. Nobody there thinks of them as special. They are background candy: the chewy filler between the sour skulls and the foam cars.
Pastellfiskar: the Swedish version of the fish, with Malaco stamped on each piece.
The flavor mystery nobody has solved
What do Swedish Fish actually taste like? The red ones have a flavor everyone recognizes and nobody can name. The most common guess is lingonberry, the tart red berry that shows up on every IKEA menu. It is a good guess. It is also unverified: Mondelez has never officially confirmed what the flavor is supposed to be.
Over the years the lineup expanded: orange, lemon-lime, and (briefly) grape joined the original red. A visit to the factory once revealed that the green fish are pineapple, not lime. But the red one’s true identity remains one of candy’s great unsolved mysteries.
Swedish Fish vs. actual Swedish candy
Here is the thing most Americans miss: Swedish Fish belong to a candy family called wine gums. They are gelatin-free, made chewy with starch instead of gelatin, which is why they have that distinctive firm-but-yielding bite instead of the rubbery bounce of a gummy bear. That starch-based chew is deeply Swedish: a huge share of Sweden’s candy is built the same way.
But Swedish Fish are the mild, mass-market end of the spectrum. Real Swedish candy culture is the pick-and-mix wall: hundreds of varieties, sweet against sour against salty, foam against chew. If you want to taste what Sweden actually snacks on, the fish are the shallow end. The deep end has salt licorice that makes grown adults cry.
If you are curious what the real range looks like, compare Swedish candy across US stores. The fish will not be there (they are a supermarket candy, not a specialty import), but everything around them will be. For the full cultural contrast, read Swedish candy vs American candy. And if the gelatin-free angle matters to you, Sweden does it better than anyone. See the gelatin-free selection.
Where to find them (and what to try next)
You do not need a specialty store for Swedish Fish. They are everywhere: Target, Walmart, Amazon, every movie theater in America. Trader Joe’s even sells a lookalike under the name “Scandinavian Swimmers.”
But if this article made you curious about what Sweden *actually* eats on a Saturday night, skip the fish and build a real pick-and-mix bag instead. Start with something foamy, add something sour, and (if you are brave) finish with salt licorice. That is the real Swedish candy experience. The fish were just the invitation.
Where to buy real Swedish candy fish
If you want to taste the original Swedish candy fish (firmer and more flavorful, with no Red 40 or artificial flavors) that is a different candy from the American bag. Sötsak sells a Sötsak Fish Mix bag of nothing but original Swedish candy fish ($19.99/lb), which makes the side-by-side comparison easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sort of. Swedish Fish were invented by the Swedish company Malaco and launched in the US in 1957, in partnership with Cadbury. They were designed from the start for the North American market: the fish shape was a nod to Sweden’s fishing culture. Today they are owned by Mondelez and made in Canada, so modern Swedish Fish have little connection to Sweden beyond their origin story.
The red Swedish Fish are widely believed to taste like lingonberry, but Mondelez has never officially confirmed the flavor. Other colors include orange, lemon-lime, and pineapple (the green fish are pineapple, not lime, according to a factory visit). The exact recipe remains one of candy’s best-kept secrets.
Swedish Fish sold in North America are made in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, by Mondelez International. In Canada they are distributed under Cadbury’s Maynards brand. Malaco still sells a fish-shaped candy in Sweden under the name pastellfiskar.
Swedish Fish are gelatin-free. They get their chew from starch, not gelatin, which makes them suitable for vegetarians. The wrapper also states they are gluten-free and fat-free. Recipes can change, so always check the current label if you have dietary restrictions.
Pastellfiskar (“pastel fish”) is the name under which Malaco sells fish-shaped candy in Sweden. Unlike the American version, the Swedish fish do not have “Swedish” stamped on them, and they come in flavors like salmiak (salty licorice) that are rarely seen in the US.
Best Swedish Candy Subscription Boxes Compared (2026)
There is a special kind of happiness in knowing that candy is already on its way to you. A Swedish candy subscription box promises exactly that: a recurring delivery of pick-n-mix favorites (sour skulls, foam sweets, salty licorice, chocolate treats) landing on your doorstep without you having to remember to reorder. But subscriptions differ more than you’d expect. Some ship every month, some every quarter, and the price per delivery ranges from genuinely affordable to premium.
To put this comparison together, I checked each company’s own website to confirm which Swedish candy subscription boxes are actually orderable in the US right now, no recycled roundup lists, no dead links. Four made the cut. Here’s what each one costs, how often it ships, what’s inside, and how to pick the right one for your candy habits.
What exactly is a Swedish candy subscription box?
A Swedish candy subscription is a recurring order you set up once: the store ships you a box of Swedish candy on a fixed schedule: every few weeks, monthly, or quarterly. Most let you choose a flavor profile (sweet, sour, licorice, or a mix), and subscriptions usually cost less per delivery than buying the same candy as a one-off. You can normally pause, skip a delivery, or cancel whenever you like.
The appeal is straightforward. Swedish pick-n-mix is at its best when it’s fresh and varied, and a subscription takes reordering off your to-do list entirely. It also makes a genuinely good gift: several months of candy arriving in the mail tends to beat a gift card for anyone who loves sweets.
One honest note before we dive in: true recurring subscriptions are rarer than search results make them look. Several of the best-known Swedish candy stores in the US (Swedish Candy Land, SwedishCandy.com, and Mums Candy) sell excellent one-time boxes and mixes, but as of now none of them offers a recurring subscription. Our price comparison covers our partner stores, while the subscription services below are mentioned for completeness, since none of our partners currently runs one. If you’d rather buy once instead of subscribing, you can compare live prices on Swedish candy across stores, or build your own Swedish candy mix from scratch.
The 4 subscription boxes you can actually order
Every box below was verified as currently orderable on the company’s own website. Prices are per delivery in USD, before subscription discounts.
Box
Price per delivery
Frequency
What’s inside
US shipping
ScandyCandy Subscribe & Save
4 lb box $54.95 (smaller sizes available)
Every 2, 4, or 8 weeks
BUBS & Swedish candy mix, ½–4 lb
Free on orders over $50
Sockerbit Candy Club
½ lb $12 / 1 lb $20 (minus 15%)
Every 30, 60, or 90 days
Sweet, sour, licorice, marshmallow mixes
Free on orders over $70
Lilla Swedish Candy Club
$25 (1 lb)
Monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly
8 new Swedish candies + tasting notes
Free on 2+ lbs
SverigePaketet Saturday Candy Box
$39
Quarterly (Feb, May, Aug, Nov)
Saturday candy, regular or licorice box
Free with active subscription
1. ScandyCandy: Subscribe & Save
ScandyCandy’s subscription is built around its BUBS & Swedish Candy Mix, and it’s the most frequent option on this list: you can set deliveries every 2, 4, or 8 weeks. Choose from flavor mixes: pink, blue, rainbow, sweet, sour, and several BUBS-forward options, in sizes from half a pound up to 4 pounds. The 4-pound box is listed at $54.95 before the subscription discount.
Every subscription order gets 15% off, and you can skip or cancel anytime. US shipping is free on orders over $50, which the larger box sizes clear easily. This is the subscription for households that go through candy quickly: the every-two-weeks option is the fastest refresh cycle of any box in this comparison.
2. Sockerbit Candy Club
Sockerbit has been selling Swedish candy in the US since 2010, and its Candy Club is the most customizable subscription here. You pick the mix: sour, sweet & sour, sweet, marshmallow, or licorice, in a half-pound ($12) or one-pound ($20) bag, and set deliveries every 30, 60, or 90 days. Subscribers save 15% on every order, and shipping is free on orders over $70.
The per-delivery price is the lowest on this list, which makes it an easy entry point if you’re subscription-curious but not ready to commit to big boxes. You can also gift a subscription by shipping to the recipient’s address. If ingredients matter to you, Sockerbit’s candy is made without high fructose corn syrup. Read more about what’s actually in Swedish candy before you choose a mix.
3. Lilla Swedish Candy Club
Lilla’s Swedish Candy Club is the discovery pick: each delivery brings 8 new Swedish candies with tasting notes, so you’re constantly trying things you’d never have picked yourself. It’s $25 per month for the 1-pound option, with 2- and 3-pound sizes and monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly frequencies available. Shipping is free on orders of 2 lbs or more, and you can pause or cancel anytime.
The tasting-notes concept sets it apart. It feels closer to a wine club than a candy refill. If your favorite part of Swedish candy is the surprise of a new shape or flavor, this is the box built for you.
4. SverigePaketet: Saturday Candy Box
SverigePaketet takes its name from the Swedish tradition of lördagsgodis (Saturday candy) and its subscription follows that spirit. Four boxes a year (February, May, August, November) at $39 per box, with a choice of the regular candy box or a dedicated licorice box. Shipping is free for as long as your subscription is active, and you can cancel anytime.
At four deliveries a year it’s the slowest cadence here, but also the most giftable: a year of Swedish candy arriving on a seasonal rhythm. If you want a subscription that feels like an event rather than a refill, this is it.
How to choose the right subscription
Start with frequency
Be honest about how fast candy disappears in your house. A monthly or bi-weekly box sounds great until the third unopened box starts piling up in the pantry. If you’re unsure, start with the slowest schedule a service offers: you can almost always speed it up later, and every box here lets you skip or pause a delivery.
Set your budget per delivery
Subscriptions on this list run from $12 to about $55 per delivery before discounts. Multiply by the number of deliveries per year to see the real commitment: a $25 monthly box is $300 a year, while a $39 quarterly box is $156. The cheapest way to keep Swedish candy stocked is still buying one-time bags on sale. see where to buy Swedish candy in US stores to compare, but subscriptions win on convenience and the discovery factor.
Match the candy to your taste
Sour fan? Sockerbit’s sour mix and ScandyCandy’s sour options have you covered. Licorice devotee? SverigePaketet’s dedicated licorice box is the only subscription built entirely around it. Want variety above all? Lilla’s rotating selection of 8 new candies a month is designed for explorers. And if you mostly want BUBS, ScandyCandy’s BUBS-forward mixes are the obvious starting point.
Which box suits whom
The heavy snacker: ScandyCandy’s Subscribe & Save, deliveries as often as every two weeks, with sizes up to 4 pounds.
The cautious first-timer: Sockerbit’s Candy Club, the lowest per-delivery price, with full control over the mix and the schedule.
The flavor explorer: Lilla’s Swedish Candy Club, 8 new candies and tasting notes with every delivery.
The gift-giver: SverigePaketet’s quarterly Saturday Candy Box, seasonal, giftable, and available in a licorice edition.
Not ready to commit? Try a one-time box first
A subscription is a commitment, even a cancellable one. If you’d rather taste first, these one-time mixes from our partner stores are a good way to learn what you like before you sign up for recurring deliveries:
Based on the boxes verified for this comparison, expect to pay between $12 and about $55 per delivery before subscription discounts. Sockerbit’s half-pound bag starts at $12 (with 15% off for subscribers), Lilla’s monthly box is $25, SverigePaketet’s quarterly box is $39, and ScandyCandy’s 4-pound box is listed at $54.95 with 15% off on subscription.
Yes, all four subscriptions compared here (ScandyCandy, Sockerbit, Lilla, and SverigePaketet) let you pause, skip, or cancel your subscription. Check the terms on each company’s site before signing up, since billing details can change.
It depends on the service. SverigePaketet includes free shipping with an active subscription; ScandyCandy ships free on orders over $50; Sockerbit ships free on orders over $70; and Lilla ships free on orders of 2 lbs or more. Smaller or less frequent boxes may add a shipping fee, so factor that into the per-delivery cost.
Usually yes, per delivery, subscriptions typically include a standing discount (for example, 15% off at ScandyCandy and Sockerbit). But a subscription only saves money if you’d buy that much candy anyway. If you buy occasionally, comparing one-time prices across stores is often cheaper overall.
Is Swedish Candy Healthy? Ingredients, Sugar, Gelatin & Gluten Explained (2026)
Swedish candy has a reputation for being the “better” candy. You’ve seen the claims online: no high-fructose corn syrup, no gelatin, no artificial dyes. Some of that is true. Some of it is marketing. So is Swedish candy actually healthy? The honest answer is that it depends on what you mean by healthy. And no, it’s still candy.
This article shares general ingredient information, not medical or nutrition advice.
What’s actually in Swedish candy
Most Swedish gummies and foam candy are built from a short list: sugar, glucose syrup, water, starch or gelatin for the chew, fruit acids like citric and malic acid, natural flavorings, and colors from fruit and vegetable extracts. That’s the basic formula behind most of the pick-and-mix candy sold in Sweden.
A few things worth noting. First, the sweetener is usually glucose syrup and sugar, not high-fructose corn syrup. HFCS is rare in Swedish-made candy; it’s mainly an American formulation habit, not a global standard. Second, colors tend to come from things like beetroot, black carrot, and spirulina rather than synthetic dyes. Third, ingredient lists are often shorter than their American counterparts, which is where the “cleaner label” reputation comes from. Shorter doesn’t mean sugar-free, though.
Gelatin: which candies have it
Traditional Swedish gummies (the dense, chewy kind) are usually made with gelatin, just like gummies everywhere else. The gelatin is typically pork or beef derived. If you eat gelatin, this changes nothing for you.
But a large and growing share of Swedish candy skips it entirely. BUBS is the best-known example: the whole brand is built on starch-based recipes (corn starch, potato starch, and the like), which is also why their candy has that soft, foamy texture instead of a heavy chew. Many loose pick-and-mix gummies are gelatin-free too.
How to tell: check the ingredient list. “Gelatin” is listed plainly when it’s there. If a bag says gelatin-free or vegan, the structure usually comes from starches or plant-based gums instead. We’ve rounded up the current gelatin-free Swedish candy picks if you want to browse.
Most Swedish gummies, foam candy, and chocolate are naturally gluten-free. There’s no wheat, barley, or rye in the recipe. But there’s one big exception: licorice. Traditional Swedish licorice is often made with wheat flour, which gives it that firm, chewy bite. Salt licorice (salmiak) is a frequent offender.
This catches people off guard because licorice doesn’t look like it contains flour. If you avoid gluten, especially if you have celiac disease, read licorice labels carefully and look for bags explicitly marked gluten-free. Our gluten-free Swedish candy list has the current options.
Sugar and calories vs American candy
Here’s the part the marketing tends to skip: Swedish candy has roughly the same amount of sugar and calories as American candy. A gummy is a gummy. The real difference is what comes with the sugar: glucose syrup and cane or beet sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup, natural colors instead of synthetic dyes, not how much sugar is in the bag.
So if the question is “can I eat unlimited Swedish candy because it’s healthy?” No. It’s still candy, with all the sugar that implies. What’s fair to say is that the recipes tend to be simpler, with fewer synthetic additives. We go deeper on the recipe differences in our Swedish vs American candy breakdown.
Vegan options
Because so much Swedish candy is made without gelatin, vegan options are easy to find. BUBS is the obvious pick. The entire brand is gelatin-free and vegan, but plenty of other gummies, sours, and foam candies qualify too. The things to double-check: milk chocolate (obviously), and occasionally beeswax or carmine coloring in red candy. Our vegan Swedish candy list rounds up the current picks.
Want less sugar? Try Pandy or Tweek
Regular Swedish candy has about as much sugar as American candy. But Sweden also has brands built for people who want the taste with less sugar. Pandy and Tweek are the two best-known: both make low-sugar versions of classic gummy shapes using fiber and sugar alcohols instead of most of the sugar.
They get close to the real thing, though the texture is a little different and sugar alcohols can have an aftertaste some people notice. If you eat a lot of candy and want to cut back without quitting, they are worth trying. As always, check the label: low-sugar does not mean sugar-free, and it does not mean calorie-free.
The bottom line
Swedish candy is made differently from American candy: simpler sweeteners, fewer synthetic dyes, and widely available gelatin-free and vegan options. That’s a real difference, and it’s worth knowing about if ingredients matter to you. It doesn’t make it health food. Enjoy it the Swedish way: as a treat, in moderation. And check the ingredient list if you have dietary needs. You can browse the full Swedish candy catalog to compare what’s out there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some does, but a lot doesn’t. Traditional chewy gummies often contain pork or beef gelatin, while brands like BUBS and many pick-and-mix gummies are gelatin-free. Check the ingredient list, or browse our gelatin-free candy picks.
Much of it is. Most gummies, foams, and chocolate contain no gluten ingredients, but licorice often contains wheat flour, so read labels carefully. See our gluten-free candy list.
No. Sugar and calorie content is roughly comparable to American candy. The difference is in the types of sweeteners and additives used, not the amount of sugar.
A lot of it is. Many Swedish gummies are made without gelatin or other animal ingredients. BUBS is fully vegan, for example. Still, check labels for milk chocolate, beeswax, or carmine. Our vegan candy list has verified picks.
Not necessarily. The sugar and calorie content is roughly comparable. The difference is in what’s around the sugar: Swedish candy rarely uses high-fructose corn syrup, colors usually come from fruit and vegetable extracts instead of synthetic dyes like Red 40, and you won’t find trans fats. So the ingredient list looks cleaner, but it’s still candy. Read our full Swedish vs American candy comparison.
Generally no. Swedish brands typically color their candy with fruit and vegetable extracts (beetroot, black carrot, spirulina) rather than synthetic dyes like Red 40. Ingredients vary by product, so check the individual label to be sure.
Build Your Own Swedish Candy Mix: Pick-and-Mix Compared (2026)
In Sweden, candy shopping is a weekly ritual. Lösgodis (literally “loose candy”) is the wall of bins in every supermarket where you grab a paper bag and fill it with exactly the pieces you want. It is the heart of lördagsgodis, the Saturday candy tradition, and the reason Swedish candy aisles feel like a treasure hunt.
That pick-and-mix idea has crossed the Atlantic, and a growing number of US stores now let you build your own Swedish candy mix online. They do it in very different ways, though: some sell by the portion, some by the bag, and prices per ounce vary more than you might expect. Here is how each option works, what it costs, and how to get the best value.
Swedish Candy Land is the most direct online stand-in for a Swedish lösgodis wall. Our store directory lists it as a US online store with bulk pick-n-mix, and its website backs that up with a dedicated CREATE YOUR OWN section next to its PICK-N-MIX category.
The way it works: you buy pre-portioned pick-and-mix bags by theme or brand rather than scooping loose candy by weight. Its BUBS Pick-N-Mix comes in a 1/2 lb bag ($12.99 on the storefront, in stock) and a 1 lb bag ($16.99 in our price tracking), both vegan and gluten-free. The site also advertises no import or duty fees and a free mystery gift on orders. Handy if you are building a big order for a party.
SwedishCandy.com
SwedishCandy.com is better described as a curated-mix shop than a build-your-own bar. Its lineup leans on big, ready-made mixes: the BUBS Swedish Candy Mix – 4.4 lb ($84.99, about $19.28/lb) and the Sweet Candy Mix Gelatine-Free 1.1 lb ($34.99), plus sour and fruity mixes in the same size. That makes it a good pick when you want a bulk base for a party bowl and are happy to let someone else choose the lineup. It is not the place to hand-pick individual varieties one by one. As a smaller ready-made alternative to building your own, Sötsak sells ready-made 1 lb mix bags ($19.99).
Mums Candy
Mums Candy sells Swedish candy mixes online, including gelatin-free options. The standout for pick-and-mix fans is the All-In-One Party Mix: a 2.5 lb bag at $79.00 (about $31.60/lb in our price tracking). Like SwedishCandy.com, Mums is about pre-set mixes rather than scooping your own, but the gelatin-free range is a genuine differentiator if that matters to your household.
Sprouts Farmers Market (in-store)
Worth knowing even though it is not online: Sprouts has partnered with Sockerbit to bring genuine Swedish pick-and-mix to its bulk department: 12 varieties, 4 of them exclusive to Sprouts, across 17 stores in California and Florida, according to our guide to buying Swedish candy in US stores. If you live near one, it is the closest thing to a real Swedish candy wall on this side of the Atlantic.
Other places to buy Swedish pick-and-mix online
Our price comparison tracks our partner stores above. The shops below are not in our comparison, but they are worth knowing about when you are hunting for a true build-your-own mix. We mention them for completeness.
BonBon. The New York Swedish candy company runs a “Mix Your Own” section online that works just like its stores: you choose individual varieties, each sold as a 4 oz portion for $4.95 (about $19.80/lb equivalent). It is the most literal digital version of standing in front of the bins. You decide the exact lineup, piece by piece. The same company makes the BonBon Originals line now sold at Target.
Sockerbit. The NYC-based chain famous for its pick-and-mix walls sells curated mixes through its webshop rather than a full build-your-own (its mixes run about $20) with free delivery on orders over $60. It is also the company supplying the pick-and-mix bins at Sprouts.
Nantasket Sweets. This small shop’s whole pitch is buying authentic Swedish candy online to build your own pick-and-mix, with individual varieties starting around $4.50. It ships nationwide and offers free shipping on orders over $99 to Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut.
How to get the best value
Compare price per ounce. Bulk pre-packed mixes usually beat per-piece pricing on a pure $/oz basis. But only if you will actually eat everything in the bag.
Check shipping thresholds. A slightly bigger order can unlock free shipping and bring the effective price per ounce down more than any single discount.
Mix sour and sweet for variety. The best pick-and-mix bags balance tongue-tingling sours with mellow sweets and foam. Start with the sour candy and sweet candy sections to build a shortlist.
Start small, then scale. Order a half-pound bag first to find your favorites, then stock up on the big 2–4 lb mixes once you know what you like.
Pick-and-mix is the English name for lösgodis (“loose candy”) sold from bins by weight. In Sweden it is the centerpiece of lördagsgodis, the Saturday candy tradition, where you fill a paper bag with exactly the pieces you want. US online stores recreate the idea with build-your-own sections and themed mix bags.
Which US stores let you build your own mix?
Online, Swedish Candy Land offers a CREATE YOUR OWN section with themed pick-and-mix bags, BonBon sells individual varieties as 4 oz portions through its Mix Your Own page, and Nantasket Sweets lets you combine individual candies into your own mix. In person, Sprouts carries Sockerbit pick-and-mix in the bulk department of select California and Florida stores. SwedishCandy.com and Mums Candy focus on pre-set mixes instead.
Is pick-and-mix cheaper than pre-packed bags?
Usually not on a pure price-per-ounce basis. Big pre-packed mixes tend to cost less per ounce than hand-picked portions. The trade-off is waste: with pick-and-mix you pay only for candy you actually like, so a bag you finish beats a cheaper bag you half-eat. Always compare the per-ounce price before you buy.
How much candy should I order per person?
As a rough guide, a half pound makes a generous movie-night bag for one or two people. For a party, a few ounces per guest is a good starting point for a candy table, and the big 2.5–4.4 lb party mixes cover a crowd. When in doubt, order a little extra. Swedish candy has a way of disappearing.
Building a spread for a party instead? Our guide to Swedish candy for Halloween turns the same pick-and-mix thinking into a spooky buffet, with sour skulls up front and salty licorice saved for the brave.
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