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Let's do a little word association game. If I say the words "summer," "patriotic," and "dessert," what's the first thing you think of? Hopefully, most of you instantly (and enthusiastically!) answered with the obvious Fourth-of-July classic: Bomb Pops. The red, white, and blue childhood treat has a chokehold on the summer memories of many a former kid, and has even inspired boozy spin-offs. You may not have even known that the patriotic color trio is far from your only option.
Bomb Pops has a ton of flavors in its portfolio, a fact that remained admittedly unbeknownst to me until I did this taste test. The popsicles featured here represent the widest available, best-selling treats in its lineup; if you're lucky, you may also be able to find some Extremes Super Sour and berry-centric flavors wherever you buy your popsicles.
For today's piece, though, I'm sticking to the classics and ranking them in order of how universally appealing they are to both kids and kids at heart. I took into account how the advertised flavors of each pop came through, their texture, and the overall appeal of each pop's respective flavor combination. Here's how they ranked!
Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.
Read more: 15 Vintage Pie Flavors No One Remembers Anymore
6. Sugar-Free Original
Usually I don't mind sugar-free adaptations of their original counterparts; in fact, much of the time, I enjoy the sugar-free version more. I was surprised to find that was not the case with the Original Bomb Pops flavor. The flavor differences between this sugar-free version and the Original Bomb Pop weren't extreme by any means, but I do think any kid who tried the two could tell that they were different.
This one just doesn't quite hit the same as the original. All of its flavors taste slightly altered. Now, had this been a sugar-free popsicle with its own flavors — or if the OG simply didn't exist — I probably wouldn't have noticed. But the difference was pretty apparent when tasting the two side-by-side. Ultimately, I had to relegate this to last place. Want to keep your freezer sugar-free? Then I'd recommend giving these to your kids before giving them a taste of the original.
5. Nerds
Obviously, turning a favorite childhood candy into a popsicle can hardly be called a bad idea. I won't fault the company for creating its "Nerds" Bomb Pop, but I did find it less appealing than the other Bomb Pops in its lineup for a few reasons. I do, however, suspect that a candy-loving child would firmly disagree with my take.
The candy hasn't had the smoothest history, and ultimately seems to have been saved from falling victim to vintage status with its release of Nerds Gummy Clusters. This Bomb Pops flavor may also be saving the candy from being remembered as a relic of the '80s. It's a good tribute to Nerds, but it makes for a pretty peculiar Bomb Pops flavor.
I can say that the popsicle captures the characteristics of Nerds very well. Each color has the same sour/tart profile you'd get from the candy, and I could have even made the association with Nerds if I were trying this blind. Maybe it's just that Nerds have a particular flavor or that I've thoroughly grown out of my previous affection for the candy, but I just couldn't become very endeared to these, and I enjoyed all of the following more.
4. Candy Clash
The 2023 release of Bomb Pops' Candy Clash flavor was some buzzy news at the time, and I see why the product is still being sold years later. It's a valuable addition to Bomb Pops' lineup. I know it's technically ranked in the bottom half of this list, but that doesn't mean it's not good. Compared to the following three, though, it had a couple of disadvantages that put it in fourth place.
First, I thought the blue raspberry flavor in this pop tasted far more like cotton candy than blue raspberry. That's not a bad thing, but it did knock off a point or two simply because one of my ranking factors is how true the pops stick to their purported flavor profiles. I was actually pretty impressed by the watermelon layer — it tasted a lot like a watermelon Jolly Rancher. In fact, the whole popsicle reminded me of a Jolly Rancher. If you or your child are in the mood for a candy-slash-dessert combo, this wouldn't be a bad box to keep in the freezer.
3. Shrek
Have you ever wondered what Shrek tastes like? I know — me either. Still the release of Bomb Pops' Shrek popsicle certainly inspires some intrigue, especially once you take a look at the pop's flavor combinations. Green apple, orange, and pineapple make this popsicle very distinct from other flavors in the lineup, and in this case, that's a very good thing.
Perhaps I'm biased — after all, I'm a sucker for pineapple-centric desserts, so the bottom layer of this Bomb Pop was bound to appeal to my tropical fruit affinity. I was surprised when I liked the orange flavor as much as I did. I'm not a typical fan of orange, but the middle layer of the pop was executed well. I'm still trying to figure out my feelings about the green apple flavor on top, and while it definitely gives green apple, I'm not sure it was my jam. Still the trio worked very well together, and this Bomb Pop was worthy of a third-place spot.
2. Original
Admittedly, I was bound to put the Original red, white, and blue Bomb Pops flavor toward the top of this list. How could I not? It's a dose of welcome nostalgia in child-sized packaging, and one lick was enough to take me straight back to a carefree childhood cookout. This will always be the classic — though it was usurped by a surprise contender.
The flavors in question here are cherry, lime, and blue raspberry, as patriotic a trio as there ever was. Each flavor comes through beautifully, and they work masterfully together. Cherry and blue raspberry are a classic childhood pairing, and each is brightened and given some "zing" by the lime. If you eat your popsicle from the top down, it makes for a fun flavor journey for kids and adults alike, and this would have been bound to take second place even without its nostalgic appeal. However, it still couldn't beat the following.
1. Banana Fudge
Anyone who's read any of my pieces before may be shocked that I'm putting something banana-centric in first place, as I have a distinct loathing for the fruit. However, it's my mission to try to remain ever objective, and I've been known to rank banana foods in first-place spots before (like in my ranking of Bob's Red Mill pancake mixes). I actually found it quite easy to call this the "best" Bomb Pop; it was easily the most impressive of the bunch.
The one quality that really set this apart from its compatriots was its texture, which was indeed incredibly fudgy. The chocolate was gorgeous, and I honestly didn't mind the banana flavor here, which was quite subtle and very creamy. It rides the line between being an ice pop and an ice cream, and I really appreciated the crossover here; if you're a fan of bananas, I suspect this would be an easy favorite from the freezer section.
Methodology
In order to rank these Bomb Pops flavors, I considered how universally appealing they'd be as well as how well their flavor profiles came through. The Nerds Bomb Pops came in second-to-last because, even though the popsicle absolutely tasted like Nerds, I found it to be a pretty particular flavor that I'm not sure everyone would get on board with. On the other hand, the Chocolate Banana Fudge pops have pretty universal appeal and showcase their designated flavors beautifully. As such, that flavor was an easy contender for first place.
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Read the original article on Tasting Table.
