Swedish candy, also known as Swedish godis (the Swedish word for candy), is something of a cultural touchstone in Sweden. Choosing candy at the end of the week, called Fredagsmys (“cozy Friday”) is a major moment for kids and adults alike.
Typically, Swedes head to Lösviktsgodis (bulk candy, also known as pick ‘n’ mix) after school or work on a Friday to fill up a bag with their favorites, from fruity gummies (also known as lollies) to salty liquorice to chocolate-covered marshmallows. Then they get to enjoy their candy on Saturday, known as Lördagsgodis.
So do you need to head to the pick ‘n’ mix when you’re visiting Sweden? Absolutely! Let’s dive into why candy is such a big part of Swedish culture and which ones you should try (hint: it’s all of them!).
A note: some of the candies included here are produced by Fazer, a Finnish company. As with the rest of the Nordic region, Fazer confectionary is extremely popular in Sweden and so leaving out their products wouldn’t give a clear picture of the Swedish candy landscape!
Swedish candy words to know
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Is candy popular in Sweden?
Yes! People in Sweden actually consume the most candy in the world.
On average, a Swedish person will eat 17 kilos of candy per year, with weekly consumption of an average family of four being 1,2 kilos per week.
So it is safe to say that, yes, candy is very popular in Sweden.
Do Swedes only eat candy on Saturday?
Of course not. Swedes can eat candy on any day they like! The culture of Lördagsgodis (Saturday sweets) is very real, however, and it’s true that most Swedes, particularly kids, focus their candy consumption on this one weekly event.
In the 1940s, the Swedish government conducted studies on the tooth-decaying effects of overeating sugar (studies that were unethical and conducted on asylum patients with mental illness, it should be noted). The government then urged people to cut down on sugar intake and to keep their candy consumption to one day per week. And so Lördagsgodis was born.
Here are all the best Swedish candies you need to try!
Swedish Liquorice and Gummies
Ahlgrens Bilar Original and Saltlakrits
Bilar means “cars” and these gummies are shaped like…you guessed it, cars. The original version are pastel-colored cars made from a chewy, marshmallow-like candy. They’re very sweet and have a general marshmallow flavor. The saltlakrits version are salty liquorice. These are a fun candy that are a mainstay with both kids and adults.
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Toms Ferraribilar
Continuing the car theme, Ferraribilar are a large, chewy (not overly soft) gummy candy shaped like Ferrari race cars. They are made by Toms, a Danish candy brand that produces some of the most popular dummies and chocolates across the Nordic region.
The original Ferraribilar are red and have a raspberry flavor (hallon smak). There is also a cola-flavored version.
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Malaco Djungelvral Salty Liquorice
Made by Malaco, a Swedish candy brand, Djungelvral Salty Liquorice are chewy monkey-shaped gummies. They are covered in a layer of salty liquorice powder for an extra kick.
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Haribo Nappar & Sura Colanappar
Nappar are pacifiers, or dummies. These soft gummies are shaped like old-fashioned dummies, with a ring at the end that you can even stick your finger through in case you’re afraid you might lose your sweets! These are highly popular and are seen in pretty much every pick ‘n mix across Sweden. Nappar come in a variety of flavors including cola, fruit, marshmallow, and even liquorice.
The Sura Colanappar are a particularly unique favorite: cola-flavored dummy-shaped lollies with a sour sugar coating.
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Lakridsbåtar and Hallonbåtar (Malaco Pim Pim)
Pim Pim are another popular and ubiquitous candy made by Malaco, also known as Hallonbåtar. They are half-circle shaped, and meant to be sailboats. The candies raspberry-flavored and have a chewy but not soft texture. They are quite fruity and flavorful!
“Liquorice boats” are the sweet liquorice version of the Pim Pim, and sometimes you can even find the two mixed together. They’re quite chewy and smooth, and are made by a number of confectionary brands in Sweden.
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Malaco Gott & Blandat Original
Also known as Godt & Blandet (“good and mixed”) in Denmark, this is a classic candy that is as often seen in the pick ‘n’ mix as they are in the candy aisle of the grocery store. Gott & Blandat is a chewy gummy with a number of fruit flavors and sweet black liquorice in each bag. The fruit flavors are shaped as fruits, while the liquorice bites come in a variety of other shapes. If you’re looking for a good place to start with Swedish candy, pick up a bag of Gott & Blandat!
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Cloetta Gelehallon
Geléhallon (raspberry drops) are soft, sugar-covered, raspberry-shaped gummies. They’re super-sweet but also have a nice little tang thanks to the raspberry flavoring. The sugar coating gives them a bit of texture as you bite in.
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Lakridsfiskar
Ah, the actual Swedish fish that Swedes eat: Lakridsfiskar. These fish-shaped liquorice bites come in a number of iterations, from sweet liquorice to salty liquorice, and even sour lemon (they’re yellow).
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Skum svampar
Literally translated as “foam mushrooms,” these little marshmallowy bites look just like, you guessed it, mushrooms. The pink and white lollies are a mainstay in any pick ‘n’ mix bag in Sweden. They aren’t soft like larger American marshmallows; instead, they have a bit of a chewy texture.
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Malaco Snøre
With a very happy Elephant on the packaging, Snøre (“lace”) is one of those candies that kids really enjoy. It is made up of long, thin, hollow ropes of chewy confectionary. The typical flavor is strawberry; other popular flavors are caramel and sweet liquorice.
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Fazer Tutti Frutti
The textural equivalent to Tutti Frutti would be Wine Gums, although the flavors are a bit sweeter. Tutti Frutti offer a range of choices, from their “original” bag that has flavors like raspberry, orange, and lemon, to sour versions, to their “passion” bag, which has exciting, dual flavors such as cactus and lime, vanilla and lemon, passionfruit, and raspberry and grape.
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Colaflaskor
Colaflaskor are cola-flavored, chewy gummies. They aren’t unique to Sweden, but they are certainly a popular choice in the candy aisle!
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Sura Skumflaskor (FizzyDizzy)
Sura Skumflaskor, also known as FizzyDizzy, are colas-shaped lollies that have a chewy, marshmallowy texture as well as sour sugar coating. They’re defintiely not as sour as Swedish surströmming, and don’t really have a cola flavor to them; it’s generally fruity and the sour tang is the dominant taste.
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Gelehjärtan
Translated literally as “jelly hearts,” Gelehjärtan are popular as both a pick ‘n’ mix candy as well as an elevated version that’s a bit more flavorful and can be handmade. They are soft and juicy; the usual flavor is raspberry and they are often covered with a layer of sugar for some crunch as you bite in.
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Gröna Grodor
Launched in 1935, Gröna Grodor (“green frogs”) are a classic, popular soft jelly candy. They have a subtle, fruity flavor and an almost alarmingly bright green color.
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Swedish Chocolate
Cloetta KEX
A classic chocolate bar, KEX is a thin, crunchy wafer cookie under a coating of milk chocolate. Thanks to the layers of wafer, the candy is surprisingly light. You can buy the larger bars, or small sized bars to put in your pick ‘n’ mix bag!
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Fazer Dumle
First manufactured by Swedish confectionary brand Mazetti in 1945, Dumle are now made by Fazer. A Dumle is a milk chocolate-covered soft toffee. They are either wrapped as single bites, or as lollipops on sticks. The lollipop versions are slightly more chewy on the inside.
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Fazer Marianne
Some people aren’t into mint and chocolate, but for the After Eight fans out there: you’re going to love Marianne. They have an old fashioned look and feel to them; maybe it’s the striped individual packaging, or the “hard candy” element. Inside the minty shell is soft chocolate filling. There is also a toffee version, but it’s far less popular.
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Cloetta Center
Similar to Rolo, Center is a small cylindrical chocolate with a soft caramel filling that comes in a roll. These were first introduced in Sweden in 1941 and have been hugely popular ever since. There is also a bar version.
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Cloetta Polly
These are chewy, marshmallowy drops covered in chocolate. The original drops come in vanilla and caramel flavors. There area other fun editions, like their Bilar x Polly crossover, but the original is the most popular by far.
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Want more Swedish food? Check out our full guide to eating Swedish, plus everything you need to know about Swedish berries, Swedish pancakes, Swedish fika, and the world’s stinkiest food: surströmming.
Photography by Freya McOmish.
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