We tried 15 (!) different jelly bean brands—these are the ones that belong in your Easter basket

While I’m personally a die-hard Peeps lover, even I can admit that jelly beans are the quintessential Easter candy. The multicolored treats are easy to eat by the handful, pack into plastic eggs, and snack on while you wait for your holiday ham.

But let’s face it: A bowl of jelly beans is basically the Easter edition of Russian roulette. Even if you’re not participating in the BeanBoozled challenge, you might still end up tasting some less-than-delicious flavors.

That’s why the brand matters. While you’re probably already familiar with a few household names, there are way more options out there than you may realize. Many recognizable food brands have thrown their hats into the jelly bean arena, including Welch’s, Fruity Pebbles, and Dunkin’—yes, really.

To identify the best-tasting jelly beans that actually belong in your Easter basket, Delish editors sampled 21 varieties in a head-to-head competition. Here are the ones that won us over.

SweeTarts

Packaging for SweetTARTS jelly beans.

Delish’s favorite jelly beans, by an extremely wide margin, are the ones from SweeTarts. This candy pulls off the impressive feat of tasting exactly like the original while eliminating one of the most common SweeTart critiques: the chalkiness.

“Typically, I don’t like jelly beans that much because of the flavor,” Food Editor Taylor Ann Spencer notes. “This was a massive upgrade for me.” Senior Editor Samantha MacAvoy describes the jelly beans as “amazing” and especially loves the texture. Along with the adorably shaped Chicks, Ducks, and Bunnies, SweeTarts is cementing its status as the Easter MVP.

Jelly Belly

Bag of Jelly Belly jelly beans featuring assorted flavors.

It would be sacrilegious to make a list of the best jelly beans without including Jelly Belly. First introduced 50 years ago, these candies come in more than 100 flavors and are widely considered the gold standard. Designer Alison Dominguez and Deputy Community Editor Camille Lowder both independently called the brand “the G.O.A.T.”

Your average bag of Jelly Belly features a mix of several different flavors, which means every bite runs the risk of including controversial beans like Buttered Popcorn and Licorice. With most other brands, that would be a liability. But with Jelly Belly, that’s just part of the charm. “Even the not-so-good flavors help make the other one shine,” Lowder says. “And you can combine them into different, new flavors!”

Sour Patch Kids

Packaging for SOUR PATCH Kids jelly beans, featuring two flavors.

This is a relatively recent addition to the jelly bean universe, and we can’t believe it didn’t come sooner. Even though these treats don’t feature the brand’s signature sour coating, you still get the same tart flavor you know and love. “Sour Patch taste in jelly bean form? Yes, please,” Dominguez says.

Sour Patch offers a classic multicolored mix as well as an all-watermelon version that our editors especially love. “I had high hopes for these jelly beans, and they did not disappoint,” says Digital Community Editor Taylor Worden. “They're perfectly sour and taste just like the watermelon candy.”

Nerds

Bag of Big Chewy Nerds jellybeans

The ideal texture of an average jelly bean strikes a balance between tender and chewy. But Nerds breaks the mold with a jelly bean that has a delightfully crunchy coating. Some, like Associate Editor Amanda Mactas, aren’t exactly convinced these count as jelly beans, citing their large size and bumpy exterior.

But we can all agree on one thing: They’re delicious. Contributing Writer Steven Morea says this candy “really stood out” and likens its texture to that of Chewy Spree. We also enjoyed the range of flavors and balance of sweetness and acidity. MacAvoy adds that “these would make [her] the happiest kid at the egg hunt.”