We have all been there. That corner of TikTok where some mom-and-pop candy company in North Carolina (or some random Swedish lady or some garage chemist named Kevin) throws a sheet tray full of a bunch of candies of different colors, textures, shapes, and flavors into a freeze-drying machine just to see what happens (spoiler alert they come out looking like either a gooey mess or alien Styrofoam and there is no in-between). But that is only part one of the video. Finding part two is always impossible, so once you do find it (provided it exists), you then have to click around this person’s page and watch a bunch of candy-making videos since you’re already there and getting there took a lot of effort. And now your feed is only these videos. And cats. And Ali Wong’s new special.
No? Just me?
My point is that freeze dried candy is not groundbreaking. People have been DIYing it for years now and selling it at farmer’s markets, locally owned supermarkets, and on Etsy. But this year, for the very first time, freeze dried Skittles that are actually made by Skittles are here and they’re called Skittles Pop’d, so now you can get your crunchy candy straight from the source. And while these poofy, crunchy, Skittle-like-objects will be available in stores nationwide in early 2025, Skittles Pop’d are currently on TikTok Shop. So if you want to try them, you can. But should you? Read on to find out if freeze dried Skittles Pop’d off.
- Original Skittles Pop’d
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Pros: The texture of these freeze dried Skittles is insane. It is somewhere between honeycomb candy, a Cocoa Puff, and a Cheeto, and it can either be crunched, or you can let it melt in your mouth—both are equally respectable methods of Skittles Pop’d consumption. They look a bit like mini rainbow burgers (but if the “meat” was a bright white), and they taste and smell, unsurprisingly, exactly like Skittles. Probably because (and I’m just spitballin’ here) they are Skittles, complete with the classic Strawberry, Grape, Lemon, Lime, and Orange flavor lineup. If you love the flavor of Skittles but either dislike the chew or just love some crunch, I say give these a try because I really can’t fault them.
Cons: In a strange twist, the lime Skittles Pop’d tasted strangely like Coca-Cola to me, though, honestly, I found that to be kind of great. Ultimately, these truly are just Skittles with a funkadelic texture. They are exactly what they say they are. Give them a try!
- Sour Skittles Pop’d
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Pros: I am aware of how much people love Sour Skittles. I admit I haven’t had them in a good long while, but let me tell ya: Sour Skittles Pop’d go off script a little. All of the flavors are different and the sourness is on the inside rather than coming from a powdery coating on the outside. What are all these new flavors, you ask? A lot of sour-candy classics: Sour Lemonade, Sour Blue Raspberry, Sour Strawberry, Sour Watermelon, and Sour Cherry. I think these are great choices for sour candy in general, and for the most part, they held up here, too. The Blue Raspberry, Lemonade, and Watermelon were especially good—they pack a big sour punch and an equally impactful punch of flavor. The texture is the same as the Original flavors, so I won’t fully describe it again, but if you like super crispetty-crunchetty sour fruity candies, try these out. They are the food equivalent of stepping on a perfectly crunchy fall leaf while on a brisk October stroll. That is to say, satisfying as heck.
Cons: The Cherry and Strawberry flavors are good, don’t get me wrong, but they are definitely less strong than the other three. Especially after having a few of these, those two flavors became nearly undetectable. But if you are here for the citric acid and crunchy texture, then this shouldn’t be a problem for you.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!