Snack Pack Juicy Gels or Jell-O? I Tried 8 Flavors and Found Out
Battle of the Gels
We’re not saying Jell-O brand gel cups are expensive, but they're certainly not the cheapest options out there. At half the price, Snack Pack’s Juicy Gels are gluten-free, kosher, and don’t use any high fructose corn syrup.
But how do they taste? Which of Snack Pack’s Jell-O-style desserts should you grab for your kids? Or your partner? Or maybe just yourself?
I picked up eight flavors of Snack Pack Juicy Gels and ranked them based on taste. As a fan who has always been pretty brand loyal to Jell-O, I also took a look at just how well the Juicy Gels compare to the bigger brand's counterpart flavors. Here are my thoughts.
Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change
Best: Strawberry
$1.39 for a four-pack from Target
I'll not hear a word about "strawberries" here because nothing in this cup tastes like a strawberry. What it tastes like, honestly, is just "red." You know how this goes, because it’s the same deal with Gatorade. This is good, actually, because red is the first thing I think about when I crave Jell-O.
You see, this is one of those foods that "Ratatouille"s me back to my childhood. I used to get red Jell-O all the time at my local neighborhood deli. When I was a sick kid staying home from school, red Jell-O was my special little treat. Even as a sick adult, I've been known to impulsively grab some red Jell-O at the grocery store.
This one's got me eating nostalgia out of the palm of its hand. Snack Pack’s gels can summit no higher than red.
2. Pink Starburst
$3.28 for a six-pack from Walmart
This tastes exactly like a pink Starburst. Even better, there's no sticky chewing involved. The 3.25-ounce size of these cups is perfect; just right for the slightest little craving. I'll be keeping the rest of this pack in my fridge.
By the way, the package says that this flavor is strawberry. Did we know that pink Starburst was supposed to taste like strawberries? I'm not sure I knew that. Strawberries and cream, maybe.
3. Redberry Sour Patch Kids
$6.53 for a six-pack from Walmart
I took a bite of this and hung my head immediately. I didn't want to enjoy this. I wanted to say no, thank you, I'm simply too wise and mature to enjoy a Sour Patch Kids-flavored gelatin snack.
But here we are, and my cup runneth dry. I slurped that nasty goo right up. It was actually a little bit sour, unlike the Blue Raspberry flavor, and had those deep cherry vibes that aspartame was ruining in the other cherry flavor. I'd (gulp) eat this again.
4. Lemon-Lime
$13.55 for a six-pack from Walmart
This might have the word lemon on it, but ignore it. That flavor's nowhere to be found.
That's fine by me. It doesn't need any lemon. The lime flavor is tart and bright enough on its own, and a fine enough substitute when you want lime Jell-O.
5. Orange
$4.99 for a variety pack from Walmart
Though I would never describe this as having a natural orange flavor, it's far superior to the Fanta flavor. It's more like orange candy. There's something oddly satisfying about it, but if they wanted to ease up on the intensity of the flavor, I wouldn't argue.
6. Blue Raspberry Sour Patch Kids
$2.97 for a six-pack from Walmart
This is the very picture of something I would hate. Blue raspberry is very rarely my thing, but if there's a brand I put my faith in, it's Sour Patch Kids. This is actually not even close to something I hate. In fact, I like it.
The fruity flavors are pronounced, but not overwhelming. The whole experience is actually quite light. I'm impressed.
7. Orange Fanta
$2.97 for a six-pack from Walmart
I've never actually had a Fanta. If this is what it tastes like, I'm not sure I "wanta Fanta" at all.
This starts out as a typical orange flavor, but after about a second, it morphs into something else entirely. This is a 'roided up, Armstrong-style orange. It's aggressively sweet, and I can't get myself to want this over the standard orange.
8. Cherry (Sugar-Free)
$1.39 for a four-pack from Target
Almost had me. The cherry flavor itself isn't the cough syrupy poison that you might expect, and for a moment, I was fooled.
The artificial sweetener is actually the issue here, and oof, it's strong. I understand that this is the deal with sugar-free products. Sure, these are only five calories per serving, but that stevia-esque flavor is very, very much not for me.
Snack Pack Juicy Gels vs. Jell-O
Snack Pack's Jell-O attempt is just fine. The flavors are more or less the same as standard Jell-O, but if you're a purist of the dessert, you'll notice a lack of Jell-O's signature wiggle. Or is it a jiggle?
This might be a huge deal to you. It might be irrelevant to you. I'm not sure where you'll fall on this issue, but as far as my preference goes, it'll be hard for me to reach for anything less than Jell-O.
Snack Pack Juicy Gels are just that: less.
This article was originally published on Cheapism
