Mexican Candy: Types, Brands and the Best Candies to Try
Mexican candy explained by type, from tamarind and chili lollipops to mazapan and Duvalín, plus the 15 candies our customers order most and the brands behind them.
By Antonio, owner of Sabores De Mexico in El Paso, Texas. Updated October 2026.
Mexican candy is candy made in Mexico that mixes sweet with sour, salty and spicy, often in the same bite. Tamarind, chili powder, chamoy and lime show up everywhere, next to older milk, peanut and coconut sweets like mazapan, cajeta and cocada. Below are the candies our customers buy most, the main types, and the brands behind them.
Mexican candy at a glance
| Type | Tastes like | Heat | Try first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamarind candy | Sweet, sour, salty, chili | Medium to hot | Pulparindo |
| Chili lollipops | Fruit hard candy coated in chili | Mild to medium | Vero Mango |
| Chili powder and spoon candy | Tangy powder or paste, eaten from a spoon, cup or straw | Medium | Lucas Muecas |
| Chamoy and spicy gummies | Chewy, sour, chili or chamoy coated | Mild to medium | Pica Fresa |
| Mazapan and milk candy | Crumbly peanut, caramel, milk fudge | None | De La Rosa Mazapan |
| Coconut, seed and guava sweets | Chewy, nutty, toasted | None | Cocada |
| Chocolate and marshmallow | Milk chocolate, marshmallow, cream | None | Duvalín |
| Hard candy and gum | Classic fruit, mint, liquid center gum | None to mild | Bubbaloo |
The 15 most popular Mexican candies at our store
This list is ranked by how many separate orders included each candy over the last six months at Sabores De Mexico, online and in our El Paso store. It reflects what people actually buy and buy again. Candies that are sold out right now are left off.
1. Ricolino Duvalín
Our most ordered candy. Duvalín is a small cup of smooth, two-tone cream candy, such as hazelnut and vanilla or strawberry and vanilla, eaten with a tiny plastic spoon that comes in the pack. It has no heat at all, which makes it the safest gift for anyone. Shop Duvalín or read our full Duvalín story.
2. Bubbaloo bubble gum
Bubbaloo is the gum most people in Mexico grew up chewing. Each piece has a liquid center that bursts when you bite it. We carry eight flavors, including pineapple chamoy and sour berry. Shop Bubbaloo.
3. De La Rosa Mazapan
Mazapan is a round peanut candy made from ground roasted peanuts and sugar. It is so crumbly that it breaks apart if you squeeze the wrapper too hard, which is half the fun. Try the chocolate covered mazapan too. Shop De La Rosa Mazapan or read our guide to mazapan.
4. De La Rosa Pulparindo
Pulparindo is a soft bar of tamarind pulp with sugar, salt and chili. It is the best known tamarind candy in Mexico: sweet first, then sour, then a slow heat. Original is medium spicy. Extra Spicy is for people who already know they like it. Shop Pulparindo.
5. Vero Mix Banda Intensa
A 40 piece bag of Vero's spicy lollipops in different shapes and flavors. It is the easiest way to find out which Vero lollipop you like best before you buy a full bag of one. Shop Vero Mix Banda Intensa.
6. Vero Pica Fresa
A soft strawberry gummy covered in chili powder. The chili is mild, so Pica Fresa is a common first spicy candy for kids and newcomers. Shop Pica Fresa or read more about Pica Fresa.
7. Pulparindo Gummy Rings
The Pulparindo flavor in a chewy gummy ring, in tamarind, mango or watermelon. Softer and a little milder than the classic bar. Shop Pulparindo Gummy Rings.
8. Dulce de Palanqueta
Palanqueta is a crunchy bar of toasted sesame seeds, peanuts or mixed seeds held together with cooked sugar. It is one of the oldest market sweets in Mexico. Buy a single piece or a box of 12. Shop palanqueta.
9. Bocadin wafer bars
Small crispy wafer bars coated in chocolate. A classic lunchbox candy, sold by the bag of 50. Shop Bocadin.
10. Vero Rellerindos
A tamarind hard candy with a soft, spicy tamarind filling in the center. You get the sour shell first and the heat once you reach the middle. Shop Rellerindos.
11. Aldama Obleas
Two thin, crisp wafers with a layer of cajeta, the goat milk caramel, in between. Light, sweet and very easy to eat too many of. Shop Aldama Obleas.
12. El Azteca Bandera Piñatera
Soft coconut candy striped green, white and red like the Mexican flag. A favorite for piñatas and parties, as the name says. Shop Bandera Piñatera.
13. Mini Pelon Pelo Rico
Pelon Pelo Rico is a sweet and spicy tamarind paste that you push up through a small grid on top of the container, so it comes out looking like hair. The mini size comes in a 36 piece display box. Shop Mini Pelon Pelo Rico.
14. Lucas Salsaghetti
Watermelon gummy strips that come with a packet of Lucas chamoy and tamarind sauce. Pour the sauce over the gummies and eat them like noodles. Shop Lucas Salsaghetti.
15. Karla Vasito Grande
A cup of smooth sweet and sour tamarind paste that you scoop out as you go. Buy one or an 8 pack. Shop Karla Vasito.
Want a little of everything? Our 50 piece Mexican candy variety pack comes in a spicy mix and a non-spicy mix. It is the easiest way to try a little of everything.
Types of Mexican candy
Most Mexican candy fits into eight types. Four are about the sweet, sour and spicy mix Mexico is known for: tamarind, chili lollipops, chili powders and gummies. The other four have no heat: milk and peanut candy, coconut and seed sweets, chocolate, and hard candy and gum.
Tamarind candy
Tamarind candy is made from the pulp of the tamarind pod, which is sour on its own. Mexican makers add sugar, salt and chili, so most tamarind candy is sweet, tangy and a little hot at once. It comes as soft pulp bars, filled hard candy, squeeze tubes, cups and gummies.
- Pulparindo and Pulparindo Squeeze, the bar and the squeeze tube.
- Pelon Pelo Rico, the push up tamarind paste.
- Rellerindos and the hotter Rellerindo Intenso.
- Cisne Pulpa de Tamarindo, a more traditional, less processed tamarind pulp.
- Mini Dedos, finger shaped tamarind sticks.
Brands: De La Rosa, Vero, Lorena and Pelon Pelo Rico.
Mexican lollipops with chili
Mexican lollipops are usually fruit hard candy coated or dusted in chili powder. Mango, watermelon and cucumber are the most common flavors, and the shapes are part of the fun: hands, corn on the cob and paint brushes. Heat ranges from a light dusting to a thick spicy coating.
- Vero Mango, Vero Elotes (corn shaped) and Vero Manita (hand shaped).
- Rebanaditas, watermelon slice lollipops.
- Lucas Lenwas, tongue shaped lollipops.
- Alteño Pica Pepino, cucumber with chili.
Chili powder and spoon candy
Chili powder candy is a sweet, sour and salty powder made with chili and fruit flavor. You eat it straight from the packet, dip a lollipop in it, or sprinkle it on fresh fruit. Spoon and cup candies are the paste version, eaten a little at a time. Lucas is the best known brand.
- Lucas Muecas, Lucas Polvos and Lucas Gusano.
- Limón 7 salt and lemon powder, in single packets.
- El Azteca Cucharita Rica, tamarind paste on a little spoon.
Shop the Lucas collection or read our guide to Lucas powder flavors.
Chamoy and spicy gummies
Chamoy is a sweet, salty and sour sauce made from fruit, chili and lime, and it is the flavor behind most Mexican gummies. Some gummies are coated in chamoy, some in chili powder. They are the easiest place to start if you are new to spicy candy.
- Jovy Chamoy Gummy Candy in peach rings, watermelon rings and more.
- Pica Fresa and Pica Goma Tamarindo.
- Lucas Skwinkles Chunks and Pulparindo Gummy Rings.
New to chamoy? Read our chamoy guide.
Mazapan, cajeta and milk candy
Mexico's milk and peanut candies are the sweet, no spice side of the aisle. Mazapan is crumbly peanut candy. Cajeta is goat milk caramel, and jamoncillo is a soft milk fudge. These are the candies many people in Mexico grew up with.
- De La Rosa Mazapan, chocolate covered and sugar free.
- Aldama Obleas and Coronado dulce de leche lollipops.
- El Azteca Jamoncillo.
For something newer, try our handmade Turrón Rosa kit. Here is why turrón rosa went viral.
Coconut, seed and guava sweets
Dulces típicos are the traditional sweets sold in Mexican markets for generations: coconut cocada, seed and peanut palanqueta, guava paste and hard coconut candy. They are simple and regional, and they make good gifts for anyone who grew up in Mexico.
- Cocada and Bandera Piñatera.
- Palanqueta in sesame, peanut or mixed seeds.
- Quebramuelas, hard coconut candy, and coconut and guava bites.
Mexican chocolate and marshmallow candy
Mexican chocolate candy leans on marshmallow, cream and fruit jelly. Ricolino makes many of the famous ones, such as Duvalín and Paleta Payaso, a marshmallow lollipop dipped in chocolate with a sprinkle clown face. Carlos V is the classic Mexican milk chocolate bar.
Shop the Ricolino collection.
Hard candy and gum
The no fuss side of Mexican candy: Bubbaloo, Canel's fruit gum, Tamborines and Chupirul cone lollipops. Cheap, colorful and made for filling piñatas.
Día de los Muertos and Halloween candy
For late October and early November we stock limited edition candy: Paleta Payasusto, the Halloween version of Paleta Payaso, and Vero Dulce Susto lollipops. Both are only available while the season lasts.
The biggest Mexican candy brands
A handful of brands make most of the candy you will find in a Mexican dulcería. These are the ones we carry most:
| Brand | Known for | Shop |
|---|---|---|
| De La Rosa | Mazapan, Pulparindo | De La Rosa candy |
| Vero | Chili lollipops, Rellerindos, Pica Fresa | Vero candy |
| Ricolino | Duvalín, Paleta Payaso, Bubulubu | Ricolino candy |
| Lucas | Muecas, Gusano, Skwinkles, Salsaghetti | Lucas candy |
| Pelon Pelo Rico | Push up tamarind paste | Lorena and Pelon Pelo Rico |
| El Azteca | Cocada, palanqueta, coconut candy | All products |
| Sabores De Mexico | Our own kits and variety packs | Sabores De Mexico |
Spicy or sweet: how to choose
If you are new to Mexican candy, start with a gummy or a chili lollipop, then work up to tamarind. If you do not want any heat, go straight to mazapan, Duvalín, obleas or cocada. A simple heat ladder:
- No heat: Mazapan, Duvalín, Obleas.
- Mild: Pica Fresa, Vero Mango.
- Medium: Pulparindo Original, Lucas Muecas.
- Hot: Pulparindo Extra Spicy, Rellerindo Intenso.
Can't decide? The 50 piece variety pack comes in both a spicy and a non-spicy mix.
Where to buy Mexican candy
You can buy Mexican candy at Mexican grocery stores, specialty candy shops and online. We ship our full selection nationwide from El Paso, Texas, with free shipping on orders over $50 and returns within 7 days of delivery. If you are in El Paso, visit our store at 3465 Lee Blvd, Suite 251.
Shop all Mexican candy, or read more about where to buy authentic Mexican candy.
A short history of Mexican candy
Sweets in Mexico are older than sugar. Before the Spanish arrived, people made treats from honey, cacao and amaranth seeds, and alegría, an amaranth and honey bar, is still sold today. Sugar cane, dairy and nuts came with the Spanish, and convents and markets turned them into milk candies like cajeta, coconut sweets and peanut candy. The chili and tamarind candies most people now picture became popular in the 20th century, when brands like De La Rosa, Vero and Lucas began selling them across the country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular candy in Mexico?
De La Rosa Mazapan and Pulparindo are often named the most iconic Mexican candies. At our store, the candy that shows up in the most orders is Ricolino Duvalín, followed by Bubbaloo gum, mazapan and Pulparindo.
What is the viral Mexican candy?
Turrón rosa, a pink nougat candy, went viral on social media for its chewy texture and bright color. We make a handmade turrón rosa kit served with Tajín, chamoy and Limón 7.
What makes Mexican candy different?
Mexican candy blends sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors, often in the same bite. Tamarind, chamoy, chili and lime are common ingredients, alongside traditional sweets like mazapan and cajeta.
What are some popular Mexican candy names?
Pulparindo, Mazapan, Duvalín, Pelon Pelo Rico, Rellerindos, Pica Fresa, Lucas Muecas, Paleta Payaso, Bubulubu and Bubbaloo are among the best known names.
What are the most popular Mexican candy brands?
De La Rosa, Vero, Ricolino, Lucas, Pelon Pelo Rico and El Azteca make most of the candy found in Mexican candy stores. See the brand table above for what each one is known for.
Is all Mexican candy spicy?
No. Mazapan, Duvalín, obleas, cocada, palanqueta and Mexican chocolate have no chili at all. Heat is common in tamarind candy, chili lollipops, powders and gummies.
Looking for a shorter list? See our ten favorite Mexican candies.