Hershey recently debuted its newest Jolly Rancher innovation: Jolly Rancher Freeze Dried, a twist on the brand's signature fruity flavors.

Candy Industry Senior Editor Liz Parker Kuhn was able to touch base with Vivek Mehrotra, senior manager of equity and activation at Jolly Rancher, to chat more about the new product and how it was created.

Liz Parker Kuhn: Freeze-dried candy has been around for a few years now, but brands like Skittles are just now pushing out their own brand. What made Jolly Rancher decide to release their own? 

Vivek Mehrotra: Freeze-dried candy is a social media phenomenon, and fans can't get enough. We knew that our consumers love Jolly Rancher flavors but desired a more snackable form. We wanted to take our time to develop the right piece of candy that would freeze dry right and deliver the right punch of HUGE fruit flavor and a crunchy texture. We worked closely with our innovation team to create a piece of Jolly Rancher hard candy that delivered on all the delighters people know and love. Jolly Rancher Freeze Dried gives consumers a delightfully airy crunch in a snackable form to enjoy the classic flavors they adore. 

LPK: How does the freeze-dried technology work, to create the product? How is the moisture removed from the product? 

VM: When candy is freeze dried, any water contained in the candy is frozen under a vacuum. Temperature is increased, turning the moisture in the candy to gas and expanding any entrapped air in the candy. The resulting texture is maintained as candy is cooled and the vacuum is released. This allowed us to transform our signature varieties—Green Apple, Blue Raspberry, and Watermelon—into light, ultra-crunchy bites that puff up in size and deliver a punch of flavor with every bite. Jolly Rancher hard candy in particular changes into a delightfully airy, crunchy form, delivering a highly differentiated eating experience.  

LPK: Would the brand ever consider releasing freeze-dried Jolly Ranchers in other flavors too, not just its signature flavors? 

VM: Absolutely! We're always looking for ways to bring more exciting flavor experiences to our fans. While our signature Green Apple, Blue Raspberry, and Watermelon are leading our freeze-dried lineup right now, we understand that Jolly Rancher fans have their favorites. We're constantly exploring new possibilities to bring huge fruit flavor in new flavor varieties.  

LPK: The brand recently revamped its packaging. Is this freeze-dried candy part of that new feel and look? 

VM: Yes, the packaging on Jolly Rancher Freeze Dried is part of our refreshed look and feel! Our recent creative, including the brand packaging revamp features our newest logo design alongside images of our larger-than-life fruit flavors, all inspired by what consumers love most about Jolly Rancher—that burst of HUGE fruit flavor. Consumers consistently tell us our candies deliver exactly what they expect fruity candy should taste like, which is why we launched new creative bringing these huge fruits to the masses, including new ad spots that launched last year, featuring the Jolly Ranch - a magical place where fruit grows enormous to make the flavors more huge. You'll notice this same larger-than-life fruit aesthetic carried throughout our new packaging, including Jolly Rancher Freeze Dried.  

LPK: What’s next for the brand in 2025? 

VM: We've got some exciting things in the works! Our product development and consumer insights teams are always exploring new food technologies and keeping up with our target audiences and their snacking preferences. While we can't share all the specifics just yet, we're definitely paying attention to how the candy category continues to grow and change. Jolly Rancher is evolving right alongside it, with some fun new offerings that we think will delight our fans. Stay tuned for what's coming—2025 is going to be a sweet year! 

The Hershey Company is on the current Candy Industry “Global Top 100 Candy Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Global Top 100” rankings.