Only a dumb-dum wouldn’t enjoy a Dum-Dum, right? The Hoot staff certainly thinks so; however, which flavor is superior? One of the beautiful qualities of these lollipops, after all, is the wide array of flavors to choose from. What will our editor’s favorite flavors say about them? How many dumb-dums does it take to get to the bottom of the best Dum-Dum flavor? The world may never know …
Jenna: I happen to consider myself a fan of Dum-Dums with an extensive knowledge of their flavor catalog. One of my first lollipop flavor loves was the Pina Colada Dum-Dum with its decadent yet fresh flavor profile that transports one on a tropical vacation. I later started to gravitate towards the Bubblegum Dum-Dum for its simple yet effectively sweet flavor that felt like a quintessential lollipop. Butterscotch was another late love of my lollipop-consuming life, for its almost mature sweetness that made me feel like a sophisticated sweets enthusiast compared to my bubblegum days. Lately, however, I have enjoyed the blue raspberry flavor for its inorganic tart shock factor that really sends my taste buds on a trip unlike any flavor I would normally encounter in my day-to-day life. Long story short, there are many Dum-Dum loves in my life, so I cannot simply choose one. Also, shout out to Dum-Dums for giving us the mystery flavors—I love a surprise from time to time. Also, great lollipop spherical shape and size. 10s across the board, really.
James: I like the blue ones. When it comes to anything sweet, blue raspberry is simply one of the best flavors ever created. Why is it blue when raspberries are very much not blue? I have absolutely no clue. Does it taste the same as a regular raspberry flavor? Somehow no. It tastes better. Whether it’s in slushies or Dum-Dums or something else, blue raspberry may be a man-made abomination with no real fruit involved in the process, but it’s undeniably delicious.
Chloe: I am not a big fan of hard candy. If I am going to be snacking on candy it is probably gummy and, more likely than not, sour. However, that isn’t the question, is it? Well, I’m getting there; be patient. Anyway, if I am going to venture into the world of lollipops, Dum-Dums, and hard candy, the candy in question must fit under one of these three categories: butterscotch/caramel, mint, or sour (you might not guess, but I really like sour candy, and I am actively eating Sour Patch Kids while writing this). If we look at the Dum-Dum flavor catalog, there are very few flavors that actually fit into any of these categories. As such, I tend to go with either butterscotch, obviously, or blue raspberry, which seems to me to be the closest I will get to sour. Was that a very long way to say something uninteresting? I don’t know. You’re the one who read it all.
Michael: Lowkey, genuinely, I do not know what a “Dum-Dum” is. A lollipop is just a lollipop to me. I genuinely do not know if I had a Dum-Dum before because I rarely look at the brand of whatever lollipop I happen to be eating. So I guess my favorite flavor would be … anything? Except for peanuts or other such legumes, which I have hated since I was a child. Is there even such a thing as a peanut-flavored lollipop? Who knows? Nicki Minaj is now a Republican, so literally anything is possible now. Fuck it, 2026 is now the year of the peanut-flavored Dum-Dum because why not at this point.
Eva: I’m a big fan of blue raspberry Dum-Dums. I’ll be honest, I like most things that are blue raspberry flavor. They don’t even taste like raspberries, they just taste like … blue. I liked the cotton candy ones when I was younger, but have moved away from the super sweet ones as I’ve gotten older. Fruit punch is quite a solid flavor, too, and I feel like it’s often forgotten when compared to the other Dum-Dum flavors.
Anna Jane: Honestly I feel bad because my recommendation sucks. I’m very self aware that I’m alone in this, but I really like orange-flavored candy … If I’m reaching for a Dum-Dum I am going to go for the orange one. But I can’t recommend it. I know most people wouldn’t like it that much. If I’m going to recommend something I’d have to say honestly root beer or butterscotch. I’m pretty sure they are the same formula, but it’s a good one.
