Photo: Getty
Some jelly in your belly.
By Molly Given — Written on Apr 22, 2020
There is no better time to enjoy jelly beans than in the Spring — especially during Easter. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, flowers are finally starting to bloom. The weather outside is bright so having a bright candy to match the mood seems like a perfect fit to me.
But now that Easter is over, what do we do with all those extra jelly beans? Have no fear! We have a list of the best jelly bean recipes around to help you celebrate National Jelly Bean Day in just the right way.
Jelly beans are fun because they aren't just one flavor. You have so many choices, and not one of them is bad. The great thing about jelly beans is that they are versatile. Sure, digging your hand into a bag of them as a special treat is oh-so-good. But using them in different recipes is just as rewarding.
And there are a ton of different food and drink recipes out there jelly beans can go with. In fact, any dessert you can really imagine can be enhanced by jelly beans. There are so many satisfying and delectable combinations it is easy to see why jelly beans have been an OG candy for so long, not to mention they go great with cocktails. Just like gummy bears, jelly beans are a fun way to spice up your vodka for the perfect sweet cocktail for National Jelly Bean day.
So try out some of these delicious jelly bean recipes, and don't forget to send us samples!
1. Jelly Bean Easter Bark
Get the full recipe at Very Best Baking
A delicious and flavor-packed Easter dessert, but who says you can't have it after Easter? Who wouldn't want some of this bark anytime during the springtime? It is quintessential to the Easter season to have a dessert that is as colorful and playful as it is tasty. Your taste buds will thank you.
2. The Jelly Bean Cocktail
Get the full recipe at The Kitchn
A jelly bean cocktail that tastes exactly like jellybeans? So you can get a little buzz on while feeling like you are snacking on some candy? That sounds too good to be true, but we promise it really is as yummy as it sounds.
3. Jelly Bean Popcorn
Get the full recipe at Two Sisters Crafting
A colorful and fun twist on one of your favorite snacks, this mixture of the sweet and salty is so delicious, you will be begging your local movie theater to add it permanently to the menu. It's one of the easiest jelly bean recipes on this list, so try it out next time you're having a date-night-in.
4. Jelly Bean Chocolate Strawberry
Get the full recipe at Jelly Belly
These chocolate strawberry treats are so cute, so adding some jelly beans on top make these romantic desserts more fun! The spring is all about fresh smells and bright colors, and this dessert embodies all of that and more. The jelly beans add an extra zest to this perfect combo.
5. Jelly Bean Shooter
Get the full recipe at The Spruce
What's more fun than a shooter that tastes like a jelly bean? Nothing, but you probably thought that anyway. Have one of these bad boy jelly bean shots and try to act like you aren't immediately obsessed with them.
6. Jelly Bean Nest Cookies
Get the full recipe at Jelly Belly
These jelly bean cookies shaped like little nests symbolize the season of spring and eggs hatching. The way you can make desserts to mimic a bird's nest may sound a little strange at first... until you taste it! Then you will wonder why you ever questioned it in the first place.
7. Jelly Bean Mimosa
What a perfect way to start the day and get some jelly bean in right away. This super sweet and fruity jelly bean mimosa is everything you would want to celebrate National Jelly Bean day (or any day really). Pair it with some pancakes or eggs benedict.
8. Jelly Bean Meringue Nests with Raspberry Sorbet
Get the full recipe at Jelly Belly
These jelly bean desserts are light enough to make you feel like you are having a treat without guilt. But they still feel like enough of a treat to make your tummy full and your smile wide.
9. Jelly Bean Flower Cookie Pops
Get the full recipe at Jelly Belly
These jelly bean cookies are stunning and look like they could be the centerpiece of a beautifully decorated table. You can impress everyone with an arrangement of jelly bean cookies and you will be pleased when you realize just how sweet and delicious these pops of heaven are.
10. Tuxedo Jelly Bean Fudge
Get the full recipe at Jelly Belly
Chocolate fudge is never the wrong choice. Even when you get some fruity jelly beans, you can make the combo work. This jelly bean fudge recipe is the perfect example of that. Marry the two flavors so perfectly that you'll wonder why you have never thought of this before.
11. Jelly Bean Cupcakes
Get the full recipe at Coupon Clipping Cook
Jelly bean cupcakes are a no-brainer. They will always be a favorite, and there is a good reason why. And these jelly bean cupcakes are so good, your day will get way better with just one bite.
12. Jelly Bean Vodka
Get the full recipe at The Daily Meal
Vodka is meant to be fruity right? Have you ever tried vodka gummy bears? This recipe is similar and a great way to make your jelly beans into an adult beverage. Yes, and the jelly bean flavors really hit the mark, especially if you are looking to have a little extra fun.
13. Jelly Bean Soft Sugar Cookies
Get the full recipe at Lady Behind the Curtain
These jelly bean cookies are a treat and a half. They don't only taste like heaven, but they look so festive and fun. Making them will be just as fun as eating them. These cookies definitely need to make it in your recipe book.
14. Jelly Bean Cake
Get the full recipe at Betty Crocker
Let us eat jelly bean cake! This recipe is traditional in the cake sense, but the jelly beans are literally the icing on the cake. If you need ideas for fun recipes for Spring, this is the one you should go for.
15. Jelly Bean Pop Tart
Get the full recipe at Serious Eats
Pop tarts are classic and are always so delicious. They are normally packed with fruity flavors that are great for the taste buds, and adding in the jellybeans will just give them a kick that cannot be beaten.
16. Jelly Bean Martini
Get the full recipe at My Man's Belly
Similar to the jelly bean vodka, this jelly bean cocktail is a fun and cute way to celebrate the National Jelly Bean Day. A festive cocktail that will really get your spirits up for the springtime, you can decorate it any way you would like. Peeps are definitely a winner though.
17. Jelly Bean Rice Krispies
Get the full recipe at The Frugal Foodie Mama
This jelly bean Rice Krispie treat is sweet and crunchy, gooey and flavorful. A great little sweet addition to your dessert tray for the festive springtime occasions. If you love Rice Krispie treats, get ready for an upgrade.
18. Jelly Bean Ice Cream
Get the full recipe at Tastemade
Ice cream and jelly beans in one combo? That sounds like heaven. Why isn't this a more common ice cream flavor?
19. Jelly Bean Pizza
Get the full recipe at Sparkpeople
This is not just a regular pizza — it's a sweet candy pizza that you won't be able to stop eating. Jelly bean pizza is packed full of delicious jelly bean drops of goodness and icing to make the best pizza you will ever have.
20. Pink Jelly Bean Drink
Vanilla vodka, ginger ale, some maraschino cherries and a little bit of jelly bean garnish is the way to go if you're looking for something different but still classically delicious. Plus, this jelly bean cocktail so pink and pretty.
21. Jelly Bean Pudding Cups
Get the full recipe at Ready Set Eat
Perfect for all of the festivities on National Jelly Bean Day. Pudding? Check. Crushed up cookies? Check. A cute little design to make the occasion even better? Check. And, of course, jelly beans? Big check.
22. Jelly Bean Blondies
Get the full recipe at A Few Shortcuts
"Yaaaassss" is all you will be saying when you get the chance to eat some of these delicious creations. Blondies are basically brownies, but more like a cookie and made with vanilla, so this jelly bean blondies recipe is a gift and it will keep on giving.
23/24/25. Three Jelly Bean Cocktail Combo
Get the full recipe at Just Fab
Cherrylicious Jelly Cocktail: If you are into the sweet kind of lip-smacking flavor when you are having some drinks, buckle up because this is the drink for you. The cherry flavor will leave you wanting more.
Sunkist Sour Jelly Cocktail: Here's a drink that packs a punch. The sour flavor is so tasty and it's perfect if you are looking for a drink that's still delicious but not too overly sweet.
Berry Blue Jelly Cocktail: Blue is the way to go. This drink is completely perfect to round out this three-drink combo. It's sweet, full of flavor, and you will love it so much it will be one of your new regular go-tos.
Molly Given is a writer living in Philadelphia who covers pop-culture, trending food and relationship topics.