Click here to purchase the 16 oz. pack of
Pumpkin Pie Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
directly from Jelly Belly.com!
The Good: Amazing taste, Environmentally responsible bulk, Taste does not fade
The Bad: Only seasonally available!
The Basics: Delightful for anyone who loves the flavor of pumpkin and the spices present in pumpkin pie, Jelly Belly Pumpkin Pie flavored jelly beans are an amazing addition to the line!
This year is ending on an exciting note for me! One of my favorite brands, Jelly Belly Candy Company, has sent me a little holiday gift . . . in the form of a package promoting their two new flavors of Jelly Belly jelly beans. Jelly Belly is one of the few companies that comes instantly to mind for me when I think of companies that have maintained their integrity and produce products at least as good now as when I first encountered them. That is a rare thing indeed. None of that, however, came into play when I sat down to review the first of the two new flavors I received from the company today: Pumpkin Pie.
Pumpkin Pie Jelly Belly jelly beans are perfect. Quite simply, they embody their promised flavor ideally, bite after bite, making for an amazing flavor experience that holds up. And I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie!
For those who might never have had Jelly Belly jelly beans, these are easily the best jelly beans on the planet, packing a lot of flavor into a very small size. Unlike most jelly beans which are only vaguely flavored and are more based on colors, Jelly Belly jelly beans have a wide variety of actual flavors, like Raspberry Chocolate Jelly Bean Dips, Apple Pie A La Mode, Champagne, or their signature flavor Buttered Popcorn.
The Pumpkin Pie Jelly Belly jelly beans might have the distinction of being the only perfectly-rated bean in the product line for a flavor I was not inherently drawn to. Anyone who might like Pumpkin Pie Jelly Belly jelly beans will likely find that the best way to get them is in the ten pound bulk, which is both environmentally responsible way and the most cost-effective!
Basics
Pumpkin Pie is a new, limited edition, flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans. Jelly Belly jelly beans are approximately one half inch long by one quarter inch wide and they are roughly bean-shaped. These little candies are marketed to taste precisely like Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie and they live up to that without fail. The Pumpkin Pie flavored Jelly Belly jelly beans are intended to mimic pumpkin pie, not simply pumpkin or pumpkin spices, so the fact that it does is truly something. Jelly Belly included everything but the flavor of crust in it!
Pumpkin Pie flavored Jelly Bellys are available in a wide array of quantities, but the largest quantity available is the ten pound bulk case. This is a decent-sized box with a plastic lining and while some might wonder why anyone would need a ten pound box, I ask, "Why spend days trying to bake perfect pumpkin pies, when you can get the flavor for fewer calories from these beans?!” I suspect that for most people, a ten pound case is a year's supply of these jelly beans, though when friends and family start devouring them, one might find they want more.
Pumpkin Pie flavored Jelly Bellys are remarkably easy to recognize and distinguish from other Jelly Bellys, even the other orange-colored beans. Pumpkin Pie Jelly Bellys are dull orange color that is reminiscent of pumpkin.
Ease Of Preparation
These are jelly beans, not baking pumpkin pies and trying to keep crusts from burning! In the case of the ten pound box, one might want to put them in a candy dish of some form as opposed to always going into the box. Then again, there is no law against eating them right from the box, though anything that will keep them from spilling would be advisable. Eat them from the box if it makes your holidays happier!
Taste
Pumpkin Pie Jelly Bellys do not have a strong scent at all. Opening the bag of Pumpkin Pie Jelly Belly jelly beans, one gets only the faintest hint of nutmeg emanating from the beans. This bean has almost no aroma to it, which made me think they would be mildly flavored.
On the tongue, though, the flavor of the Pumpkin Pie Jelly Belly jelly beans is anything but subtle! Far from the dry flavor those conditioned by pumpkin pie spice have come to expect, the Pumpkin Pie Jelly Bellys have a sweet, squash-like flavor that is almost immediately followed by the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and a hint of clove. In other words, the flavor evolves from tasting like the gourdlike vegetable into the more refined version of it and the final flavor on the tongue is a sweet burst of sugar and the hint of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
As well, Pumpkin Pie flavored Jelly Bellys do not diminish in flavor, regardless of how many one consumes. The consistency of the flavor adds additional value to the limited edition flavor.
Nutrition
Again, these are jelly beans, so anyone looking to them for nutrition needs to understand they based upon something that is not inherently nutritious! Jelly beans, even Jelly Belly jelly beans, are not a legitimate source of nutrition. These are a snack food, a dessert, and are in no way an adequate substitute for a real meal. A serving is listed at thirty-five beans, with each Jelly Belly jelly bean having approximately four calories. This means that in a single serving, there are 140 calories, which is 12% of your daily recommended intake.
The thing is, Jelly Belly jelly beans are not as bad as they could be in the nutrition area. They have no fat and no protein, but for those who have ever dated a Vegan, these are Vegan compliant because they contain no gelatin! So long as your Vegan does not mind beeswax, these are Vegan compliant. They have only one percent of the daily sodium with 15 mg and they are gluten free! The main ingredients are sugar, corn syrup and modified food starch, so it's not like this is an all-natural food, but they could be far, far worse.
Storage/Clean-up
Jelly Belly jelly beans have a shelf life of approximately one year and I have yet to run across a stale Jelly Belly. They remain freshest when they are kept in an airtight container (the bag in the bulk box is sufficient if it is kept closed) and they ought to be kept in a lukewarm environment. Storing them in hot places is likely to make the beans stick together and be gross. Kept in a cool, dry place, the beans retain their flavor perfectly.
As for cleanup, unless one allows the Jelly Belly to get hot to the point that the waxy coating on the bean melts, the dyes on these do not bleed or denature, so there is usually no cleanup necessary, not even washing one's hands after eating them (even if they don't melt!). I've never had Pumpkin Pie Jelly Bellys stain anything.
Overall
Pumpkin Pie Jelly Belly jelly beans perfectly illustrate that Jelly Belly’s rigorous standards have not diminished over the years. The Pumpkin Pie flavor is appropriately complex on the palate and makes for a satisfying, well-rounded jelly bean experience!
For other Jelly Belly jelly bean flavors reviewed by me, please check out:
Draft Beer
Tabasco
Beanboozled Assortment
10/10
For other Jelly Belly jelly bean reviews, please check out my Ultimate Jelly Belly Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
Buy the 10 pound case of Pumpkin Pie Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
directly from Jelly Belly!
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