If you’ve ever wondered where blue raspberry comes from, you’re not alone. It’s a flavor we’ve all tasted in slushies, candy, and icy treats. But try to find it growing on a bush? You won’t. That’s because blue raspberry isn’t a real fruit. It’s a flavor made for fun—and for marketing.
There’s no such thing as a bright blue berry that tastes like what you find in your favorite ICEE. The closest real fruit might be the whitebark raspberry, which grows in parts of North America. It has a darker, almost bluish color. But it doesn’t come close to that neon blue we see in candies and drinks.
The Problem With the Color Red
To understand where blue raspberry came from, we have to look at the past. Back in the 1950s, food makers used a red dye called FD&C Red No. 2. It had a dark, wine-like red color. That dye was used for things labeled “raspberry,” even if they weren’t truly raspberry-flavored. But then concerns grew about its safety.
New food laws in 1958 and 1960 said companies had to prove dyes were safe and not linked to cancer. Slowly, Red No. 2 fell out of favor. That left brands with a problem. If you can’t use red for raspberry, what color do you use?
The Birth of the Blue Raspberry Flavor
A company called Gold Medal may have been the first to use blue raspberry in the late 1950s. They sold cotton candy, snow cones, and popcorn machines. But the flavor didn’t take off until the 1970s. That’s when ICEE came up with a big idea.
ICEE wanted to sell a raspberry flavor that looked different from cherry. Both used to be red, so people couldn’t tell them apart. To fix that, ICEE used FD&C Blue No. 1, a bright blue color. It was already part of their brand’s look, so it made sense.
Suddenly, blue raspberry was born. A made-up flavor, with a made-up look. And people loved it.
Otter Pops and the Rise of Blue Sugar Water
ICEE wasn’t the only one to jump on this trend. Around the same time, Otter Pop came out with a new icy treat. It was electric blue and inspired by a cartoon character called Louie Blue. Kids thought it was cool. It stood out on the shelf. And the flavor caught on.
That’s how blue raspberry began to show up in more frozen snacks. The taste was bold and sweet. The color was eye-catching. And it became a favorite.
Why Kids (and Adults) Love Blue Raspberry
There’s a reason bright blue treats get your attention. Kids are drawn to colorful things. That’s something food scientists figured out a long time ago. A researcher named Melvin De Groote studied how color affects taste all the way back in the 1920s. His work showed that color can change the way we experience flavor.
That’s why pink lemonade feels more fun than yellow lemonade. And that’s why blue raspberry stood out in a world full of red, orange, and yellow fruit snacks.
The flavor doesn’t taste like a real berry. It tastes like candy, sugar, and fun. That’s what makes it stick. It’s easy to recognize, and it has its own flavor identity now.
Does Blue Raspberry Taste Like Anything Real?
If you’ve ever had a whitebark raspberry, you might taste a tiny bit of similarity. But it’s not a perfect match. The real fruit is tart and dark in color. The flavor in your favorite blue drink is much sweeter. It’s more like a mix of fruit punch and bubblegum, with a sharp, almost citrusy edge.
So no, blue raspberry doesn’t taste like nature. But it wasn’t trying to. It was made to stand out.
The Flavor That Became a Legend
Blue raspberry is now a regular on shelves. You’ll find it in Slurpees, Jolly Ranchers, Gatorade, sour straws, and way more. It’s funny when you think about it. A flavor that started as a fix for a red dye issue ended up becoming a classic.
And while you might not find a blue raspberry bush in the wild, you’ll definitely find the flavor at any corner store or gas station in summer.
It’s a little bit of science. A little bit of history. And a lot of clever branding.
