Which candy was the first product made by the Jelly Belly Candy Company?

Jelly Belly jelly beans were the first product made by the Jelly Belly Candy Company.

The company’s modern Jelly Belly brand was introduced in 1976, when Herman Goelitz Candy Company developed small jelly beans with flavorful centers and a thin candy shell. The beans became especially famous after California governor Ronald Reagan praised them and kept them available during his political career.

Jelly Belly beans are known for being made in many distinct flavors, including fruit, dessert, spice, and beverage-inspired varieties. Their small size and concentrated flavor helped distinguish them from larger, more uniformly flavored jelly beans.

The company’s earlier history goes back to the Goelitz family’s confectionery business, founded in 1869. Jelly Belly was not the first jelly bean ever made; rather, it was the company’s signature premium jelly-bean line. That distinction explains why the answer is the product category and brand together.