If you grew up in the U.S., you’ve probably consumed a decent amount of fruit punch. Throughout my childhood, anyway, it was the beverage of choice at classroom pizza parties and birthday celebrations. It usually came in a big gallon milk jug, was sugary as hell, and was so violently red, it tended to leave kids running around for the rest of the day with gross little red mustaches. But the best fruit punch at the grocery store isn’t necessarily the kind that will permanently stain your mouth and face—although there’s a place for that stuff, too.
Ideally, fruit punch should taste like fruit—cherries and pineapples are major players. But because many of us have been conditioned to enjoy the super-saccharine artificial flavor of the fruit punches of our childhoods, actual fruit juice content doesn’t necessarily make one fruit punch better than others. In fact, the best fruit punch brand on this list is only 15% real fruit juice. Now, grab a little paper cup, go post up by the jungle gym (where the cool kids hang), and take a big swig of the best fruit punch.
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- Minute Maid Zero Sugar
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Fruit punch made with water, sugar, and fruit juice is very sugary and sweet. A lot of zero sugar fruit punch manages to taste even sweeter because it contains artificial sweeteners—and not in a good way. It can be a lot! Minute Maid Zero Sugar stood out from the rest of the sugar free fruit punch we tried because it’s nearly indistinguishable from sugar-full fruit punch. It’s refreshing. A little tart. You can taste cherry and pineapple and maybe even a little coconut in the mix. It’s a good blend of fruity flavors and it barely leaves an artificial sweetener aftertaste on your palate. I would buy this again.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Juicy Juice Fruit Punch
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I used to have a juice problem. Seriously, as a single twenty-something, I used to drink as much juice as a family of four (and then wonder why I had to urgently poop all the time). Anyway, when I was in the throes of my addiction, Juicy Juice was a go-to. This is the only fruit punch we tried in our taste test that is 100% fruit juice. It’s a more subdued shade of red than many fruit punches and tastes more like various fruit purees than a tangy amalgamation of artificial fruit flavors. Does that make it less fun? I mean, a little. But it’s the best fruit punch if you want fruit juice and nothing but fruit juice.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Minute Maid Berry Punch
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We tried a few Minute Maid fruit punches—in addition to berry, we tried Fruit Punch, Tropical Punch, and Mango Punch—and none of them were outstanding, but this one makes the list for being such a pleasant deviation from the cherry-forward punches you’re accustomed to. It has a bright strawberry flavor that goes nicely with the rest of the juice blend (pear and grape juices). It’s super sweet, but not in a gross way. It’s the best fruit punch if you have fruit punch fatigue.
Credit: Merc / Target
- Hi-C Flashin’ Fruit Punch
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Hi-C fruit punch is a childhood classic. This is the stuff that absolutely would stain your upper lip, but luckily for adults with some semblance of self-consciousness, it comes in a box with a little sippy straw for minimal juice-to-lip contact. If you’ve continued drinking fruit punch into adulthood, you’ve probably come across this one a lot (at fountain drink stations, etc.) and, I have to say, it totally holds up. It’s tart, sweet, and delicious. I couldn’t isolate individual fruit flavors, but that’s part of what makes it the best fruit punch for a dose of nostalgia. I tasted this alongside Fruit Juicy Red Hawaiian Punch and it tastes significantly better. (I was sure my adult palate would still love Hawaiian Punch, but it’s pretty bad!)
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Simply Fruit Punch
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When we sit down to taste juices here at Sporked, Simply is a frequent frontrunner (check out our rankings of the best orange juice, the best apple juice, and the best lemonade for proof). And, sure enough, Simply makes the best fruit punch we tried in our taste tests. This punch is cherry forward, and I like that. You know how the labels on fruit punch bottles usually show a slew of fruits splishing around in water or bursting with juice themselves? Simply’s label has a still life that simply features a pineapple slice, some cherries, and a few cranberries. And, true to the label, the ingredients are pineapple, cherry, and cranberry juices (along with some lemon juice for tartness). Pineapple, cherry, and cranberry together make a really nice, simple mix. This is 15% juice, but that works for it. This is the best fruit punch—slap me if I’m wrong!
Credit: Merc / Target
Best Sugar Free Fruit Punch
Best 100% Juice
Best Berry
Best Childhood Classic
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: Minute Maid Fruit Punch, Minute Maid Tropical Punch, Minute Maid Mango Punch, Hawaiian Punch Fruit Juicy Red, Tropicana Island Punch, Tropicana Pineapple Mango Splash, Tropicana Refreshers, Twister Tropical Punch, Capri Sun Fruit Punch, Tropicana Refreshers Tropical Punch, Hawaiian Punch Polar Blast, Tropicana Zero Sugar Fruit Punch, Kroger Sugar Free Fruit Punch
