The Hottest Food Trend of the Summer Is Also the Sweetest. Here Are 12 Ways to Try It Yourself.

Sorry, swicy, but you’re so 2024. The hottest food trend of 2026 is fricy, which, as you might have guessed, is a portmanteau of “fruity” and “spicy.”

The flavor combination, which can be found in everything from summer salads to candy and hot sauce, is nothing new. In Mexico, for example, where people have paired fruit with spices for centuries, dulces enchilados (spicy candy) are a popular snack. And at street food stalls in Thailand, it’s not uncommon for tropical, sour fruits to be served with phrik kluea, a dipping sauce made with chili and salt.

But thanks to TikTok, fricy has gone mainstream in 2026, and we’re not mad about it. Fruit and spice may be opposites, but the contrast they create is almost addictive. The heat of the spice balances the fruit’s sweetness, creating a multidimensional flavor experience.

Want to try it for yourself? You’ve come to the right place. Check out some of our favorite vegan fricy products and recipes below.

RELATED: Love Sweet and Spicy? It’s Called “Swicy,” and These 8 Vegan Foods Are Must-Trys

The fricy vegan finds you need to try

AwYeah

1 Strawberry Sizzle cookies

Fruity and spicy might not be a combination that immediately comes to mind when you think of cookie flavors, but it works. These Strawberry Sizzle cookies from AwYeah combine juicy strawberries with a hint of chili, lime, and sea salt to create a flavor profile that feels new, unique, and refreshing. Chocolate chip, who?
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Snack Owl

2 Spicy sour gummy candy

Snack Owl’s juicy, chewy gummy candy comes in a range of flavors, including classic peach and watermelon, but its spicy mango, strawberry, and tamarind variety is arguably the jewel in its crown, offering the perfect balance of fruity, sweet, and spicy flavors. Even better, these gummies are low in calories, made with real vegetable juice, and a good source of fiber.
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Solely

3Mango chili jerky

Sure, meaty, umami-packed jerky is a tasty snack, but if you haven’t tried Solely’s fruit jerky yet, let this be your sign to give it a go. Made with just three ingredients, its mango chili flavor strikes the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, delivering a pleasant kick from the chili without being overpowering.
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Snak Club

4 Tajin watermelon rings

Tajín, a Mexican seasoning blend made with lime, sea salt, and mild chili peppers, is incredibly versatile. While it’s a great addition to fajitas, salads, fries, and baked potatoes, it also pairs beautifully with sweet, fruity flavors. Sprinkle a little over pineapple or mango to taste the combination for yourself, or try these Tajín-flavored watermelon rings from Snak Club. They’re chewy, zingy, and hard to stop eating once you’ve opened the bag.
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Chici Mama

5 Spicy chamoy chewy mango bites

Chici Mama is dedicated to reinventing dried fruit. All of its snacks use real mango as a base, but the flavors are anything but ordinary. The Spicy Chamoy variety, for example, caught our attention right away. It has just the right amount of kick to balance the sweetness without being too spicy.
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Heartbeat Hot Sauce

6 Pineapple habanero hot sauce

If you like a little spice without setting your mouth on fire, then a fruity hot sauce is the way to go. In this pineapple habanero sauce from Heartbeat Hot Sauce, for example, the pineapple beautifully balances the habanero’s heat. It adds a bright, zesty kick to everything from cauliflower wings to pizza.
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Truff

7 Truffle, lime, and jalapeno hot sauce

We have to admit: On paper, we didn’t think truffle, lime, and jalapeño would work together. But Truff’s hot sauce proves it’s a dynamite flavor combination. Drizzle it over your vegan eggs in the morning and prepare to be amazed by the unique yet harmonious blend of earthiness, zest, and spice. 
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Fricy recipes worth adding to your weekly rotation

Hodo Foods

1 Grilled Gochujang Peach and Tofu Skewers

We love throwing fruit on the grill. Pineapple with a little sugar and cinnamon? Sign us up. But after trying this combination of peach, gochujang, agave, and tofu, we realized it would be hard to beat. Savory, spicy, fruity, and sweet, these skewers are guaranteed to be the star of your next summer barbecue, leaving the burgers well and truly relegated to the sidelines.
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2 Spicy Raw Avocado-Jalapeño Soup

Who says you have to skip soup in the summer? This raw, chilled soup is perfect for warmer days. The cucumbers are light and refreshing, the avocado is creamy and rich, and the jalapeño adds just the right hint of spice to pull it all together.
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Leinana Two Moons

3 Watermelon Poke Bowl With Spicy Sesame Soy Dressing

Poke is traditionally made with raw fish, but we’ve found that watermelon does the job just as well. We also love the juicy sweetness it brings to the dish, and it pairs perfectly with a spicy sesame-soy dressing, which gets its heat from a generous splash of sriracha.
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Bri Beaudoin

4 Crispy Rice Salad With Fresh Lime and Spicy Pickled Radishes

This is another light, refreshing dish that shines in the summer. The fresh lime, spicy pickled radishes, and smashed cucumbers make for a flavor bomb, while the crispy rice adds plenty of crunch. Need more heat? Add more chilis—there are no rules.
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Bailey Ruskus

5 Spicy Avocado Coconut Curry Noodles

Avocado curry needs to be on your must-try list. This California-inspired dish is silky, velvety, and creamy, with a boost of tropical flavor from the coconut and a touch of heat from the jalapeños. It’s set to become one of your new weeknight favorites. Trust us.
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