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Dolly Mixtures
Little coloured cubes and cylinders and tiny sugared jellies. Dolly mixtures are a gentle British sweet, made with small children in mind.
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Dolly mixtures are small, multi coloured sweets: little fondant cubes and cylinders with subtle flavours, mixed with small sugar coated jellies.
What they are
Dolly mixture is a British sweet made up of a variety of multi coloured fondant shapes, such as cubes and cylinders, each with a subtle flavour, together with sugar coated jellies. They are thought of as a sweeter, gentler alternative to Liquorice Allsorts, which have the stronger taste of liquorice, and they are mainly aimed at young children. See Liquorice Allsorts.
What fondant is
The little cubes and cylinders in a bag of dolly mixtures are made of fondant, a soft sugar paste. The word fondant comes from the French for melting, the same root as fondue. Fondant is also used to decorate and sculpt cakes, and it takes food colouring well, which is why fondant sweets can come in so many colours. Traditional sugar mice are made from a boiled fondant of sugar and water too.
Who makes them
Dolly mixtures have been made by several companies. In the UK a version sold as Dolly Mix is made under the Barratt brand, which is owned by Valeo. Dolly mixture is also sold under the Bassett's name, which is also used for Liquorice Allsorts and Jelly Babies: see George Bassett, the liquorice allsorts man.
In 2022 the supermarket chain Iceland even brought out a Dolly Mix flavoured ice cream as part of a range of Barratt themed products.
On the radio
Dolly mixtures have a small place in British comedy. In The Goon Show, the radio comedy starring Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe, the character Bluebottle was often rewarded or bribed with dolly mixtures, jelly babies or similar sweets.
Related sweets
For another sweet aimed at children, see Jelly Tots, and for sugar mice, which are also made of fondant, see sugar mice. For more old sweets, including some that have disappeared, see sweets you can no longer buy.
Citable formats
For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
Free to cite, quote, and reuse with attribution to sweeties.net.
Questions and answers
What are dolly mixtures?
A British sweet made of small multi coloured fondant shapes, such as cubes and cylinders with gentle flavourings, mixed with sugar coated jellies. They are mainly aimed at young children.
Who makes dolly mixtures?
Several makers have sold them. In the UK a version called Dolly Mix is made under the Barratt brand, which is owned by Valeo, and the Bassett's name has also been used on dolly mixture.
What is the difference between dolly mixtures and liquorice allsorts?
They are similar in style, with small fondant shapes, but dolly mixtures have no liquorice. They are sweeter and gentler, and are aimed at young children.
Sources
- Dolly mixture, Wikipedia
- Bassett's, Wikipedia
- Fondant icing, Wikipedia
- Sugar mice, Wikipedia
Keep reading
- British heritage sweetsLiquorice AllsortsLiquorice Allsorts: layered liquorice, coconut rolls and jelly buttons, first sold by Bassett's of Sheffield in 1899. What is in them, and how they began.
- British heritage sweetsJelly TotsJelly Tots are small, round, sugar coated fruit jellies, invented at Rowntree's by Dr Brian Boffey of Leeds and launched in 1965.
- British heritage sweetsSugar miceSugar mice are a traditional British Christmas sweet: little mice of boiled sugar fondant with a string tail, dried until firm and crumbly.
- The people behind the sweetsGeorge Bassett, the liquorice allsorts manGeorge Bassett began making sweets in Sheffield in 1842 and became mayor. After his death, a salesman's dropped tray is said to have created Liquorice Allsorts.
- British heritage sweetsSweets you can no longer buySpangles, Pacers, Aztec, Texan, Opal Fruits and Marathon: the British sweets and bars that disappeared or changed their names, and the few that came back.
- British heritage sweetsOld fashioned sweets: the A to ZAn A to Z of old fashioned British sweets, from acid drops and aniseed balls to Wham bars and yellowman, with a line on each and a link to its full story.