Ikea Is Bringing An April Fools' Joke About Its Iconic Dish To Life
Ikea's Swedish meatballs are the one meal you have to order from its food courts, and one of the most popular dishes served — in fact, Ikea reports selling 1.4 billion meatballs per year. The dish is so well-loved that on April Fool's Day 2026, the company announced on its social media pages that it was collaborating with cult-favorite candy brand Chupa Chups to release a meatball lollipop. And like all of the best April Fool's Day pranks, this one was rooted in truth. The clever joke quickly went viral, with hundreds of people sounding off in the comment section about how they knew the product wasn't real, but they actually wanted it to be.
On April 15, 2026, a mere two weeks later, Ikea and Chupa Chups announced that the joke is now a sweet, savory reality. Ikea stores will offer meatball-flavored lollipops starting in June 2026. So, what do meatball lollipops taste like? Ikea and Chupa Chups promise that they will be a playful blend of the flavors of lingonberry and classic Swedish meatballs. Of course, Ikea has included a disclaimer that the lollipops do not contain any meat, and the treats will actually be vegan.
The lollipops will be available in hundreds of Ikea locations around the world, but will not be for sale. Instead, customers can sample one for free while shopping. Javier Quiñones, the Commercial Manager at Ikea retailer Ingka Group, described the project as "a fun way to celebrate our love of food, and to show that even a simple joke can turn into something real, bringing people in surprising ways," according to Ingka.
Fans are excited to get their hands on the new meatball-flavored lollipops
News of this creative collaboration has been met with resounding excitement... as well as a little bit of skepticism. On Ikea USA's Instagram post, one commenter asked if the news was real. Chupa Chups U.S. quickly responded on Instagram, "It is!" Another person left an Instagram comment, "Only IKEA could turn meatballs into a lollipop and make us curious." Others chimed in, asking where they could buy the treats, and saying that they couldn't wait to try them.
Unsurprisingly, the announcement has its naysayers as well. It seems that the idea of a meat-flavored lollipop isn't for everyone. One disappointed Instagram commenter exclaimed, "Nooooo, nobody asked for this!" The comments section on Ikea UK's Instagram post is similarly mixed, with one Instagrammer responding, "Omg I can't wait to see how great/horrific it is," while others expressed confusion or dismay. Ikea and Chupa Chups have produced one million lollipops to hand out throughout the U.S., U.K., and other countries, though they won't be available in Sweden, Japan, India, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, and Slovenia. If you're eager to try this experimental Swedish candy for yourself, keep an eye on the brands' social media pages for updates.