Tag: M&M’s

The flavor vote is back!

Not the O.G. one for Lay’s Potato Chips but for M&M’s, and it’s the third go round. Peanut M&M’s were a part of the first one where Chili Nut reigned supreme and last year for the Crunchy rendition where Mint came out on top.

This year, the vote has an international theme with the flavors associated with specific countries around the world. They are Mexican Jalapeno, English Toffee, and Thai Coconut.

Mexican Jalapeno

Let’s first go south of the border for Mexican Jalapeno where Yellow is decked out in an ornate sombrero, and the colors correspond to, uh, the Flag of Ethiopia?

I guess they match the red and green of the actual peppers with yellow for the quintessential peanut M&M of course. The flavor of this is pretty much non-existent except for a burning sensation that hits the back of my throat after swallowing.

Oddly enough it’s very variable as well. I had a handful that tasted like regular peanut M&M’s, but then a singular one gave me an intense burn. I didn’t notice any spices that would add another layer above the heat, and I feel like these are just repurposed Chili Nut ones. Kinda disappointing.

Purchased Price: $1.50
Size: 3.27 oz. bag
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 of Share Size Bag) 160 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

English Toffee

Now we jump over the pond to England for some toffee.

For these Yellow is wearing some sort of flag endorsed bowler hat but since it is Great Britain, let’s say it is a fancy fascinator so we can elevate this entire experience. These are a step above the jalapeno ones as I really get an intense kick of flavor upon the first bite.

It has a burnt caramel-y roasted sensation that reminds me of toffee. These are nice because the toffee hits, but then the milk chocolate and peanut shine through towards the end. However, the colors are probably the least exciting of the bunch – brown, yellow, and tan.

Again though I am tempted to cycle through past flavors, and I can’t help but think of Peanut Brrr..ittle. If you’re not sure what the difference is, don’t be alarmed as that is the first question that pops up when doing some internet sleuthing. There isn’t much as one seems to be just a harder crunch. So this might be another past flavor profile in shiny new packaging. Good, but nothing new here.

Purchased Price: $1.50
Size: 3.27 oz. bag
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 of Share Size Bag) 160 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Thai Coconut

Finally, let’s travel halfway around the world to Thailand for some coconutty goodness.

Yellow is drinking out of a coconut and sporting a lovely pink flower above where his ear would be if he had one. The best costume offsets the most confusing colors, though, as they are blue, lime green, and off-white that don’t match the country or the flavor. They do give off a tropical vibe and maybe are meant to mimic the leaves, water, and sand? That literally just came to me, and I have been staring at the packages for at least an hour now. Way too much brainpower on this one!

The coconut flavor comes through slowly on these and builds. But it doesn’t get too lost with the chocolate and peanut components. I’m not the biggest fan of coconut-flavored things especially when it’s artificial as I think it tastes like sunscreen. However, these were pleasant to me. It was not strong enough to reach Banana Boat status, thankfully.

The combination is the most unique out of the bunch. Just ignore the Thai part of it as it again doesn’t make a lick of sense. Thai coconuts seem to be sweeter than regular ones, but this is a candy whose first ingredient is sugar soooo… it’s a reach for sure. Anyway, there have been coconut M&M’s before, but I couldn’t find any mention of a peanut version. Score, something new for once!

Purchased Price: $1.50
Size: 3.27 oz. bag
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/3 of Share Size Bag) 160 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Other Things

• These are available in both the signature check-out lane smaller packs and also the resealable larger ones depending on if you have self-control or not with your sweets.
• You can vote on which flavor is your favorite, and the winner will stick around in stores. Participating can potentially get you a trip around the world (code for the three countries showcased).
• If this is the second time this promotion features Peanut M&M’s, when is almond gonna get some love?
• Overall this flavor vote seems to be more of a clever marketing effort with repurposed flavors using a trendy international approach. I wish they would have really gone for it, though. I’m talking American Bacon, Belgian Waffle, and Chinese Red Bean.

Bringing stiff competition to Hershey’s new Milk Chocolate & Reese’s Pieces mashup, Mars has recently rolled out a full line of M&M’s inspired chocolate bars. Released as a set of five, all variations include miniature M&M’s embedded in a solid brick of milk chocolate and feature additional add-ins to pay homage to different varieties of the popular candy.

Milk Chocolate

Case in point that simplicity isn’t necessarily a bad thing, this bar is the most basic of the bunch, and consists of a no-nonsense slab of milk chocolate studded with mini M&M’s.

Lacking the bells and whistles of its brothers and sister, this bar allows the quality of Mars’ cocoa to shine. Just like the filling of mainstream M&M’s, the chocolate used here is pleasantly sweet, and lusciously smooth enough to melt in your mouth.

While they don’t have much flavor by themselves, the mini M&M’s are relatively plentiful here, and I found getting two or three of them in each bite gave the bar a pleasant bit of crunch.

Purchased Price: $1.68
Size: 4 oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/4 bar) 150 calories, 9 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 16 grams of total sugars, 14 grams of added sugars, 2 grams of protein

Peanut

Set apart from the plainer one above by including a scattering of peanut halves, I feel this treat fell a bit short of its bite-sized counterpart.

Despite being tasty, I wish there were more nuts. Getting one in each bite is what draws people towards Peanut M&M’s over the standard variety, but that wasn’t my experience here. Although the peanuts are large and aromatic, there aren’t enough of them to compete against the chocolate, making this bar’s flavor profile seem similar to the Milk Chocolate variety.

Purchased Price: $1.68
Size: 3.90 oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/4 bar) 150 calories, 9 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 15 grams of total sugars, 13 grams of added sugars, 2 grams of protein.

Almond

Rather than using halved almonds, this variation incorporates smaller chunks of nuts. Each piece was roughly the size of one of the miniature M&M’s and evenly dispersed throughout the bar, which ensured I got several almond bits in each bite.

Even though almonds tend to have a subtle flavor, Mars used them more successfully than the nuts in the Peanut bar. In particular, they seemed more present in it, which I largely owe to them being liberally scattered throughout the chocolate. Overall, I thought this treat was true to its inspiration, and I prefer it over Hershey’s Almond bars.

Purchased Price: $1.68
Size: 3.90 oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/4 bar) 150 calories, 9 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of sodium, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 15 grams of total sugars, 13 grams of added sugars, 2 grams of protein.

Crispy

Venturing away from nut-related additions, the Crispy M&M’s Bar instead utilizes crisp rice pieces to set itself apart from the competition. So, basically, it’s a Crackle Bar lookalike that’s made by Mars and has M&M’s thrown in.

It doesn’t taste much different than a Crackle Bar, either. Although the M&M’s were pretty low-key in this line’s other products, they were clearly an afterthought here. There’s not enough of them in comparison to the crisp rice pieces littering the candy’s surface, and I found myself forgetting their presence entirely while munching through this treat absentmindedly.

Even so, I can’t knock this too much for taste. I’m a sucker for anything that mixes chocolate and crisp rice, and I polished off my last square of this flavor before any of the others.

Purchased Price: $1.68
Size: 3.80 oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/4 bar) 150 calories, 8 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 15 grams of total sugars, 13 grams of added sugars, 2 grams of protein.

Crispy Mint

Taking every aspect of the Crispy M&M’s bar and adding a festive splash of mint, this was the only flavor to switch up the taste of the chocolate itself.

Despite being an ardent fan of York Peppermint Patties and all other cocoa and mint confections, this was my least favorite of the bunch. There wasn’t enough minty flavor to leave me feeling satisfied, and I thought it was a little too sweet overall. I wish Mars had used darker cacao, because I think bringing an element of bitterness would have helped complement the mint and make this feel like a more fulfilling indulgence.

Purchased Price: $1.68
Size: 3.80 oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/4 bar) 150 calories, 8 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 15 grams of total sugars, 13 grams of added sugars, 2 grams of protein.

Other Things

• Each bar comes embossed with the Red M&M staring coolly at you as if to say, “What? You’re surprised I don’t have a candy shell?”
• Speaking of those shells, there’s nothing to stop heat from melting these, and they get soft quickly. I found it was best to eat one small section at a time so that I wasn’t holding on to any single piece for too long.
• Given their large size, low price, and fun packaging, I can easily see these as part of a whole M&M’s-themed gift basket!

What are White Chocolate Peanut M&M’s?

Mars is continuing its recent rollout of Peanut M&M varieties with an old classic –- White Chocolate.

As far as I’m concerned, they can go years without even thinking of doing anything but new peanut flavors, because Peanut M&M’s are flat out better than regular M&M’s. Go ahead, admit it.

How are they?

The white chocolate is nice, but it’s very mild. It’s not as pronounced a flavor as regular chocolate, so it gets masked by the peanut and shell. I almost wanna call these “boring,” but that wouldn’t be fair.

The texture and crunch of the peanut in the M&M makes up for the lack of bursting flavor. I still enjoy these a lot despite the fact there’s almost nothing going on flavor-wise.

It’s almost like Mars made a “low sugar” version of Peanut M&M’s, which of course isn’t the case.

These are an enigma. Regular white chocolate M&M’s probably taste better, but when you factor in the texture, and the idea that Peanut M&M’s destroy regular milk chocolate M&M’s, they’re basically on the same level.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I’ve only seen these in a Sharing Size bag, so if you don’t feel like spending $3 for ten servings of White Chocolate Peanut M&M’s, maybe wait and see if smaller sizes hit convenience store shelves.

Conclusion:

White Chocolate Peanut M&M’s may be the least flavorful M&M’s I’ve ever eaten, but I didn’t want to stop eating them. They went down so easy that my “Sharing Size” bag was practically reduced to “Fun Size” before I knew it. I dig ’em, but wish they were a little sweeter. Maybe mixing these with regular White Chocolate M&M’s might make for a winning combo.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 9.60 oz. bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (14 Pieces) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

What is it?

A mix of two types of M&M’s — peanut and peanut butter — with peanuts and pretzel balls. There’s also a milk chocolate version available with milk chocolate and Crispy M&M’s mixed with almonds and pretzel balls.

How is it?

Solid, but unspectacular. Even though the pretzel balls are pictured sparingly on the outside of the bag, they seem to be the most populous of the residents inside the bag. The peanuts are a touch disappointing in that they are neither sweet nor salty.

It might have been better if they were salted or honey roasted; instead, they are just kind of there and don’t differentiate themselves from their brothers and sisters encapsulated in chocolate with a candy coating. Despite those shortcomings, the mix of the four components does accomplish the stated goal of being sweet and salty, and overall it makes for a tasty, satisfying snack.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Using a trick perfected by potato chip industry, the bag is much larger than it really needs to be based on the contents inside. While the label proudly trumpets that it is “Sharing Size,” I’d advise using restraint before announcing to friends, family, or co-workers that you are indeed open to sharing a bag. The label says there are “about 8 servings,” but if you invite more than two others into your circle of sharing then no one is going to get much.

Conclusion:

There’s really nothing remarkable about this product, and it would be pretty easy to just create this mix yourself (even if you not a DJ).

With that said, I’ve never seen those little pretzel balls at the store and doing it yourself is never as easy as it looks. So if you like Peanut M&M’s, you’ll enjoy these even though they certainly won’t change your life.

Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 7.70 oz. bag
Purchased at: H-E-B
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz. serving) 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.