Tag: Reese’s

REVIEW: Reese’s Puffs Peanut Butter Lovers Cereal

Marvo 11 Comments

There once was a Nutter Butter Cereal from Post.
Being so peanut butter-y nutty, it could boast.
But it disappeared from shelves like a ghost.
And for a bit, my PB cereal choices were toast.

But now there’s Reese’s Puffs Peanut Butter Lovers Cereal, and it’s made me forget about the Nutter Butter one, which, by the way, should’ve returned this year with the rereleased Chips Ahoy Cereal. So if Post doesn’t want my money, I’ll happily give it to General Mills with its cereal that’s as great as Post’s discontinued offering.

Reese’s Puffs Peanut Butter Lovers Cereal is influenced by Reese’s Peanut Butter Lovers Cups. General Mills could’ve just pulled the chocolate pieces from its regular Reese’s Puffs, brushed off the cereal dust from its hands, and offered the tan peanut butter pieces as a brand new product, but it didn’t. There seems to be a thin peanut buttery coating that gives the puffs an added oomph of nutty goodness, and oh my goodness, that makes a difference.

They have a strong peanut butter taste but without the jaw-slowing texture of the spread. And that flavor shined whether I ate it dry from my hands or in milk from my hands. I think the coating will also help the pieces stay crunchy in milk for a bit longer. I wrote “I think” because this cereal is so good that my taste buds won’t let it stay in milk for long. The dairy (or non-dairy) at the bottom of the bowl does have a slightly nutty flavor. It might’ve had a more robust flavor if the cereal was allowed to soak a little longer, but, again, my taste buds won’t allow that.

Peanut Butter Lovers Cereal should be a permanent member of the Reese’s Puffs line. But if not, it’s so tasty that I’d love to see it come back yearly in the same seasonal shapes as the original Reese’s Puffs — Bunnies, Hearts, and Bats.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from General Mills. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 11.5 oz box
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup – cereal only) 160 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 2 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Caramel Big Cup

Julie 3 Comments

While I love The Impulsive Buy for padding my grocery list with fun new items, I also value it as a historical record of all the products I’ve loved before (or never got to try or barely remember).

Digging into the archives reminded me that a Reese’s Caramel Cup once existed circa 2005. But that was then, and now it’s time for an upgrade. After recent varieties filled with such treats as salty snacks, candy pieces, and cereal, Reese’s Big Cup is embracing caramel, that candy bar classic. Combining a layer of caramel with its quintessential peanut butter filling, Reese’s Caramel Big Cup is available in standard or King Size packages.

Knowing what to expect from a standard Big Cup, I was most interested in the caramel element. A slim layer sits at the bottom of the cup, beneath the generous peanut butter core. It’s smooth and loosely textured, but not runny. When I cut the Big Cup in half with a knife, the caramel reminded me of jarred caramel ice cream topping: it is soft enough to coat parts of the blade, but not so thin as to be messy. Yes, I did feel like Sweeney Todd in this moment if he were either very hungry for a sweet treat or just trying his best to transfer his dark urges to something more wholesome.

There seems to be a very thin layer of chocolate separating the peanut butter and caramel, so the two don’t mix together too much. It’s possible to taste them separately. The caramel is sweet, buttery, and soft. You don’t get the chew of a Twix or Snickers caramel here. When all elements combine, the caramel gets a little lost, but it enhances the Big Cup’s sweetness. Overall, the Big Cup tastes like a regular Reese’s, just sweeter. The Big Cup is a good vehicle for caramel because it provides a solid structure to encase what is often a messy ingredient. If the cup had dedicated a tad more space to it, the caramel’s buttery tones might have harmonized more equally with the peanut butter flavor.

Without the historical archives of The Impulsive Buy, I might not remember the Reese’s Caramel Big Cup in ten years’ time. (That Great Gatsby-level of pining is reserved for the Elvis Peanut Butter and Banana Creme Reese’s Cup, thank you very much!) But for now, it’s a nice, slightly sweeter variation that I may pick up next time my sweet tooth goes into overdrive.

Purchased Price: $2.28
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 2.8 oz (79 g) King Size package
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 cup) 190 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 22 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Cookie Dough Poppins

Brandon 3 Comments

Reese’s Cookie Dough Poppins Pouch with the Pillsbury Doughboy on it. Oddly other than the logo on the Doughboy's hat, there isn't any other Pillsbury logo on the pouch.

What is it?

Despite the cutesy “Poppins” moniker, Reese’s Cookie Dough Poppins are just… little balls of ready-to-eat peanut butter cookie dough, no more, no less. Is it just me or has it only been within the past few years that companies began selling “safe to eat raw” cookie dough nuggets? Why did it take them so long to start doing this?

How is it?

In the case of this one, they probably should have kept fine-tuning the recipe before release. While there was nothing inherently bad or offensive about this particular Poppins, there wasn’t really much to love, either. The texture is a familiar one in line with any kind of unbaked cookie dough — though I was expecting a bit more grittiness — but the taste is lackluster.

Brown balls of edible cookie dough.

Look, I don’t know how you describe the taste of peanut butter as anything other than “like peanut butter,” but this was like half the taste of peanut butter. Maybe peanut, no butter. That’s not quite it, but I don’t know how to explain it. The PB flavor was there initially, but it just trailed off at the end.

Anything else you need to know?

You can’t bake these. Also, while there are a few safe-to-eat raw cookie dough products on the market that you can bake, there are many others that aren’t meant to be eaten raw. There’s a chance you could get some Salmonella from the eggs or flour or, perhaps more seriously, E. coli from the latter. Thankfully, the only risk with this edible Reese’s dough is the disappointment of spending over $7 on something you shouldn’t spend more than a buck on.

Conclusion:

Even though these aren’t the worst things I’ve ever eaten, I’d never buy them again, and never in good conscience could I recommend that anyone spend $7 on them. But if I was at a party, and they had a tray of Poppins (not sure what strange party this is, but just pretend), I might eat, like, a couple. But only if it was the only dessert. You know, at the world’s weirdest party.

Purchased Price: $7.49
Purchased at: Hy-Vee
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (5 pieces) 120 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 25 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 9 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Crunchy and Creamy Peanut Butter Cups (2023)

Julie 3 Comments

I – and likely you, too – have tried a lot of Reese’s products over the years. While the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup may be the perfect candy creation, its variations often taste just as delicious while keeping the spirit of the original product. Reese’s Creamy and Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups fall perfectly in line with this pattern, as both tweak the textures of their fillings just enough to generate distinctive taste experiences. Reese’s Creamy Peanut Butter Cups offer smooth peanut butter filling, while Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups contain peanut pieces for an extra crunch.

Although both are returning products, I hadn’t previously tried either. I love peanut butter in all varieties, so I often refuse to take a side in the Team Creamy vs. Team Crunchy debate. If chocolate and peanut butter are involved, Team Me wins every time. So, upon finding both varieties in King Size packages at Sheetz, I thanked George Washington Carver for the bounty I was about to receive.

I started with the Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups, which pair Reese’s classic peanut butter filling with loads of crunchy peanut pieces. The balance of filling and peanuts is just right. The pieces are mixed well throughout the filling so that the candy holds together in one bite. They vary in size, but all are large enough to satisfy a crunch craving. They also provide an extra hit of saltiness that complements both filling and chocolate perfectly.

That’s one point for Team Crunchy.

Next were the Creamy Peanut Butter Cups, which taste almost exactly like standard Reese’s. The filling is thick and definitely smoother than the crumbly texture found in most Reese’s cups. The filling is still on the dry side, though. It cracks easily and isn’t creamy enough to spread. I can’t dock too many points from Team Creamy because the cups are obviously delicious.

But I’d hoped for a much creamier texture (in the realm of buttercream frosting), so these Creamy Peanut Butter Cups fell short of my expectations. If I had instead grabbed a package of standard Reese’s cups at the checkout, I probably wouldn’t have recognized my mistake until the creamy peanut butter lovers of the world showed up at my door chanting, “One of us! One of us!”

If this Reese’s taste test forced me to pick a side, I would choose the Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups. Their filling reminds me of what I would scoop from a jar of chunky peanut butter. Even though the Creamy variety doesn’t spark a similar comparison, it is the yin to Crunchy’s yang. It’s fun to have a choice of textures that only enhance an already irresistible peanut butter and chocolate flavor combination.

Maybe I’m Team Harmony after all.

Purchased Price: 2 for $5.59
Size: 2.8 oz (79 g) King Size package
Purchased at: Sheetz
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Creamy), 8 out of 10 (Crunchy)
Nutrition Facts: (per 2 cups) Creamy – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. Crunchy – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups

Julie 7 Comments

What are they?

Vegan readers, cross this off your wish list: vegan, non-GMO Reese’s peanut butter cups are now on shelves. Available in packs of two, these cups feature Reese’s peanut butter filling surrounded by oat- and rice-based chocolate.

How are they?

When I buy Reese’s, I usually give in to an indescribably strong instinct to buy two, just in case. In case of what? Emergency? Fire? That horrible moment when a friend comments on the fact you have a sleeve of Reese’s, a not-so-subtle hint that they’d like to share HALF of your precious candy? And in this economy! No matter the scenario, I’ve never regretted succumbing to the urge to double my purchase.

That statement continues to hold true because Reese’s Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups are delicious. The chocolate is thick and yields a sharp snap when broken apart. You know how Reese’s can sometimes stick to their wrappers, peeling the chocolate coating from its filling? You’ll find none of that here.

The its solid texture makes it less creamy than Reese’s milk chocolate, but still satisfyingly smooth and rich. Its flavor favors milk chocolate, but is slightly different from your standard Reese’s. The plant-based chocolate has a cocoa powder-like taste, lending a less-sweet depth of flavor that pairs beautifully with Reese’s iconic peanut butter filling.

Here comes my only criticism. Compared to the classic version, Reese’s Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups seem to contain less peanut butter per cup. It might just be my imagination, an illusion resulting from the chocolate’s sturdiness. But between the top of the cup and the peanut butter filling is a visible gap that could definitely hold more peanut butter. On the scale of chocolate-to-peanut butter ratios, the Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups fall somewhere between a classic Reese’s and Reese’s Thins.

Anything else you need to know?

In conjunction with the Reese’s product, parent company Hershey’s has released a plant-based Extra Creamy Almond and Sea Salt chocolate bar, which will soon be available in stores. I gave that bar a good review back in 2021 when it was released as a test product under the name Oat Made. I’m looking forward to the next innovation!

Conclusion:

Reese’s first foray into plant-based confections may be a little shy on the peanut butter for some tastes, but its smooth, flavorful chocolate does the iconic brand justice. Buy two, just in case.

Purchased Price: $1.98
Size: 1.4 oz (39 g)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 210 calories, 14 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.