REVIEW: Reese’s Big Cup with Pretzels

Reese s Big Cup with Pretzels Wrapper

A successful stuffing of Reese’s Pieces into Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has led us down the sticky hole to the new Reese’s Big Cup with Pretzels. It’s taken four long years to go from Reese’s Pieces to pretzels, but if you’ve ever gone through a sticky hole, you know it takes a while to go through one.

While previous stuffed Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were available in Big Cups and the original size, these are currently only available in these honkin’ Big Cups. Although, I’ve been told by a little peanut butter cup that a bag of pretzel-stuffed miniatures will be sold starting in January.

Why a thicker peanut butter cup and not a regular-sized one? Your answer is probably as good as mine. I think the pretzel pieces might not be thin enough for a normal-sized cup.

Reese s Big Cup with Pretzels Closeup

While they might not be thin enough, the pieces are still small. It’s as if Hershey’s factory workers were allowed to let out their 2020 frustrations onto bags filled with skinny pretzel knots and used the shattered pieces in these. They’re just bits, but they provide a satisfying crunch that no peanut, cookie, or Reese’s Pieces could come close to.

But here’s the thing, while it has the popular snack’s crunch, I don’t notice a pretzel flavor. Even in bites that seemed to be mostly pretzels, I didn’t get that unique flavor.

I thought the savory snack might make the candy noticeably saltier than a regular Big Cup, but they don’t. Also, because of the added ingredient, this isn’t as sweet as a standard Big Cup.

So does that mean this a big bland brown disk? No.

That signature Reese’s peanut butter and chocolate flavor is still there, although subdued a bit. They’re basically Reese’s Big Cups with a BIG crunch, and I’d still stuff these into my big mouth.

But here’s another thing. I have to admit my taste buds weren’t too excited about these because they’re more intrigued by a similar product from Reese’s announced around the same time. However, it won’t come out until March 2021, and that’s Reese’s Big Cups with Chips. Yes, potato chips.

I’m someone who prefers chips over pretzels. If I’m watching a major sporting event, like the World Curling Championship, I’m going to be watching it while sweeping some chips into my house for all eight to ten ends. It’s not going to be pretzels. So it makes sense that my taste buds are looking forward to the chip version more.

But as for this Reese’s Big Cup with Pretzels, it’s worth a try. But buy a bag of Synder’s of Hanover with it if you want a bit more pretzel flavor.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the product. (Thanks, Reese’s!) Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 2.6 oz (King Size)
Purchased at: Received from Hershey’s
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 180 calories, 10 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Chips Ahoy Made with Hershey’s Milk Chocolate and Reese’s Pieces

Chips Ahoy Made with Hershey s Milk Chocolate and Reese s Pieces

If candy had big egos, how would Hershey’s Milk Chocolate and Reese’s Pieces would feel about Chips Ahoy Made with Hershey’s Milk Chocolate also containing semisweet chocolate chips and Chips Ahoy Made with Reese’s Pieces also containing peanut buttery chips?

I imagine Hershey’s Milk Chocolate would be like, “I am THE Great American Chocolate Bar, and I’m not going to share cookie space with something that has semi- in its name.”

And I think Reese’s Pieces would say something like, “I’m not only beloved on this planet, but extraterrestrials also love me. So I don’t want peanut buttery chips around me to taint my galactic flavor.”

Because cookies can’t express themselves, I’ll do it on their behalf. I wish the chips were left out, and they were baked with only the Hershey products. But, even though that’s not the case, these are some tasty treats.

Original Chips Ahoy have a unique flavor, and obviously, the addition of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate changes that. But are these an improvement over the original?

Chips Ahoy Made with Hershey s Milk Chocolate

They are, but it’s a slight enhancement. I do appreciate there are chunks of the Hershey’s chocolate that dwarf the semisweet chips. The milk chocolate makes the cookie taste a bit sweeter than the original and brings a different texture that’s noticeably softer and melts easier than the darker chips.

But just like Original Chips Ahoy have a unique flavor, so does Hershey’s chocolate, and it was hard for my taste buds to detect it while eating the cookie. That’s not a bad thing, just something I noticed. Also, these seem crispier than regular Chips Ahoy and the Reese’s Pieces version.

Chips Ahoy Made with Reese s Pieces

Speaking of those, if you think about it, seeing Reese’s Pieces in cookies was something we’d eventually see because, let’s be honest, Reese’s has stuffed the peanut buttery candy buttons into everything else the brand offers, so it was time to expand out a little.

Those bites with a Reese’s Pieces had the flavor of the candy and an extra crunch from the shell. But because they’re not equally distributed throughout the cookie (something that’s also the case with the Hershey’s one), there were many bites with only the peanut buttery chips. Those tasted like a typical peanut butter cookie, but lighter in flavor. But despite those issues, I really enjoy these.

If I have a craving for inexpensive mass-produced cookies and these two are still on shelves next to Original Chips Ahoy, I’d choose either one over the classic. But, between the two new products, I’d give a slight edge to the Reese’s Pieces, but that’s because of my bias as an extraterrestrial.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free samples. Doing so did not influence my review in any way.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 9.5 oz.
Purchased at: Received from Nabisco
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Hershey’s), 7 out of 10 (Reese’s)
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) Hershey’s – 160 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 9 grams of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein. Reese’s Pieces – 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, 8 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: White Reese’s Stuffed with Pieces

Reese s White Creme Peanut Butter Cups Stuffed with Reese s Pieces

What is the White Reese’s Stuffed with Pieces?

Exclusive to Dollar General stores, Reese’s newest product is a white crème cup filled with Reese’s Pieces bits and the brand’s signature peanut butter filling.

How is it?

With each new addition to its line of products, Reese’s takes more of a “choose your own adventure” approach to offering the perfect peanut butter cup to meet individual tastes. Navigating among coating types, sizes and shapes, and filling add-ins, Reese’s fans get to try out new combinations more often than new flavors, and as a result, strong personal preferences form and comparisons are inevitable.

Reese s White Creme Peanut Butter Cups Stuffed with Reese s Pieces Outside

Personally, I swear that Reese’s Trees and Eggs are superior to your average cup. Milk chocolate ranks first, followed by white crème and dark chocolate, respectively. In 2016, when Reese’s introduced Reese’s Stuffed with Pieces in the milk chocolate variety, the addition of crunchy candy shells didn’t wow me enough to make my list of favorites.

Setting aside my biases, I was drawn to White Reese’s Stuffed with Pieces for its novelty, exclusive status, and charming polka dot wrapper. The white crème delivers in both flavor and texture, as the sturdy shell easily melts into a creamy bite with a subtle white chocolate taste. The crème’s flavor allows the peanut butter filling to shine.

Reese s White Creme Peanut Butter Cups Stuffed with Reese s Pieces Inside

The Reese’s Pieces bits add an enjoyable element of texture, but still feel scarce in number. In my pack of two, each cup contained at least one whole candy piece, which doesn’t quite meet the expectation that the word “stuffed” implies, but was still an improvement over my experience with the barely-there candy shells in the milk chocolate variety.

When I encountered a whole candy, I could taste its peanut butter flavor even against the powerful peanut butter filling. While Reese’s Pieces are not enough to make the milk chocolate variety special for me, they are enough to make the white crème variety more interesting.

Is there anything else you need to know?

The product wrapper specifies white crème because it contains no cocoa butter and so technically cannot be classified as chocolate.

Conclusion:

Having already dabbled in both white crème and Reese’s Pieces, Reese’s is not exploring uncharted territory with White Reese’s Stuffed with Pieces, but all of the elements work together well in this peanut butter-and-texture-forward candy. If you are a Reese’s aficionado who likes having options, try out this variety and share where it falls in your peanut butter power ranking.

Purchased Price: 95 cents
Size: 1.4 oz. (2 cups)
Purchased at: Dollar General
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein

REVIEW: Sonic Reese’s Overload Waffle Cone

Sonic Reese s Overload Waffle Cone

What is the Sonic Reese’s Overload Waffle Cone?

The Sonic Reese’s Overload Waffle Cone is one of two new peanut butter and chocolate ice cream treats available for a limited time. It is a chocolate waffle cone filled with the chain’s real ice cream and topped with peanut butter, crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Mini Reese’s Pieces. There is also peanut butter at the bottom of the cone.

How is it?

I should first disclose that I really like peanut butter and chocolate. I am one of those people that takes a chocolate bar and slathers it with the nutty spread to help satisfy a sweet craving. So you can imagine that I was very excited when I heard of the availability of Sonic’s new treats, which are described as “the perfect overload of peanut butter and chocolate.”

I was so excited that I left my house at 9 p.m. to go to Sonic (9 p.m. is late for me and typically when I am winding down so that I can be in bed by 10 p.m.). So how was this new treat that got me to extend my bedtime?

A little disappointing.

Sonic Reese s Overload Waffle Cone Half Toppings

Sonic Reese s Overload Waffle Cone Way Too Much Vanilla Ice Cream

After eating the toppings, it is just a lot of vanilla ice cream inside a chocolate cone. The cone’s cocoa flavor isn’t especially strong, but it isenough that you can tell it is not your usual waffle cone.

Sonic Reese s Overload Waffle Cone PB Bottom

At the very bottom of the cone, there is some more peanut butter, which is a pleasant surprise. Although it was not a redeeming amount for something described as an “overload of peanut butter and chocolate.” Thankfully, I do like Sonic’s vanilla ice cream, and it is a decently-sized serving given the large cone.

Is there anything else you need to know?

The toppings create a mess because they easily fall off. This is unfortunate as it further diminishes the available peanut butter and chocolate goodness that the product is already lacking. It also did not help that I was not provided with any napkins.

Lastly, the peanut butter tastes like the standard creamy stuff and not the peanut cream inside a Reese’s PB Cup.

Conclusion:

If you are craving peanut butter and chocolate, this cone is not for you. However, you might want to consider the Reese’s Overload Blast as the nutty goodness is mixed throughout the ice cream.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 700 calories, 38 grams of fat, 16 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 440 milligrams of sodium, 78 grams of total carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 46 grams of total sugars, and 15 grams of protein

REVIEW: Reese’s Chocolate Lovers and Peanut Butter Lovers (2019)

Reese s Chocolate Lovers and Peanut Butter Lovers  2019

I love me some Reese’s, but it’s been on a bit of a cold streak with me lately.

I can’t say I’ve “loved” any of the Reese’s products I’ve reviewed recently, (Thins, Good Humor Bars, Whipped Topping) and it’s left me wondering if I even still “love” the iconic brand I grew up on.

Previous disappointments aside, I figured there was no way Reese’s Chocolate Lovers and Peanut Butter Lovers Cups could let me down, right?

Reese’s Chocolate Lovers

I was tentative about these. I ranted in my Reese’s Thins review about how pointless having more chocolate than peanut butter is, but I’m happy to report Reese’s Chocolate Lovers Cups blow them away.

I initially thought these were dark chocolate, but according to Hershey’s official site, they’re an “extra thick layer of extra-rich milk chocolate.” Some may taste a difference with the “extra rich” chocolate, but it tasted like a thicker Reese’s cup to me.

Reese s Chocolate Lovers Innards

The chocolate shell (I don’t know what else to call it) has a similar crispy bite to Reese’s Thins. Since they have more chocolate, the candy’s texture is harder than a standard peanut butter cup.

There’s still plenty of peanut butter, but since the ratio is off, I felt like it melted in my mouth quicker and left me with an intense chocolate aftertaste that set this apart from regular Reese’s Cups. The back of my tongue still had that lingering peanut butter residue, but everywhere else tasted like I ate a Hershey bar.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Lovers

I didn’t think there was any way I’d like Chocolate Lovers more than these, but here I am, admitting I liked Chocolate Lovers more than these. That’s not an indictment – they’re pretty damn good – I just thought they were the runner-up.

The idea of having the cup itself made of peanut butter is a great idea – in theory anyway.

Reese s Peanut Butter Lovers Innards

They could have called these “Reese’s Chocolate Haters Cups” because outside of the thin layer coating the bottom of the cup there’s hardly any chocolate. I certainly didn’t taste much of it. The outer peanut butter and what’s inside have contrasting textures but identical flavors. That was fun for a couple of bites, but then the novelty wore off.

Without the chocolate, these are really dry. The peanut butter caked my mouth to the point I wanted to chug a bottle of water after eating one cup. It’s the Nutter Butter effect. Try eating a few of those without a glass of milk. Your mouth will turn into the Sahara.

Still, I can’t complain too much because I love Reese’s peanut butter. Just gotta remember to keep a bottle of water nearby.

So yeah, these are both winners. If only Hershey’s could find a happy medium between Chocolate Lovers and Peanut Butter Lovers, we’d be in business folks.

Sarcasm aside, Reese’s Cups are a ten, so I’m judging these off of them. They’re both worth picking up, but you can’t top perfection.

Purchased Price: $1.39 each
Size: 1.5 oz.
Purchased at: Quick Check
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Chocolate Lovers)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Peanut Butter Lovers)
Nutrition Facts: (1 package) Chocolate Lovers – 210 calories, 13 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Peanut Butter Lovers – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.