Review: The M&M’s Bakery Collection wants your vote

Voting for a new M&M’s candy is a time-honored tradition, a key piece of American history that binds us together. We went to the polls (er, dialed a 1-800 number via the phones on our kitchen walls) in 1995 and cast votes to decide which color would join the permanent lineup: Blue, Pink or Purple? Blue ran away with that contest, scoring 54 percent of the vote and booting tan from the M&M’s lineup.

Purple and Pink got another shot at glory in 2002, competing against Aqua in another fan vote. Purple won that election, but as you can tell by opening any standard bag of M&M’s, its victory was hollow.

There was also a vote in 2019 among “internationally inspired flavors,” pitting Mexican Jalapeño Peanut, Thai Coconut Peanut and English Toffee Peanut against each other. (I think I found Thai Coconut Peanut at some point?)

I guess these votes don’t actually carry the weight M&M’s wants us to believe they do, huh? With the exception of Blue, all of these “winners” didn’t enjoy long terms on candy shelves.

But we’re gonna do it again anyway with the Bakery Collection: M&M’s Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll, M&M’s Cherry Chocolate Cupcake and M&M’s Lemon Meringue Pie.

So double check your M&M’s voter registration and let’s meet the candidates ...

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What they cost

Individual bags of the three Bakery Collection flavors are available, but I bought all of them together in the Flavor Vote Bundle for $16.49.

My thoughts

I’m actually not sure what the prize is for the Bakery Collection flavor that wins the fan vote, but you can cast your vote online or by scanning the QR code on the bags between now and May 15.

M&M’s Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll

I started off my candidate roundtable with M&M’s Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll. The Peanut Butter M&M has been a classic flavor for decades, so this option felt like a good entry point. Upon opening the bag, I was greeted with the aroma of, well, peanut butter with a hint of cinnamon too.

Before eating a Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll M&M, I quickly scrolled through my mental catalogue of M&M experiences. Had I had a cinnamon M&M before? Toasty Holiday Peanut, yes. Honey Roasted Peanut, also yes. But I think the closest I’ve come would’ve been the Pumpkin Pie M&M’s released around Halloween.

At first bite, M&M’s Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll felt right. The peanut butter and the cinnamon flavors were clicking ... but then things fell flat on the aftertaste. Remember that heaviness that I mentioned in my review of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Peanut Butter? That’s what I got after popping a few of this flavor of M&M’s into my mouth.

Snack Score

M&M’s Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll

🍪🍪🍪 (3 out of 5)

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M&M’s Cherry Chocolate Cupcake

I had high hopes for M&M Cherry Chocolate Cupcake. Chocolate and cherry have long been two flavors that worked well with each other in candy. I had hoped that this Bakery Collection offering would follow in the footsteps of something like the Cherry Cordial Kisses that pop up around Valentine’s Day. Before I ate my first Cherry Chocolate Cupcake, I was envisioning something bright and fruity.

And that’s exactly what that first crunch into an M&M’s Cherry Chocolate Cupcake candy is. The cherry flavor shines though. But, just like with the Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll flavor, this one also can't hold it together as you keep eating them.

Cherry Chocolate Cupcake M&M’s are advertised as being a mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate, and I think the bitterness of the dark chocolate winds up overpowering that pop of cherry brightness.

Snack Score

M&M’s Cherry Chocolate Cupcake

🍪🍪🍪 (3 out of 5)

M&M’s Lemon Meringue Pie

At this point, I wasn’t sure if any member of the Bakery Collection was going to earn my vote. I was down to M&M’s Lemon Meringue Pie, an option that on sight alone was very different from the other two flavors in this lineup.

The Lemon Meringue Pie M&M’s are much smaller than their two counterparts. While those two flavors boast fillings of some sort, these brightly colored M&M’s have a crunchy center and they’re white chocolate.

When it comes to my vote, there’s no competition. M&M’s Lemon Meringue Pie is the easy winner. This option has everything going for it. The lemon flavor shines through, easily pairing with the white chocolate. (I guess I really like white chocolate M&M’s?) The crunch is super satisfying. Several times during the process of writing this review, I had to walk away from the bag to stop eating them. The taste is fantastic no matter if you’re eating your first Lemon Meringue Pie M&M or your fiftieth.