I wish I could explain the choices the latest DCU film made. PLUS: Amazon drops the Sam Altman biopic, Keanu Reeves joins the next Lego movie, and ‘Digger’ just wants to win an Oscar for Tom Cruise.
A quick review of the latest release commemorating the 30th anniversary of the franchise.
All the snack news you need to know from the past month.
Snackology breaks down 18 different new and returning kinds of candy that will elevate the holiday beyond a giant box of chocolates.
Valentine’s Day is just over a week away, which means it’s crunch time for hitting the seasonal aisle at CVS or Target. Sure, you can buy the biggest heart-shaped box of chocolates available, but if you’re looking for more options, Snackology is here to break down a whopping 18 different new and returning kinds of Valentine’s Day candy.
Seriously, I’ve covered all the bases. Chocolate. Sour stuff. Gummy bears. Even jellybeans. (Yes, I know it’s not Easter. I just go where the seasonal aisle takes me.) So throw that giant box of chocolate into your cart and use this roundup to find a few new favorites to go along with it.
Welcome to Snackology!
This publication is a free newsletter, but it’s fueled by readers like you. Support independent news, reviews and more for just $5 a month.
Upgrade to PaidIncludes full access to Popculturology and The Cold Open.
What they cost: An 8-count pack of 8.8 oz. boxes is $4.49 at Target
My thoughts: It’s been a long time since I’ve had a conversation heart. They’re usually chalky, and — in a world of amazing other candy options — they’re just not something I’m going to spend my snacking time and energy on. But the “next generation” of conversation hearts from Brach’s are a big improvement. They deliver just the right amount of pucker, reminding me of the classic Sweetart candies.
Brach’s Sweet Bright Conversation Hearts
What they cost: A 12 oz. bag is $3.79 at Target
My thoughts: When we would decorate Christmas cookies as kids, our family had one shaker of cinnamon candies that were very carefully doled out. (If you needed a red nose for a reindeer cutout cookie, they were perfect.) While the texture of Brach’s Cinnamon Jelly Hearts is different, the cinnamon flavor brought me back to my childhood.
Brach’s Cinnamon Jelly Hearts
What they cost: A 36-count bag is $6.41 on Amazon
My thoughts: As a 40-year-old adult, there aren’t many opportunities when I can see myself settling down with a lollipop, but Brach’s Strawberry Cupcake Glitter Lollipops were a hit with our daughter.
Brach’s Strawberry Cupcake Glitter Lollipops
What they cost: A 9.3 oz. bag was $5.29 at Target
My thoughts: I’m mature enough to admit when I was wrong. When I reviewed Reese’s Red Velvet Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups last year, I said they were a “pass.” (I actually passed on them twice.) But after giving them another shot for this roundup, I’ve changed my mind. These fellas are good. Not as good as the Oreo Reese’s Cups or the Spring Sprinkles variety, but still a fun Valentine’s Day offering from Reese’s.
Reese’s Red Velvet Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
What it costs: The Reese’s Heart was $5.99 at Giant
My thoughts: I picked up this oversized Reese’s Heart when I needed to get cash back at Giant one morning, and I don’t regret it. Not only is it a generous amount of Reese’s candy, the thick chocolate shell delivers a satisfying bite and the amount of peanut inside in the heart is balanced well with the chocolate.
Reese’s Heart
What they cost: An 8.8 oz. bag was $5.29 at Target
My thoughts: To clarify, Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Pink Hearts are not white chocolate. But they’re still very good, adding a fun Valentine’s twist to the company’s classic Cookies ‘n’ Creme bar. (If you want an actual white chocolate candy bar, good luck. Despite my rave review of Crunch White, I’ve never been able to find that one in stores.)
Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Pink Hearts
What it costs: A 2-piece pack was $2.59 at Target
My thoughts: I’m on record thanks to both my Halloween and Christmas roundups as being a huge fan of Snickers in this format. Everything is balanced. The candy is the perfect size to be devoured in two or three bites. They know what they’re doing with this one.
Snickers Hearts
What it costs: A 2-piece pack was $2.59 at Target
My thoughts: Same goes for Twix in this seasonal format. If you’re a fan of Twix in its traditional bar variety, Twix Hearts are going to steal your, well, heart.
Twix Hearts
What they cost: A 4-pack was $1.49 at Target
My thoughts: I love that Kit Kat now has an entire roster of delightful seasonal characters. Bears for Valentine’s Day, Bunnies for Easter, Counts for Halloween, Santas for Christmas — these cute characters should be the standard format for a Kit Kat bar. (Sorry, I prefer these over breaking off a piece.) I want to see the roster expand in 2026. Anthropomorphic firecrackers for Independence Day. Turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Kit Kat Friendship Exchange Bears
What it costs: A 3.1 oz. box was $1.29 at Harris Teeter
My thoughts: If you’ve been following along with Snackology lately, you know that I’ve been on a huge Sour Patch Kids kick. (Our home absolutely needed a few more styles of the sour candy.) Sour Patch Kids Hearts come in redberry and strawberry flavors. These flavors aren’t as punch-you-in-the-face sour as traditional Sour Patch Kids, which is pretty kind of them considering they’re for a holiday that’s all about love.
Sour Patch Kids Hearts
What it costs: A 1.8 oz. tube was $2.59 at Target
My thoughts: Sour Patch Kids Bites are probably my favorite new addition to the Sour Patch Kids lineup. On first glance, you might think that Sour Patch Kids Bites are tiny Sour Patch Kids. Nope. They’re just the heads. Yes, this is a tube full of the results of someone at the Sour Patch Kids factory decapitating wave after wave of rainbow-colored sour candies. This might be the perfect format for Sour Patch Kids, allowing you to easily toss a handful of different flavors into your mouth at once.
Sour Patch Kids Bites
What they cost: An 8.4 oz. bag was $3.99 at Harris Teeter
My thoughts: We first saw Sour Patch Kids Glow Ups last April, when the turmeric-infused candy was introduced alongside Swedish Fish Minis Glow Ups. Sour Patch Kids Glow Ups Hearts bring back the strawberry-watermelon flavor the glowing candy was originally available in while also adding a cherry variety.
Sour Patch Kids Glow Ups Hearts
What they cost: An 11 oz. bag was $4.49 at Harris Teeter
My thoughts: It’s been scientifically proven that Starburst Jellybeans are the unrivaled king of the jellybean game, so I was curious to see what a Valentine’s Day version would look like. This seasonal variety of the beloved Starburst Jellybeans comes in cherry and strawberry flavors, wisely focusing on fans’ top two favorites. I’m still not sure about jellybeans escaping Easter containment, but the flavors and candy coating on Starburst Heart Shaped Jellybeans hold up the high standards of the classics.
Starburst Heart Shaped Jellybeans
What it costs: A 1.9 oz. tube was $2.39 at Target
My thoughts: Skittles Littles are a simple concept. They shrunk Skittles down, giving them the M&M Minis treatment. This was my first time eating Skittles Littles, and it might now be the only way I eat Skittles. There’s a huge level of satisfaction to having the ability to wolf these itty bitty candy bits down.
Skittles Littles Original Mini Candy Valentine’s Day Gift Mega Tube
What they cost: A 3 oz. pack was $2.29 at Target
My thoughts: I have yet to encounter a variety of Nerds Gummy Clusters that doesn’t earn a perfect Snack Score. (Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters even broke the Snack Score-o-meter.) The Valentine flavor is no exception.
Nerds Gummy Clusters Valentine
What it costs: A 0.9 oz. pack was $1.49 at Target
My thoughts: Poor Nerds Rope. It was the original Nerds innovation, taking the candy beyond just tiny boxes of sugar blobs. Nerds Rope walked so Nerdy Gummy Clusters could run a mile in under four minutes. I’m sure there are Nerds Rope fans out there, but there just isn’t a world where I would choose this over Nerds Gummy Clusters.
Nerds Rope Valentine
What they cost: A 4 oz. bag was $1.39 at Target
My thoughts: The gold standard of gummy bears, Haribo Goldbears come in bags of just the pineapple and raspberry flavors, offering a classy look for Valentine’s Day. These flavors work well together, and I had to take the initiative to close the bag and put it out of arm’s reach while I was snacking on them after doing this review.
Haribo Goldbears
What they cost: A 4.5 oz. bag was $3.79 at Target
My thoughts: I’m thrilled that chocolate-covered gummy bears are widely available these days. When I was in college, one of my friends figured out how to make them herself (the secret is to freeze them so they don’t melt when dipped in molten chocolate), and I still won’t pass them up when I find them in a candy shop. That same friend also made chocolate-covered Peeps at my insistence, and to this day, they are still wildly better than the chocolate-covered Peeps you can buy in stores. Our bag of Albanese Milk Chocolate Covered Valentine Gummy Bears was gone in a single sitting.
Albanese Milk Chocolate Covered Valentine Gummy Bears
Brach’s Sweet Bright Conversation Hearts, Brach’s Cinnamon Jelly Hearts and Brach’s Strawberry Cupcake Glitter Lollipops were provided to Snackology for this independent review.
Snackology is a publication of The Omnicosm.
Issue No. 148
Snackology is written and produced by Bill Kuchman.
Copyediting by Tim Kuchman.
Love what Snackology is doing? You can help keep the newsletter going by becoming a paid supporter.
If this edition of Snackology brought you joy, consider sending a tip.
Get the full The Omnicosm experience. Add Popculturology and The Cold Open to your subscription via your account settings.
A quick review of the latest release commemorating the 30th anniversary of the franchise.
All the snack news you need to know from the past month.
I love to add a dessert to my fast food order, but the iconic pastry has long been a blindspot of mine.
I wasn’t impressed with the first round of Simply NKD Doritos and Cheetos, but the newest member of the lineup is a success.
Join the hundreds of subscribers who already get the free Snackology, Popculturology and The Cold Open newsletters.
Bluesky
Instagram