If there’s one constant in the world, it’s that we’re going to keep getting new flavors of M&Ms. These new flavors are often seasonal varieties (like the Toasty Holiday Peanut M&Ms we got for Christmas), but every once in awhile, a new permanent M&M flavor is introduced to the world.
M&Ms Peanut Butter & Jelly is one of those flavors.
According to Mars, Peanut Butter & Jelly is the “first new flavor innovation since 2022” when it comes to M&Ms and “features berry flavored bite-sized chocolate treats with a deliciously smooth peanut butter center that will transport fans to the comforting experience of a PB&J sandwich.”
Did the latest bit of innovation from the M&Ms lab transport me back to that comforting experience?
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Where I found it
I found the 2.83 oz. Share Size of the PB&J M&Ms at a Sheetz while we were driving up to Rochester for a late Christmas visit.
What I paid
The PB&J M&Ms were on sale, ringing up at two for $6.25.
Despite the Green M&M being on the package, Peanut Butter & Jelly M&Ms come in just red, yellow and dark brown.
My thoughts
When I heard that Peanut Butter & Jelly M&Ms were going to be released, I was kind of surprised it had taken so long for Mars to create this variety of M&Ms. How hard could it be to put the PB&J flavor into an M&M?
Well, I guess it might be harder than I thought.
When I bit into my first Peanut Butter & Jelly M&M, I instantly detected the jelly flavor. (It’s unclear what flavor the jelly is supposed to be, as the bag doesn’t depict any of the fruits that would allegedly go into it and the M&Ms website just calls it “sweet jelly.”) A good sign, I thought to myself.
But that jelly flavor wasn’t consistent from candy to candy. More often than not, the PB&J M&Ms tasted like a traditional Peanut Butter M&M. Maybe a hint of jelly flavor snuck in here and there, but the more I ate, the more I tasted peanut butter. (I finished the whole bag during our drive, so I definitely collected a large enough sample size here.)
Honestly, I can’t tell if that’s the tiniest bit of jelly in the cross section or just the shell’s red coloring mixing into the chocolate layer.
With some M&M flavors, you can bite into one and see a cross section of its flavors and textures. Biting into one of the PB&J M&Ms exposes zero evidence of any kind of jelly.
It’s funny to read about these M&Ms being a major new flavor for the brand. When I was a kid, my dad worked for a company that filled vending machines, and when the Almond and Peanut Butter M&Ms were rolled out in the 1990s, I remember he got free bags to promote them. (We also got cases of Coke to give out on Halloween, but I don’t think we ever shared those.)
Final verdict: PASS
If you’re going to release Peanut Butter & Jelly M&Ms, you need to hit both of those flavors evenly. I want to taste the jelly, not just the peanut butter. We already have Peanut Butter M&Ms. We don’t need Peanut Butter With a Hint of Jelly M&Ms.
Snackology is written and produced by Bill Kuchman. Copyediting by Tim Kuchman.
The Omnicosm founder. Popculturology, Deep SNL Thoughts and Snackology writer. A Rochester, N.Y., native now living in the Washington, D.C., area. Won’t pass up a Genny Cream Ale.
