It's our calling to find the absolute best M&M's in the candy aisle.
Every M&M’s Flavor We Could Find, Ranked
Updated Oct. 04, 2024
11. Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie M&M’s
We love that the M&M’s research team is trying new seasonal flavors, but this one, new for 2024, is a miss. An individual M&M is 0.032 ounces, and that’s not a lot of chocolate to infuse with added flavor. This product overcompensates with a perfumy hit of pumpkin spice, leaving the palate with a confusing aftertaste.
Bottom Line: With all sorts of pumpkin spice products on the market, we don’t need pumpkin pie M&M’s. That said, these are an improvement on the White Pumpkin Pie M&M’s of previous years, which had no cocoa notes to cut through the sickly sweetness.
10. Crunchy Cookie M&M’s
While this flavor sounds good in theory—”the perfect mix between classic M&M’S and nostalgic chocolate chip cookies,” according to the M&M’s website—in practice, it’s not so unappealing. There is indeed a crunch at the center, but in such a small package, it comes off as grainy rather than crispy, and it piles on an overly sweet element that prompts a desire to brush one’s teeth. Released in 2022, Crunchy Cookie is a part of M&M’s permanent lineup, so there must be fans somewhere!
Bottom Line: The best thing about this flavor is that it offers a unique texture. We, however, would rather make monster cookies or golden M&M’s bars for the real deal.
9. Caramel M&M’s
This flavor was introduced in 2017, and according to a press release announcing the Caramel M&M’s, “It took years to develop the technology and machines required to get the delicious soft caramel ingredient into our signature hard candy shell.”
The result is impressive: a substantial amount of full-flavored caramel filling that doesn’t overwhelm the outer layer of chocolate. Yet, while the imagery on the package promises a gooey, stretchy caramel center, the reality is a bit more dense, stiff and sticky.
Bottom Line: They’re fun to chew, but caramel quickly gets stuck between every molar. Part of what makes M&M’s so enduring is their poppable, snackable form factor, and Caramel M&M’s somewhat gum up that process (literally).
8. Pretzel M&M’s
This M&M’s flavor has been exceeding expectations since its debut in 2010, becoming a beloved addition to the lineup and even winning the 2011 Product of the Year award thanks in part to its salty-sweet flavor profile. It’s surprising how much savory flavor can be packed into such a small candy. Yet, these M&M’s, more spherical than most of their counterparts, hold a sizable pretzel nugget center without skimping on the chocolate.
Bottom Line: The only downside is that in order to have that pretzel flavor strongly represented, there’s a bit too much dry, crumbly pretzel in the center that’s unaccompanied by complementary sweetness. This is the M&M’s flavor that tastes most like a full-on snack instead of a candy.
7. Caramel Cold Brew M&M’s
“Wow” is what you might say when you open up this bag, which emits a spot-on aroma of caramel coffee syrup. Whereas the Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie M&M’s have a flavoring that’s hard for the palate to place, this candy nails the assignment, providing an unmistakable hit of caramel cold brew in every chewy center. Best of all, it’s widely available at convenience stores and retail outlets.
Bottom Line: The flavor is so assertive that it’s hard to get through an entire bag of these in one sitting! That, combined with the super sticky caramel filling, is what places this bag in the lower half of the rankings. We’d still grab a bag when a coffee dessert craving hits though.
6. Milk Chocolate M&M’s
The original Milk Chocolate M&M’s have been a favorite for nearly a century, and for good reason. Their chocolate-to-filling ratio is the industry standard, with enough chocolate that a scant few pieces will satisfy a toddler and a heftier handful will satisfy adults.
An underrated aspect of Milk Chocolate M&M’s is how ubiquitous they are. They’re so easy to find that you don’t even have to go to outlets that sell food: Hardware stores, office supply retailers and liquor stores are all more likely than not to stock this candy, too.
Bottom Line: They’re not the most exciting selection in the bunch, but they never get old, either. This is a reliable, crowd-pleasing candy, and if you like chocolate in any form, it’s impossible to dislike this M&M.
5. Dark Chocolate M&M’s
It would be more accurate to list Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate M&M’s as a tie in this ranking. Because they’re so similar to one another, if you were unwittingly served the dark chocolate variety, you might not realize you were eating a specialty flavor. These have been a mainstay of the brand for decades, with an identical chocolate-to-shell ratio as their milk chocolate counterparts. We do wonder, though, why the Purple M&M isn’t on the bag.
Bottom Line: They sit one notch higher in the rankings because there’s just a hint of greater complexity to the flavor here, a faint bitter edge that you only get with dark chocolate. That added intensity means just a few are enough to satisfy.
4. Peanut M&M’s
Introduced in 1954, Peanut M&M’s were the brand’s first variation on Milk Chocolate, and they have stuck around ever since; the two flavors are always bestsellers. It’s easy to see why, with a generous layer of chocolate enrobing each roasty, crunchy peanut. You might not get as many Peanut M&M’s in each bag, but each oblong candy is far more substantial than a classic M&M.
Bottom Line: The balance of flavor and texture seems meticulously designed to light up every one of the brain’s snacking sensors. How does the bag get empty so fast?
3. Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M’s
If the Dark Chocolate M&M’s provide about 5% more flavor complexity than the Milk Chocolate, the same holds true of Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M’s. However, while you might see the classic yellow bag of Peanut M&M’s at every corner store, Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M’s, which come in a purple bag, are far more elusive, often requiring online purchase and delivery despite being available for decades.
Bottom Line: A bowl of these will disappear within moments at any social gathering. Even though they’re harder to find, these are some of M&M’s greatest creations.
2. Almond M&M’s
If M&M’s are defined by their ubiquity and accessibility, Almond M&M’s are more like a luxury product. These have hopped on and off the M&M’s roster since the 1960s but have been consistently available for about 30 years. Their availability varies at major retailers and they’re more typically seen in resealable share-size bags than individual packs—which is fine, because as soon as you try one, you’ll want to buy them in bulk.
Bottom Line: The almond at their center gives them a roasty, crunchy appeal that feels like a special occasion in candy form. The candy shell adds even more crunch, making these superior to a typical chocolate-covered almond and generally fun to bite into.
1. Peanut Butter M&M’s
It’s hard to believe that M&M’s took 50 years to release its best flavor innovation. Since their debut in 1991, Peanut Butter M&M’s have been a major seller, satisfying a craving that only Reese’s has ever managed to match. The peanut butter center is substantial, and its texture is more creamy than grainy, blending seamlessly with the chocolate that enrobes it. The peanut butter is also impressively savory, complementing the sweetness of the milk chocolate and the candy shell.
Bottom Line: Peanut Butter M&M’s deliver big flavor in a small package. Peanut Butter M&M’s are a “desert island” candy, a treat whose appeal will never run out.
Originally Published: October 04, 2024
