The 7 Best M&M's Flavors

I think a good chunk of the population would argue that regular ol’ M&M’s are perfect just as they are, no nuts or fillings necessary (my colleague Jordan Myrick happens to be one of these people). Released in 1941 as wartime rations (who knew?), M&M’s have become one of the most iconic candies in the world—and I’m pretty sure I’m not being hyperbolic, considering there are big, flashy M&M’s stores in places like London, Berlin, and Shanghai, and NASA astronauts have taken M&M’s on every shuttle mission to space since 1982. I learned a lot on the M&M’s website.

Personally, I’m all about the upgrades. Chocolate in a candy shell is good. Chocolate in a candy shell with a roasty peanut inside or a dab of peanut butter is heavenly. Everyone has strongly held M&M’s opinions and preferences, but before you yell at me about this ranking, consider that I tried all of these M&M’s varieties back to back and also consulted the rest of the pros on the Sporked team too. You may disagree with the hierarchy, but can we all agree that M&M’s are pretty great?

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Best of the Best

I am extremely sorry if this is triggering for people with peanut allergies, but Peanut M&M’s are about as close as you can get to a perfect candy. A movie theater companion for the ages. The ideal marriage of chocolate and legume. I eat these in a very particular way: I bisect them with my teeth and eat half the chocolate and half the shell; then my second bite is whole peanut, plus half chocolate and half shell, which, in my opinion, gives you the perfect ratio of components. A two-bite food! The shell is sweet and crunchy; the chocolate and roasty peanut pair perfectly. And now that I’m an M&M’s history buff, I can tell you that Peanut M&M’s came along in 1954, just 13 years after original M&M’s—a classic for a reason.

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Target

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best Modern Classic

I will always choose Peanut M&M’s over Peanut Butter M&M’s, but I have to admit that these are extremely good, especially for an occasional change of pace. The peanut butter within these big boys is oily and salty. And the peanut butter-to-chocolate ratio is good, albeit just a touch on light side in terms of filling. Still, totally delicious. It’s a toss up for number one, truly.

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Target

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Plain

Okay, hear me out: M&M’s Minis are a more perfect version of a plain M&M. Their more delicate shell gives them a crispier crunch and a more ideal shell-to-chocolate ratio. Plus, they come in a tube and you can just pour them directly into your maw. I don’t love the extra waste the plastic tube creates, but the tubes are actually useful if you hang onto and reuse them. Plus, there’s a justification: These dainty lil guys would get absolutely pulverized in a regular bag. If you don’t care for additions to your M&M’s, give these a shot.

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best New Innovation

I try pretty much every new M&M’s flavor when it comes out, and I’ll just say that my hopes weren’t incredibly high for these. But, wow, they blew me away. These are bigger and a little more misshapen than a lot of M&M’s you’re used to—kind of like lumpy Peanut Butter M&M’s. Inside, there’s a fudgey little brownie bit surrounded by chocolate and shell, and that thing is so good! They actually managed to channel the flavor of a baked good into a tiny morsel that adds chew and a deeper chocolatey flavor to the entire candy. I brought a gigantic bag of these home with me and polished off the entire thing in record time. These are also a two-bite food, which I love.

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Vons

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Chew

I honestly didn’t know I wanted chew from my M&M’s until this taste test. Like Fudge Brownie, these M&M’s have a nice, squishy interior that really improves the entire textural experience. I think I’d always avoided Caramel M&M’s because I assumed they’d be too nauseatingly sweet. Not the case. I also wasn’t sure if they’d contain the drizzly kind of caramel or the good, chewy kind of caramel. It’s the latter. Best case scenario all around! I noted that the caramel flavor is a little bit artificial tasting, but that didn’t prevent me from wanting to continue housing these until my stomach hurt.

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Target

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Crunchy

Now, I think these would be 1,000 times better if the cookie inside were chewy like the morsel inside the Fudge Brownie M&M’s, but do Crunchy Cookie M&M’s deliver on their promise? They sure do. As advertised, these have a great cookie crunch and a nice sugar cookie-esque flavor that compliments the chocolate. Also, if you’re a fan of slowly dismantling snacks like this with your teeth, you’ll have a blast with these since you can get the cookie morsel out entirely intact and eat it on its own. A candy and an activity in one!

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Target

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best White

There are lots of people who prefer white chocolate to dark and milk chocolate. In fact, Sporked editorial assistant Naajia Shukri is one of them. No judgement here. I like and certainly get the creamy appeal of white chocolate, and that’s why these ranked over the other white chocolate M&M’s we tried. With Peanut White Chocolate M&M’s, the flavor of the peanut is really the star of the show and the white chocolate flavor kind of gets lost. We also tried White Chocolate Key Lime Pie M&M’s, which are great, but have a bold lime flavor that sets them apart entirely. Plus, no way can I eat a whole bag of those lime guys. These plain White Chocolate M&M’s are made to eat by the bagful, and I appreciate that.

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Walmart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: White Chocolate Peanut M&M’s, Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M’s, Pretzel M&M’s, Dark Chocolate Mint M&M’s, White Chocolate Key Lime Pie M&M’s

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