Snack Review: NEW! Mars Pretzel M&Ms

Posted April 27th, 2010 | 5:32am by Adam

How awesome are Mars’ new Pretzel M&M’s?





Uh, awesome enough for me to take this cheesy photo of them suggesting that they are, in fact, heaven sent.

But seriously, as someone who pretty much NEVER buys candy on an impulse, let me just say that my curiosity at Walmart the other day was not only worth it, but potentially life-changing. I kid you not. Never will I walk into a gas station again without first seeking these out. They are just that good. OK, where to begin? For starters, it might be news to you that these even exist. Well, I’m here to confirm that they do. Described as “crunchy,” “salty,” and “sweet,” these latest M&M variants play off of the familiar taste combination of pretzels enclosed in chocolate. Mars has been rolling out a number of new flavors of M&M’s as of late, and while these are not currently listed on the website, they can be found at Walmart stores in multiple sizes.

As you can see from the above photo, they appear almost identical to standard Peanut M&M’s on the outside. Likewise, if you stick one in your mouth and let it slowly dissolve, you’ll get the familiar yet smooth taste of milk chocolate. I’ve always found the milk chocolate of M&M’s to be average, and unless we’re talking Peanut M&M’s, have always preferred the dark chocolate candies to the classic milk chocolate. That being the case, the milk chocolate eventually gives way to a small pretzel inside.

The pretzel isn’t overly salty, nor is it too hard. What can you say other than it looks, feels, and tastes like a standard pretzel. Taken alone, neither the pretzel nor the chocolate coating impress, but when eaten together these M&M’s stack up favorably to the very best in chocolate coated pretzel snacks. What I want to know is why it took the M&M people so long to come up with this flavor!?

I love the texture of these M&M’s. They aren’t too crunchy, and are best enjoyed when you’ve partially let the chocolate dissolve in your mouth before munching down on the pretzel. The flavor is really quite good and there is a slightly malty presence that really compliments the sweetness of the chocolate and the slightly salty/savory nature of the pretzel. My one complaint is that the pretzel may be a little undersalted, but it’s a moot point considering how well the classic combo works. Another great thing about these candies is the nutrition. Touted as having 30% less fat than leading chocolate brands, my 32.3 gram bag contained just 150 calories, 5 grams of fat (3 grams saturated) and a modest 16 grams of sugar. The ingredients list does not include any partially hydrogenated oils. With those kinds of numbers, you won’t have to limit yourself to those wimpy little “fun size” packs.

I don’t eat a ton of candy, but when I do, I almost always go for the more complex nature of salty/sweet and crunchy/smooth flavor and texture combinations. When I think of the candies which work the best — Kit-Kats, Crunch Bars, and Peanut M&M’s — they all contain contrasts in either texture or flavor (or both) which lift the standard milk chocolate beyond the level of ordinary. Pretzel M&M’s manage to do this simple yet incredibly tasty task with ease, while avoiding the sometimes overly ‘gourmet’ nature of more expensive candy brands. While I don’t know if a M&M flavor will ever match that of the classic Peanut M&M’s flavor, these certainly qualify as one of the most memorable variants of the M&M’s brand, and will be a frequent purchase of mine in the future.