Snack Review: NEW! Mars Pretzel M&Ms
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.
- Pros: It’s an M&M that is also a Chocolate Pretzel. I mean really, can you seriously go wrong with that combination? Only 5 grams of fat for single serving. Not too salty. Nice malt flavor.
- Cons: Can’t seem to find them anywhere but Walmart right now. What took them so long?
GrubGrade: 9.00/10.00 (Exceptional)
Price: $0.79 at Walmart (1.14 oz bag)
Nutrition: Pretzel M&M’s
Serving Size: 1 pack (1.14 oz)
Calories: 150
Calories from Fat: 45
Total Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Trans Fat:0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 150mg
Carbohydrates: 24g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 16g
Protein: 2g
You’ve sold me Adam. I will seek these out.
1I agree. These are awesome. I also like them as an addition to cereal. (oatmeal if you want to stir in the chocolate and just have the pretzel bits for crunch)
2@Rodzilla,
3That sir, is pure genius.
Sounds fantastic. Probably even better when you don’t eat them directly off a mildewed picnic table.
4OMG! So glad you reviewed these. I saw them at walmart and immediately picked up 4 little bags. I just need to go back and see if they have a giant bag hehe.
5Wow, those do sound good. Must….find….those.
I found the coconut ones recently and thought they were very good as well, if you are a fan of coconut. What are the other new flavors?
6Looks yummy. When it comes to M&Ms I am all about peanut butter M&Ms in the freezer!! Heaven sent all the way! I don’t understand why the M&M people are making things like strawberry-peanut butter when they should be making peanut-peanut butter. The pretzel ones sound like they could be a keeper. Coconut? I haven’t seen coconut?!? I need to get out more.
7I wasn’t impressed. LOL.
8I will be seeking these out for sure. Thanks for the heads up. I’ve never heard of them before.
9They were alright i still prefer the peanut variety
10I love the chocolate/pretzel combination. I need to get to a Wal Mart pronto and pick up a bag!
I looked at Target yesterday and they didn’t have them.
Side Note: My favorite way to eat M&M’s is to buy them at the movie theater and scatter them throughout a sack of popcorn … buttery popcorn + candy coated chocolate = amazing empty calorie combo!
11That is my favorite way to eat M&Ms too. It is the perfect sweet and salty combo.
12Tell me why I had a dream last night where I was scouring speedway for a pack of these. no luck, lol
13OMG! Rachel I’m right there with you! I used to pop some kettle corn and add some Crispy M&Ms (when they were out) to the mix and it was soooooo yummy! These would be perfect to do that with aswell!
14Haha I love what yalls come up with. I still like the idea of eating these with cheerios and milk though!
15I picked up a small bag at Walmart today (mine were 64 cents, not 79, booyah!) and MAN. They really are the perfect combination of sweet, salty and crunchy. I like that they’re not loaded with fat and sugar, and there were just enough in the bag to satisfy me with a few left over (for my girls to divvy up!)
I actually think I prefer the pretzel to peanut m&m’s now…if only for the substantial difference in fat/calories!
@jperonto: They DO have a huge bag with a resealable top. You have to go to the big candy aisle, not just the stuff at the checkout. I saw them way up on top, but didn’t wanna shell out the 5 or 6 bucks for that many!
16@Anna,
Haha I saw those bags to. But if I boght that I would have eaten them all haha.
17Thanks for the head’s up on these! Went to my local Walmart here in Watchung, NJ and found both large and medium-sized bags. Also found a few flavors of various candies I haven’t seen before:
Cookies n Creme Hershey’s Kisses
Strawberried Peanut Butter M&Ms
Looking forward to giving the pretzel M&Ms a try, I always liked the Crispy flavor.
18I had a pack a few days ago. They’re pretty good. Not quite like a chocolate covered pretzel, but good. The coconut ones weren’t too impressive, but the new Strawberried Peanut Butter is pretty darn good.
19I really don’t think these are too salty. I think they’re amazing how they are, and the nutritional facts are surprisingly not terrible. More salt would cause me to turn away from them, actually. Also, so happy there are no trans fats in M&Ms. Thanks for the review! Awesome!
20Well, I picked up a case of 24 at Sams Club this weekend and they didn’t disappoint. tghey were fantastic. Ever since they stopped making the Crispy M&Ms (and I really don’t know why they would stop making those – those were fantastic and are my all time favorites!), I have been looking for something to take their place. These fit the bill nicely. The amount in the bag isn’t a whole lot though and unfortunatley I find myself simply gobbling the whole bag….they are totally addicting. I will stock up every time I am at Sam’s club just because I am sure that these won’t stay around very long due to the way they are marketing the limited edition flavors.
21are they selling those in florida wal marts???
22i love chocolate and pretzels… but most people screw up the chocolate to pretzel ratio, overwhelming it so that you can hardly taste the pretzel. these look like they have the ratio i would prefer. have you tried the new “pieces” candy?
23These are amazing! Personally, i think they are best fresh out of the freezer
24Dude where do you live? So pretty. Going to walmart right after work to get some of those bad boys!
25@Sheri,
Logan, Utah. Welcome to Paradise.
26I thought they were just okay. Nothing special here. Just a little pretzel ball inside of a chocolate ball. The only thing impressive is that all the chocolate candies have little M’s on them.
27The very first time i saw the commercial for the new Pretzel M&M’s i got up and went to the store right away, i went to Meijer and was surprised to see they didn’t have many little bags left. I probably eat them too much now for my own good. They’re delicious and delivers exactly the words that are on the bag (crunch, salty, sweet). I do get disappointed though when i go to the store and want to buy the medium size bag and they are always out.
28Overall, im addicted to pretzel M&M’s.
30% less fat 50% less flavor. I notice that the chocolate layer is MUCH thinner in this version than in the M&M peanut I ate just before. You look at the picture on the bag and the candy ball has a nice thick layer of chocolate and a very thin candy outer layer, yet when you bite into one, it looks like the chocolate layer is about as thick as the candy layer. I needed a handful of the M&M pretzels to get the same chocolate taste in my mouth that a few of the M&M peanuts gave.
I guess if you are allergic to peanuts or on a diet, then this is a good substitute.
29I totally agree with you about the amount of chocolate ~ barely there, is my opinion and it definitely needs to have MORE! Especially when the pic makes it appear that you’d actually be able to taste that chocolate! To me it tasted more like candy coated pretzel. I DID go to the MARS web site and made it known to them that I felt they were lacking in the amount of chocolate ~ I encourage you to do the same.
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