When it comes to the best M&M 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 not being hyperbolic. 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. Okay, now I’m just showing off everything I learned 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 or glob of peanut butter inside 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 in two separate taste tests 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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- Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M’s
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This is one of the new M&M flavors on our list (it dropped in 2021), but I can’t say it’s bringing much that’s “new” to the table. If you prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate, sure, you might prefer these to traditional Peanut M&M’s, but they just don’t taste as good. And if you prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate because you avoid dairy, be forewarned that these suckers still contain skim milk and milk fat.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Crunchy Cookie M&M’s
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The sadly discontinued Fudge Brownie was one of our favorite M&M flavors, mostly because the morsel of brownie in the middle was so nice and chewy. So yeah, I think these Crunchy Cookie M&M’s 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 complements the chocolate. Also, if you’re a fan of slowly dismantling snacks 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: Liv Averett / Target
- Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie M&M’s
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The best M&M’s still taste like M&M’s, and that’s why I’m giving this seasonal M&M’s flavor (revived in 2024) a spot on our list. Not everyone on the Sporked staff liked these—not everyone on the Sporked staff is a fan of the pumpkin spice flavor profile—but they’re good. The pumpkin spice flavor is pretty subdued—it isn’t too nutmeg-y or bitter. These are slightly larger than regular M&M’s, and more chocolate is a win, right? Mostly, what bugs me about these is that they specifically call them “Pumpkin Pie” M&M’s, but they lack a “pie” element. Put a little nugget of pie crust in the middle and get back to us next year!
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Caramel M&M’s
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I honestly didn’t know I wanted chew from my M&M’s until this taste test. Like Fudge Brownie (RIP), 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! The caramel flavor is a little bit artificial tasting, but that didn’t prevent me from pounding these until my stomach hurt. That’s the mark of a good M&M flavor, right there.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Peanut Butter M&M’s
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I know a lot of people think Peanut Butter is the best of the M&M flavors, but I’m about to hit you with a lot of new info that might convince you otherwise (see #5 and #2 on this list). Still, these are great. The peanut butter inside these big boys is oily and salty. And the peanut butter-to-chocolate ratio is decent, albeit just a touch on the light side in terms of filling. Still, Peanut Butter M&M’s are a modern classic.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- M&M’s Peanut Butter Minis
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If you like the thin, crackly shell of M&M’s Minis and you don’t have a peanut allergy, you’re going to like these new M&M’s Peanut Butter Minis a lot. The filling is a good mix of chocolate and peanut butter, all in a teeny-tiny morsel that’s a fraction of the size of a regular Peanut Butter M&M. This is one of those new M&M flavors that doesn’t really break any new ground, but if you’re team Minis, you’ll definitely like these.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- M&M’s
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Many people think M&M’s are practically perfect in every way in their original format, and we respect that. Big “reject modernity, embrace tradition” vibes. The candy shell-to-chocolate ratio is great. And if you like Mars chocolate, you’ll like it all by its lonesome in a candy shell. I just happen to think certain M&M flavors have improved upon the original.
- M&M’s Minis
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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: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Peanut Butter M&M’s Mega
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I recently picked up a bag of these new Mega Peanut Butter M&M’s at my local Five Below and devoured it in record time. Then I got a bag specifically for this taste test—that bag was gone in a blink, too. I truly cannot stress enough that this is one of the best M&M’s to ever grace the candy aisle. These are bigger than regular Peanut Butter M&M’s, which means they have more peanut butter inside. And maybe I’m imagining it, but when you can taste more of the peanut butter, it actually tastes better—it comes off as creamier. I swear. If you, like me, always thought that Peanut Butter M&M’s could use just a little more peanut butter, this is one of the M&M flavors to buy.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Peanut M&M’s
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I am extremely sorry if this is triggering for people with peanut allergies, but Peanut M&M’s are about as close to a perfect candy as you can get. 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 the original M&M’s—a classic for a reason.
M&M’s!
M&M’s!
M&M’s!
M&M’s!
M&M’s!
M&M’s!
M&M’s!
M&M’s!
M&M’s!
M&M’s!
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