We Tried 8 Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups and There Was a Clear Winner

Chocolate and peanut butter are meant to be together. The sweet, slightly bitter chocolate mixed with the saltiness and creaminess of the peanut butter is what makes this combination such a fan-favorite treat. While the two work well together in cookies, pies, and cakes, they really shine when presented in a single candy.

Because there’s a certain peanut butter cup that everyone knows, we decided to round up the most popular cups from other candy and grocery store brands as well. And then, we put them all to the test to see which one should really wear the peanut butter and chocolate crown.

How We Ranked Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cups

For this taste test, we rounded up eight brands of milk chocolate and peanut butter cups. Since there’s an obvious titan of peanut butter cups (looking at you, Reese’s), we decided that this should be a taste test covered up by the brand so that there can be no brand bias or nostalgic favoritism.

Before letting our panel of editors taste the candy, we made sure to remove any branded packaging to ensure a fair tasting. We asked each tester to write a review of the peanut butter cup they tried and accompany their response with a rating of 1 to 5 stars (1 being the worst, 5 being the best).

Although we gave participants no guidelines regarding their judging criteria, many rated the cups based on the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate, the taste of milk chocolate, and the consistency of the peanut butter filling.

The Best Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cups, Ranked

7th place: Chez Justin

Justin’s Mini Organic Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cups didn’t score well in our taste test. Some complimented its “strong peanut butter flavor” but complained that the chocolate was “mushy,” “dusty” and “very chalky.” Others noted that the chocolate on the outside was bitter and that the chocolate to peanut butter ratio was unbalanced, with too much chocolate. Put succinctly by one reviewer: “I hate it. »

6th place: 365 by Whole Foods Market

365’s Mini Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups were described as having a nostalgic flavor, with one tester saying the chocolate reminded them of a Hershey bar. Still others disliked it because of its “fake chocolate taste”, saying it tasted “too artificial and sweet”. For the peanut butter topping, it received no rave reviews and no horrible comments. The peanut butter was sweeter than a Reese’s, but its simple flavor made it fail in the competition.

Tied for 5th place: Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups related to Feastables Creamy Peanut Butter Cups. TJ’s cups have been praised for their creamy consistency and thin, crisp chocolate shell. Still, some reviewers said the chocolate and peanut butter flavors tasted “slightly unpleasant.”

Tied for 5th place: Feastables

As for the Mr. Beast brand, the main descriptor was “salty.” Its super creamy peanut butter filling had a very strong flavor and a creamy consistency, like it came straight from the jar. Some said it reminded them of Tagalongs, the peanut butter and chocolate Girl Scout Cookie, while another said it tasted like Reese’s Puffs cereal. One judge wrote that he found this “slightly unexpected in a good way.”

4th place: Aldi

Aldi’s Choceur Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups came out strong with a bold chocolate flavor (which some liked and some didn’t) and a creamy peanut butter that one person called “almost too creamy.” The milk chocolate shell broke nicely and gave way to the peanut butter. There was an overall “good ratio” between chocolate and peanut butter. And Aldi’s in-house brand gets extra points for having no liners or foil for easy snacking.

3rd place: Reese

During the tasting, Reese’s was the most recognized peanut butter cup on the table. From the first bite, almost every judge knew this was the iconic brand. “It has that classic peanut butter cup taste,” one person said. Another described it as “a very traditional tasting”. It was praised for its peanut butter/chocolate ratio as well as the slight crunch of the peanut butter allowing it to reach the podium in our taste test.

2nd place: target

Target’s own brand of milk chocolate and peanut butter cups managed to take home the silver medal in our taste test, thanks to its excellent texture and consistent ratio of peanut butter to chocolate. These are the only cups that reviewers say could have been a Reese’s due to the grainy peanut butter filling and the fact that the paper wrappers were nearly identical. Others thought that chocolate, while delicious, sometimes trumped peanut butter.

1st place: Sam’s Club

Sam’s Club Mark’s Member’s Club Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups were the clear winner with a “very smooth and creamy texture” that practically melted in your mouth. The chocolate on the outside was milky and smooth and gave way to even creamier peanut butter. It was applauded for its “perfect amount of salty and sweet” and well-executed balance of chocolate and peanut butter. The only downside to our winner is that you need a Sam’s subscription to get it and it also comes in a container with dark chocolate cups. (But that might be an added bonus for some fans.)