I Tried Every Single M&M's Flavor, and I Had a Surprise in Store

There is probably no candy that has stood the test of time in a stronger way than M&M's. The colorful candy-coated chocolates have been around since the '40s, and their ubiquity is impressive. Originally invented as a World War II snack for American soldiers, the tasty nuggets are the brainchild of Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie. You know them as M and M.

With 15 flavors currently available, you have a lot of choices. I pushed my body and soul to the limit and decided to try every single one of them. I present them to you here, ranked based on taste.

By the way ... did you know that the Mars Company refers to a single M&M's candy as a lentil? Obviously, I love that. Lentils it is.

Prices and availability are subject to change.

$4.78 from Walmart

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I was absolutely positive nothing would dethrone classic M&M’s. I love the milk chocolate flavor, and I thought to myself, how do you improve what’s already perfect?

Peanut butter is how. As I’ve revisited Reese’s Pieces in my adulthood, I’ve been reminded how inaccurate my childhood recollection of the candy was. For some reason, I thought that a box of Pieces was split up 50/50 in terms of chocolate and peanut butter candy. Wrong. It’s all peanut butter. I’ll never understand that, but it is so. 

Because of this, I used to create a special little snack for myself: Reese’s Pieces and classic M&M’s combined. As I took a bite of my first Peanut Butter M&M, memories of my special little snack came back. This is all I need to be happy.

$2.28 from Walmart

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I understand that the original milk chocolate M&M’s are a boring second place pick, but I’m not here to lie to you. The chocolate, the shell, the way they melt in your mouth; everything about them hits for me. 

Though I’m not usually a person who buys them out in the wild, if I see a bowl of them at a party, chances are I’m about to lose control and eat way too many of them. Top marks once again.

$1.24 from Walmart

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Anyone who loves peanuts already knows that this is their favorite flavor. Most people are going to tell me that I’m insane not to give them first place. Perhaps you are one of those people who finds me on Twitter every nine months or so to tell me what bad ranking opinions I have. If so, here’s your newest fodder.

They’re good, OK? They’re good. I like them. Peanut M&M’s are one of the best salty-sweet candies on the planet. I just … like the others better. Sorry ‘bout it.

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$2.28 from Walmart

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Love them, love them, love them. I have no idea what type of cookie this is, but I adore the texture. Crunchy Cookie M&M’s taste a lot like normal ones, except backed by a terrific crunch. I was really only into the almond flavor for that crunch, and this does the trick in a far more effective way.

Related: M&M's Characters Get a 'Progressive' Makeover

$2.28 from Walmart

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What’s better than tossing a bunch of tiny little Nemnems (this is what I call them to this day) into your mouth from a blue plastic tube? They crunch like a dream and filling up your cheeks like a squirrel is an act of pure joy. On a day when I’m not tasting 15 flavors of M&M's in a row, I’d be nervous to see how fast I fly through an entire tube.

Related: I Tried 16 Haribo Gummy Candies— the Best is the Gold Standard (and the Worst Is a Flavor Monstrosity)

$7.48 from Walmart

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If you’re a dark chocolate lover, this should be a no-brainer. Dark chocolate M&M’s are almost identical to the standard ones with the milk chocolate center, just deeper and richer.

This is actually great for me. The built-in decadence is helpful for portion control. You won't catch me eating an entire bag in one sitting, no matter how much I want to.

$4.78 from Walmart

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This is almost perfect for me, but there is just 10% too much of that raw almond flavor in the center for me to fully lose my mind. I’m not huge on raw almonds; particularly the way they can squeak across your teeth. These M&M’s contain trace amounts of almond-squeak, and that is simply too egregious a violation for me to feel good about moving them up any further.

$7.48 from Walmart

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Same deal here as the other dark chocolate flavor. I’m less hot on these than I expected to be, and I think I know why.

The magic of a peanut M&M comes from its beautiful ability to blend salty and sweet flavors, and without the milk chocolate, this is a lot less balanced. That said, stick these on a charcuterie board any day. I bet they go great with wine.

$4.78 from Walmart

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I want to love these. The spherical little pretzel balls are a good time, but there’s just something a little ... dusty? About them? They feel old, and though I cannot confirm how long they’ve been sitting on the shelf of my local supermarket, it feels impossible that it was long enough to make them taste this way. I can't shake it.

If you want crispy M&M’s, go for Crunchy Cookie.

$4.78 from Walmart

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What we’ve got here is a classic, chewy caramel inside a little bit of chocolate, covered in the M&M’s typical candy shell. Mars clearly got this caramel from the extra-chewy assembly line because sheesh, these are sticky. 

It’s actually all I can really think about when I’m eating them, and because it’s such a tiny piece of caramel, “chewy” is the only word I walk away with.

$3.96 from Walmart

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If these were a little less intense on the mint, they’d be a dead ringer for Andes Mints, which is what I consider to be the finest mint chocolate in all the land. A major compliment.

The bummer is that there is a lot of minty sweetness here, and I’m not sure I could eat more than three or four of these limited-edition goodies.

$5.28 from Amazon

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Brownie-heads will probably flip for this one, which sticks a thick, chocolatey brownie inside the candy coating. I don’t know of a more easy-to-eat brownie on the planet, and any chocolate craving should be well-satisfied with some of these.

$2.28 from Walmart

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They’ve turned up the caramel notes significantly here from the standard caramel M&M's, and mixed them with coffee flavoring. I loved the first one I tasted, felt a little worn out after the second one, and then by the time I ate a third one, I felt like I needed to sit down. These are very sweet.

Whatever happened to a hint of flavor? I love a hint. Let’s get back to the days of hints.

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I almost fell over backward from the sheer amount of flavor going on inside each of these. They do, in fact, taste exactly like campfire s’mores. That much intensity packed into a tiny little candy is a lot to deal with, and I’d be stunned if I could make it past two of these.

$3.96 from Walmart

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So, I don’t like white chocolate. It’s way too decadent for me personally, and these Toasty Vanilla guys are loaded to the core with the stuff. All I can taste is a barrage of white chocolate and vanilla extract.

I tried to grab a few fan-favorite flaves, but a lot of them have been discontinued. Here are some of the M&M's flavors I wanted to try, but couldn't get my hands on:

• Coffee Nut M&M's

• Strawberried Peanut Butter M&M's

• Dark Chocolate Mint M&M's

• White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M's