9 Peanut Butter Candies, Ranked Worst To Best

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Peanut butter candies, which are pretty much exclusively paired with chocolate, are one of life's little pleasures. Actually, when it comes to sweet treat flavor pairings, a serious case can be made for chocolate and peanut butter being the ultimate pair. If you agree, just about any peanut butter candy will do when a craving hits, but have you ever wondered what the absolute best one is? I know I sure have. Get excited, though, because it's finally time to put the question to bed once and for all.

I bought nine popular chocolate peanut butter candies and conducted a head-to-head competition. Since none of the candies were awful — it's chocolate and peanut butter, after all — I also ranked them from worst to best based on flavor, texture, and quality (a closer look at my methodology can be found at the end). As it turns out, some are, in fact, much tastier and richer than others. You can do what you want, obviously, but I'll definitely be sticking to the ones that made it to the top of my list from now on. Ready to find out what they are? Let's go!

Mr Beast Feastables Peanut Butter Candy Bar is the only candy on this list that I had never heard of before, so I was excited to give it a try. However, it fell pretty flat when compared to every option that ranks higher. It's a shame, too, because it offers something completely different.

Instead of being a peanut butter cup or something like Reese's Pieces, it's a regular chocolate bar with a thin layer of peanut butter in the middle. As noted, this makes it unique, but unfortunately, it tasted like it was made with lower-quality ingredients. The flavor wasn't all that natural, either. It wasn't bad per se, but it wasn't anything exciting. Oh well.

Mr Beast Feastables Peanut Butter Candy Bar also focused more on chocolate than peanut butter, so if you're looking for a good mouthful of nutty goodness, it will let you down. Plainly put, the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate was off. Perhaps Mr Beast should stick to what he knows best: making online content. Sorry, not sorry.

Reese's Pieces is a classic peanut butter candy that's been around for years. I mean, it's even featured in the iconic '80s movie, E.T., so you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn't tasted the little nuggets of chocolate-encased peanut butter before. In fact, if you think about it, you can probably conjure up the precise flavor in your mind right now. Each piece of candy packs a nostalgic taste and texture that just about anyone could love. The candy shells give the peanut butter a good variation of texture, too.

All that being said, they still didn't have what it takes to advance past a second-to-last-place ranking. Compared to the peanut butter candies that grace the top of my list, Reese's Pieces have a much lower-quality flavor. They aren't much better than the lower-ranking picks, either. Are they bad? Heck no, they are yummy for sure, and I wouldn't turn them down if someone were offering. Still, that doesn't mean they live up to the exceptional quality and texture found in some of the higher-ranking candies. Next!

Peanut Butter M&M's are another iconic candy that most people know and love. It's easy to like them, too. They have all the classic flavor associated with regular M&M's, and the same hard candy shell is there as well. When I first popped one of the candies in my mouth, I was like, "Yup, I know that flavor well, and I like it." It's been a minute since I last had some, but the taste was muscle memory for my tastebuds. I'll never forget it.

While extremely similar to Reese's Pieces in format and flavor, Peanut Butter M&M's are much larger. As a result, you get way more yummy peanut butter inside, and the thin chocolate shell lets the peanut butter be the star of the show. Yay! Actually, that's the main reason Peanut Butter M&M's ranked higher than Reese's Pieces and Mr Beast Feastables. Don't let its low seventh-place ranking fool you, either. It's a fantastic peanut butter candy. Even so, the upcoming ones are even better regarding taste, texture, and quality. Feel free to get excited.

Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Pieces are delish! For me, they are the upgraded version of Peanut Butter M&M's. Why? Well, they taste like they are made with premium quality ingredients. That goes for the chocolate and the peanut butter. Additionally, instead of being made with milk chocolate, they feature dark chocolate. I'll be honest: I'm typically more of a dark chocolate girl, so I wasn't too shocked that I liked them more. However, even if you don't default to dark chocolate when given the choice, these little nuggets of joy just might change your mind.

Unlike Reese's Pieces or Peanut Butter M&M's, Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Pieces have a small chocolate center inside the peanut butter. While this leaves slightly less room for peanut butter, something that could easily set it back in the ranking, the premium peanut butter used ensured I still got a bold nutty flavor. Even so, the top five have it beat in the peanut butter department, either because of quality, uniqueness, or balance of flavors.

It should also be noted that a 4.5-ounce bag of Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Pieces cost me $6.79. As such, it is the priciest product in the competition. Thankfully, you can taste the uptick in quality that comes along with the elevated price tag, but if you're looking for a low-price option, it isn't it.

A product of Hershey's, Reese's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are an all-time favorite for many, myself included. Whether you're after a good amount of chocolate or peanut butter, they have you covered. The mouthfeel is on-point as well. Soft, creamy, and full of flavor, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are downright delicious. Of course, they have tons of nostalgic appeal as well, and I'll admit, they were my favorite Halloween candy growing up. What's not to love, am I right?

If you want even more peanut butter in your cup, there's also a Big Cup option with double the filling. That's just the beginning of the fun variations available, too. Seriously, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a force to be reckoned with. The main reason they didn't score higher (although fifth place isn't bad) is that it doesn't taste like a gourmet-quality product. The top two do. It also fell slightly behind because it doesn't offer as much variation in texture as the two upcoming picks.

When you need a little more from your chocolate peanut butter candy than just the namesake ingredients, Reese's Take 5 has you covered. Instead of your run-of-the-mill peanut butter candy, it's a candy bar full of caramel, pretzel, and peanut butter. Thanks to the inclusion of pretzels and caramel, it takes the typical peanut butter candy standard and turns it up a notch. The saltiness of the pretzels and caramel pairs perfectly with the peanut butter and chocolate. The blend of crunchy and creamy is fantastic as well. Altogether, every bite is deliciously packed with a wonderland of flavors and textures.

Reese's Take 5 is great and all, but the three upcoming picks still have an edge on it. For starters, they have a bit more peanut butter. The top two also have a more premium quality taste. Reese's Take 5 doesn't taste low-quality, but it's far from gourmet. Don't let that dissuade you from giving it a try, though. It is officially a new favorite of mine, and I urge you to add it to your rotation of peanut butter candies moving forward.

Reese's Sticks are eerily similar to Kit Kat Bars. They are shaped the same, albeit larger, but they both consist of crispy wafers encapsulated in chocolate. However, thanks to the addition of peanut butter, Reese's Sticks are infinitely more tasty. Heck, compared to many of the options on this list they are significantly more delicious. After all, third place is quite the spot for them to land in my ranking.

Reese's Sticks have it all: Crunch, chocolate, and peanut butter, and you get a little bit of everything in each bite. The way the flavors and textures come together is pretty spectacular as well. Even with the wafers and thin chocolate exterior, the peanut butter doesn't get overpowered. To top it all off, they are the cheapest option in my top three — a king-size package only cost me $1.99. Nice!

You could obviously do a lot worse than Reese's Sticks when a craving for peanut butter candy strikes, but the two upcoming options have it beat fair and square when it comes to richness of flavor and perceived quality of ingredients.

Coming in second place is Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. While I was singing the praises of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups before, make no mistake, Trader Joe's blew them out of the water. Mostly because they are made with simple, premium ingredients, and it shines through in the flavor. Plus, the dark chocolate is outstanding, and the peanut butter filling is smooth, creamy, and slightly sweet. Seriously, these candies have drool-worthy appeal for days.

If dark chocolate isn't your thing, Trader Joe's makes its delectable peanut butter cups in a milk chocolate version as well. Regardless of which you prefer, the brand's peanut butter cups make the perfect selection if you want to keep a small stash on hand. They are somewhat pricey compared to many of the other picks on my list — a 16-ounce tub costs $5.99 — but they are totally worth it. Don't tell Trader Joe, but even if the price goes up, I'll still buy them.

Honestly, Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are neck-and-neck with my number one pick. The primary reason they scored second is that you have to go to Trader Joe's to get some, so they aren't as widely available as my number one. Still, if you've never tried them before, don't sleep on them. Your mouth will thank you.

The coveted number one spot in my ranking goes to Justin's Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups! Decently priced (I got my package of two for $2.29) and bursting with rich flavors, they taught me what gourmet peanut butter candy is all about. After just one bite, I was overjoyed. Really, the flavors are out of this world, and Reese's could learn a thing or two from Justin's, that's for sure.

From the dark chocolate to the peanut butter, Justin's Cups taste like a premium quality product. The use of dark chocolate easily beats out anything made with milk chocolate. In fact, in a ranking of dark chocolate bars, they also fare pretty well. The peanut butter filling is second-to-none, too. It's rich, creamy, and has a nice saltiness that makes the chocolate sing. If peanut butter is your main craving, it will give you a delicious mouthful in every bite.

In addition to being organic, Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are also one of the best vegan snacks around. No matter how you look at it, Justin's are hands-down the best peanut butter candies you can buy. I've been known to be a bit hyperbolic, but I'm drooling just thinking about them.

Unlike some vintage candies that have mostly been forgotten, thankfully, peanut butter candies are here to stay. While this ensures we have plenty of options to pick from, knowing the best of the best is something every chocolate peanut butter lover should know. And yes, I count myself in the group. As such, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into and review the nine popular peanut butter candies you find above.

Since virtually every peanut butter chocolate candy tastes pretty yummy, I decided to rank the nine products I purchased based on a few criteria: the amount of peanut butter, the balance of flavors, texture, and quality of taste. The candies with the most peanut butter, the richest flavors, and the most premium quality taste came out on top. The lowest-ranking picks are still good, but after you get a taste of the top half of my list, it'll be hard to opt for anything else. Really, though, the top two blow the bottom seven out of the water. I'll be over here finishing mine off at rapid speeds, and I recommend you get a taste of both of them as soon as possible.