Reese's
Flavors Offered: White, dark, and milk chocolate options. There is also a sugar-free choice, a crunchy option with peanuts, and one filled with Reese's pieces. Not to mention the seasonal offerings (who doesn't love a Reese's pumpkin?) for variety. Grade: A
Taste: Reese's is sugary. Still, their flavors are widely popular for a reason and there's no denying that the strong sweetness has an appeal. Grade: B+
Nutritional Content: One serving size of the milk chocolate cups (42 g) packs 210 calories, 13 g of fat (4.5 g saturated), and 5 g of protein. The product is gluten-free but contains added sugar and preservatives. Where Reese's really falls short is the sugar content with a whopping 21 g. Grade: C
Price: Online, Reese's costs $28.44 for 36 twin-packs milk chocolate (though pricing depends on where you're buying these from). A single twin pack usually sells from $0.89 to $1.29 in stores. Cheaper ingredients means low prices. Grade: A
Accessibility: Mini, regular, and king sizes are sold online and at most convenience stores and supermarkets, and buying in bulk is a breeze. Some of the more obscure products such as the sugar-free option are more difficult to find. Grade: A
Justin's
Flavors Offered: Milk, dark, and white chocolate. Not as extensive as Reese's, but covers the bases. Grade: B
Taste: Interestingly, the peanut butter seems sweeter than the chocolate. It has a liquidy consistency, more similar to natural peanut butter than to Jif or Skippy. Grade: A
Nutrition: One serving size (40 g) contain 220 calories, 15 g of fat (8 g saturated), 16 g of sugar, and 5 g of protein. These cups are certified organic and gluten-free. Almost twice as much saturated fat as Reese's. Grade: B+
Price: Buying in bulk online will cost you about 95 cents per serving, which is significantly cheaper than the online price of $2.49 for one twin-pack. I paid $1.50 for each twin pack at Whole Foods. Grade: B+
Accessibility: Twin-packs of all flavors and bags of mini cups are available online. You can also pick up some Justin's at Safeway, Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, etc. Grade: A-
Trader Joe's
Flavors Offered: Dark chocolate and milk chocolate cups. Keeping it simple doesn't hurt, but judging by the number of pumpkin products, TJ's can step up their game. Grade: B-
Taste: The milk chocolate is sweet and light and the dark chocolate is bitter as expected. The peanut butter is creamy and definitely the saltiest of all the brands, but the combination works. Grade: A
Nutrition: One serving of the milk chocolate (34 g) is 180 calories, 11 g fat (6 g saturated), 19 g sugar, and 2 g protein. These seem the highest in calories and fat—no wonder they taste so good. Grade: C+
Price: $4.29 for one 16-oz tub. They claim this equates to 12 cents per cup, but by my math it's about 33 cents per serving. Although the serving size is the smallest of the bunch, this is still a steal. Grade: A+
Accessibility: Carried in a 16-oz tub. Smaller packages of dark chocolate and mini milk chocolate cups can be found in select locations. Only carried in Trader Joe's stores. Grade: C+
Unreal Candy
Flavors offered: Milk and dark chocolate are most widely available. Unique flavors available online include dark chocolate coconut, dark chocolate filled with almond butter, and milk and dark with crispy quinoa. Love the creativity. Grade: A
Taste: The peanut butter is similar to Justin's in consistency. The ratio is skewed more towards chocolate, but overall these nicely-sized bites are rich and flavorful. Grade: A
Nutrition: One serving (36 g) contain 180 calories, 12 g fat (5 saturated), 4 g protein, and 11 g sugar. The sugar content is especially low. Certified non-GMO and gluten-free. Commitment against artificial sweeteners and all ingredients are from fair-trade certified sources. Grade: A
Price: Buying in bulk can score you 50 servings for about 80 cents each. The almond butter cups sell for slightly more. Still, an impressive price range for an organic product. Grade: A-
Accessibility: Bags, twin-packs, and single cups are available. The product is sold online and nationally at Target, Whole Foods, and Sprouts Farmers Market. Grade: A-
Theo
Flavors Offered: Twin packs of milk chocolate peanut butter cups and dark chocolate almond butter cups. Appreciating that dark chocolate/almond butter combo. Grade: B+
Taste: These textures blend well together and the thick, condensed nut butter seems to overpower the semisweet chocolate. Not your typical peanut butter cup, but certainly not bad. Grade: B+
Nutrition: Two milk chocolate cups (38 g) contain 220 calories, 15 g fat (7 g saturated), 13 g sugar, and 5 g protein. Products are gluten-free, soy-free, and kosher. Theo was the first organic fair trade-certified cocoa producer in the U.S. Grade: A-
Price: Twin packs sell individually online and in stores for $2.29 each. Even though it's fair to pay more for fresher ingredients, with no option to buy in bulk it's hard to imagine this as a candy staple. Grade: C+
Accessibility: Twin packs available online and at Whole Foods. Grade: B-
If you're not looking for a sugar rush but want something different to splurge on, try Theo. If you're in the mood for a quick treat, Justin's is ideal. Find you need to stock up last minute? Reese's won't let you down.
Unreal Candy is the brand to watch for in the future, and they've proved natural ingredients don't mean sacrificing flavor. Trader Joe's has never disappointed me, and their peanut butter cups are no exception.
If none of these suit your fancy, make your own creative flavor or healthy homemade alternative.
Disclaimer: Special thanks to Unreal Candy for sending free product samples, but this review is entirely honest and all opinions are my own.