9 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a familiar favorite that people have eaten since their inception in 1928. They were created by H.B. Reese in his basement, of all places, and here we are nearly 100 years later with such a range of options. The texture of Reese's is quite fascinating, and there's a whole process on how the company achieves it. You might be most familiar with the classic milk chocolate Reese's, but, in addition to that one, I wanted to try a few others to see how they taste. 

I stuck with the peanut butter cup shape, which includes a couple of Big Cups and one Thins option. I wanted to stick as close to the original size as possible, rather than choosing some of the other Reese's options on the market (such as the candies, which have some incredibly tasty options, like the highest-ranking Sticks). I set out on a mission to try nine Reese's Peanut Butter Cup flavors and tell you which one I think is the best. I mainly judge them by taste, how well any additions contribute to the final product, and texture.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Unfortunately, the Marshmallow Big Cup was the most unpleasant Reese's I tried. I was actually greatly looking forward to it, thinking there'd be some sort of gooey, chewy, sweet, and vanilla-flavored marshmallow, but that was not the case at all. It was more like a white goo. It is nothing like the regular marshmallows or even the marshmallow fluff I have ever tried, and I don't think I would really call it a marshmallow. I wasn't expecting homemade marshmallow quality, but this isn't giving "marshmallow" in any sense of the word.

The photo shows a nice layer of white marshmallow, but in reality, it's just merely thin swirls of ... something. Given that this is a Big Cup, there's more peanut butter and chocolate, and yet the marshmallow component completely overwhelmed the flavor. It is most unpleasant. I can safely place it at the bottom of my ranking. While I think the rest of the flavors ultimately depend on the flavor profiles that you like, the marshmallow flavor is extremely sweet, one-note, and overwhelming. I wrote this review, then looked up some reviews on the product page, and people agree it's quite artificial and doesn't live up to the marshmallow moniker.

The White Crème Reese's is good, and it's many, many steps up from the marshmallow flavor. However, this just doesn't deliver the Reese's experience because of the white chocolate — excuse me, the white crème. Typically, milk chocolate brings that rich, smooth, classic taste; here, it's a sweeter, more generic profile with a peanut butter touch inside; there's not much else to bring it down or round it out. If you close your eyes, I'm not sure you could pinpoint what flavor it's attempting to be other than sweet. 

The overall flavor is softer and a tad sweeter than the milk chocolate. It pairs well with the peanut butter and could be useful in desserts, but it wasn't among my favorites. There's a Thins version, but I think the white chocolate would totally overshadow that one since there'd be less peanut butter. It wasn't striking enough to move any farther up the ranking. I'd stick with milk chocolate varieties instead, since this doesn't satisfy the Reese's itch, so to speak.

I love a chocolate lava cake; the gooey center is delectable, but fun at the same time. There's decadence, but also the allure of a captivating texture. The Reese's Chocolate Lava doesn't exactly deliver that lava part of the name. Instead, there's a small layer of chocolate added toward the bottom of the candy. It has a decent chocolate syrup-like flavor, but somehow it's still not rich or chocolatey enough for me. 

At room temperature, it's barely discernible, only if you pay attention to the flavors on your tongue. For the average consumer who merely chews, eats, and swallows, I'm not sure it would be noticeable. If it's somewhat melted, then you can see a more gooey-like consistency. It's the most dynamic of the two options I've discussed so far, but it wouldn't be a flavor I'd sprint to the store for. It was fine, no major issues, but I don't see an occasion where I'd purchase this, whether for myself or someone else.

The Oreo Reese's is ideal for anyone with a sweet tooth, as it combines two beloved brands. Here, we have a chocolate bottom half and a white crème top, and inside, we have the classic peanut butter mixed with Oreo morsels. This brings a unique, mildly crunchy texture to the otherwise smooth, creamy, and sweet. I like the cookie bits the most because of their flavor and texture. 

Again, the crème portion leaves something to be desired. It's not all that interesting, but the milk chocolate portion and Oreo element do a lot of the legwork to get it to the sixth-place position. I find the white crème is better balanced with the chocolate and Oreo crumbs. I know the white crème is employed here as a way to mimic the creamy interior of the Oreo, but it doesn't quite deliver that. Even so, it's the best of the three previous flavors, with a touch of added texture to help it stand out.

Ah, yes, the Milk Chocolate Reese's is the classic we know and love. It's popular and beloved because the flavors pair so well. The milk chocolate gets nice and melty under the heat of your fingertips, making it a breeze to chomp on. Then the peanut butter retains a bit of texture and grit, offering a contrast to the chocolate. It's a delightful pairing, and there's not much I can fault it for. So, why is it in fifth place, you may wonder? 

Well, the next flavors are more interesting — at least, to me. I think there's a bit more dimension, intrigue, and unique offerings that make them compelling. Plus, I've had countless Reese's in my lifetime, but I've had the next four way, way less, so they're more fresh and flavorful. Some I tried for the first time in this taste test. Milk Chocolate Reese's is the traditional flavor, and it's the one I'd suggest if I were introducing someone to the sweet for the first time. But my taste test ranking is based on flavor, so I liked the next one a bit more — surprisingly.

You know what? The Caramel Reese's is quite delicious. It has the rich, sweet caramelized dimension of, well, caramel. This adds a delectable flavor to the peanut butter and chocolate combination. It's layered and enticing, but the caramel offers a rare texture that sets it apart from the rest. It's a bit gooey, as you'd expect caramel to be. As you bite, you get a caramel string, which I can only compare to the cheese pull of a mozzarella stick. 

This texture brings a slightly chewy quality; it sticks to your teeth but not as intensely as other caramel candies. The caramel layer on the bottom isn't extremely noticeable. Still, it's there if you take a closer look, and it absolutely delivers a sweet complexity you won't find in other varieties. That said, it's a touch too sugary for me to enjoy regularly, so I can't rank it any higher. If you want something slightly different but not so unique, grab the Caramel Reese's. This is one of the better and slightly more authentic, caramel-flavored treats that I have; it contains dairy butter, which is a vital part of making caramel or salted caramel sauce.

It seems so obvious to pair a jam-like substance with Reese's to form a spin on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and it really works in the Strawberry PB&J. There's also a grape option available if you can find it near you. It's not the most authentic jam in the world, but for this Reese's Cup, it makes a big difference in the overall flavor. It brings a fruity, sweet, yet slightly tangy, touch to help break apart the richness of the peanut butter and chocolate. 

It doesn't contain any fruit, including strawberries, so that's a bit of a bummer, but I still think the overall flavor is captivating and delivers on its promise. Not only that, but it is the most noticeable among the previously mentioned flavors. You don't have to eat the full Big Cup to get a taste of the jam. It's clear, thickly layered, noticeable, and flavorful, bringing a subtle fruity uplift. It's hard to say if I would like the grape one as much, but I think the strawberry does a good job of meeting my criteria, solidifying its spot as my No. 3 pick. It just edged out the caramel for a more interesting and successful flavor.

Now that we've made it so high on the list, we're going to go back to flavor basics here, without any jams, marshmallows, or other treats layered in. The Plant Based Reese's is a sleeper hit for me. I didn't expect anything from it, but I preferred the texture over any of the other milk chocolate varieties. It's firmer, which means the chocolate doesn't melt as quickly; I found that all the Reese's began melting immediately as you held them. The plant-based feels weightier and more substantial as you bite into it. 

There's a snappy quality as you bite it, rather than the melt-in-your-mouth, sinks-into-your-teeth quality of the other milk chocolate flavors. Admittedly, the peanutty center is a little drier and crumblier than the standard one, but I felt this complemented the creamy mouthfeel of the chocolate. You can see that it's also much lighter in color than other peanut butter fillings. It's made with oat chocolate, which is a mix of oat and rice flour and chocolate (cocoa butter, sugar, etc.). It's not too noticeable, but offers a mellow, balanced taste I really like. Plus, as a former vegan, I always keep an eye out for tasty plant-based eats and treats; this Reese's one fits the bill. I'd recommend it whether you're vegan or not. The chocolate portion reminds me of the Trader Joe's oat chocolate bars, one of the many vegan desserts the grocery chain carries.

My No. 1 pick isn't exactly a shocker for me, because I know I like dark chocolate; therefore, if you are not a fan of the slightly more earthy and bittersweet notes of dark chocolate, then I'd say my second, third, and fourth options can appeal to a wider variety of taste buds. Although this is only available in the Thins variety, I would be more than pleased to purchase the standard "snack" size — that's what Reese's calls the regular sizing, as opposed to the Big Cup, Minis, or Thins. 

The dark chocolate has a similar texture to the plant-based, and it's not as immediately melty as the milk chocolate offerings. It feels slightly more durable and satisfying to bite into, but it melts a little quicker on the fingers than the oat option. It's sweet, but not as sugary as the others, which I very much enjoy in my sweet treats. While everything else felt really sugar-forward and dessert-like, the dark chocolate tasted, at least to me, like dark chocolate with peanut butter in it. So what I mean by that is it would pair nicely with a cup of coffee or tea; it feels more satisfying, sophisticated, and like an elevated version of a Reese's. My tip is to pop it in the freezer and eat it that way; it's fantastic!

I tried all nine Reese's in one day and again the following day. I cut them into quarters, so I could try enough of each one without eating nine full Reese's cups. I was looking for the most enticing flavor that made it easy to eat one, if not more, of the chocolate peanut butter candies. If it had any added flavors beyond the original, the flavors needed to be well incorporated and offer added intrigue to the candy without overwhelming it. 

I am based in Southern California, and although it was by no means a heat wave, the warm days caused several of my Reese's chocolates to melt, so they had to be repurchased so I could photograph them. I opted for the "snack" size for as many as possible, but two are Big Cups, and one is the Thins variety. Therefore, because there is a slight difference in the proportions, I did not factor in things like peanut butter-to-chocolate ratios.