The Best Iconic American Candy Is A Tried-And-True Chocolate Classic

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Companies are always trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to making the best candy and snacks, but it turns out we figured out the ideal form long ago. That's not to dismiss things like the more recent Dubai chocolate bars, there are always new flavors and avenues worth exploring, but looking at a standard display of American candy is mostly a look into the past. Snickers, Kit Kats, M&Ms, and Skittles still dominate just like they did decades ago, mostly with just a few key flavor formulations. And Americans know that no formula works quite like the mixture of chocolate and peanut butter in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

That was the conclusion that our taste tester came to when ranking 22 iconic American candies, and it's the same one that millions of people in the U.S. come to each year. The key our taster knew right off the bat was simple, and it's, "An unparalleled balance between delectable chocolate and slightly grainy (in a great way) peanut butter." No other brand has ever done it as well as Reese's.

Our tester also notes that while the Hershey's chocolate is a wonderful part of the classic flavor profile, it really is the unique taste and texture of the peanut butter that makes Reese's something special. Peanut butter holds a special place in U.S. culture, which is part of what makes Reese's not just great, but a quintessentially American candy. And people who love it can tell you that the filling in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is unlike any other peanut butter.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups get that texture and taste from a combination of deliberate over roasting of the peanuts, plus some stabilising additives and processing after the peanut butter is first made. The company intentionally cooks its peanuts more than normal to give them a bold taste and create that slightly crumbly texture that is essential to a Reese's cup. Then the still creamy peanut butter is churned with powdered sugar, dextrose, salt, and emulsifiers to sweeten and thicken it and enhance the flavors. 

Essentially Reese's peanut butter filling is engineered to be sweeter, saltier, and just more intense than normal peanut butter, to stand up to the chocolate. The saltiness and roasted flavor also balance out the sweetness, making these little cups hard to stop eating.

Thousands of people online agree. Go buy some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and see that sites are full of fans voluntarily praising a product that clearly doesn't need any help. One reviewer aptly titles their post, "The dangerous box of Reese's," while calling out the salty and crumbly peanut butter and smooth chocolate as, "Still one of the best candy combinations ever invented." Another points out that the chocolate carries its weight too as it "has a smooth texture and melts perfectly in your mouth without being too soft or sticky." They add that "the peanut butter center has the right moisture level, not dry and not runny." But you don't need other people telling you why Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are still the champion, it's that alchemical reaction that your taste buds just get when you eat them.