Reese’s Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Bar Review

The trademark flavor of Reese’s peanut butter cups from Hershey’s candy company, has again appeared in yet another variation on the signature chocolate-peanut butter combination that’s made the Reese’s brand as synonymous with peanuts as Pepsi is to cola. Reese’s Crispy Crunchy, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Candy, and Peanuts Candy Bar is the treat I’m discussing today.

That delicately-balanced combination of peanut butter and chocolate remains unrivaled and faithfully-preserved in this relatively new Reese’s candy bar. These Crispy Crunchy bars have a chewy consistency, no doubt due to the caramel, and have less peanut butter but more peanut pieces. Their crunch resembles that of peanut brittle, which can be startling if you’re used to eating the Reese’s flagship peanut butter cups, which have much less (if any) crunch.

With this Crispy Crunchy product, Reese’s continues to reach out to other markets with their trade mark flavor; a victorious formula to be sure. The chocolate coating still contributes much flavor and texture to the overall Crispy Crunch taste sensation. So chocoholics will enjoy this innovative repackaging of the Reese’s brand. It’s a taste mainstay that never wears out– unless you eat several king-sized Crispy Crunchy bars at once, which I have done in times of dire need of a sweet-fix. Yet even if I get sick of this candy on one holiday, I’m nonetheless excited the next time around to get sick of it again.

Benefits, Pros, Advantages, and Features

When I do grow tired of munching this candy, all it takes is couple weeks vacation from my vacation (back at work), and my longing for that peanut-cocoa flavor returns. Eating Reese’s for the sixth-, eighth-, and ten-thousandth times always feels luscious as the first time.
Though these Crispy Crunchy bars are indeed a candy, they contain much of their weight in peanut butter and nuts, which are naturally vitamin-fortified. While you still get many empty calories in this crunchy munchy twist, you nonetheless also get some essential nutrients and protein from the peanut butter and peanuts.
I’m pleased that they have some whole foods (peanuts) in this product.
A big fan of Butterfinger and 5th Avenue candy bars as a boy, I also like Crispy Crunchy, as it’s make-up is similar, though not quite as crunchy as these, and perhaps a bit more chewy and peanutty.
This candy bar retains its fresh and nutty flavor for many months, and never absorb the tastes of any other candy sitting nearby.
Each Crispy Crunchy serving has 2 grams of dietary fiber and only 125 MG of sodium.
It’s noteworthy that Reese’s has retained largely the same flavor for so many decades in all of their milk chocolate-peanut butter combination candies, just as Coca-Cola has in their signature soft drink. Like Coke, the Reese’s brand of flavor is a tried-and-true formula indeed, that like Coca-Cola, generations of sweet teeth have enjoyed.
Reese’s is the pinnacle name in the peanut butter cup industry. Indeed, no other brand has ever built the solid and lasting reputation of great taste that Reese’s has. So this product can be found in most larger wholesale or retail outlets.
Though some candies now use trans fats in the form of partially hydrogenated oils in their recipes, none appear in this candy bar. Healthier.
The king sized bars cost around $1.50 each. By today’s standards, that’s a pretty fair price, especially since I bought mine at a neighborhood 24-hour convenience store.

Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns

While the Crispy Crunchy bar flavor closely approaches the classic Reese’s peanut butter cup flavor, the texture is way different due to the added peanut pieces and peanut brittle-like candy layers. But I find no lower quality here. I’m just not used to fragmented peanuts and accompanying the peanut butter.
The milk chocolate part of this candy is sensitive to warmer temperatures and softens easily in warmer storage locations; leaving a distressing chocolaty mess on the wrapper, fingers and mouth when eaten. But if correcting this means adding more saturated fats, then I’d just-as-soon they leave it alone.
This candy bar contains 5 grams of saturated fat per serving (one half of a king-sized bar equals one serving). Thus, as with most any sweet, restrained eating is important to enjoyment while avoiding weight gain and other health issues of eating excessive amounts of fat, salt, and sugar.
At 240 calories per serving, Crispy Crunchy bars, due to how good they are, can really add the pounds, because it can be so hard to stay away from them. I’d like to see a sugar-free variation.
This candy is not carried in all the stores that carry the original Reese’s peanut butter cups. So Crispy Crunchy can be a smidgen harder to find.

Ingredients List

Peanuts, sugar, vegetable oil (cocoa butter, palm kernel, palm, shea, safflower and / or sunflower oil), chocolate, corn syrup, milk, contains 2% or less of lactose (milk), cocoa, whey (milk), milk fat, nonfat milk, salt, molasses, soy lecithin, PGPR, emulsifier, TBHQ (preservative), and artificial flavor.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/2 [king-sized] bar (44 grams). Servings per container: 2.
Calories: 240. Calories from fat: 140.
Total fat: 16 grams, 25% DV.
Saturated fat: 5 grams, 25% DV.
Trans fat: 0 grams.
Cholesterol: <5 mg.
Sodium: 125 mg, 5% DV.
Total carbohydrate: 20 grams, 7% DV.
Dietary fiber: 2 grams, 8% DV.
Sugars: 15 grams.
Protein: 6 grams.

Product Rating

Considering all of the above, I’d recommend Reese’s Crispy Crunchy candy bars for occasional snacking in controlled amounts. They function well as an afternoon pick-me-up at work or play, or an evening supper dessert. But with all the fat, and added sugar, I’ll rate this candy at only 91 out of 100.

Where To Buy Reese’s Crispy Crunchy Candy Bars

Look for this candy at most candy or larger grocery stores in the bright orange and yellow wrapper with the yellow and brown lettering, that sports a picture of a cracked-open bar inside.

References

Revision History

2015-02-03: Moved this post to the Tom’s Diet Quest blog, added whitespace, adjusted ad placement, and tweaked the content.
2012-04-30: Originally published.