Reese’s NutRageous Chocolate, Peanuts, Peanut Butter, & Caramel Candy Bar Review

The trademark taste of Reese’s peanut butter cups from Hershey’s candy company, has been a favorite of for almost half-century.  Hershey’s has once again capitalized on the success of that winning flavor duo with the advent of their  Reese’s NutRageous Chocolate, Peanuts, Peanut Butter, and Caramel Candy Bar   in the past year or so, though as with the peanut butter cups, my bathroom scale, belt, and skinny blue jeans hated them.  That well-balanced combination of peanut butter and chocolate remains unrivaled and well-preserved in this relatively new Reese’s confection.  These NutRageous candy bars have a chewy consistency, no doubt due to the caramel, and have less peanut butter but more peanut pieces.

Indeed, Reese’s discovered a victorious formula when they created their long-running line of peanut butter products, including NutRageous candy bars.  The chocolate coating still contributes essential flavor and texture to the overall taste experience.  So chocolate lovers will enjoy this thoughtful repackaging of that signature Reese’s peanut and chocolate taste.  It’s a sensation that never grows boring —  unless you eat several king-sized bars at once, which I’ve been known to do sometimes.  Yet even if I get sick of this candy on one holiday, I’m eager the next time around to make myself sick of it again.  *smile*

 

Benefits, Pros, Advantages, and Features

  • When I do grow tired of eating this candy, as sometimes happens during the holidays, all it takes is a week or two vacation (back at work), and my longing for that peanut-cocoa flavor comes back.
  • Though these NutRageous candy bars are indeed a candy, they contain much of their weight in peanut butter and nuts, which are nutritious.  While there are some empty calories in this confection, you nonetheless still get some essential nutrients and protein from the peanut butter.
  • I appreciate that they have some whole foods (the peanuts) in this product.
  • A big fan of Snickers candy bars, I liked NutRageous, as it’s make-up is similar. Snickers also contains large pieces of peanuts.
  • Reese’s makes the wrappers for this candy less permeable than those of previous decades.  So the newer wrappers better contain the peanut butter smell inside, and prevent the absorption by the candy inside of outside odors.  Thus, there’s less cross-contamination of the flavors today, of the various candies on the store shelves.
  • NutRageous candy bars retain their original, fresh and nutty flavor for many months, and never acquire the tastes of any other candy stored nearby as a result.
  • Each NutRageous serving has 2 grams of dietary fiber and only 95 MG of sodium.
  • It’s remarkable that Reese’s has retained essentially the same flavor for so many decades in all of their milk chocolate-peanut butter combination candies.  This is a tried-and-true formula indeed, like Coca-Cola, that generations of candy lovers have enjoyed.
  • Reese’s is a well-known name in the peanut butter cup industry.  Indeed, no other brand has ever achieved the solid and lasting reputation of great taste that Reese’s has.  So the NutRageous product can be found in most any retailer or wholesale supermarket.
  • Though some candies have begun using significant amounts of trans fats in the form of partially hydrogenated oils in their recipes, none appear in this candy bar.  Sweet.

 

Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns

  • While the NutRageous flavor pretty much matches the classic Reese’s peanut butter cup taste, the texture is way different due to the added peanut pieces and caramel.  But I find no lower quality in this bar. I’m just not used to peanut halves and wholes accompanying the flavor.
  • This candy is rather sensitive to warmer temperatures and softens easily in hot weather; leaving a chocolaty mess on fingers and mouths when eaten.  But if solving this problem means adding more saturated fats, then I’d just-as-soon they not change the formula.
  • NutRageous candy bars contain 4 grams of saturated fat per serving (one half of a king-sized bar equals one serving).  Thus, as with most any candy, restrained eating is key to enjoyment while avoiding weight gain and other health issues of eating excessive amounts of fat, salt, and sugar.
  • At 240 calories per serving, NutRageous bars, due to how good they are, can really stuff on the pounds because it can be so hard to steer clear of them.  I do wish they made a sugar-free variation.
  • The king sized bars cost around $1.50 each.  Candy in general is getting pretty pricey these days.  But by today’s standards, that’s a pretty fair price, especially as I bought mine at a 24-hour convenience store.

 

Ingredients List

Peanuts, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, vegetable oil (cocoa butter, palm, palm kernel, shea, sunflower and / or safflower oil), chocolate, sorbitol, whey (milk), non fat milk, dextrose, contains 2% or less of high maltose corn syrup, milk fat, salt, corn syrup, soy lecthin, whey protein concentrate (milk), sodium casenate (milk), artificial flavor, mono- and diglycerides, TBHQ (preservative), caramel color.

 

Nutrition Facts

  • Serving size: 1/2 [king-sized] bar.  Servings per container: 2.
  • Calories: 240.  Calories from fat: 130.
  • Total fat: 15 grams, 23% DV.
  • Saturated fat: 5 grams, 25% DV.
  • Trans fat: 0 grams.
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg.
  • Sodium: 95 mg, 4% DV.
  • Total carbohydrate: 26 grams, 9% DV.
  • Dietary fiber: 2 grams, 8% DV.
  • Sugars: 21 grams.
  • Protein: 5 grams.

 

Product Rating

Taking all things into consideration, I’d recommend Reese’s NutRageous candy bars for occasional snacking in limited quantities.  They work well as an afternoon pick-me-up at work, or an evening dessert after supper.  But with all the fat, and added sugar, I’ll rate this candy at only 90 out of 100.  However if we only consider the flavor and crunchy texture, then I’d give it 97 out of 100.

 

Where To Buy Reese’s NutRageous Candy Bars

Look for this candy at most candy or larger grocery store in the bright orange and yellow wrapper with the yellow and brown lettering.

 

References

 

Revision History

  • : Moved this post to the   Tom’s Diet Quest   blog, added whitespace, adjusted ad placement, and tweaked the content.
  • 2012-04-28: Originally published.