Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth With the Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy

Things to Consider When Choosing Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy

Selecting the best chocolate peanut butter candy might seem like a daunting task because there are so many to choose from. However, if you consider the following factors, you will find your perfect peanut butter candy in no time.

Type of chocolate

There are four main types of chocolate available to buy. The one you choose depends entirely on your taste.

Dark: Dark chocolate tastes rich and sometimes bitter. It may include just as much sugar as a milk chocolate bar but will taste less sweet. Dark chocolate and peanut butter go notoriously well together. To be considered dark chocolate, it must contain over 50% cocoa.

The more cocoa, the deeper the flavor. Dark chocolate does not technically contain milk. However, many companies claim they use dark chocolate with milk because of the high cocoa content.

Dark milk chocolate: Often when a company claims it contains dark chocolate, it is actually using dark milk chocolate. Like dark chocolate, dark milk chocolate needs to contain over 50% cocoa, but it also includes milk as an ingredient. We love dark milk chocolate with peanut butter!

Milk chocolate: Milk chocolate contains between 10% and 50% cocoa as well as milk and sugar. As a result, it is creamier than the two types of dark chocolate. If you want a round sweet, creamy texture, you could opt for a milk chocolate peanut butter candy.

White chocolate: White chocolate is not made from cocoa but is made from cocoa butter. It is very sweet and creamy, and if you have the sweetest of sweet teeth, you might love the white chocolate and peanut butter combo.

Sugar-free

If you have diabetes or simply watch your sugar intake for better skin, teeth, and fewer calories, you may want to buy a sugar-free chocolate peanut butter candy bar. To get the sweet taste we all love, ingredients other than sugar are used to make it.

Sugar alcohols

Many sugar-free candies use sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohol comes from fruit but is also often synthetically made. If you know the company you are buying from mass produces its products, they are likely using synthetic sugar alcohol.

Sugar alcohol, whether manufactured or natural, has a few advantages over sugar. They don’t cause sudden blood spikes and will only cause a slight rise in blood sugar levels. Also, alcohol sugar doesn’t contribute to tooth decay to the extent that sugar does.

Coconut sugar

Don’t be fooled by this natural cane sugar alternative. Coconut sugar is almost identical to regular sugar when it comes to calories and nutrients.

Honey

Honey has more calories than sugar and tastes sweeter. However, it does not raise blood sugar levels as quickly as sugar.

Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners do not increase blood sugar levels as sugar does. However, if you are thinking of using sweeteners as part of a diet plan, you might want to reconsider. Sweeteners are known to increase a person's appetite. Therefore, choosing candy made with sweeteners might make you eat more in one go than you otherwise would and cause you to gain more weight.

Peanut butter filling

Like buying peanut butter in a tub, you have the option of enjoying a smooth or crunchy filling in your chocolate peanut butter candy. However, most companies use smooth peanut butter as a filling because it is what most people prefer, and it is less of a choking hazard.

Salted peanut butter is often used in conjunction with dark chocolate. The saltiness counteracts the creaminess of the peanut butter filling and brings out the richness of the chocolate. If you have never tried a combination of sweet and savory in a snack, it’s never too late to try.

Packaging

Unless you buy chocolate peanut candy chocolate bars as a gift, the outer packaging shouldn’t matter too much to you. The packaging should be a little stiff to protect its contents and have the ingredients clearly labeled. However, if you are buying candy as a gift, there are plenty of beautifully presented boxes out there.

Resealable

Unless you are planning on eating your candy in one sitting, it is a good idea to buy a resealable packaging product. This might be in the form of a tub with a lid or perhaps a resealable bag.

Individually wrapped

Choose chocolate peanut butter candies that are individually wrapped. This will ensure the candy stays fresh and looks more appealing to guests who might not want to eat unwrapped candy that is offered to them. You can even buy some candy with messages written in the individual wrapping.

Fair Trade

For a product to have a fair trade label, it shows that everyone involved in making the candy is treated well. In addition, fair trade standards enable farmers to organize and create associations or cooperatives, allowing them to earn a fair wage. For example, companies buying cocoa from farmers must pay them a fair wage, and the farmers, in turn, pay their workers a decent salary.

To hold a fair trade label, the ingredients in the candy must come from a renewable source. The fair trade label also signifies that no toxic agrochemicals were used. An agrochemical is a chemical used in agriculture as a fertilizer or pesticide.

Buying fair trade ensures you aren’t paying a company that exploits children. Unfortunately, certain chocolate companies are notorious for doing so. Fair trade certification organizations regularly hold inspections to ensure children aren’t being exploited.

Under the fair trade system, companies buying cocoa also pay money to the community for its development. This enables cocoa farmers to create safe drinking water in their communities, build infrastructure and offer their workers better training. The money also goes towards better health and education services in the community.

We recommend buying fair trade products over non-fair trade products if you think you will like the taste.

Fair trade also means non-GMO.

GMOs are genetically modified organisms. This name applies to any organism whose DNA has been altered via genetic engineering. Although there is no evidence to show that GMO crops are bad for our health, there are concerns that there may be more allergic reactions involved in GMO produce.

Some people also worry that GMOs pose a threat of gene horizontal gene transfer. However, the chances of this happening are negligible. Many companies like to advertise that their products are non-GMO, but no evidence suggests that GMO products affect your health.

Calories

If you are counting your calories, you may want to look for a low-calorie candy. There are plenty available. Always look at the calories per portion size and never assume a pack is portion size.

Customer review

When you see a product that looks appealing, read its accompanying customer reviews. Customer reviews will give you an idea of how well a product survives transit and whether people found the texture and taste pleasant.

How we choose the best chocolate peanut candy bar

To choose the best peanut candy bar, we weighed several factors. First, we consider the taste and consistency and the calories and sugar per portion. Next, we look at the wrapping and judge if it can keep the chocolates fresh. Finally, we only recommend candy we think is delicious, has good value-for-money and has a high customer review rating.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy FAQ

Q: Who first put chocolate and peanut butter together?

A: Harry Reese first put chocolate and peanut together in 1928. Reese worked at a dairy farm owned by the famous Milton Hershey at the time. He is responsible for the Reeses Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

Q: Why does eating chocolate peanut butter candy make me happier?

A: Eating chocolate makes you happier because it stimulates your brain and makes it release endorphins. Studies show that it releases more endorphins than kissing does. This is caused by the concentration of phenylethylamine found in chocolate.

The peanut butter itself offers the body protein and fats, and it is simply satisfying to eat because of old survival instincts. Antioxidant properties found in peanut butter also reduce stress on the brain and help you feel relaxed.

Q: What type of nut is used in peanut butter?

A: Peanuts are a legume, not a nut, and come from a plant in the Fabaceae family. They grow underground in the warmer parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, Australia, and North and South America.