Who better to judge sweet treats than someone who works for The Hershey Company? We rounded up a team of employees for a mystery taste test. The name of the game: Will It S’more?
The challenge began with employees lifting a towel in front of them to reveal a Hershey product. Spoiler alert – surprises went beyond chocolate. After finding out their fate, the taster would then assemble their perfect S’more. Said perfect S’more was then ready for tasting.
Prepared to hear the good, the bad and the ugly, we wanted a truthful answer to the big question. To our delight, 24 out of 27 products passed the S’more test. Some may call it employee bias; we call it expertise in recognizing deliciousness.
1. ZAGNUT Bar
The day started off strong with the hidden gem that is the ZAGNUT Peanut Butter and Coconut Candy Bar. Our taster asked us for permission to take another bite after he gave his immediate praise to the treat.
Will a ZAGNUT Bar S’more? For sure, yes!
2. ALMOND JOY Bar
After he revealed to us that he skipped out on breakfast this morning so as to give his all to the mystery taste test, we gave this same taster another go with an ALMOND JOY Coconut and Almond Chocolate Candy Bar. Coconut again proved to be a marshmallow’s best friend, making for the perfect S’more to enjoy at a beach campfire.
Will an ALMOND JOY Bar S’more? Yes! Time for your next beach trip?
3. 5TH AVENUE Bar
Unveiling a 5TH AVENUE Crunchy Peanut Butter in Chocolate Candy Bar elicited some apprehension from one of our tasters. She was pleasantly surprised by the unique textures and peanut butter flavor, ultimately giving us a confident yes that a 5TH AVENUE Bar does S’more. Having admitted that this was a brand that she does not normally grab for, we’d argue that this taster has been changed for the better.
Will a 5TH AVENUE Bar S’more? Certainly, yes.
4. WHATCHAMACALLIT Bar
Have you heard of a WHATCHAMACALLIT Bar? Think chocolate, peanut, caramel and crispy as can be. Although we thought there was no such thing as too much crunch, our taster was not a big fan of the WHATCHAMACALLIT Candy Bar S’more. Though she appreciated the added flavor, she felt that the S’mores experience was too dry. We humbly made note of this, and we’ll have to take this S’more idea back to the drawing board.
Will a WHATCHAMACALLIT Bar S’more? Unfortunately, no. Not today at least
5. PIRATE’S BOOTY Puffs
A “pensive yes” was the consensus that we heard regarding one of our more out-of-the-box S’mores pairings. Having found PIRATE'S BOOTY Aged White Cheddar Rice & Corn Puffs as the mystery ingredient, this taster kept an optimistic spirit and did not let the salty product sour his S’mores vision. He claimed that the cheesy flavor was masked by the marshmallow and milk chocolate, while the crunchy texture shone through. Optimism is the name of the game. We’ll call it a success.
Will PIRATE’S BOOTY Puffs S’more? If you keep an open mind, yes.
6. YORK Peppermint Pattie
The iconic YORK Peppermint Pattie certainly held its own in this competition. Our taster found that the combination of the soft candy and the airy marshmallow made for an incredibly smooth bite. The peppermint was complementary rather than overpowering, and the graham cracker ensured that the signature crunch of the S’more stayed intact.
Will a YORK Peppermint Pattie S’more? Yes, you can count on it!
7. barkTHINS Snacking Chocolate
YORK was not the only dark chocolate candy that had its time to shine. This taster, who also happened to be a first-time taster of barkTHINS Dark Chocolate Almond & Sea Salt Snacking Chocolate, uncovered another foolproof way to S’more. The perfect hint of sea salt within the rich dark chocolate shone through the entire S’more. Finished with almond pieces enhancing that perfect crunch, this was a S’more to remember.
Will barkTHINS Snacking Chocolate S’more? Without a doubt, yes.
8. HERSHEY'S Cookies 'N' Creme Bar
Our next taster was incredibly excited to be assigned a HERSHEY'S Cookies 'N' Creme Candy Bar. We’ve heard from Hershey fans everywhere that this is a top-tier S’more combination, but we wanted to confirm that for ourselves. Smooth white creme and crunchy chocolate cookie bits did not disappoint, proving themselves as perfect accessories to the melty sweet treat.
Will a HERSHEY'S Cookies 'N' Creme Bar S’more? 100%, yes. Go for it.
9. SKINNYPOP Popcorn
Knowing nothing about this challenge or what might be under the covering in front of them, one taster told us that their favorite Hershey product was SKINNYPOP Popcorn. Make your guesses as to what happened next! The stars aligned as she pulled out a bag of SKINNYPOP Original Popcorn. Much to her satisfaction, this S’more was delicious, and a super fun way to marry sweet with salty. The popcorn kernels stuck nicely to the toasty marshmallow, while the graham cracker and milk chocolate brought home that classic S’mores taste. We encourage everyone to upgrade their next movie night with a round of SKINNYPOP S’mores.
Will SKINNYPOP Popcorn S’more? Surprisingly, yes. Schedule that movie night ASAP.
10. CADBURY CARAMELLO Bar
The CADBURY CARAMELLO Milk Chocolate & Creamy Caramel Candy Bar was a promising contestant in this competition. The taster felt strongly that the pairing of a fluffy marshmallow with ooey gooey caramel made for a delicious S’more. We dock some points only because the rounded shape of this candy bar made S’more assembly difficult. But with determination and grit, our trusted Hershey employee made this masterpiece work.
Will a CADBURY CARAMELLO Bar S’more? Deliciously, yes!
11. ROLO® Creamy Caramels
This same tester stuck around for more chocolate and caramel fun, finding ROLO® Creamy Caramels in Rich Chocolate Candy as their next product to try. Having ensured all our employees that we encouraged complete honesty from them, this taster did admit that the ROLO® S’more fell short of the CARAMELLO Bar S’more. The issue was not achieving the delicious taste – it was the logistics. The taster identified a need to use multiple ROLO® candies to get that same drippy caramel S’more smoosh. What can we say, using more of any HERSHEY’S product is always a good thing.
Will ROLO® Creamy Caramels S’more? With a little extra effort – a solid yes.
12. REESE'S Big Cup with Chocolate Lava
Though we’re not sure who would say no to a S’more made with a REESE’S Cup of any kind, we had to bring in the heat. Receiving a REESE'S Big Cup with Chocolate Lava had our taster predicting that there was zero chance of this not making a fantastic S’more. Calling it “the ultimate S’more,” our taster recommends this one to the masses. You’ll lava it.
Will a REESE'S Big Cup with Chocolate Lava S’more? Yes. That’s a fact.
13. ZERO Bar
A nostalgic classic was brought to the stage with a ZERO Candy Bar. Caramel, peanut, almond nougat and white fudge. Adding in a toasty marshmallow, we’ll call these flavors the starting five on a perfect S’more team. A definite win was scored when our taster experienced the sticky, crunchy sweetness in between the two graham cracker halves.
Will a ZERO Bar S’more? Another absolute yes.
14. PAYDAY Bar
A pleasant surprise was found in our beloved PAYDAY Peanut and Caramel Candy Bar. Though our taster said a PAYDAY Bar was a favorite candy of hers, she was not entirely confident in the structure of this S’more. To her relief, the S’more remained intact for consuming. Delicious, amazing, awesome. Being one of the best HERSHEY’S products to enjoy sweet and salty in perfect unison, we trusted our PAYDAY Bar all along.
Will a PAYDAY Bar S’more? You guessed it, that’s another yes.
15. SKOR Bar
In the quest to find the ultimate crunch, the SKOR Milk Chocolate with Crisp Butter Toffee Candy Bar may have taken the crown. Our taster was immediately impressed by the snap of the toffee and the rich flavors that the SKOR Bar brought in. With no doubt, this was a 10 out of 10 S’more. Save some for us!
Will a SKOR Bar S’more? Without fail, yes.
16. MOUNDS Bar
Structure again proved to be challenge when the time came for an employee to S’more a MOUNDS Dark Chocolate and Coconut Candy Bar. Though our taster saw excellent potential in the dark chocolate and coconut flavor combination, there was some disappointment in the lack of ideal meltiness. We remain optimistic in our belief that with the right heating technique on a warm summer night, the MOUNDS bar S’more could be a foolproof way to enjoy the taste of the tropics.
Will a MOUNDS Bar S’more? Not really, no. Maybe?
17. HEATH Bar
We’ll own up to it – we did receive another firm no to our “Will it S’more?” question. While our HEATH Chocolatey English Toffee Candy Bar is a fan favorite ice cream topping, our taster did not find the HEATH S’more to be a winner. We suspect the key is to chop up the HEATH Bar into small pieces to achieve the perfect melt and texture. We’ll need to try again for ourselves, and you should try at home too.
Will a HEATH Bar S’more? Probably the strongest no we got...
18. SYMPHONY Bar
With a reputation for its extra-creamy milk chocolate, the legendary SYMPHONY Milk Chocolate with Almonds & Toffee Chips Candy Bar earned back some points for team toffee. Cherished since 1989, the delicious SYMPHONY Bar made a spectacular S’more that our taster undeniably loved. As we’ve learned, a little goes a long way when it comes to crunch.
Will a SYMPHONY Bar S’more? Yes! Cheers to that.
19. MR. GOODBAR Candy
A following taster was equally happy with a HERSHEY’S MR. GOODBAR Chocolate with Peanuts Bar. At The Hershey Company, we are all aligned in knowing that peanuts are one of milk chocolate’s best friends. A little extra crunch and a touch of roasted peanutty flavor will take any S’more to the next level.
Will a MR. GOODBAR S’more? Indisputably, yes.
20. KIT KAT® Bar
We needed an honest reviewer to put KIT KAT® Milk Chocolate Candy Bars to the test. This timeless crispy wafer treat earned itself a 9.5 out of 10. Half of a point docked for wishing this S’more was a bit meltier to maintain all the right textures. Hey, is that totally our fault? Our tester showed some genius in pointing out that KIT KAT® Bars themselves are not too far off from a S’more. Minus the marshmallow, both achieve a crispy crunch met with smooth milk chocolate. Twins for the win.
Will a KIT KAT® Bar S’more? Obviously, yes.
21. REESE’S PB&J Strawberry Big Cup
REESE'S PB&J Big Cup Peanut Butter Cups are the new kids on the block. Complete with sweet grape or strawberry flavored filling, it was a must to test if this classic PB&J duo worked with a classic S’more. In tandem with the many REESE’S fans that are raving about this new product, our taster was blown away by her REESE'S PB&J Strawberry Big Cup S’more. We task our adventurous readers to try a S’more with the REESE'S PB&J Grape Big Cup and report back to us.
Will a REESE’S PB&J Strawberry Big Cup S’more? Enjoyably, it’s a yes from us!
22. DOT’S HOMESTYLE PRETZELS
Behold the DOT'S HOMESTYLE PRETZELS Cinnamon Sugar Seasoned Pretzel Twists. This lucky taster declared his DOT’S Pretzels S’more to be a true game changer. He felt that the cinnamon sugar paired perfectly with the marshmallow, and of course, that crunch was elite. A flash of genius struck our taster as he proposed the idea of covering DOT’S PRETZELS in milk chocolate … our employees are always thinking.
Will DOT’S HOMESTYLE PRETZELS S’more? Survey says yes.
23. TWIZZLERS Twists
We decided to put our resident pretzel mastermind to the test once again. This time, he’d be trying a S’more with TWIZZLERS Twists Strawberry Flavored Candy. The consensus – the flavor profile was perfect. The texture, however, was on the chewier side. He still gave us a confident yes in saying that TWIZZLERS Twists do in fact S’more, so our licorice candy lovers will need to add this one to their lists.
Will TWIZZLERS Strawberry S’more? With a little extra effort, yes.
24. JOLLY RANCHER Ropes
When we think chewy, we also think of our JOLLY RANCHER Ropes Blue Raspberry + Cherry Flavored Candy. If we were to award one of our tasters for most enthusiasm, it would likely go to this particular employee. Ready for the bold challenge, she was immediately hit with the tangy blue raspberry and sweet cherry flavors as she bit into her S’more. Appreciating how the soft fruity candy met the pillowy melted marshmallow, this S’more earned its spot as an unlikely hero. There’s no harm in trying new things.
Will JOLLY RANCHER Ropes S’more? Surprisingly, yes?
25. HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate with Caramel Bar
It's only fair to give our all-star S’mores the recognition that they deserve. The HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate with Caramel Candy Bar was essentially made for this moment. To give you a visual, the word “S’MORES” is embossed onto these bars. Think the standard S’more but with a burst of gooey caramel as you bite into it. Sweet and simple, yet surprising. All we needed from our taster was a yes, because this S’more combination is undeniably brilliant.
Will a HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate with Caramel Bar S’more? Considering it was born for this, yes.
26. REESE'S TAKE5 Bar
With plenty of talk around favorite HERSHEY’S products on the day of our taste test, the REESE'S TAKE5 Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Bar made its way into nearly every conversation. Pretzels, caramel, peanut butter and peanuts all in a chocolatey coating. From what we had learned from tasters so far, this S’more was promising. With the only callout being the messiness, this S’more heard all praise. And when it comes to S’mores, we think messy just means more fun.
Will a REESE'S TAKE5 Bar S’more? Yes! Just bring napkins.
We thank all our participants for leaving their hearts out on the campfire. Trying new things isn’t always easy. But we’d say it's easier when you work for the sweetest company in the world. This summer, be sure to tell us how you S’more!
