Review: Candy Cane Peeps

What up, So Good Readers!  The holiday season is here, and your friendly neighborhood Junk Food Guy has been tasting lots and lots of holiday foodstuffs. Junk food companies love the holiday season, because it allows them to cash in on those people, like me, who see the label “Limited Edition” and can’t pass it up.  The addition of Mint to any snack makes that junk food that much more “seasonal,” apparently.  Not just 3 Musketeers, MINT 3 Musketeers!  Not just normal Pringles, MINT Pringles!  And now…not just your normal Peeps that you get at Easter and let harden into a Marshmallow rock that you can gnaw away at.  No, now we have Candy Cane Peeps!

Candy Cane Peeps were found at a Target store, far far away from me here in DC.  And by far far away, I mean Laurel, MD.  These marshmallow confections came three to a pack and decorated appropriately: candy cane striping on the wrapper, the Peeps themselves were left white with a sprinkling of red, and the drawing of the Peep in the lower right hand corner has the picture of a candy cane, just in case we forgot what we were eating somewhere along the way.

Serving size: 3 chicks.  Way to really hammer home the fact that I am eating animal shaped candy, Peeps.  And thank you for letting me know that these Peeps are gluten free.  Wouldn’t want those food allergies popping up while I carry out cruel chewing fantasies, would I?

Each of these Candy Cane Peeps were speckled with bits of red candy, which I can only presume are candy cane / peppermint candy pieces. When I opened the package, the strong smell of chocolate and peppermint came pouring out, not unlike the smell of a York Peppermint Patty.

I feel like we’ve all had Peeps before during Easter or even Halloween…these are just marshmallows that have a somewhat slightly tough marshmallow exterior.  I don’t LOVE Peeps, but I can see why people like them.  Plus, even if they go stale…who could even tell the difference?

I guess I never noticed…but these Candy Cane Peeps are really rather sad looking creatures, aren’t they?  The random dollop of chocolate for an eye…the misshapen body. The chocolate dipped delicious smelling misshapen body….wait, what was I talking about again?

I took a big bite out of one of these Candy Cane Peeps and …THUMBS UP.  For someone like me who thinks Peeps are kind of mediocre to begin with, I really enjoyed this rendition.

The first thing I noticed was the great rich chocolate taste and how well it blended with the marshmallow Peep body.  I mean, it’s not secret that chocolate and marshmallow go well together…but then the sweet peppermint candy cane flavor started to mix in and the result was truly tasty.  The mint flavor came from more than just the crunchy red candy pieces, it seemed to be infused into the marshmallow itself.  The balance of mint, chocolate, and creamy marshmallow was really quite ideal.  The candy pieces also gave the whole thing a little crunch – something that Peeps normally lack.

All in all, a better-than-expected taste experience.  Grab a pack of these, for sure.  You’ll enjoy them now…and if they end up sitting around for a few months – you’ll enjoy them then, too.

PURCHASED AT: Target

COST: $1.99

Thoughts? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy and read more reviews at JunkFoodGuy.com. Let’s hang out.