Taste-Off: Which peanut butter cups stack up? We try 16 variations

Peanut butter + chocolate. For those who love the two, there’s literally nothing better than sinking teeth into a chocolate cup filled with peanut butter — with a little extra sugar and salt mixed in.

Peanut butter cups — the top-selling candy in the U.S. — are creamy, salty, nutty and sweet, a sensual experience that coats the tongue and delivers lusciousness on so many levels.

While Reese’s introduced the confection in 1928 and still ranks first in peanut butter cup sales, there is some rather delicious competition in the category. Candy aisles feature numerous brands that make both dark and milk chocolate versions, some of which are utterly delicious.

A great peanut butter cup starts with an ethereal filling that has a punch of peanut flavor that’s enhanced by just the right amount of sugar and salt. In addition to great flavor, the filling needs to be moist and smooth.

Also key to a great peanut butter cup is the chocolate. It needs to melt like velvet on the tongue and deliver a huge wallop of chocolate, no matter whether it’s milk or dark.

Bad peanut butter cups are too salty, too sweet or so dry that they crumble to bits in your lap. The worst are made with such substandard ingredients that they don’t taste like peanut butter or chocolate.

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Here are details on the most luscious cups of peanut butter goodness and the grainy, too sweet peanut butter cups that don’t quite deliver. Nutrition info refers to 36 grams, 2-3 cups, depending on size.

Nassau Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Velvety milk chocolate filled with fresh, sweet-salty filling make these a stellar example of this iconic confection. These are true peanut butter cup perfection. 204 calories,12 grams fat, 24 milligrams sodium, 18 grams sugar, 4 grams protein. $12.99 for 11.5 ounces at Whole Foods. (4 stars)

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

This giant tub of peanut butter cups is dangerous. The milk chocolate is crazy rich and silky, and the filling is thick and flavorful. Buy at your own risk. 201 calories, 13 grams fat, 108 milligrams sodium, 16 grams sugar, 3 grams protein. $5.99 for 16 ounces. (4 stars)

Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Smooth chocolate that melts on the tongue and creamy, peanut-forward filling make these a memorably delicious, yet very sweet bite. 201 calories, 12 grams fat, 48 milligrams sodium, 19 grams sugar, 2 grams protein. $5.99 for 16 ounces. (3 1/2 stars)

Favorite Day Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Balanced hits of salt and sugar stirred into a creamy filling make for a crave-worthy treat. Higher quality chocolate would make these near-perfect. 187 calories, 13 grams fat, 108 milligrams sodium, 16 grams sugar, 3 grams protein. $6.49 for 12 ounces at Target. (3 stars)

Favorite Day Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

These are very close to the iconic Reese’s in flavor, but better. The chocolate is similarly poor in quality, but the filling is creamy and pleasantly sweet. 191 calories, 12 grams fat, 48 milligrams sodium, 19 grams sugar, 2 grams protein. $6.49 for 12 ounces at Target. (2 1/2 stars)

Justin’s Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

The rich, melty chocolate coating on these is the star. Sadly, the peanuts used in the filling are over-roasted, which results in a slight bitter note.198 calories, 13 grams fat, 108 milligrams sodium, 14 grams sugar, 4 grams protein. $2.59 for 1.4 ounces at Whole Foods. (2 stars)

Justin’s Organic Dark Chocolate Crispy Peanut Butter Cups

Sprinkling the top of these cups with crispy quinoa adds nothing in terms of flavor and doesn’t mask the over-toasted flavor of the filling. 204 calories, 14 grams fat, 117 milligrams sodium, 15 grams sugar, 3 grams protein. $2.59 for 1.32 ounces at Whole Foods. (2 stars)

Skinny Dipped Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Gritty, over salted filling that’s lacking sugar make these individually wrapped cups a less than average choice. 192 calories, 14 grams fat, 144 milligrams sodium, 5 grams sugar, 5 grams protein. $4.23 for 3.17 ounces at Target. (1 1/2 stars)

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

While this top-selling confection delivers classic flavor notes, the chocolate coating is awful, and amount of sugar in both the filling and the coating is simply too much. 180 calories, 10 grams fat, 116 milligrams sodium, 19 grams sugar, 3 grams protein. $1.99 for 1.5 ounces at Target. (1 1/2 stars)

Reese’s Plant Based Butter Cups

This interesting variation has far better chocolate than the original, but the filling is crumbly and tastes more like oil than peanut butter. 194 calories, 13 grams fat, 69 milligrams sodium, 14 grams sugar, 3 grams protein. $1.99 for 1.4 ounces at Target. (1 1/2 stars)

Chocolove Peanut Butter Cups

It’s hard to fault purity, but straight peanut butter simply doesn’t work as a filling in a chocolate confection. These beg for sugar and salt. 201 calories, 15 grams fat, 111 milligrams sodium, 12 grams sugar, 4 grams protein. $2.49 for 1.2 ounces at Whole Foods. (1 1/2 stars)

365 Whole Foods Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Over-toasted peanuts and dry, crumbly filling make this a disappointing peanut butter cup. 180 calories, 11 grams fat, 65 milligrams sodium, 18 grams sugar, 2 grams protein. $5.19 for 4.7 ounces. (1 star)

365 Whole Foods Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

These foil-wrapped cups are far too sweet, thanks to a double-layer of super-sweet chocolate that tastes more like dried milk than chocolate. 190 calories, 11 grams fat, 105 milligrams sodium, 18 grams sugar, 3 grams protein. $5.19 for 4.7 ounces. (1 star)

Lily’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Tagging this as a peanut butter cup is a mistake. It looks the part, but the filling is so overpowered by fake sweeteners and vanilla that the peanut flavor is lost. 175 calories, 16 grams fat, 113 milligrams sodium, 0 grams sugar (sugar alcohols), 4 grams protein. $2.79 for 1.25 ounces at Whole Foods. (1/2 star)

Dove Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Promises

In the mood for chocolate? These individually wrapped bits of silky, sweet chocolate will work. But as peanut butter cups, these are a big fail. The trace amount of peanut butter filling is just short of tasteless. 125 calories, 14 grams fat, 70 milligrams sodium, 15 grams sugar, 3 grams protein. $5.73 for 6.74 ounces at Walmart. (1/2 star)

Lily’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Even people who over-salt everything they eat will be shocked at the punishing amount of salt in these. 163 calories, 14 grams fat, 128 milligrams sodium, 2 grams sugar, 8 grams sugar alcohols, 3 grams protein. $6.15 for 3.2 ounces at Whole Foods. (no stars)

Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers. Contact Jolene Thym at timespickyeater@gmail.com. Read more Taste-off columns at mercurynews.com/tag/taste-off.