We Tried Reese's Caramel Big Cup And It Was A Harmonious, Luscious Delight
In 1928, Harry Burnett Reese invented the original chocolate peanut butter cup. The line has since expanded to include over 100 varieties of bars, spreads, cookies, and cereals using milk, dark, and white chocolates packaged in myriad sizes, including the Big Cup. This Autumn, Hershey's delivered Reese's fans an early holiday gift by introducing the Reese's Caramel Big Cup, which joins its siblings: Original, with Potato Chips, with Pretzels, and with Reese's Puffs Cereal.
The latest iteration combines the classic flavors of creamy milk chocolate and rich peanut butter with decadently sweet caramel. They said you cannot improve on perfection, but Reese's disagrees. In this case, perfection has been perfected even further.
I had the chance to sample this new, more perfect peanut butter cup, but I will admit that chocolate and peanut butter are my absolute favorite combination. While I enjoy caramel and chocolate, it is always my second choice. For this reason, I was skeptical about tasting this new and improved Reese's. I evaluated it based on aroma, texture, and flavor. Read on to see how this Big Cup fared in the grand scheme of all things Reese's.
Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.
What does the Reese's Caramel Big Cup taste like?
At first glance, there was nothing remarkably different about the Caramel Big Cup from any other Reese's peanut butter cup. Even the aroma was similar to the classic. It wasn't until I cut it in half that the caramel oozed out of the center, dripping onto the plate, and I could smell notes of caramel along with milk chocolate and peanut butter.
When I initially bit into this Big Cup, I got a strong hit of the caramel. I was concerned it would mask the peanut butter too much to be well-balanced. The peanut butter came through as I chewed, and all the flavors coated my tongue. Then it was like a perfectly choreographed dance, with the caramel and peanut butter taking turns doing a tango with the milk chocolate and one another. Frankly, it was delicious, and I need not have been concerned.
The texture of this particular Big Cup has the chewiness that you know and love, with an added layer of creaminess from the caramel; it is complex and nuanced. And once all the ingredients are heated through on your tongue, they melt together, dissolving into a harmonious, luscious delight.
Nutrition and retail information for the Reese's Caramel Big Cup
Each 1.4-ounce Reese's Caramel Big Cup has 190 calories. It also contains 10 grams of fat, 120 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 22 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein. This variety is gluten-free and Kosher.
The Reese's Caramel Big Cup is sold as a single and double packages, and a 16-count box of either size is also available. They are currently available online via Amazon by the case and are slowly being stocked by retailers nationwide. A single cup costs about $1 and a 16-count box runs about $17, however, prices may vary by location and retailer.
Final thoughts
While I may have been skeptical ahead of this sampling of Reese's Caramel Big Cup, I needn't have been. This treat perfects upon perfection by carefully constructing the ideal ratio of chocolate to peanut butter to caramel that doesn't distract from any single ingredient but rather heightens them all. That is no small feat.
The only thing that could make this Big Cup better for me would be if they made it using dark versus milk chocolate. This would temper the sweetness slightly, adding some depth with a mildly bitter undertone. That said, I recognize not everyone enjoys dark chocolate, so for the average population, this combination is exemplary.
Though Reese's peanut butter cups can make great add-ins when baking cookies, cakes, brownies, or even cocktails, these might be a bit unruly to work within that capacity due to the caramel. It wouldn't hold together in a recipe like plain chocolate and peanut butter. I suggest reserving these specialty Reese's for a delectable treat.