The Discontinued Cake-Inspired M&M's Variety That Deserves A Second Chance - Tasting Table

"M&M's have long been a beloved candy with a myriad of fun flavors to choose from. Among many hits, misses, and otherwise, there are some discontinued M&M's flavors that still have fans clamoring for a sweet return. One of the most divisive flavors was the oversized White Strawberry Shortcake M&M's that arrived on the scene around the spring of 2016 and were only available at Target stores."

"These discontinued cake-inspired candies certainly spawned a spectrum of enthusiastic opinions. While some reviews maligned the confection as one of the worst M&M's flavors, others offered constructive criticism that the flavors and additives could be adjusted slightly for a more authentic and pleasing taste. Between Reddit users calling the candy "disgusting" and other reviews noting the overpowering artificial strawberry flavor and scent, it would seem these M&M's might just deserve a redo."

"Strawberry shortcake has evolved over the years from original European versions that used a firm, biscuit-like cake to a considerably softer sponge or angel food cake in American iterations. For the purposes of the discontinued white chocolate M&M's flavor, the actual cake element was entirely missing and replaced with an infusion of artificial strawberry flavor to complete the overall profile. Though it might not have been the biggest hit of the candy world, there are definitely some simple improvements that could make these shortcake-themed candies even better."

White Strawberry Shortcake M&M's launched around spring 2016 exclusively at Target and were later discontinued. The flavor blended a white chocolate base with an artificial strawberry infusion and omitted any actual cake element. Consumer responses were sharply divided, with some critics calling the candy one of the worst and some Reddit users labeling it "disgusting." Common complaints highlighted an overpowering artificial strawberry flavor and scent. Suggested improvements included adjusting flavors and additives for authenticity, incorporating a cake-like note, or pairing cake flavor with milk chocolate for a richer, more pleasing profile.

Read at Tasting Table