I am of the opinion that there’s very little in life that can’t be improved by a bit of glitter. So you can imagine how excited I was to hear about Shimmery White Chocolate M&M’s – a limited edition with sparkles! Visions of glitzy holiday food crafts danced in my head.
After locating a small stash in the barely-yet-stocked holiday aisle of Target, I hurried home – careful not to jostle too much for fear of dislodging any shimmer. I sliced open the bag and feasted my eyes on…what’s the opposite of glitter?
Crusty patina?
There wasn’t a whiff of twinkle in this bag. Not even a glint. The smooth, dull red and green candies were mottled with pale opaque flecks. It looked a bit like the white-ish “bloom” you see on old chocolate – the stuff that instinctively makes people hurl perfectly edible chocolate across the room like a flaming snake. The white candies were just solid white, no patina or glow. I’m curious if they rolled off the production line like this, or if something happened in transit. In any case, they were a 100 percent shimmer fail.
The taste is the familiar M&M’s white chocolate that we’ve seen in other editions like Candy Corn and Boo-tterscotch – sweet and milky, but without additional flavor in this case. I do generally love the larger, rounder size and shape of the limited-edition M&M’s. It’s a tactile reminder that you’re indulging in something apart from the classic. But considering that the appeal of this particular product rests almost entirely in the visuals, I have to consider them a flop.
My dreams of Pinterest-worthy, shiny M&M-studded baked goods were out the window like a gin-soaked Santa who couldn’t manage the chimney. So I grabbed some edible glitter from the baking supply shop and fixed them for you, Mars. You’re welcome!
…and craft nirvana achieved.
(Nutrition Facts – 1.5 ounces – 210 calories, 100 calories from fat, 11 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)
Purchased Price: $3.19
Size: 8 oz. bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 4 out of 10
Pros: Taste is solid – the basic M&M’s white chocolate base.
Cons: I was promised shimmer! I want my shimmer!
Could you link to what you used to achieve the actually glittery ones? And if it’s not obvious, how you got the glitter to stick? Thanks!!!
I was excited for these to bake, like you, and now thanks to your review I know not to bother unless I fix them up like you did first. Nice review, thank you!
I believe that you would have to lightly dip the candies in water then quickly roll into the glitter
There’s a bunch of different brands/styles of edible glitter out in the world, depending on the effect you want. These were made with “disco dust,” sold on the ‘net if you’re not near a baking supply store. With a small paint brush (only used with food!), dab on a thin layer of water or vodka (if your glitter dissolves in water, use the alcohol) and a dry brush to dust the glitter on. I’m betting you could also mist the liquid on a few at a time and throw them into a small bag filled with the glitter – like Shake’N Bake. Dipping could also work, but might get messy on your hands. There’s also edible glitter spray that’s fun, but it’s only in gold, silver or pearl.
Just to play it safe, disco dust is technically non-edible (it’s labeled “non-toxic”) although some bakers use it, as have I. I’ve eaten it many times with no issues, which is why I used it here. If it’s something that concerns you, look for a product that specifically has the word “edible” in the name – Wilton has some nice options.
You are not the only one that lacked shimmer. These look like someone took these and put in the water for a brief period of time and bagged these. Mars should had used edible glitter easily to make these shimmery.
This is awesome!! I was just disappointed by these for our annual family bake day. We were all upset because of the ‘false advertisement’ nature of the packaging!! So I googled to see if perhaps it was just an old bag or something? We all had a big laugh reading your review and we appreciate your comments!! We agree 100% and it gave me a huge pleasure to see these the way my mind expected to see them!!! Lol thank you so much for posting this review! I only wish I had read before I bought them…;) MERRY CHRISTMAS!!