14 Of The Most Bizarre M&M Flavors You Totally Forgot About

Candy doesn't get more iconic than M&M's. These classic, sugar-coated chocolate bites have been subject to some of the most impressive marketing tactics in history, with its timeless talking mascots and star-studded Super Bowl ads setting it apart from the pack. One other thing that makes M&M's stand out? Flavor. Over the years, Mars has debuted dozens of different flavors of M&M's, designed to cater to pretty much every taste imaginable.

While some of these flavors, like Pretzel M&M's, have stood the test of time, others haven't been so lucky. Mars has made plenty of big swings on its M&M flavors over the years, and some of the stranger ones out there were quickly relegated to the candy graveyard. Others were limited-edition items or fan-voted options that were likely never truly destined to stick around for long. Honestly, when you remember the kinds of flavors that Mars has put out, you'll also remember why they weren't embraced by the masses — unless jalapeño-flavored M&M's are your thing, that is. Let's take a trip down memory lane and reacquaint ourselves with the most bizarre M&M flavors ever conceived.

For some people, enjoying the taste of pecan pie once or twice a year around Thanksgiving just isn't enough. That's what Mars thought when it released its Pecan Pie M&M's, at least. In 2015, shortly before fall began in earnest, Pecan Pie M&M's hit the shelves. These M&M's were designed to imitate the color scheme of pecan pie, with white, brown, and mid-yellow shells — we assume that the mid-yellow was to imitate either the pastry or the filling, but to be honest, we're not quite sure.

Pecan Pie M&M's didn't stick around for too long. However, in 2019, they were brought back for another spin, with slightly redesigned colors that better reflected a pie's look. After that, they disappeared from shelves and haven't reappeared since, although you never know when they might rear their head again. If they do show up once more, we hope that Mars figures out their flavor a little better. Folks who tried the Pecan Pie M&M's in their first form noticed that while there was a slightly buttery flavor to them, there wasn't much to distinguish them from the regular candy.

Okay, so here's where things get very weird. At the start of 2019, Mars announced that it was throwing it out to the fans by introducing three new flavors of M&M's and asking people to vote on which ones were their favorite. These flavors were inspired by several different countries around the world. One of them was an utterly baffling combination of jalapeño and peanut, which Mars apparently intended to be reminiscent of Mexican flavors. Yep, you read that right: jalapeño, peanut, and chocolate.

It probably comes as no surprise that the Jalapeño Peanut M&M's didn't win the fan flavor vote, the victor instead being the Toffee Peanut flavor. The reason they didn't win? Well, they kinda sucked. The brave people who dared to try this wacky flavor combo found that they had a strangely smoky edge, and were just way too spicy to be enjoyable. The heat completely overpowered any chocolate flavor, leading to an overwhelming taste that didn't have any place in candy, and which actually caused pain. "The only problem is after you eat more than half the bag my stomach started hurting because of the fake jalapeño flavor," one customer noted on Reddit. That's not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Mars has pulled some, shall we say, interesting flavor combos out of the bag for M&M's. White Chocolate Carrot Cake is one of them. On the face of things, it doesn't feel as though this duo should really work — you tend to think of white chocolate and carrot cake being two distinct things, after all. This slightly niche approach was perhaps why the product didn't last too long after its debut in 2013. Its status as a Walmart exclusive may also have had something to do with it: After all, how much reach can you get in just one store, even if that store is super popular?

It's a shame more people didn't throw their weight behind these M&M's, though, because they were pretty good. People who tried them noted that while they may not have had a full-on carrot cake flavor, they were still pretty tasty. There was a spicy note to each M&M, with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, while the white chocolate acted as the cream cheese frosting would in the classic cake. Here's hoping that one day Mars revives its recipe for these unique treats.

Cherry and chocolate is a bit of an acquired taste: While some people love it, others find the richness of the two a little much when paired together. That didn't stop Mars from trying it out, though. In 2008, Wildly Cherry M&M's hit the shelves, and everything about them seemed to indicate that this flavor was going to be punchy. The phrase "Get wild!" was emblazoned on every bag, with one of the M&M mascots pictured hanging off a cherry stem, seemingly about to drop.

So it was a bit of a surprise when people tried these M&M's and found that there was nothing punchy about them at all. In fact, reviewers found Wildly Cherry M&M's to be fairly subtle, with a maraschino cherry flavor faintly running through each bite. This stopped them from tasting too artificial and syrupy, and instead gave the candy a sense of sophistication, despite its branding. Regrettably, its flavor wasn't enough to rescue Wildly Cherry M&M's from being a limited-edition item, and they were discontinued.

Can't get enough of red velvet cake? Why don't you try it in candy form? It was this thought process that led to the debut of Red Velvet M&M's in 2014. These M&M's were a Walmart exclusive, and were created for Valentine's Day — although we can imagine that most partners wouldn't be thrilled if the only thing they got on the day was a bag of this candy. Each M&M came with either a maroon, red, or white shell, and were packaged in a bag that displayed Green, one of the M&M mascots, holding a love heart in one hand and a plate of red velvet cupcakes in the other.

While we love the idea of anything flavored like red velvet cake, it's fair to say that Mars didn't exactly nail it with this flavor. The main reason for this was that they didn't really taste like red velvet cake at all. Reviewers noted that these M&M's tasted like, well, regular M&M's, with a slightly strange aftertaste that had the effect of making them seem stale. Some folks noticed a gentle tanginess to them, but that was kind of it. Most disappointingly, there was no red coloring in the M&M's themselves, which sort of ruined the effect.

Mint and chocolate is a classic combo, so it's not really a surprise that mint-flavored M&M's have debuted in several different forms. Mint, Crispy Mint, and White Peppermint M&M's have all been on shelves at one time or another. It's the Crunchy Mint M&M's that we really miss the most, though. This flavor won one of the M&M's "Flavor Vote" campaigns that run periodically, beating Crunchy Espresso and Crunchy Raspberry to take the top spot in 2018. As part of its victory, it was guaranteed to stay in stores for 18 months, or until stocks ran out.

Unfortunately, once those 18 months were up, Mars stayed true to its word and pulled them off the production line. Perhaps it was because the company had figured out that its balance of mintiness to chocolate was off, leaving some people a little overwhelmed by the peppermint notes in the candy. This hasn't stopped people missing these M&M's and figuring out how to get a similar taste, though, with a few people realizing that Girl Scouts Thin Mints Bites are a near-identical swap for the candy. If you're missing them, grab yourself a bag.

We've gotta admit, it must be pretty hard for candy bosses to continually come up with new flavors. That might have been what led them to reason that Thai Coconut was the next taste folks were craving. However, while Thai Coconut M&M's might have seemed like a bit of a strange choice, the food scientists at Mars nailed the flavor. These M&M's, which were released in 2019, pleased reviewers with the candy's subtle coconut flavor. Somehow, these M&M's managed to have a natural coconut taste, with an undertone of lime that kept things zesty.

Despite the triumph in flavor, though, they didn't stick around for long. Thai Coconut Peanut M&M's were released as part of the brand's "Flavor Vote" campaign which pits several flavors against each other. When one of its competitors, the Toffee Peanut flavor, won out, Thai Coconut Peanut M&M's were removed from the M&M's line-up for good.

Christmas-themed candies have been a thing for longer than most of us have been alive — and in 2023, M&M's rung in the holidays with a new flavor. Mars debuted its Toasty Vanilla & White Chocolate M&M's in November of that year, and they were the very picture of coziness and holiday bliss. On each bag, the Green M&M mascot stood with a mug of steaming cocoa, while M&M's in muted shades of white, cream, and brown were piled next to her. Inside each bag was — you guessed it! — these very M&M's, ready to be eaten by the fistful (or eaten with chopsticks, depending on how you like to do things).

It's a shame that these M&M's were only intended to be short lived, because honestly, they were pretty rad. The candy managed to swerve the classic issue of vanilla being insufferably boring, instead filling each piece of chocolate with warm, fully developed vanilla flavor. The white chocolate wasn't too sweet either, and kept things on the subtle side. There was also a mild undertone of cinnamon in each bite, which gave these M&M's a wholesome sense of warmth.

Introducing new candy flavors isn't just about jumping on what's hot, trendy, or innovative — it can also be about catering to market tastes. That was the mindset behind the introduction of Dulce De Leche M&M's, way back in 2001, which were created to cater to Spanish-speaking populations. "This all-American brand is paying attention to the new face of the U.S.," said Roberto Garcia, ethnic marketing manager for M&M & Mars, to Chron. Garcia further pointed out that a large section of the brand's new customers would be of Hispanic origin in the coming years, and that the dulce de leche flavor, which is common throughout Latin America, would create further demand for the candy.

However, that wasn't to be. Dulce De Leche M&M's didn't quite have the impact that Mars hoped, mainly because their flavor was just a little off. People who tried the candy found it to be fairly overwhelming, with a too-sweet taste. Because Dulce De Leche M&M's didn't take off in the markets Mars targeted, or in any markets for that matter, they were discontinued in 2003.

Given Mars' penchant for trying out new M&M flavors, it probably doesn't come as any surprise that it rolled out a Candy Apple flavor back in 2014, just in time for fall. These M&M's were marketed as having candy apple flavor in each bite, and we guess that they were supposed to fill you with the warm, cozy glow of the season. They might have accomplished this ... if they actually tasted like candy apples.

Unfortunately, they didn't. People who tried these M&M's pointed out that while there was the briefest hint of sweet spice that may have come from cinnamon (but could have been any other interchangeable seasonal spice), there really wasn't much else going on. Once the suggestion of fall flavors died away, the person eating them was left with the standard chocolate M&M flavor. Kind of underwhelming, huh? Although each M&M came in one of two deep-red tones that stayed true to their candy apple inspiration, it's the flavor itself that was the issue. We can't imagine many people were upset when they disappeared from shelves.

Want to make your birthday even more special? You need a bag of Birthday Cake M&M's — and you'll have to take a time machine back to 2014 to get them. These M&M's debuted in that year slightly earlier than planned, hot on the heels of Red Velvet M&M's. The bag certainly made these candies look like a party: Each pack was a fiesta of color, with a light blue background from which yellow, red, and blue M&M's appeared to burst.

The question on everyone's lips, though, was this: Did these M&M's actually taste like birthday cake? Not really. Reviewers pointed out that while they definitely had a slightly sweeter taste than regular M&M's and a hint of vanilla, there wasn't really anything else to set them apart. That goes for the colors, too. Some M&M flavors mix up their shells with different shades, but here, they boiled down to standard candy colors with no distinguishing features. That's probably why they didn't stick around for very long.

Ice cream and chocolate have been paired together for decades. Typically, chocolate is added into the frozen treat in some form, either as a flavor, topping, or mix-in. Things don't tend to work the other way around — but in 2018 Mars decided to change that. Neapolitan M&M's burst onto the scene, with every bag boasting M&M's in the classic Neapolitan trio of shades.

The strange thing, though, was that while there were pink, white, and brown candies, they didn't taste like the individual flavors each hue represented. Instead, the strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate tastes were compressed into each piece. Somehow Mars managed to keep these flavors distinctive, even in the same candy: Although the strawberry flavor somewhat dominated, there were still definite notes of chocolate and vanilla.

Unfortunately, the general consensus was that while Neapolitan M&M's weren't bad, they also weren't a knockout product. Soon, they went the way of so many other M&M's flavors before them, and were discontinued. They lasted way longer than you might think, though, making it all the way to 2019 before disappearing for good.

It seems that every single brand on Earth thinks it's necessary to release a pumpkin spice version of its products. So it's no surprise, really, that M&M's has done the same thing. In 2015, Mars debuted its Pumpkin Spice Latte M&M's, with marketing that attempted to make them appeal to a coffee shop crowd. Ms. Brown, one of the M&M mascots, was pictured on the bag holding a pumpkin spice latte and wearing a scarf, promising a sense of cozy warmth.

The M&M's had an autumnal color scheme, with brown, orange, and light tan candies in each bag. As for the taste, it's fair to say that Mars kind of nailed it. Folks who taste-tested the candy found that it really did taste like a pumpkin spice latte, with its regular chocolate filling being injected with spicy flavors. However, the success of this product hinged on how well the PSL flavors worked in chocolate — and sadly, few people thought enough of this combo to keep it around. Although we're sure that Mars would have liked these candies to be a yearly occurrence, it left it out of production in favor of other limited-edition fall flavors.

Okay, we're just gonna put our hands up and say it: We love Halloween-themed candy. Who doesn't? It's fun, it brings some excitement to the season, and it's tasty. Mars knows this well, which is why it debuted its Cookies & Screeem (yep, there are three "e"s in there) M&M's back in 2017. These M&M's definitely looked the part: Each shell came in a suitably spooky speckled black hue, surrounding a combination of white and dark chocolate.

The idea with these M&M's, as you might have guessed, was that they were cookies and cream flavored. That idea didn't quite work in practice, with reviewers noting that the two chocolates clashed with each other, and that there wasn't really any cookies and cream flavor at the forefront. As Cookies & Screeem M&M's were Halloween-themed, it's likely no surprise that they disappeared once the season was over. That didn't stop Mars bringing them back a few years later, though, with a new bag design and a lack of speckling on the candy shells.