
Here comes a dose of nostalgia for you: Crispy M&M’s. Remember those? They were almost identical to traditional M&M’s in appearance, though slightly bigger and featured a crispy rice center. They were great. I’m not even that big of an M&M fan; I don’t particularly like the Traditional ones, or the Peanut ones really, though the Peanut Butter variety are superb. There was just something irresistible about the Crispy M’s. Unfortunately, like all the greatest supplemental snacks, treats such as 3D Doritos, Starburst Fruit Twists, and Reese’s Crunchy Cookie Cups, Crispy M&M’s eventually vanished from store shelves, and in time, memories.
I’ve been studying the disappearance of Crispy M&M’s for a while now, finally feeling as though I’ve amassed enough research to present my findings. First, the facts: Crispy M’s were reportedly discontinued in the US in 2005. When I questioned M&M parent comany, Mars, Inc., regarding the matter, they had this to say: “Because we are reviewing our marketing strategy, this product is unavailable at this time…The product cannot be purchased via the Internet nor directly from us.” Seems suspicious, don’t you agree?
I guess it’s not that suspicious, just unfortunate. Though it is curious that Mars, Inc. would choose to discontinue what is ranked as the most profitable type of M&M of all time.

Since 2005 I’ve remained hopeful that Crispy M&M’s would one day return to the US. After all, they are still sold in Europe and parts of Asia, so why not bring them back? In April 2010, however, I became doubtful of their eventual reemergence with the introduction of Pretzel M&M’s. In addition to having the same vibrant light blue packaging as Crispy M&M’s, Pretzel M&M’s feature the Benedict Arnold of the candy world, the Orange M&M, as their mascot. This means that were Crispy M&M’s to return, they would have to go through a total repackaging, including new bag color and mascot, the prospects of which are unlikely.
It’s not that Pretzel M&M’s are bad, per se. They’re fine. Yeah, they were awarded a 2011 Product of the Year by Product of The Year USA. Whatever. They’re just not an adequate heir to the Crispy Throne.

I caught wind of a new strain of M, Crispy Mint, available down in Australia back in ’06. None of my Australia contacts (of which there are none) could confirm their existence, but a simple Google search yielded photo evidence of the product. Rumor has it that once the chocolate exterior was penetrated the peppermint flavor was incredibly overpowering. Additionally, the Crispy Mint packaging, featuring both the female Green M and the turncoat Orange M, was the last time Orange was pictured as an ambassador of Crispy M&M’s. And man did he look nervous! He clearly had already made, or at least begun, the switch over to the Pretzel side and was nervous about being found out.
I got you, Orange. Traitor.
As of this writing, it’s unlikely that we will see Crispy Mint M&M’s available in the US anytime soon, except for the eerily similar M&M Mint Crisp variety that were released in 2008 to coincide with the release of Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull.
There was just something about the Crispy M’s. They were unlike any other candy. Well, I guess they were actually just like every other candy made of milk chocolate and crispy rice. Regardless, I really liked them. They are still available for purchase through international online retailers, but it’s not the same. I was initially hesitant to take up the Crispy M&M case, fearful for the answers that I may find. And find them I did. While there are still murmurs among the streets that the crispy rice candy may one day make it back to our shores, for the time being, Crispy M&M’s are gone. Case closed.