We Tried International Delight’s Reese’s Creamer, and This Is What You Need to Know

A Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is pure candy perfection. Its fluffy peanut butter filling, milk chocolate coating and delicate crinkled edges are something I’ve always found irresistible. Now there’s a shameless way to enjoy that peanut butter-chocolate goodness at breakfast time. (No, it’s not our copycat recipe!) I’m talking about International Delight’s new coffee creamer that claims to taste just like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. The product launched this summer.

Skeptical about the hype, I decided to try the creamer to see for myself. Would the product finally combine my two loves in life-coffee and candy? I whipped out my French press, filled up a mug and got ready to taste. How does it rate? Here’s what you need to know:

At a Glance

Not surprisingly, the creamer looks like thick chocolate milk-almost as if you were pouring the melted candy into your cup. That makes sense because International Delight says it transforms coffee into a chocolate treat. A major drawback of having a chocolate-colored creamer? It’s difficult to tell when you’ve poured enough into your mug. Normally with milk or half and half I use visual cues to tell me when I’ve hit the perfect coffee-to-cream ratio. For me, a splash will turn my coffee a perfect shade of hazelnut brown, whereas my mother much prefers a coffee to be practically beige.

The Taste Test

Carefully eyeballing my pour, I splashed about a tablespoon or two into my mug. The coffee turned a murky dark brown. I took a sip and-drum roll, please-no strong flavors rang through. The coffee tasted artificially sweetened and a tad bit creamier. But there certainly wasn’t any of that chocolate or peanut butter flavor I adore.

Thinking the ratio might be off, I decided to add another splash of creamer. Now I began to taste a hint of mocha, but little more than a hot-chocolate packet could provide. I added a few more glugs of the stuff into my mug. At last, there it was. The drink tasted like a liquid Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup-but absolutely nothing like coffee.

My Verdict

Though International Delight’s promise of Reese’s flavor eventually was achieved, I’d probably choose to skip this product next time. It took about 2 inches of creamer to get the full candy flavor. I don’t know about you, but a heavy cup of creamer doesn’t make me feel bright and fresh in the morning.

I added about 8 tablespoons of creamer to get that candy-like flavor. Curious to know how this measured up to healthy doses, I took a peek at the nutrition label. My jaw fell to the floor. A single tablespoon of the creamer was 35 calories. That means the mug I drank was nearly 300 calories. That’s more than a plain package of Reese’s candy! With that knowledge, I’d definitely opt for a plain candy bar over the mild coffee.

My opinion? If you’re going to indulge, go all out and make something that you’re sure you’ll enjoy. And you bet we have a recipe that fits the bill.