The freeze-dried candy craze has yielded some pleasant and strange surprises from major brands and small businesses alike. While freeze-dried Skittles or Lemonheads are tasty and fun, for example, I would argue that the freeze-dried Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes I once sampled are an abomination to both science and sweets.
Maybe we are still in the process of distinguishing what we can freeze-dry from what we should freeze-dry. As M&M’s enters the freeze-dried fray, I’m happy to report that the brand got it right on the first try.
Of all the flavors to work with, M&M’s Pop’d pulled a Peter Piper and possibly picked the perfect product to pop. Milk chocolate? Too basic. Peanut? Not great for freeze-drying. Enter Caramel M&M’s, which consist of milk chocolate and a chewy caramel center, two elements that, when freeze-dried, are familiar and yet transformed.
The result is delicious. The expected flavors of milk chocolate and sweet, buttery caramel are recognizable, although lighter and less rich. I was expecting a dulled chocolate flavor, but it remains vibrant. The candy shell—so constant across all M&M varieties that it is almost boring—seems sweeter and more interesting in freeze-dried form.
The real excitement of these candies is, of course, the texture. The M&M’s are light and crispy with grainy, airy centers that easily dissolve in the mouth. The caramel center is necessary to push this product from fun novelty to tasty treat. It reminds me of sponge candy, a light and crispy confection made with caramelized sugar that is so popular where I live that local shops sell t-shirts proclaiming, “You either love sponge candy or you’re wrong.” I will admit when I am wrong, but if polishing off these candies by myself is wrong, I see no point in being right.
My only qualm with M&M’s Pop’d is the higher price point that comes with any novelty. Depending on where you shop, you could pay as much as three times more per ounce compared to a bag of standard M&M’s. Because Pop’d candies are so light, it’s easier to eat more, which makes it feel like the product doesn’t go as far. Once I figure out a way to collect and use the candy dust that settles at the bottom of the bag, I may make M&M’s Pop’d a regular purchase rather than a once-in-a-while treat. If you have any ideas, please share . . . I’m getting close to the bottom of the bag already.
Purchased Price: $7.79
Purchased at: CVS
Size: 5.5 oz (155 g) bag
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 oz, about 11 pieces) 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein
Back when I didn’t get winded walking to the flea market & craft fair at Harvest Days (my hometown’s annual festival in mid-September), one of the flea market vendors sold candies which they had freeze-dried themselves, including the caramel M&Ms. They may also have had a table at the local Farmers’ Market on some summer weekends, although I never spotted them there this past summer. Agreed that freeze-dried caramel M&Ms are quite delicious!
I wish someone with food preparation knowledge could explain why all these freeze-dried candies are so ridiculously expensive, other than “because we want to charge that much.” Basic candies that cost a couple dollars per box are marked up to $6 or more for a bag that holds perhaps half as much.
I’d understand if it were a matter of paying down the cost of whatever freeze-drying equipment was needed to create the stuff, but even that seems out of proportion. It’s not like we’re talking boutique Etsy sellers; major brands are now in the freeze-dried game, selling nationwide in Target, 7-11, Walgreens, etc.
So what is the deal with the cost?
I think it’s the equipment and labor costs. I agree that it does seem excessive, though. I love freeze-dried fruit and I would buy it so much more often if it wasn’t so expensive for a tiny amount.
There are a lot of reasons why freeze dried products are so expensive. The equipment is expensive and not very efficient as it’s often a batch process that requires a lot of handling. Plus you have to make the product first then freeze dry it. You also remove a lot of water in the process so you lose a lot of weight in the process… Short version, this is not an efficient process. There’s also a premium for being a unique product.
This is astute. I am pondering whether a different recipe is needed for the initial creation and what the transportation looks like / costs between initial run and freeze dryer. You have me nerding out on operations planning, over here.
As someone who is generally unwilling to pay the premium for these, I understand that there’s some logic behind it. Freeze drying is inherently time-consuming and I don’t think there is any way to speed it up. Presumably these companies have enormous machines that can do a bunch at a time, but it still multiplies the time it takes to make a single m&m exponentially.
If you measure m&ms by count instead of by weight, perhaps the price premium isn’t as drastic as it might appear… but the only way I’ll ever try these is if I see them on clearance 😉
Sprinkle them over vanilla (or whatever flavor) ice cream, just like all bottom of the bag goodie crumbs. Doesn’t everyone do this? A recent fave is the dregs of Trader Joe’s butter toffee pretzels over their salted maple ice cream. Divine.