Review: Quest Cravings Peanut Butter Cups--No Such Thing as Santa Claus

Summary:
"Amazing snack", "unbelievably delicious" are not how I'd describe these peanut butter cups.  Also, anyone who writes that these taste like the "real thing" (presumably Reese's Peanut Butter Cups) should be tested for intoxicating substances.  While not BAD per se, they are NOT a guilt-free version of their candy namesake.  I think I'm so disappointed because my expectations were so high (see Backstory).  The chocolate is waxy and bittersweet and the peanut butter filling dry and powdery.  On the positive side, they are filling and do not appear to spike my blood sugar and create carb cravings afterward.

Verdict:
Meh.  While not bad in and of themselves, they are NOT a replacement treat for peanut butter cups.  This motivates me to make my own and see if I can come up with something better.

Backstory:
After 11 weeks of strict low-carb dieting it was time for a treat...  What better treat than a peanut butter cup!  You see the Quest Cravings Peanut Butter Cups advertised all over the place (like here, at Jimmy Moore's blog).  Reviews on web-sites like Netrition, Vitacost, and Amazon border on the fanatical.  And hey, if I can give these to my young defenseman after practice or a game--all the better, right?  Filling protein and fiber and few carbs to avoid making a perpetually hungry boy perpetually hungrier by spiking his blood sugar.

Here's some artwork and nutrition information to get you started:

I ordered a case (12 twin-packs) for $27.99 from Vitacost and last Friday made the presentation to the family after dinner.  Look at the artwork--doesn't the creamy peanut butter and light brown chocolate look absolutely fabulous?!

We broke into our treats--my wife and son #2 abstained as neither are big peanut butter fans--all the more for me, I thought (how I'd rue those words).

Unboxing:
Shown below is what the peanut butter cups actually look like.  The chocolate looks more like the waxy chocolate in semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate and the peanut butter definitely AIN'T oozing.

Biting into these confirmed my worst fears:  the chocolate is hard, waxy, and somewhat grainy.  Not surprising considering that there is no sugar in these and they are sweetened only with erythritol and a little sucralose.  The peanut butter filling is POWDERY--cough!  Be sure to have something to drink on hand as it will stick to your tongue, roof of your mouth, and throat.  Taste of the chocolate is similar to semi-sweet chocolate with only a little aftertaste.  The peanut butter filling is reminiscent of the powdered peanut butters you can find online or at health-food stores and does not appear to have much if any moisture in it.

Son #1 (inveterate sweet tooth) stopped after one cup saying (in his best politically-correct tone), "Here, Dad, you can have my other one."  I think that about says it all.  If you are looking for a low-carb TREAT, these are probably not going to fill the bill.  If you are looking for an alternative to a protein shake or bar after a workout, these will do as well as any of those (though I'd argue some of the Atkins and other bars out there taste better as well--I'll cover those in a future review).  So there ISN'T a Santa Claus--no guilt-free treat that tastes just like it's high-carb namesake.  And my plans for using these as a post-practice/post-game treat for my defenseman have crashed and burned as well.

So there you go, the DEFINITIVE peanut butter cup review complete with unboxing!