3 Musketeers vs. Milky Way vs. TWIX vs. Reese's: Differences and Reviews 2025
When it comes to candy, there is always a chocolatey delicacy that keeps people with a sweet tooth lingering. There is no question people love the sweet, creamy treat, especially on Halloween, Valentine's Day, and Easter.
Which chocolate bars are considered the best by consumers? Browse our curated list of the best chocolate bars to see which gourmet chocolate bars are the most popular.
More importantly, how do you tell the difference between dazzling chocolate candies? I compare 4 holiday candy brands and present my experiences and reviews!
What is the most popular chocolate candy?
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
3 Musketeers chocolate bar
Milky Way chocolate bar
Twix chocolate bar
Choosing the best chocolate candy?
Stuff stockings, prepare Easter baskets, make Valentine's Day dessert recipes, and fill Halloween candy bowls with the most satisfying chocolate bars.
Comparison list of the best chocolate candies
3 Musketeers vs. Milky Way vs. TWIX vs. Reese's: Are they different? Let’s find out which delicious treat is perfect for you and your family or friends!
Creamy peanut butter surrounded by milk chocolate in one irresistible candy. | Made with a fluffy, whipped chocolate center and covered in milk chocolate, these chocolate bars are a delightful midday treat. | Made with creamy caramel and smooth nougat and enclosed in rich dark chocolate—get ready for an out-of-this-world bite! | TWIX Chocolate Cookie Bars are a one-of-a-kind treat featuring creamy caramel and crunchy cookie cloaked in real milk chocolate. |
Here is my top 4 ranking of favorite chocolate bars:
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - Because of the bright flavors and rich textures: chocolate is sweet and smooth, while peanut butter is salty and crunchy.
Milky Way chocolate bar - Because Milky Way bars are the perfect combination of decadent chocolate, creamy stretchy caramel and fluffy nougat. I love its sweet, malty flavor and tangy, rich aroma.
Twix chocolate bar - Because I like its crispy heart, and the slight crunch makes me feel like eating sweets is a ritual. And the thick caramel makes me feel like eating crispy cookies is not too dry.
3 Musketeers chocolate bar - Because this light, airy chocolate nougat bar isn’t exactly my first choice. The texture inside tasted a little too milky and the aftertaste was incredibly sweet. And its bittersweet coating hardly satisfies my appetite. The flavors were layered, not well blended, and tasted very monotonous.
Time for classic chocolate bars to hit the market
Chocolates are great for movie night, game night, and more.
#1. The Origin of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are an American candy produced by the Hershey Company that consist of a peanut butter cream cup covered in milk chocolate.
They were created by HB Reese on November 15, 1928. The official product name was "Penny Cups" because they could be purchased for one cent.
HB Reese initially worked on a dairy farm in Hershey before quitting and starting his own candy business.
From the beginning, he used Hershey's chocolate in his candies because of its premium quality.
On July 2, 1963, the Hershey Chocolate Company merged with the HB Reese's Candy Company. Six years later, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were Hershey's best-selling product, with annual sales exceeding $2 billion.
#2. The Origin of 3 Musketeers
3 Musketeers are a candy produced by Mars Incorporated in the United States and Canada. It is a candy consisting of fluffy whipped nougat covered in chocolate.
3 Musketeers Bar was launched in 1932. Initially, it came in packs of three in flavors such as chocolate, strawberry and vanilla; hence the name, which was derived from the 1844 novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.
Rising costs and wartime restrictions on sugar caused vanilla and strawberry to be phased out, leaving only the more popular chocolate.
Priced at 5 cents when it was launched, it was billed as one of the largest chocolate bars on the market and could be shared with friends.
#3. The Origin of Milky Way
The original Milky Way chocolate bar, a combination of milk chocolate, nougat and caramel, was created in Frank Mars' kitchen in 1923 and sold for 5 cents, making Mars an overnight success.
The Milky Way was originally designed to replicate the taste of the malted milkshakes that were popular in the 1920s, and was named after a famous malted milk drink of the time—not Earth's galaxy, as many believe. Today, Milky Way bars can be found in all retail stores nationwide.
The original MILKY WAY® Bar was created in both chocolate and vanilla flavors. The vanilla flavor had a dark bittersweet chocolate coating.
Thirteen years after the pairing, the vanilla version was renamed FOREVER YOURS® and sold under that name until 1979. To satisfy popular demand, MILKY WAY® reintroduced the vanilla-flavored bittersweet candy bar as the MILKY WAY® Dark Bar (renamed MILKY WAY® Midnight Bar in 2000).
And it’s worth noting that Milky Way comes in two varieties: : the US Milky Way bar, which is sold as the Mars bar worldwide, including Canada; and the global Milky Way bar, which is sold as the 3 Musketeers in the US and Canada. (In Canada neither bar is sold as Milky Way.)
#4. The Origin of Twix
The product was first created by Mars Limited in the UK in 1967 at the company’s factory in Slough which is also where the current Mars Bar was invented by Forrest Mars Sr. in the 1930s.
Twix was originally called "Raider" and existed in Europe until 1991, when it was renamed.
That's because the candy bar was launched in the United States in 1979, and its brand was Twix Cookie Bar.
In the US, the chocolate bar used the slogan “Chocolate, Caramel, and a Surprising Cookie Crunch”.
Back then, this 70s candy had a packaging of a gold wrapper with orange text. It ads always included the chocolate bar slit in two, showing the soft caramel and the chewiness of the bar.
The name is a portmanteau of "twin sticks". The United States never used the name "Raider" and Twix has always stuck. The biggest highlight that made the candy so popular was the two Twix bars as opposed to one.
Well-known chocolate bars have different names at home and abroad
Milky Way or 3 Musketeers or Mars bar?
As mentioned above, Milky Way is clearly divided into two versions: the American Milky Way bar, sold globally as the Mars Bar; and the global Milky Way bar, sold as the Three Musketeers in the US and Canada.
Here’s how they’re similar and different!
Milky Way Global version | ≈ | 3 Musketeers US version |
no caramel topping |
Milky Way Global version vs. 3 Musketeers US version
Difference in taste:
European or International Milky Way Bars have a more malty flavor to their fillings. And the filling in the 3 Musketeers bar has a hint of milk and chocolate.
Differences in texture:
The consistency of fluffy nougat is about the same. European or International Milky Way Bars are a bit grainy. It tastes soft and chewy rather than bland and crispy.
3 Musketeers bar tastes smoother.
Milky Way US version vs. Mars bar Global version
Milky Way US version | ≈ | Mars bar Global version |
topped with caramel |
The Milky Way bars, known as Mars bars elsewhere in the world, turn 100 in 2025 and are Mars Wrigley's oldest chocolate bar brand. They were originally named after a popular milkshake the candy's inventor, Franks Mars, had tried to replicate.
The 3 Musketeers bars, on the other hand, are only known by that name in the U.S. and Canada. Elsewhere, the fluffy, chocolate-covered nougat treats are known as Milky Way bars, confusingly enough.
Compare the American version of Milky Way to 3 Musketeers?
Different ingredients:
If you look at the labels of Milky Way and 3 Musketeers, you will notice that they have similar ingredients, such as nougat.
The Milky Way bar consists of three main ingredients: chocolate malted nougat, caramel topping and chocolate covering, while the 3 Musketeers bar has just two ingredients: fluffy chocolate nougat, and chocolate covering.
Different textures:
3 Muskateers’ nougat is fluffier than Milky Way’s.
I think it's the caramel in the Milky Way Bar that makes the nougat denser.
However, A 3 Musketeers bar is a little more solid when compared to a Milky Way bar.
Different flavors:
It all comes down to whether you like caramel or not.
Milky Way caramel is the dominant flavor when you take a bite of these bars. The nougat flavor is overpowered by the caramel, but is still noticeable.
The Three Musketeers, on the other hand, boasts the richness of nougat in the center of the chocolate bar.
In addition, since Milky Way also adds caramel, the chocolate bar is quite sweet. 3 Musketeers is based on dark chocolate, which means it tastes more bittersweet.
Different cross sections:
Visually, Milky Way and Three Musketeers look almost identical.
However, if you cut these bars in half, you'll notice they're not the same inside.
The Milky Way bar has a fairly distinct layer of caramel and nougat inside. 3 Musketeers, on the other hand, have a fluffy nougat center with a dark chocolate layer on the outside.
Although the colors of the chocolates are different, their milk chocolate flavors are similar.
Similar nutrients:
Milky Way and 3 Musketeers have nearly the same nutrition. The 5 mg difference in sodium is the most notable difference.
Milky Way ( Full Size Bar) | 3 Musketeers (Full Size Bar) | |
Serving Size | 1 Bar (1.92 oz) | 1 Bar (1.92 oz) |
Calories | 240 | 240 |
Total Fat | 7g | 7g |
Saturated Fat | 5g | 5g |
Trans Fat | 0g | 0g |
Cholesterol | 5mg | <5mg |
Sodium | 90mg | 95mg |
Total Carbohydrate | 42g | 42g |
Dietary Fiber | 1g | <1g |
Sugars | 36g | 36g |
Protein | 1g | 1g |
Considering the nutritional facts, there are no significant differences between Milky Way and 3 Musketeers besides the amount of sodium. Therefore, there would be no point in selecting one of the two regarding the nutritional values.
Popularity
"Milky Way" and Three Musketeers" are both made by the same manufacturer - Mars.
Because Mars is an international company with operations around the world, some of its products may not be available in all countries.
For example, The Three Musketeers is popular throughout the United States, but not so popular in European countries.
According to Statista, people in the United States ate more 3 Musketeers than Milky Way candy bars in 2020. 22 million people consumed 3 Musketeers versus 16.76 million for Milky Way.
It is only fair to say that 3 Musketeers has the “more popular” status.
Milky Way vs. 3 Musketeers: Which one is better?
I'd say Milky Way is the winner! The Milky Way bar does have a slightly sweeter taste. The confection was formulated to replicate the taste of a malted milk shake. I love the rich flavor. Combined with a mouthful of fragrant caramel, I enjoyed this decadent treat!
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