Quick facts
| Founded | 1941 by Forrest Mars Sr in the USA |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Made by | Mars, Incorporated |
| Dietary status | Contains milk and soy; not vegan; check pack per variant |
About M&M's
M&M's were created in 1941 by Forrest Mars Sr, the son of Mars founder Frank C Mars. The candy was inspired by chocolate-coated buttons used by soldiers during the Spanish Civil War (the coating prevented melting in hot conditions), making the product an early success when launched to the US military during WWII. The "M&M" stands for Mars and Murrie, Bruce Murrie being Mars's business partner. The brand has expanded into dozens of flavour variants globally, with American specialty variants (Peanut Butter, Crunchy Cookie, Pretzel, Caramel) particularly popular as imports in markets where they're not officially distributed.
The M&M's range we stock
Imported M&M's variants covering American specialty flavours and rare imports.
| Variant | Profile |
|---|---|
| M&M's Peanut Butter | American specialty with peanut butter centre instead of chocolate or peanut |
| M&M's Crunchy Cookie | Cookie pieces through the chocolate, recent American addition |
| M&M's Caramel | Caramel-filled M&M variant. American specialty not in UK supermarkets |
| M&M's Pretzel | Mini pretzel centres coated in chocolate. Sweet-salty American specialty |
| M&M's Dark Chocolate | Dark chocolate version of the standard M&M. Less sweet, more cocoa-forward |
| M&M's Mint | Mint-flavoured chocolate variant, American specialty |
Ingredients and allergens
Standard M&M's contain milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, skim milk, chocolate, milk fat, lactose, soy lecithin, salt, artificial flavour), plus sugar coating containing cornstarch, gum arabic, dextrin, colouring (artificial colours including FD&C colours in the US version, sometimes natural colours in the UK and EU version). Contains milk and soy. Peanut Butter and Peanut variants contain peanuts. Crunchy Cookie contains wheat (gluten). Not vegan due to milk content. Not formally halal certified across all variants. The American versions may contain different colourings (artificial vs natural) than EU equivalents. Always check the back of each individual pack for the most accurate allergen and dietary information.
Who M&M's imports are for
American specialty flavour fans: Peanut Butter, Caramel, Crunchy Cookie, Pretzel and Mint are American specialty variants either rarely available or not stocked at all in UK supermarkets. Imports fill the gap.
Pick-and-mix dessert and baking shoppers: M&M's work as decoration on cupcakes, brownies, cookies and as additions in trail mixes and dessert builds. Pair with our Hershey's for varied baking chocolate.
Sweet-and-salty snack shoppers: the Pretzel variant in particular delivers a sweet-salty combination popular in American snack culture. Pair with our Cheetos or Herr's ranges for salty pairings.
Movie-snack stockpilers: M&M's are the canonical American cinema candy. Pair with Oreo imports and sour sweets for cinema-night builds.
Buy M&M's online in the UK
Build your basket from across the M&M's range and our wider American sweets selection to qualify for free UK delivery over £20. M&M's pair especially well with our Hershey's and Reese's imports. Order before our daily cut-off for same-day dispatch.
M&M's: frequently asked questions
What flavours of M&M's are not sold in UK supermarkets?
UK supermarkets stock Original, Peanut and (intermittently) Crispy and Chocolate M&M's. American specialty variants like Peanut Butter, Caramel, Crunchy Cookie, Pretzel, Mint and Dark Chocolate are not part of standard UK distribution. These specialty variants are the bestsellers in the M&M's import category. The brand also runs frequent US-only limited editions tied to seasons, films and pop-culture moments.
Are American M&M's different from UK M&M's?
Yes. American M&M's use different colourings than UK and EU versions. The US version uses artificial FD&C colours; the UK/EU version uses natural colours to comply with the EU hyperactivity warning requirement (which would otherwise have to be displayed on packaging). The chocolate recipe is broadly similar between markets but the colour vibrancy differs noticeably. American M&M's also use HFCS rather than sugar in some sweetener applications.
Are M&M's vegetarian?
M&M's contain milk and so are vegetarian (lacto-vegetarian) but NOT vegan. Some variants historically used cochineal (carmine, an insect-derived red colour) which would also exclude strict vegetarians; current formulations have largely shifted away from this. Always check the back of each individual pack for the latest ingredient list.
Why is the brand called M&M's?
M&M stands for the surnames of the brand's two founders: Mars (Forrest Mars Sr) and Murrie (Bruce Murrie, his business partner). The partnership formed in 1940-41, with Murrie providing 20% of the initial investment and access to Hershey's chocolate supply during WWII rationing. Mars eventually bought out Murrie's share, but the M&M name stuck.