Review: Hot Cocoa with Marshmallow 3 Musketeers Candy is perfect for Christmas-themed gaming and movie-watching

For this inaugural post on Mr. Game & Snack, I’m looking at the new holiday-themed variant of the classic 3 Musketeers snack candy which is infused with flavors found in a warm cup of hot cocoa.


I’ve been a fan of the classic 3 Musketeers chocolate + nougat combo ever since I was a little kid (I was one of those weird young rascals who liked to peel pieces the chocolate shell off, eat them, and then chow down on a bar of pure nougat). My affinity for the simple yet delectable chocolate treat naturally caused me to do a double-take when, while perusing the candy shelves of my local CVS, I happened across this:

 Now, I tend to be a bit of a cynic when it comes to the lengths some food companies will go to in order to jazz up their snack products so my initial reaction was to roll my eyes and shake my head. However, I was also in desperate need of satisfying my sweet tooth and since these new Hot Cocoa 3 Musketeers happened to be both newly exotic and cheap ($2.50 per bag with my CVS card), I decided to give them a go. I figured worst case scenario, they would just taste like regular 3 Musketeers with a slight note of cocoa and/or marshmallow which wouldn’t be so bad since I already liked the base 3 Musketeers flavor.

With the passing of Halloween, I suppose you could say the final holiday stretch is officially upon us. An ironic turn of events since I am currently replaying last year’s action/adventure game Batman: Arkham Origins (I know, I know, but hey, I’m a huge Batman fan and I snagged it on the cheap for $5 during a recent sale) which just so happens to be set during Christmas Eve. So there I was, plopped down in my comfy chair, Arkham Origins on my screen, the bag of Hot Cocoa 3 Musketeers on the table next to me. I opened the package, unwrapped one of the small individually-wrapped candies, and popped it into my mouth, unsure of how my taste buds would greet this new chocolate-wrapped alien entity.

My taste buds were in for a pleasant surprise.

I’ll admit it has been a long time since I had a genuine cup of hot cocoa so I initially had some trouble recalling what exactly it tastes like but these new 3 Musketeers mini treats were not only delicious, they also brought many foregone memories of my younger self sipping hot cocoa after a hard day of playing out in the snow. The same familiar consistency of chocolate and nougat expanding in my mouth was accompanied by a delightful burst of hot cocoa flavor with just a hint of marshmallow thrown in for good measure. The lingering aftertaste tended to lean a little heavily on the basic outer chocolate shell but eating multiple candies in a row (which was definitely hard *not* to do after the first one) helped to build up the cocoa and marshmallow notes.

The recommended serving size is seven candies and for that amount you’ll be taking in about 180 calories. If you’re a big hot cocoa/chocolate fan, you might want to go ahead and put the bag away beforehand since I doubt you’ll want to stop at seven. As you can see in the picture below, these Hot Cocoa 3 Musketeers naturally contain some fat and sugars but they also have some calcium and iron in them as well so you don’t have to feel too guilty about indulging.

The new Hot Cocoa with Marshmallow 3 Musketeers are the perfect excuse to bust out some classic Christmas movies and tv shows. For gamers, plenty of new and classic video games feature Christmas-themed levels or at least levels that are blanketed in snow but if the below suggestions don't tickle your fancy, you might have to get a little creative.

Recommended Movie/TV Pairings: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, Home Alone, Home Alone 2, It’s a Wonderful Life.

Recommended Game Pairings: Batman: Arkham Origins, the How The Saints Saved Christmas DLC expansion for Saints Row IV, the How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day DLC add-on for Borderlands 2, the Grubbins on Ice DLC expansion for Costume Quest. There’s also festive holiday-themed costume add-ons for both Dead or Alive 5 and Soul Calibur IV as well as Christmas-themed events for many MMO games such as World of Warcraft, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Everquest II.

Christmas may still be over a month away but if you can track down your own bag of Hot Cocoa with Marshmallow 3 Musketeers, Christmas can come early this year whether you’re a gamer, a movie buff, or simply a fan of the most wonderful time of the year.

Quick Facts: Hot Cocoa with Marshmallow 3 Musketeers
· A single bag will run you $2.50 at CVS if you have a CVS card. Couple this with the small, individual wrapping of each candy and you’ve got the perfect holiday treat for parties or for simple snacking.
· In addition to CVS, bags can be found at Amazon.com, Walmart, and other select retailers both online and in-store.
· The heavy chocolate flavor of the candy’s outer shell tends to overpower the cocoa/marshmallow flavors but if you like both regular 3 Musketeers and hot cocoa, you won’t be disappointed

Final Verdict: Whether you’re cozying up for a Christmas movie marathon or you just want the perfect snack to go along with your Christmas gaming selections, Hot Cocoa with Marshmallow 3 Musketeers won’t let you down.