Snickers vs. Milky Way

Snickers and Milky Way are two of the most popular chocolate bars in almost the entire world. Everyone knows about them and very few people do not like to treat themselves to these rich chocolate candies.

Similar in many ways and made and marketed by the same company, Snickers and Milky Way are still very different.

What are the differences between Snickers and Milky Way?

These two chocolate bars, despite containing some of the same ingredients, have different textures and flavors. Although they come in the same sizes, they also do not have the same nutritional value.

In this article, we have compared all aspects of Snickers and Milky Way chocolate bars. Read on to learn about the history, ingredients, varieties, and nutritional information on these popular candies.

What are the differences between Snickers and Milky Way?

Snickers and Milky Way are two of the most popular chocolate bars consumed around the world. And although these candies are very different, similarities can be found if we compare both.

1. History

Both Snickers and Milky Way are manufactured and marketed by Mars, Inc. This American confectionery company makes nearly all of the chocolate treats we eat and love, like Bounty, Twix, and M&M’s.

Although it seems like Snickers is the candy that’s been around forever, Milky Way actually came before it. This chocolate bar was first manufactured in 1923.

It was the first filled chocolate bar and it took the brand 3 years to complete the research to start manufacturing it. Milky Way was a success for the brand from the start.

On the other hand, Snickers originated a few years after Milky Way. Mars introduced this candy bar in 1930.

The chocolate bar is named after the manufacturer’s family favorite horse and was sold under the name Marathon bar in the UK until the 1990s.

One of the main differences between Snickers and Milky Way is that the former is available in one variant globally while the latter has two variants. Milky Way has a global version, the blue-wrapped bar, and the US version of Milky Way.

The American version is sold in the United States and Canada and is very similar to another candy bar sold in the United States: Three Musketeers.

2. Ingredients

Snickers and Milky Way are, of course, two chocolate bars, and it’s no surprise that a few ingredients go into the making of both candies.

Both chocolate bars contain milk chocolate. The milk chocolate used in these bars contains sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, lactose, skimmed milk, milk fat, soy lecithin, as well as artificial flavor.

There’s also added sugar, corn syrup, salt, and egg whites in Snickers and Milky Ways. The manufacturer uses artificial additives for both bars.

But there are exclusive ingredients in each of the two chocolate bars. Snickers contain peanuts and Milky Ways contain malted barley. These are the two ingredients that provide the unique texture and flavor characteristics of each bar.

As you can tell from the ingredients in both Snickers and Milky Ways, the traditional versions of both chocolate bars are not suitable for vegans due to the dairy products used in their preparation.

3. Taste

Since Snickers and Milky Ways contain many similar ingredients, it’s only natural that they have similar flavor notes.

That being said, the Milky Ways taste like chocolate-malt and caramel nougat. They are covered in delicious milk chocolate.

Snickers are also covered in milk chocolate. However, the layers inside make it taste different from Milky Ways. There are more layers to Snickers than to Milky Ways.

There’s a layer of nougat, caramel and peanuts in a Snickers bar. And all this is under a thin layer of chocolate.

4. Texture

The texture of Milky Ways and Snickers is quite different. Obviously, this has to do with the ingredients used in its preparation.

Milky Ways are lighter and smoother than Snickers. The latter has a more chewy appearance. Snickers peanuts enhance the crunchier texture of the chocolate bar.

The caramel coating in both Milky Ways and Snickers adds a slight oomph to the caramels, but doesn’t make the bars overly chewy.

5. Popularity

Both Snickers and Milky Ways are very well known. However, it’s easy to tell that Snickers are more popular than Milky Ways. Snickers are among the most popular candies in the US, along with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and M&M’s.

Snickers are also one of the best-selling candies in the world, along with Toblerones and Kit Kats.

6. Varieties

Most people enjoy eating the classic versions of their favorite chocolate bars, like regular Snickers and Milky Ways.

But the brand makes numerous varieties of popular chocolate bars to keep the interest of candy lovers that have been on the market for nearly a century.

Simple Caramel, Midnight, Crispy Rolls, Midnight Dark and Salted Caramel are some of the varieties of Milky Way bars that the Mars company has released.

Snickers, which are more popular than Milky Ways, have even more varieties. You may come across versions of Snickers like Snickers Almond, Snickers Crisp, Snickers Hazelnut, Snickers Brownie, etc.

Unlike the traditional Snickers and Milky Way chocolate bars, the aforementioned varieties are not always available. And not in all parts of the world.

So if you eat a special edition Snickers or Milky Way, know that unfortunately you may not find it again.

7. Sizes

The full-size Original Milky Way measures 1.84 ounces and a full-size Snickers bar measures 1.86 ounces. However, both Milky Ways and Snickers are available in different sizes.

You can find Milky Ways and Snickers minis, original singles, fun-sized bars, and grab-and-go bars. If you enjoy eating these chocolate bars as a snack, we recommend purchasing a bag of fun-sized minis or bars.

They are smaller than normal size bars. By eating a Milky Way mini bar or fun-sized Snickers bar, you won’t get as many calories and you won’t increase your daily sugar intake as you would with a regular-size bar.

And still, you’ll still be able to enjoy the rich chocolate flavor of your favorite treats.

8. Nutritional data

Whether you eat Snickers or Milky Ways, they are not especially healthy to eat on a regular basis. With that being said, it’s always good to know the nutrition facts on your favorite treats.

When comparing 100 grams of Snickers and Milky Ways, it becomes clear that Snickers have more calories. If you’ve ever eaten these two chocolate bars, you’ve probably felt that Snickers make you feel fuller than Milky Ways.

But even though Snickers have more calories, they contain less sugar than Milky Ways. So if your concern with chocolate bars is their sugar content, Snickers are a better option than Milky Ways.

Also, Snickers contain fewer carbohydrates and more protein than Milky Ways. The cholesterol levels of both chocolate bars are the same in 100 grams of these candies.

Which is healthier, Snickers or Milky Way?

As we have already mentioned, none of these chocolates can be considered healthy.

But if you have to choose between the two, eating Snickers may be a better option if you want the bar to keep you full.

A fun-sized Snickers bar contains enough protein to keep you full until you enjoy your balanced meal.

A Milky Way, on the other hand, is a good chocolate bar to eat as a snack. Two Milky Way mini bars do not contain many calories.

While it’s true that you can snack healthier, occasionally snacking on sweet treats like bite-sized Milky Ways won’t do you any harm.

Related questions

Are the Milky Ways and the Three Musketeers the same?

The Milky Ways and the Three Musketeers are very similar. But they are not the same. The Three Musketeers are also made by Mars, Inc.

The main difference between the two candy bars is that Three Musketeers is lighter than the American version of Milky Way. Also, it lacks the caramel coating and is smaller.

Are Snickers and Milky Ways gluten free?

The traditional Snickers bar is gluten free. Does not contain any gluten-containing ingredients. This chocolate bar can even be enjoyed by people with celiac disease.

On the other hand, the Milky Way is not gluten-free. Contains malted barley, making it unsuitable for people with gluten intolerance.