Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Palmer Hollow Chocolate Flavored BunnyIt’s bad. It looks good, but it’s always bad. Why do I keep buying it? For you, dear readers. It’s a public service that I’m obligated to perform. The thing about Palmer is that they have so many other things going for them. They have cute designs, usually their packaging is nice, they’re Kosher and of course they’re made in the USA (Pennsylvania for locavores). But it’s like they go out of their way to disappoint once the stuff hits my mouth. “Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel Oil and/or Palm Oil), Whey, Cocoa, Lactose, Skim Milk, Soy Lecithin, Vanillin, Artificial Colors (Blue #1, Blue #2, Red #40, Yellow #5, Yellow #6 & Red #3). May contain Peanuts/Nuts.” Look how far the cocoa is down on that list, #4 ... I think it’s only in there for coloring! The rabbit is admirably attractive. It has a nice dark sheen, it’s shiny and has little details like the winsome eyeroll and it’s holding a flower. It took me a while to figure out that the white blob at his belly is a little fluffy white chick ... maybe. It’s also pretty thick. It’s just a little shorter than the Russell Stover one and weighs and extra quarter of an ounce. The walls of the shell are a bit thicker. But you know, the taste is not that good. It has a cool feeling on the tongue, it’s very sweet and has a fudgy grain to it. It tastes nothing like chocolate, more like milk powder and peanut shells. (Oddly, that’s not really a bad taste, just not chocolate and not as sweet as I’d have thought based on the ingredients.) The serving size is the whole rabbit, which clocks in at 260 calories, with only 50% of that from fat. Yes, the rest comes from carbs (usually chocolate is a 60/30/10 mix of fat/carbs/protein ... with some room for movement depending on dark or milk varieties - some extreme darks I’ve had are 85% fat). Sometimes I wonder if Palmer is doing the cocoa industry a service by buying beans that would otherwise be turned into compost or rot in the co-op storehouses. I don’t think I’d mind their products if they were sold as “biodegradable decorations” ... but sadly the appearance of a nutrition label seems to indicate they really do think people want to eat it. Considering the fact that there are actually good real chocolate bunnies around at similar prices if you keep your eyes open (Russell Stover isn’t quite as cute, but there’s also a Hershey’s version, too), there’s no reason to buy these except for off-label uses: Easter dioramas, photo shoots or just buy them all as a public service to remove them from the shelves so that others may not be faced with similar disappointment. R. M. Palmer Hollow Milk Chocolate Flavored Bunny ... the Easter equivalent of a lump of coal. Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:30 am |
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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.
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I feel your pain. It was a sad Easter morning when I grew up and realized that Palmer bunny munny was not very good. I still yearn for my lost innocence and almost buy bunny munny each year. Almost.
This reminds me of another mockolate rabbit I saw. I think it might be by the same people, but on a larger scale. It was a hip-hop/rap bunney. Complete with the backwards cap and bling around its neck.
I learned several years ago to JUST SAY NO to Palmer chocolates. Even after holidays when it’s marked down, it does not tempt me!
Oddly enough, my late wife preferred Palmer and other similiar cheap chocolates to the good stuff- I would buy very expensive chocolates for myself and then get her the cheap stuff, and she was happy.
I think it’s white fur on its tummy. Maybe…
My fiance told me that if I ever buy him Palmer Chocolate for any holiday, he will dump me. Thankfully, I don’t touch the stuff!
But it’s SO CUTE.
Even though I’ve read this review I would still buy one of these things just to look at it.
Oy! Why would you need a kosher Easter bunny?
I saw “baby bunny” versions of this in the store today. They’re multiplying!
Saw these at Lucky’s. That’s definitely a chick on the bunny’s belly. For what it’s worth….
I think there’s another set of chocolate bunnies, made by palmer or some similar company. They have cute names on the box such as this one, happy. Other are Sunny… etc… then there’s the bastard child bunny because his name is ... Yummy.
Weird.
First off, I love your blog. I stumbled upon it while on a mission to get my hands on some See’s candy. Your love for the Scotchmallow is almost as enduring as my own. After reading the reviews on Palmer chocolate, I think I must be the only one on earth that loves this Easter treat. Perhaps it is the fine memories of Easter Egg hunts from my childhood that makes my taste buds water. Whatever it is, I LOVE the taste, texture and beautiful presentation of all their confections. If you are tempted to try but unsure, try one of the many individual mini bunny pops. Reguardless, I just wanted to throw my oppinion out there. Everyone has different tastes! Happy Easter!
I was at Wal Mart last night and I saw the display for these. When I got closer all of the were melted. If you would pull one out the next one was melted a little more, it felt like one of those flip books.
When I told somebody from Wal Mart (bought two of them up to the counter) they didn’t seem to care. Right after that they asked me if I was going to buy them…
I’m always tempted when I see their cute critters, but then I look at the ingredients list and put it back on the shelf. Chocolate flavored palm oil just doesn’t do it for me.
I could not agree with you more! I hate Palmer “chocolate”. Can I steal your reference to mockolate!? Tomorrow I’m posting a blog about choco, which is a Filipino word which means they waved cocoa at it, and then added lots of artificial colors and flavors!
I for one love Palmer Chocolates and prefer them to pretty much any brand. I was actually admiring my Easter Bunny today and decided to check on-line to see if other people felt the same way. Why the hate? Ever since I was a kid I loved the taste of Palmer products. It’s unique. Chocolate isn’t just about cocoa. Seriously, if you want cocoa, go to the store and buy a container of baker’s cocoa! It has no other ingredients at all. I got my bunny for 50 cents, full price. For that kind of money what do you want? I couldn’t be happier. And it’s made in the USA to boot! I am looking forward to eating mine after dinner tonight. Anyway, Happy Easter!
One could only enjoy Palmer if they have not experienced quality delicious, creamy (the REAL thing) chocolate. Give Sees or Godiva a try and there will be no going back. For a less expensive brand that you can find in any grocery store-the best would be Lindt Swiss. Also delicious are any of the brands at Whole Foods.
Try these other brands and then see if you can choke down some Pukie Palmer. I’ll bet you can’t do it.
P.S. Try not to bloatate yourself on the good stuff.
Ummm…are they legally allowed to used the word chocolate on the packaging if it contains a substitute fat in place of cocoa butter? I thought I read something about that a while ago where the big chocolate makers were petitioning the FDA to redefine chocolate as containing cocoa powder and any fat as opposed to it’s current definition of cocoa powder and cocoa butter so they could save money by putting cheaper, unhealthy oils into our chocolate.
I wish there was something you liked Joe (not this of course but your other two comments are equally negative).
Yes, the legal definition of chocolate has been followed. Palmer has not tried to tell us that this is chocolate, but merely Milk Chocolate Flavored - click the photo for a larger version. (As in other things that might be cherry flavored or orange flavored ... in this case it’s naturally flavored with cocoa and artificially flavored with vanillin.)
I seem to remember something about that FDA rigmarole ... yeah, that’s right, I think I was the one who wrote the op/ed for the Los Angeles Times.
So THAT’s why this stuff sucks so bad! My mom used to try to get me to eat this when I was little, and I’d leave a full Easter basket untouched before I’d eat it, ‘cause it tasted lousy. Now I know why—I never noticed that it’s not even really chocolate at all!
(And now that I know Hershey’s pulling this, too, I know what I won’t be buying anymore.)
I bought a bag of Palmer miniatures one fall on sale after halloween….could barely get through one piece. The whole bag ended up in the garbage, as i couldn’t even find anyone who would take it off my hands. I’d never heard of them before that, so I’m glad I saw this and won’t ever be tempted to buy their chocolates again.
Oh, good ol’ Palmer chocolate bunnys. I got one from my mom on Easter (08) and I still haven’t eatten it. I display it on a shelf in my room along side a chocolate Christmas Walrus my boyfriend bought me, and Motley Crue action figures. I realized at a young age that Palmer = dissapointment. At least everyone who comes over gets a laugh out of it.
For years I have purchased a Horace Heffelflopper for my kids for Easter. However, lately, I have found none on the shelves. Only Grandpa Heffelflopper, cute, but much to large to mail to the west coast to grandkids.
Have the Horace Heffelflopper and Henrietta Heffelflopper molds been retired?
Help for Grandma in Lockport.
I never could bear (and still can’t!) to eat these cute little fellows. Those sweet faces! When I was a kid, I’d keep and collect them under my bed, in the box, for YEARS.
... now I know I wasn’t missing anything.
You know…I love chocolate, and I consider myself something of a chocolate gourmet, but I also love Palmer’s cheap excuse for chocolate. Perhaps because it brings back memories of sugar overdoses in my youth…I still get excited to eat the stuff. I don’t buy it. But I am the first to pick it up if it’s free.
I just had a conversation with someone about Palmer bunnies the other day. I actually kind of like them for some strange reason. I prefer the white chocolate ones (or should I say “milk flavored”—although no milk I’ve ever had tasted that sweet…) They’re just one of the those candies that I buy year after year. As I’m eating one I consciously know it doesn’t taste good at all…and yet I can’t help but think it’s delicious. I have no idea how I can both love and hate a candy at the same time. Maybe my childhood memories of them are influencing my taste buds. Judging from the comments on this post, it looks like there’ll be plenty left for me to stock up on after Easter!
I like the bunnies with the crunchy eyes, carrots, etc. Baby Binks is cheap and one of my favorites. Believe it or not, when I was pregnant, the Palmer bunny was one of the few things I could keep down in the entire nine months!
My favorite thing about this bunnies is breaking them apart. There is something satisfying about it.
Never eat it though
yuck
I got a bit of a reputation for not liking chocolate in my family because I always got Palmer for holidays, and I always hated it.
I love the Palmer chocolate bunnies. I grew up with them and I buy a lot every easter. A few nights ago I bought 12 of them and they were gone in 2 days. Last easter I probably ate around 100 and I did the same this year =) I am 20yrs old and weigh 120lbs. Oddly enough, I haven’t gained any weight by eating so many of these which is great becaause I love these bunnies. I don’t know why but I prefer them over a lot of chocolate and I am very big on chocolate. If they were available all year round I would definitely buy them over a lot of the other chocolate I normally eat. They are cheap and taste great to me, but I guess it’s an aquired taste.
UGHHHHH .... Palmer makes the worst, the most horrid candy (is that what they call it????) EVER. Do not buy this junk ..... anyone. Are you all listening? OK ..... I’m done.
I tried the White Chocolate version and it didn’t just taste very sweet, but too sweet and I got a bad tummy ache after a few nibbles.
I bought some palmers “chocolates” today to fill my kid’s easter eggs with. I was almost done filling them all when I ate one…................YUCK!!! Absolutely disgusting, bland, sugary, no chocolate taste, grainy yuck. I should have read the ingredients but didn’t. I am not letting my kids eat that crap so I threw them away. I seriously cannot believe so many people say they like that crap. It’s DISGUSTING!!
I always refuse to eat the Palmer chocolates. The closest I get to consuming them is when I bite off the ears so we can have Easter Bunny Shots at parties. The Palmer is preferred then because it is thicker and doesn’t break as easily as the better chocolate bunnies, as I am pretty sure they are really a new form of semi-edible plastic.
So now you know people. Palmer bunnies are only good to hold alcohol in. College students take note.
Well autually i just had one of those Palmer hippy bunnies and you are so wrong. They taste like the best chocolate bunny ive evr tasted. So dont be sayin that if you dont remind ppl this is JUST AN OPINION!!!!! which some opinions are diff so im just sayin.
Caroline - of course it’s an opinion. It’s a review. But really, hydrogenated palm oils are really bad for you. Eat cocoa butter.
If my opinion actually mattered Palmer would have changed their formula over the years that I’ve been giving them bad reviews.
But perhaps we should put you in touch with everyone who got a Palmer rabbit for Easter that they don’t want and you can have them.
Unfortunately, I just bought a few bags of their valentine’s day stuff without realizing it. I didn’t look at the brand until it was too late. Every holiday they try to suck me in with their ridiculously low prices, but I’ve sworn never to buy anything they make again.
I even tried their white “chocolate” once, but it’s just as awful. Such a waste of money, I always have to throw this stuff out. No one else wants it either when I offer to give it away.
It’s nice to know I’m not alone in my disgust for Palmer, they really know how to ruin a holiday.
I go on an annual Easter candy bender and love Palmer despite knowing it just eeks by as chocolate. The bunny in the picture is their lesser quality mokolate. The ones with the candy sugar eyes are a slightly better quality. Different stores carry different bunnies. Big Binks, new last year amd available at Walmart, knocked out the Grandbunny Heffleflopper as their biggest bunny at 2 lbs! But, judging by this crowd, you may feel this is the worst character to come along since Jar Jar Binks. If you think Palmer is bad, it could be worse, try Frankfort. I believe it gets its name from being like the hotdog of chocolate, made from the nastiest bits of cocoa!
I LOVE Palmer chocolate bunnies! I love See’s Candy, but alittle expensive now. I’m glad the bunnies r out on the shelfs way b4 Easter. I can generally end up having ate 9 or 10 before the holiday. And ofcourse there’s those great memories in each bite (the ears go first!). lol
HAPPY EASTER HOP HOP HOP
Their Professor bunny is real chocolate, not mockolate. ;D It’s awesome, really.
I love Palmer! It takes me back to my childhood, and is tastier to me than the expensive ones. Plus it’s made in the USA, near where I grew up, so I don’t have to worry about heavy metals from China. Baby Binks is my favorite.
So what if it’s not good for you, it’s candy!
I love the Palmer chocolate bunnies! Even though I am 36 years old, my mom still loves to give me a basket of candy every year for Easter. This year I told her to skip the basket, wait until the day or so after Easter, and buy up as many Palmer chocolate bunnies she could for me since they will be 50% off! I know they are inferior chocolate (barely qualifying to be called chocolate), but there’s something about the taste and the way they melt in my mouth that I just love. It’s only once a year so what the heck, right?
I love that someone (Robby) else’s mom still gives them a basket every year, even though they’ve been an adult for quite some time. Palmer’s chocolate is awful. Try getting (actually don’t) their version of peanut butter cups. So horribly offensive. Even the peanut butter they use is taste free. Palmers is dollar store quality, in every way. It’s what you’d expect from the Asian run “everything is a dollar” stores, where at least half the stuff in the store is cheap plastic crap.
BEST chocolate in the world! Love, love the hollow easter bunnies. Overdose on them every year. Keep making them!
The One thing a lot of people don’t realize is that they have no reason to try to get better. A lot of their money is currently being made, getting contracted out by the bigger companies, Dove Hershey and Nestle have done their share of this so far.
the heffelflopper!! augh yeah folks. The heffelflopper
I was pissed when I saw what went into the chocolate bunny. I wrote them an email that outlined a lot of their bullsh*t ingredients. And then I found this post here. Thanks for the public service!
Hi,
I bought this Palmer “Happy easter Fishing Tournament” from Walmart for my clients, as it look so wonderfully packed, but once I tested, I realized “Better Taste doesn’t always comes from Better Packing” - its very cheap in Taste, looks like all money wasted on packaging…..I’m feeling so imbrassed in front of my clients….
Such chocolate should be BANNED for holiday season.
Thanks
Palmer can get away with making nasty never edibles BC of free enterprise. Yuck.
If you watch a video about how they make the “chocolate” rabbits, you’ll find out that they don’t make the chocolate…apparently another company does
So I bought a couple Palmer bunnies for my kids.installed a barcode scanner from the box which took me to a contest. All good, right?
The contest expired 2 years ago! So my question is How old are these bunnies I just purchased?? No date anywhere!!!
Needless to say these bunnies have hit the trash can.
THANK YOU TO THE PALMER COMPANY
Palmer is a running joke in my family. My poor wife…she was raised by not-so-well-off alcoholic parents and she awoke to find Palmer material in her Easter basket every year. She hated it then and she hates it now. My slightly-better-off alcoholic parents always managed to provide us (5 kids) with Russell Stover chocolate on Easter Sunday. I just don’t get the concept - if you own a candy factory, and most people say your stuff sucks, why not change the recipe? Do it right or don’t do it at all. Can it be so difficult to make DECENT tasting chocolate? Wouldn’t it be worth less profits to have a decent name for yourself? If I owned Palmer chocolates and I read this website I would be embarrassed. And I’ve TASTED the stuff, more than once in the hope that perhaps I was being hasty, but no, it DOES suck. You people are not lying.
Palmer is to chocolate what Black & Decker is to burgers. “Black & Decker doesn’t make burgers” you say? Exactly.
Notice that their slogan is ‘Making Candy Fun’. What the H does that tell you?
Candy is disgusting. Black grease on it. All scuffed up with scratches and white marks like it was on the floor before it went in the bag. Definitely was piled somewhere before it was packed and you can tell that it didn’t go right from the machine into the wrapper. Santa’s faces were chopped in half like they were running the machinery too fast. Bag had small pieces of wood in it, and smelly freezer-burnt pieces of candy with a powdery white coating. How do our politicians let companies like this stay in business?
Firstly: not all of Palmers chocolate tsstes the same
Secondly: just cus chocolate costs more doesnt mean its better. Cus to me alot of palmers hollow bunnies mop the floor with godiva CRAP.
okay so. U chose one of their not so great bunnies to degrade and spread hate about
But have you had a Baby Binks??? 99 cents and a b s o l u t l y amazing melt in your mouth chocolate
They do shatter easy so dont drop.
And if course theyll melt if they get hot…. its chocolate…. leave a snickers or reese cup out.. it will melt just as quick.
Palmers peter rabbits are just as good as baby binks.
Big ears equally as yummy.
And have u tried there double crisp candies?? So light yet crispy yet delicious.
So before anyobe hates on palmer. Make sure uve tried various bunnies made by them. No not every single one is great. For my record.. the small bunnies hollow or not that come in BOXS are dissapointing. U need a baby bink in your life. Oh my. Talk about addicting!
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