Ah, the PB Max. Before being discontinued sometime in the 1990’s, the PB Max had a brief but glorious run as a delicious addition to the peanut butter/chocolate market. It was a lovely slab of all things good: peanut butter, chocolate, and nuts all piled atop a cookie foundation.
The simplicity of it made it easy to love: with its square shape and basic ingredients, it came across as the kind of treat you’d buy at a fundraiser bake sale. It was also the kind of candy bar that, under desperate circumstances in 1989, you could try to replicate in your own home on a Saturday morning, using Extra Crunchy Jif, chocolate syrup, and Lorna Doones, before settling in to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks.
The advertising campaign for PB Max wanted us to know what, exactly, the PB in PB Max stood for. Apparently, it wasn’t Platinum Blonde or Pink Baboon. Nor did it stand for Piggy Bank or Plow Boy. No, no: it stood for peanut butter, of course. Or at least that’s what they told us. I like to think it stood for Punked By, as in “I was punked by this stupid and delicious candy bar, which was discontinued about two days after it was released.”
Rumor has it that the Reese’s Big Cup is a decent substitute for the PB Max, but the taste of Reese’s peanut butter is so distinct that it’s hard to imagine biting into one and forgetting that the object in your hand is not, in fact, a PB Max. Your best bet is to hit up some local bake sales and hope to strike PB Max-esque gold.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to stock up on Jif and Lorna Doones.
More candy articles about: peanut butter, chocolate, retro, commercial
I LOVED PB MAX! I had forgotten all about it! When I was in Jr. High, anytime I had spare change I used it at the machines in our school cafeteria to get one. I was so sad when they went away.
July 17th, 2007 at 1:30 pmI never had one of these but it looks sooooooo good I wish I could have one right now!
July 17th, 2007 at 2:28 pmOh, the PB Max was indeed a big-time favorite of mine, too! It was those and Drake’s Yodels that always got my money (Drake’s products being a New England-area thing, I’ve seriously been missing my Yodels out here in Arizona). I’d love to have another PB Max…thanks for the tastebud memory flashback, Jamie! Having concocted a lot of interesting foods in my life, I’m surprised I never tried to do the PB Max, given how addicted I was to it (I used to buy them by the box at the store near my house, and like a true addict, hide them in my room).
July 17th, 2007 at 7:53 pmI bought the last three cases of these that my local store had when they were discontinued. I miss them - used to eat them every day. Loved Bar None, before the caramel was added, also.
September 3rd, 2007 at 6:09 amI loved PB Max! It was sooo creamy and smooth! Why did they ever do away with them? They need to bring them back asap!
September 9th, 2007 at 10:16 pmI had heard from another website that the Mars family hates peanut butter. If that was the case, why did they go ahead and make this wonderful candy bar, not to mention the Peanut Butter M&M’s?
October 4th, 2007 at 6:39 pmBRING IT BACK
January 27th, 2008 at 5:33 pmthe PB twix that recently came out taste just like I remember these tasting.
February 22nd, 2008 at 6:10 pmthese were my favorite!…..is there anywhere or anyway of purchasing them?
March 8th, 2008 at 1:35 pmI liked PB MAX but I thought at first it had peanuts. But it had cookie bites in them not peanuts.Bring them back.
March 10th, 2008 at 4:50 amI need to find some, any one have any idea???
In Orlando Florida
March 16th, 2008 at 10:08 amNo disrespect to the poster above who says PB twix is a PB Max substitute, but I disagree. I do like the PB flavor in PB Twix, but there isn’t a bar that had the creaminess of a PB Max (or is there? Please let me know if that’s the case. Thanks)
March 28th, 2008 at 9:16 amThough it doesn’t have the amount of PB in a PB max the closest thing i could find to taste like these things was a Girl Scout cookie called a “Tag-A-Long” I believe Keebler has a cookie thats close but its with a chocolate cookie rather than a plain whole grain cookie. I wish they’d bring this candy back…
April 26th, 2008 at 5:13 ammy cousin says they have them in New Jersey!!!!!
May 6th, 2008 at 1:33 amPLEASE bring the MAX back. Who made them?
May 14th, 2008 at 8:20 pmi remember this candy bar too. and to this day i’m still searching for it or hoping that it comes back. NOTHING beat it. and it wasn’t peanuts, i believe they were little rice crispy like things in the peanut butter. and yes it was creamy. nothing like a reese’s. and it was TALL. i mean seriously like an inch and a half of creamy peanut butter. piled on top of a twix like square cookie with little crispies in the peanute butter and covered in chocolate. hands down, the best candy bar i’ve ever had. ridiculously good, so much so that i’m still craving it TODAY. can’t believe nobody makes this nowadays.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:08 pmMy daughter and I would make a special trip everyday to buy a PB MAX. It was our favorite candy bar. Most times I would buy them by the box. I don’t recall any peanuts in them. Cookie, lots of Creamy Peanut Butter, and these awesome little round crunchy things that made the candy bar, then covered with a wonderful chocolate layer. “What’s not to love?” Everytime I’m out I scan candy counters just hoping that this delicious candy bar comes back to life. I agree with Vickie “PLEASE bring the MAX back”
June 20th, 2008 at 3:44 pm