The major differences between Almond Joy and Mounds are the chocolate that coats the candies and the use of almonds or lack thereof.
Almond Joy and Mounds share the same interior coconut filling. However, Almond Joy differs from Mounds in that they are made with milk chocolate whereas Mounds are made with semi-sweet (dark) chocolate. Additionally, Almond Joy candies have almonds pressed on top of the coconut and are covered with milk chocolate whereas Mounds do not have almonds.
This Almond Joy/Mounds commercial from 1989 does a nice job of outlining the differences between the candy bars in the below 30-second video:
Appearance
You can clearly see the chocolate difference between these candies in the above photo. Almond Joy (pictured left) has lighter milk chocolate whereas Mounds (pictured right) has dark chocolate. Of course, another obvious difference is the almonds on the Almond Joy.
The interior coconut fillings are similar in each candy bar. However, Mounds (pictured right) appears to have more filling compared to the leaner Almond Joy (pictured left). As you can see above, we sliced through an almond in the Almond Joy to give you a visual of it.
Ownership & History
Almond Joy – Almond Joy was introduced in 1946, approximately 26 years after Mounds bars were first released. The candy was launched soon after World War II ended when ingredients such as chocolate, coconut, and sugar were once again readily available. As explained in the Mounds section below, Hershey acquired the U.S. rights to Almond Joy from Peter Paul in 1988 and still makes the candy bars today.
Mounds – The candy has been around since 1920 when a man named Vincent Nitido invented it in Connecticut. The Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing Company headed by Peter Paul Halajian, Max Freedman, and four other individuals acquired the Mounds brand in 1929. Mounds became extremely popular during World War II when approximately 5 million bars per month were being purchased by the U.S. military for rations. A merger between Peter Paul and Cadbury-Schweppes occurred in 1978. The Hershey Company purchased the U.S. rights to Mounds, Almond Joy, and several other candies in 1988.
Nutrition
The nutrition is relatively similar between Almond Joy vs Mounds. We would suspect that nutrition isn’t a factor for most people when deciding between these two candy bars. Keep in mind that the standard size Mounds bar is slightly bigger than an Almond Joy based on weight.
| Almond Joy | Mounds | |
|---|---|---|
| Serving Size | 1 Package (45g) | 1 Package (49g) |
| Calories | 220 | 230 |
| Total Fat | 13g | 13g |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 10g |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0g |
| Chelesterol | 0mg | 0mg |
| Sodium | 50mg | 55mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 26g | 29g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2g | 3g |
| Total Sugars | 21g (19g Added Sugars) | 21g (20g Added Sugars) |
| Protein | 2g | 2g |
| Vitamin D | 0% DV | 0% DV |
| Calcium | 2% DV | 0% DV |
| Iron | 6% DV | 10% DV |
| Potassium | 2% DV | 2% DV |
Ingredients
We underlined the primary differences in the ingredients for each candy bar below. Almond Joy has milk chocolate and almonds whereas Mounds is made with semi-sweet or dark chocolate and has no almonds.
Almond Joy – Corn Syrup; Milk Chocolate (Sugar; Cocoa Butter; Chocolate; Milk; Lactose; Milk Fat; Nonfat Milk; Soy Lecithin; Pgpr, Emulsifier); Coconut; Sugar; Almonds (Roasted In Cocoa Butter And/Or Sunflower Oil); Contains 2% Or Less of: Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Soybean And Palm Oil); Whey (Milk); Salt; Cocoa; Natural And Artificial Flavor; Chocolate; Soy Lecithin; Hydrolyzed Milk Protein; Sodium Metabisulfite And Sulfur Dioxide, to Maintain Freshness; Caramel Color.
Mounds – Corn Syrup, Semi-Sweet Chocolate [Chocolate; Sugar; Cocoa; Fat Milk; Cocoa Butter; Lecithin (Soy); PGPR, Emulsifier; Vanillin, Artificial Flavor; Milk], Coconut, Sugar, Contains 2% or less of; Salt; Hydrolyzed Milk Protein; Sodium Metabisulfite, to maintain freshness
Poll: Almond Joy vs Mounds
Do you prefer Almond Joy or Mounds candy bars? Please vote for your favorite below.