Hershey Says It’s Bringing Real Chocolate Back To Reese’s After Backlash
Barry Reese, grandson of Reese’s founder, recently wrote a scathing letter to Hershey, accusing the company of changing Reese’s proprietary milk chocolate recipe without informing consumers—and it caught attention.
The viral letter added fuel to a growing list of customer complaints. In recent years, Hershey has swapped real milk chocolate for compound coating in several products, including Reese’s Take 5, Reese’s Fast Break, White Reese’s, Mr. Goodbar, Reese’s Mini Hearts, and, according to Reese, even Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
“REESE’s identity is being rewritten, not by storytellers, but by formulation decisions that replace Milk Chocolate with compound coatings and Peanut Butter with peanut-butter-style crèmes across multiple REESE’S products,” Reese wrote.
Hershey Plans To Bring Back Real Chocolate
Hershey now plans to bring real milk chocolate back, aiming to use pure milk and dark chocolate across all Reese’s and Hershey products by 2027.
The company will start small. It will revert only about 3% of Reese’s products, along with a limited portion of its broader lineup.
Hershey also clarified that its classic Hershey’s chocolate bars and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups still use real milk and dark chocolate, pushing back on parts of Reese’s claim.
What’s Actually Changing
Hershey CEO Kirk Tanner said the company made the decision last summer, before the letter gained traction.
“Right when I started the company, we did a deep dive across our portfolio,” Tanner said during Investor Day. “We’re going to make some small investments to really align the portfolio to what the brand stands for.”
Hershey plans to bring back real chocolate in mini Reese’s Cups and Shapes, Reese’s Fast Break, and select foil-wrapped Reese’s candies.
The company also plans to update the KitKat recipe and remove all artificial dyes from its full product lineup by the end of 2027.
The Bigger Picture
As cocoa shortages continue to pressure the industry, more brands have started using compound chocolate as a workaround.
Hershey’s move signals a different approach—one focused on rebuilding trust through ingredient quality.
Not every company plans to follow that path. Nestlé, for example, has already started moving toward cocoa-free alternatives, beginning with Choco Crossies and other alt-chocolate products.
Hershey’s Position
“Hershey is committed to making products consumers love and that means continually reviewing our recipes to meet evolving tastes and preferences,” a company spokesperson said. “A series of enhancements taking effect in 2027 reflect that commitment.”
