People have always loved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for their simple, classic combo of chocolate and peanut butter. But now, a family member of the candy’s creator, H.B. Reese, is raising concerns about changes to the recipes. Scroll down to know more!
The Hershey Company Accused Of Changing Recipes
Brad Reese, H.B. Reese’s grandson, sent a letter to The Hershey Company claiming that the candy’s original recipe is being quietly altered. Mint reported that according to his claims, Hershey has replaced milk chocolate with “compound coatings” and real peanut butter with peanut‑butter‑style creams in several products. He thinks Hershey is messing with the very soul of Reese’s—the part that made it a tasty chocolate and peanut butter you could always trust.
When was Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup created? Brad Reese explained that his grandfather created Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in 1928— five years after leaving Hershey. H.B. Reese founded the H.B. Reese Candy Company in 1923, and his peanut butter cups became the hero product. After he died in 1956, his six sons sold the company to Hershey in 1963. Since then, Reese’s has been one of Hershey’s top-selling products.
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Change In The Recipe Of Other Products
Brad Reese claims that recent product changes have gone too far. As per Mint, in a letter sent to Hershey’s brand manager on February 14, he mentioned that Reese’s Mini Hearts now list “chocolate candy and peanut butter crème” instead of real milk chocolate and peanut butter. He also said that Take5 and Fast Break bars, which used to be coated in milk chocolate, are no longer made the same way. Even White Reese’s, originally made with white chocolate, now uses white crème.
Brad also noticed that Reese’s sold in Europe, the UK, and Ireland aren’t quite the same as the U.S. versions. The packaging there even calls them “milk chocolate-flavoured coating and peanut butter crème” instead of real chocolate and peanut butter. He said seeing this change is “devastating” and added that lots of users tell him Reese’s just doesn’t taste like it used to. He reminded Hershey of what their founder, Milton Hershey, used to say: “Give them quality, that’s the best advertising.”
Responding to this, Hershey confirmed that some recipe adjustments have been made, but emphasised that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups still use milk chocolate and peanut butter made from roasted peanuts. As per Hershey, these changes let users try out new shapes, sizes, and flavours, while still keeping the classic Reese’s feel. They also pointed to rising cocoa prices and fans wanting fresh twists as reasons for the updates.
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Cover Image Courtesy: Flickr/Mike Mozart & Pexels