Hershey Restores Original Chocolate Recipe After Reese’s Cup Inventor’s Grandson Speaks Out

Brad Reese, the grandson of the creator of the Reese’s Cup, recently took to social media to criticize Hershey’s for replacing milk chocolate and real peanut butter with cheaper alternatives in some of their products. His bold statement quickly gained traction, prompting Hershey to announce plans to revert to their original recipes by 2027.

In February, Reese shared a detailed open letter on LinkedIn, voicing his disappointment over reports that Hershey’s was substituting milk chocolate with “compound coatings” and real peanut butter with “peanut-butter-style crème” in various Reese’s items. The revelation that the grandson of the Reese’s Cup inventor was calling out the company for cutting corners spread rapidly online, with many consumers claiming that their recent purchases of Reese’s Cups and other candies tasted inferior. Hershey responded shortly after, asserting that the recipe for their iconic Cups remained unchanged, but acknowledged that they had modified formulas for other products due to rising cocoa prices. This explanation did little to quell the backlash from consumers and Reese alike.

The ongoing negative attention has led Hershey to promise a return to using real milk chocolate and peanut butter across all its products next year.

On April 1, Hershey issued a statement regarding what I’m dubbing “Chocolategate,” reiterating that the recipe for Cups had not been altered, while confirming changes had been made to other items, such as mini chocolate hearts for Valentine’s Day and Easter eggs.

“Hershey is committed to making products consumers love, and that means continually reviewing our recipes to meet evolving tastes and preferences,” the company stated.

Starting next year, Hershey plans to revert all its candies to their classic milk chocolate and dark chocolate recipes. Additionally, they aim to switch to all-natural colors and are looking to enhance Kit-Kats to make them “creamier.” That last change raises some concerns, as Kit-Kats are already a fan favorite, and any misstep could lead to some serious backlash.

Will this be enough to satisfy Brad Reese? Probably not. His LinkedIn is filled with posts about Chocolategate, and it seems he won’t rest until the candies are flawless, which may be a tall order. In the meantime, I’m off to enjoy some Reese’s Cups.