These Hershey Products No Longer Use Milk Chocolate

Brad Reese, the grandson of the man who invented the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, is calling out The Hershey Company for replacing real chocolate with cheaper substitutes in several of its most popular products.

Reese laid out the claims in a February 14 letter to Hershey’s corporate brand manager, saying the company replaced milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with peanut-butter-style crème across multiple Reese’s items, according to the Associated Press.

Hershey has responded, but only partially. In a statement posted to its corporate site on Feb. 19, the company said the classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup hasn’t changed and is still made with milk chocolate and freshly roasted peanut butter. The statement also acknowledged that as the brand has expanded into new shapes, sizes, and seasonal items, the company has made what it called “product recipe adjustments.”

That distinction matters more than it might seem, and the clearest evidence is on the front of the package. Here’s what to know.

Which products changed, and which didn’t

The classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup hasn’t been touched and still meets the FDA’s legal standard for milk chocolate, which requires at least 10% cacao, but the changes show up in secondary Reese’s products and seasonal items.

Brad Reese pointed to several specific examples in his letter and in interviews with the Associated Press: Reese’s Mini Hearts, a Valentine’s Day seasonal release, are labeled “chocolate candy and peanut butter crème” rather than milk chocolate and peanut butter.

Reese’s Take5 and Fast Break bars, which were previously coated in milk chocolate, are no longer coated in it. White Reese’s, once made with white chocolate, now uses a white crème instead. Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar carries the label “chocolate candy” on its wrapper rather than “milk chocolate.”

In each of these cases, compound coatings made with vegetable oils, like palm oil and shea oil, take the place of cocoa butter. These coatings look and feel similar to chocolate but tend to melt differently and carry a less rich flavor, since the cocoa butter that gives real chocolate its snap and smoothness isn’t there.

Why Hershey made the switch

The short answer is cost pressure, and it’s been historic. Cocoa prices rose roughly 70% throughout 2024 due to climate-related issues like crop disease, aging trees, and extreme weather across West Africa, which contributed to the spike. Prices hit a record high in late 2024 and have since come down, but they’re still above the range most manufacturers were used to paying. Hershey felt it directly. During a February 2025 earnings call, then-CEO Michele Buck signaled the company was ready to adjust pricing, packaging, and recipes as cocoa costs evolved.

How to tell if your chocolate is still real chocolate

The fastest way to check is also the simplest: read the front of the package. Under FDA regulations, the name on the front of a food product isn’t a marketing decision. It’s a legal designation called the statement of identityand companies have to use the name that matches what’s actually in the product.

A label that reads “milk chocolate” means the product meets the FDA’s standard of identity, which requires specific minimums for chocolate liquor, milkfat, and milk solids.

Labels that say “chocolate candy,” “chocolatey,” or “chocolate coating” don’t meet that standard and typically contain vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter.

That two-word difference between “milk chocolate” and “chocolate candy” is a legal one, not a branding choice. It tells you, before you even flip the package over, whether what’s inside contains real milk chocolate as defined by federal law. If you want to check for yourself, just flip the package over. Products with updated recipes will typically list palm oil, shea oil, or other vegetable fats where cocoa butter once appeared.

What this means going forward

Cocoa prices have come down significantly from their 2024 peak, but that relief hasn’t reached production lines yet. Hershey has said it locked in cocoa at higher prices months ago, so the savings will take time to show up. Whether the changed products ever go back to their original recipes is hard to say. Compound coatings are cheaper than real chocolate and less sensitive to price swings, which gives manufacturers little incentive to switch back even after cocoa costs come down. For now, the label on the front of the package is still the most reliable guide to what’s actually inside.