The grandson of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup inventor is claiming a small but sweet victory after The Hershey Co. announced it would return to “classic” recipes following his public criticsm against the brand’s ingredient changes.
Brad Reese recently expressed disappointment in Hershey’s shift toward “compound coatings” and “peanut-butter style cremes,” a sentiment that gained viral support from consumers who insisted the candy no longer tasted the same.
“How does The Hershey Company continue to position Reese’s as its flagship brand, a symbol of trust, quality and leadership, while quietly replacing the very ingredients (Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter) that built Reese’s trust in the first place?” Reese wrote at the time, as previously reported by the Deseret News.
Hershey announced Tuesday it will return to using “classic milk and dark chocolate recipes” in all Reese’s and Hershey’s products by 2027. CEO Kirk Tanner told Bloomberg on Tuesday the shift from compound coatings back to real chocolate will affect less than 3% of the Reese’s lineup and a small portion of Hershey’s products.
“We’re going to make some small investments to really align the portfolio to what the brand stands for,” said Tanner, who joined the company in August 2025. “That consistency is important across the brand.”
Beginning next year, Tanner said inspired products like the “mini Reese’s cups and shapes” will be made with real milk chocolate instead of a chocolate compound.
He added that “all the classic Hershey’s chocolate bars will also be made with ‘pure milk and dark chocolate.’” Hershey is also ”enhancing” the KitKat candy bar “for a creamier taste and texture.”
Despite the announcement, Hershey maintained that its “core” recipes never changed.
In a statement, the company said that the recipes for the Hershey’s chocolate bar and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup “have not changed,” but acknowledged that some seasonal items — like mini Easter eggs — currently use coatings with less cocoa, according to The Associated Press.
The company also stated it is “on track” to remove all artificial colors from its products by the end of 2027.
Reese, however, isn’t buying the company’s timeline. While Tanner claimed the switch was in the works back in August, before Reese went public, Reese told NBC News the timing is suspicious.
“You know when this became an issue? Valentine’s Day. This has been going on since Valentine’s Day,” Reese said in an interview with NBC News on Wednesday.
“If this is true, the people who deserve the credit are the loyal fans who were alarmed by what Hershey was doing,” Reese said. “But I am seeing a lot of red flags here. I think what Hershey is trying to do here is change with PR narrative.”
Reese says he will rely on his taste buds to verify if the company follows through on its new commitment.
“If something like the Valentine’s Day Reese’s Mini Heart still doesn’t taste like real milk chocolate next year, I’ll know they’re lying,” he said.
On LinkedIn, Reese’s supporters loved the news, with one user describing the dispute as a “modern day equivalent of David and Goliath. Millions of Reese’s fans and consumers salute you.”
Others remained skeptical alongside Reese, calling the move a “halfhearted move to save face” that focuses more on coatings than the overall recipe.