Hershey promises to resume using chocolate in most products, but Resee’s grandson has a valid question

In a move that’s sure to get candy fans talking, The Hershey Company just announced it plans to bring back its “classic milk and dark chocolate recipes” to many Reese’s and Hershey’s products by 2027. This is a pretty big deal, especially after a public outcry about changes to some beloved treats.

Brad Reese, the grandson of the inventor of the iconic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, wasn’t entirely convinced by the news, though. He told NBC News that if this is truly happening, the credit belongs to the “loyal fans who were alarmed by what Hershey was doing.” Still, he’s seeing a lot of “red flags” and believes Hershey might be trying to spin the public relations narrative.

Hershey CEO Kirk Tanner shared the news on Tuesday during an interview with Bloomberg. He explained that the company plans to make “small investments” to ensure the portfolio aligns with what the brands stand for, emphasizing the importance of consistency. You can expect to see this shift impact “mini Reese’s cups and shapes,” as well as the Reese’s Fast Break candy bar. These items will soon be made with real milk chocolate instead of the chocolate compound coating they’ve been using.

Brad Reese’s concern isn’t too unfounded, as companies have often used moves like this to build a PR narrative

Beyond Reese’s, all the classic Hershey’s chocolate bars are also slated to return to “pure milk and dark chocolate.” Plus, Hershey is “enhancing” the Kit Kat candy bar to give it a creamier taste and texture. The company stated that this switch from compound coatings to real chocolate will affect less than 3% of Reese’s products and only a small portion of Hershey’s offerings in total.

Brad Reese has been a vocal critic of Hershey’s recent changes, especially after he discovered that some Reese’s-inspired products, like the Valentine’s Day Reese’s Mini Hearts, were using a chocolate-flavored coating instead of genuine milk chocolate. He posted a fiery letter of complaint to Todd Scott, Hershey’s corporate branding lead, on his LinkedIn page. In that letter, Reese invoked his grandfather, H.B. Reese, who founded the company in 1928 with a simple recipe of milk chocolate and peanut butter.

Hershey has always maintained that the original Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups themselves haven’t changed, sticking to that classic 1928 formula. However, the company did concede that it had “tinkered with the original recipe” as it expanded its “Reese’s product line.” For instance, the Reese’s Mini Eggs you grab at Easter, along with Reese’s Pieces, currently do not contain milk chocolate, according to their labels. Reese’s Pieces, by the way, became a massive hit after their appearance in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” back in 1982.

Tanner insisted that the decision to revert to real chocolate was in the works long before Reese’s public complaints. He mentioned that a “deep dive across our portfolio” began right when he joined the company in August 2025. Reese, however, scoffed at that claim, pointing out that the issue really blew up around Valentine’s Day this year. He told NBC News, “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.”

In addition to the chocolate changes, Hershey also announced that it’s “on track” to remove all artificial colors from its products by the end of next year. That’s another positive step for those of us who prefer fewer artificial ingredients in our treats. While the company’s full list of affected products wasn’t immediately available, their statement reiterated that the core recipes for Hershey’s chocolate bars and Reese’s peanut butter cups remain unchanged.