Reese's
An American confectionery brand built around peanut butter enclosed in a chocolate or confectionery coating.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Reese's is an American confectionery brand owned by The Hershey Company and best known for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, a combination of peanut butter filling surrounded by a chocolate coating. The brand originated with H. B. Reese, a former dairy farmer and employee associated with Milton S. Hershey's operations in Hershey, Pennsylvania. After the closure of the Round Barn that he managed, Reese left Hershey's employment and established the H.B. Reese Candy Company in 1923. The company's signature product was created on November 15, 1928. It was initially known as Penny Cups because individual pieces could be purchased for one cent. Reese used Hershey chocolate in his products from the beginning, creating an association between the two businesses that eventually became corporate ownership. Although the H.B. Reese Candy Company made several kinds of candy, the peanut butter cup became its defining product, and Reese ultimately concentrated the business around it. After H. B. Reese died in 1956, ownership passed to his six sons. On July 2, 1963, the Reese brothers merged the H.B. Reese Candy Company with the Hershey Chocolate Corporation through a stock-for-stock transaction. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups subsequently became Hershey's top-selling product in 1969. The Reese business has continued to be maintained within Hershey's operating structure, including through a subsidiary arrangement associated historically with the workforce at the Reese plant in Hershey. Reese's has expanded well beyond the original two-cup format. Its portfolio includes miniature, king-size, Big Cup, Thins, sugar-free and seasonal products, as well as variations using dark chocolate, white creme, caramel, cookies, crunchy peanut butter and other fillings. Holiday shapes such as eggs, pumpkins, trees, hearts, ghosts and other seasonal forms extend the brand's core chocolate-and-peanut-butter proposition into major retail periods. The brand also includes bar products such as Reese's Fast Break, Reese's Sticks, Reese's Whipps and Crispy Crunchy, while adjacent products such as Reese's Puffs cereal are produced through licensing or brand partnerships rather than being identical to the core candy operation. The brand's visual identity is strongly associated with orange packaging, a high-contrast product presentation and the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Its marketing commonly emphasizes the contrast and compatibility of the two flavors. Reese's has become one of the largest confectionery brands in the United States and is distributed in multiple international markets, although the United States has historically accounted for most of its sales. The brand remains active under The Hershey Company, with ongoing product extensions, seasonal launches and reformulation debates forming part of its recent public profile.
History
H. B. Reese established the H.B. Reese Candy Company in 1923 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Before becoming a confectionery entrepreneur, Reese had worked as a dairy farmer and in a supervisory role connected with Hershey's operations. The shutdown of the Round Barn, which Reese managed, led to the loss of his Hershey position in 1919 and helped prompt his decision to establish an independent candy business. Reese's products used Hershey chocolate from an early stage. The company's most important innovation arrived on November 15, 1928, when Reese created a chocolate-covered peanut butter confection. The product was sold as Penny Cups, reflecting its one-cent retail price. It eventually became known as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. While the company initially produced other candy lines, the peanut butter cup became sufficiently successful that Reese increasingly concentrated the business around it. H. B. Reese died in 1956, and control of the company passed to his six sons: Robert, John, Ed, Ralph, Harry and Charles Richard Reese. The family business remained independent for several years, but its commercial relationship with Hershey was longstanding because Reese's products used Hershey chocolate. On July 2, 1963, the Reese brothers combined the H.B. Reese Candy Company with the Hershey Chocolate Corporation in a tax-free stock-for-stock merger. The Reese brand was retained within the Hershey portfolio rather than being eliminated as a separate consumer identity. By 1969, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups had become The Hershey Company's best-selling product. Hershey has continued to operate the Reese business within its corporate system, and the H.B. Reese Candy Company name has been maintained as a subsidiary. The Reese plant also developed a distinct labor history because its workforce was historically non-unionized while the main Hershey plant workforce was unionized. Product development broadened the brand through changes in size, coating, filling and seasonal shape. Miniatures were introduced in 1978, king-size products followed in the 1980s, and Big Cup products evolved from limited-edition offerings into a permanent platform. Additional extensions included Thins, sugar-free cups, dark-chocolate and white-creme versions, caramel cups, cookie inclusions and other limited editions. Seasonal products brought the peanut butter-and-chocolate format into shapes associated with Easter, Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day. The brand also moved into bar and snack formats. Reese's Sticks combined wafers, peanut butter and chocolate; Fast Break added nougat; Whipps used peanut butter nougat; and Crispy Crunchy used flaky peanut butter and chopped peanuts. Reese's products have also appeared in ice cream and snack bars, while General Mills has produced Reese's Puffs cereal under a separate brand relationship. In 2023, Hershey introduced plant-based Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the United States using oat milk in place of dairy milk. Reese's marketing and merchandising have consistently relied on its orange packaging and the recognizable pairing of chocolate with peanut butter. The brand has become a leading U.S. impulse and seasonal confectionery franchise, with particularly strong presence in convenience stores and holiday displays. Its international business is smaller than its U.S. business but includes markets such as Canada and other countries. In the 2020s, public discussion also focused on recipe and coating changes, including Hershey's stated intention to return some products to classic milk- and dark-chocolate recipes.
- 2023
Plant-based cups introduced
[1]Hershey introduced plant-based Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the United States using oat milk.
- 2018
Reese's Thins introduced
[1]The brand introduced a thinner cup positioned as a lighter-format variation. Reese's Thins offered a cup described as approximately 40 percent thinner than the standard product.
- 2011
World's Largest cup introduced
[1]Hershey introduced a novelty cup weighing approximately eight ounces.
- 2003
Big Cup and sugar-free formats developed
[1]The thicker Big Cup moved from limited-edition testing toward a permanent product, while a sugar-free version was introduced.
- 1997
Peanut Butter Hearts launched nationally
[1]The heart-shaped seasonal format became a national product. The heart-shaped Valentine's season product was introduced nationwide.
- 1993
Peanut Butter Pumpkins launched nationally
[1]The Halloween pumpkin format entered national distribution.
- 1978
Miniatures introduced
[1]Bite-size Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were added to the range.
- 1969
Reese's becomes Hershey's top seller
[1]Reese's Peanut Butter Cups became the top-selling product in Hershey's portfolio.
- 1967
Peanut Butter Eggs launched nationally
[1]After Pennsylvania test marketing in 1966, the Easter egg format received a national launch.
- 1963
Merger with Hershey
[1]On July 2, 1963, the H.B. Reese Candy Company merged with the Hershey Chocolate Corporation in a tax-free stock-for-stock transaction.
Products and positioning
Mass-market chocolate confectionery centered on the distinctive combination of peanut butter and chocolate, with strong impulse, sharing, seasonal and format-extension appeal. Mass-market chocolate confectionery centered on the distinctive sweet-and-salty combination of peanut butter and chocolate, supported by strong orange packaging, broad retail distribution, seasonal merchandising and frequent product variations.
Chocolate confectionery · 1928
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
The core Reese's product consists of a peanut butter filling enclosed in a chocolate coating. It is sold in multiple pack sizes and formats, with the familiar two-cup pack serving as the principal expression of the brand. The product has also been adapted with different coatings, fillings and seasonal shapes. A plant-based version replaces dairy milk ingredients with oat milk while retaining the brand's peanut butter cup structure; it was introduced in the United States as an expansion for consumers seeking a non-dairy formulation. The plant-based version replaces dairy milk ingredients with oat milk while retaining the brand's peanut butter cup structure. It was introduced in the United States as an expansion for consumers seeking a non-dairy formulation. The flagship product consists of a peanut butter center enclosed in a chocolate coating. It is sold in individual two-cup packs, multipacks, bags and other retail configurations. The standard product is associated with milk chocolate, orange packaging and the characteristic contrast between creamy peanut butter and chocolate.
Chocolate confectionery · 2003
Reese's Big Cup
Big Cup is a thicker, larger-format peanut butter cup. Initially appearing in limited editions in 2003, it became a permanent part of the portfolio in 2005. Variants have included caramel, pretzels, potato chips, Reese's Pieces, Reese's Puffs, cookie pieces and chocolate-lava filling. A thicker version of the traditional cup. Big Cup has served as a platform for inclusions and limited editions, including caramel, pretzels, potato chips, Reese's Pieces, Reese's Puffs, cookie pieces and chocolate-lava filling.
Chocolate confectionery · 1978
Reese's Miniatures
Small, individually wrapped or bagged versions of the peanut butter cup. Miniatures are sold in everyday and seasonal packaging and are commonly used in sharing bags and holiday assortments.
Chocolate confectionery · 2018
Reese's Thins
A thinner version of the standard cup, designed to provide the brand's familiar flavor profile in a lower-profile format. It was described as approximately 40 percent thinner than the original cup.
Seasonal confectionery · 1966
Reese's Seasonal Shapes
Seasonal shapes adapt the standard product into eggs, pumpkins, hearts, trees, ghosts, bats, bells, bunnies, snowmen, Santas, footballs and other forms. These products are merchandised around Easter, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day and sports seasons. The shapes and packaging change by season while retaining the peanut butter-and-coating concept. A broad family of holiday and event products using shapes such as hearts, eggs, pumpkins, ghosts, bats, trees, bells, bunnies, snowmen, Santas and footballs. The shapes and packaging change by season while retaining the peanut butter-and-coating concept.
Chocolate bar · 2001
Reese's Fast Break
Fast Break combines peanut butter with nougat and a chocolate coating. It was introduced in the United States and Canada in 2001. In Canada, the product was later revived as Reese's + Nougat after an earlier discontinuation.
Wafer confectionery · 1998
Reese's Sticks
Reese's Sticks are paired wafer bars filled with peanut butter and covered in chocolate. The product uses a layered, crisp texture distinct from the cup format and is commonly sold in multipacks. It was launched in 1998.
Breakfast cereal
Reese's Puffs
Reese's Puffs is a corn-based breakfast cereal inspired by the flavor profile of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. It is manufactured and distributed in the United States by General Mills through a brand relationship rather than being the same product as Hershey's core candy line. A corn-based breakfast cereal inspired by the flavor identity of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. In the United States it is manufactured and distributed by General Mills under a brand extension arrangement.
Size variation · 1987
Reese's King Size
A larger multi-cup format designed for convenience and impulse retail. It was introduced in the 1980s and became one of the brand's important convenience-channel products.
Frozen dessert
Reese's Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Ice cream products combining chocolate and peanut butter flavors with pieces or miniature versions of Reese's cups. Availability and manufacturing arrangements vary by market.
Controversies
2026
Dispute over recipe and coating changes
Brad Reese, a grandson of H. B. Reese, criticized alleged changes to the formulation of some Reese's products. Hershey disputed the criticism while acknowledging recipe adjustments. Kirk Tanner subsequently said that a chocolate coating compound had been used on several products and that the company intended to return some products to classic milk- and dark-chocolate recipes by 2027.
2026
Dispute over reported formulation changes
Brad Reese, a grandson of H. B. Reese, criticized reported changes to the formulation of some Reese's products. Hershey disputed the criticism, while later reporting attributed an acknowledgment to CEO Kirk Tanner that a chocolate coating compound had been substituted on several products and that classic recipes would be restored in the future.
2015
Christmas tree shape criticized by consumers
Consumers criticized the appearance of the Reese's Christmas Tree product on social media, arguing that its shape was too vague to resemble a Christmas tree.
Marketing campaigns
- Seasonal shape merchandising
United States · Canada · Other markets
Reese's uses holiday-specific shapes, colors and packaging for Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas. The approach keeps the core product recognizable while creating occasion-based retail displays and limited-time purchase opportunities. Seasonal products became an important part of the brand's retail and convenience-channel presence.
Outcome. Seasonal products became an important part of the brand's retail and convenience-channel presence.
- Orange-packaging brand identity
United States · International markets
The brand consistently uses distinctive orange packaging and recognizable Reese's visual assets to support rapid identification in crowded confectionery aisles and impulse-sale environments. The visual system became closely associated with the brand's national and international recognition.
Outcome. The visual system became closely associated with the brand's national and international recognition.
Brand decisions
2026
Plan a return toward classic chocolate recipesGeneration changeBackground
Public criticism followed reports that some Reese's products had changed their coating formulation.
Action taken
Hershey reportedly stated that it would begin reverting selected products toward classic milk- and dark-chocolate recipes by 2027.
Aftermath
The issue created a formulation and brand-consistency controversy; the reported restoration plan was not yet complete at the time of the reference material.
2023
Introduce plant-based Peanut Butter CupsProduct launchBackground
Consumer demand for products made without conventional dairy ingredients created an opportunity to extend the core Reese's proposition.
Action taken
Hershey launched Reese's Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups using oat milk in the United States.
Aftermath
The launch expanded the brand's product architecture beyond conventional dairy-based chocolate formulations. The brand gained a plant-based product option while retaining its established peanut butter and chocolate-style positioning.
2003
Make Big Cup a permanent platformProduct launchBackground
A thicker cup had been tested in limited editions.
Action taken
Hershey moved Big Cup toward permanent availability and subsequently used it for multiple inclusions and flavor variants.
Aftermath
Big Cup became one of the best-known extensions of the original cup format.
1963
Merger with the Hershey Chocolate CorporationM&ABackground
The Reese family business had a longstanding commercial connection with Hershey through its use of Hershey chocolate.
Action taken
The Reese brothers merged the H.B. Reese Candy Company into the Hershey Chocolate Corporation through a tax-free stock-for-stock transaction.
Aftermath
Reese's remained a distinct brand within Hershey and became Hershey's top-selling product by 1969.
1963
Merge the Reese candy business with HersheyM&ABackground
After the death of H. B. Reese, the company was owned by his six sons and had become centered on the peanut butter cup business.
Action taken
The Reese brothers merged the H.B. Reese Candy Company with the Hershey Chocolate Corporation in a stock-for-stock transaction.
Aftermath
Reese's became a major Hershey brand while continuing to retain a distinct identity and subsidiary operating history.
1928
Launch of the peanut butter cupProduct launchBackground
H. B. Reese's independent candy company was producing multiple confectionery products and had access to Hershey chocolate.
Action taken
Reese introduced a peanut butter filling enclosed in chocolate, initially selling it as Penny Cups.
Aftermath
The product became the company's defining line and eventually led Reese to discontinue other candy lines.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Hershey unveils 2026 Halloween candy lineup with over 20 new products[3]
The Hershey Company announced its 2026 Halloween lineup, dubbed "Hersheyween," featuring over 20 new products. The lineup includes Reese's seasonal shapes such as Reese's Pumpkins and new sweet-and-salty combinations like Reese's Dipped Pretzels and Animal Crackers, as well as salty snacks including Pirate's Booty Boos & Bites and LesserEvil Pumpkin Spice Popcorn.
- Unconfirmed
Reese's opens fictional online university to fans[4]
Reese's announced that it was accepting students at the fictional Reese's University, a fan-engagement initiative offering a fan community, branded merchandise and other surprises.
Reported
HipDot and Reese’s collaborate on makeup collection[5]
HipDot Cosmetics teamed up with the Reese’s brand to create a limited-edition makeup collection.
Sources5 sources
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