Reese's Heir Accuses Hershey of Cutting Corners on Iconic Candy

The grandson of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups inventor says the company has replaced key ingredients, hurting the brand's quality and trust.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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The grandson of H.B. Reese, who invented the iconic Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in 1928, has accused The Hershey Company of replacing milk chocolate and peanut butter with cheaper ingredients in many Reese's products. Brad Reese says the changes have hurt the quality and trust of the Reese's brand, which was built on the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

Why it matters

The Reese's brand is one of Hershey's most valuable and recognizable products, so any perceived changes to the core recipe could significantly impact consumer trust and brand loyalty. This dispute highlights the challenges large food companies face in balancing innovation, cost pressures, and maintaining the integrity of iconic products.

The details

According to Brad Reese, Hershey has replaced milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with peanut crème in multiple Reese's products in recent years. He cites the new Reese's Mini Hearts, which are made with 'chocolate candy and peanut butter crème' instead of milk chocolate and peanut butter, as an example of a product he found 'not edible.' Reese says Hershey has made similar changes to other Reese's items like the Take5 and Fast Break bars.

  • In 2019, Hershey released White Reese's, which were originally made with white chocolate but are now made with white crème.
  • Reese's Peanut Butter Cups sold in Europe, the UK, and Ireland are also different from the US versions, using a 'milk chocolate-flavored coating and peanut butter crème' according to a recent online listing.

The players

Brad Reese

The 70-year-old grandson of H.B. Reese, the inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

H.B. Reese

The inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in 1928, who later sold his candy company to Hershey in 1963.

The Hershey Company

The large American chocolate and confectionery company that owns the Reese's brand.

Milton Hershey

The founder of The Hershey Company, who famously said "Give them quality, that's the best advertising."

Steven Voskuil

The Chief Financial Officer of The Hershey Company, who acknowledged the company has made some formula changes to maintain "taste profile and the specialness of our iconic brands."

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What they’re saying

“I would say in all the changes that we've made thus far, there has been no consumer impact whatsoever. As you can imagine, even on the smallest brand in the portfolio, if we were to make a change, there's extensive consumer testing.”

— Steven Voskuil, Chief Financial Officer, The Hershey Company (Investor Call)

“Give them quality, that's the best advertising.”

— Milton Hershey (Quote)

What’s next

Hershey has said it will continue to monitor consumer feedback and make any necessary adjustments to maintain the quality and integrity of the Reese's brand. Brad Reese has indicated he may take further action to address his concerns about the changes to the iconic peanut butter cup recipe.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the delicate balance large food companies must strike between innovation, cost-cutting, and preserving the core qualities that made their iconic brands successful in the first place. Hershey's handling of this situation could have lasting implications for consumer trust in the Reese's brand.