In honour of I Love Reese’s Day, we wanted to take you on a sweet journey of the evolution of past, present & future Reese's candies. Before we get started on that mouth-watering journey, let's go over a brief history of the Reese’s brand.
As one of the most popular chocolates in the US, this brand has garnered many Reese’s fans all over the globe with its deliciously delectable peanut butter chocolate cups and who can blame them? They’re irresistible!
H.B. Reese is who we have to thank for the brilliance of Reese’s chocolate. H.B. Reese was employed with Hershey’s Company when he started his own confectionary brand in his basement. After inventing the infamous Reese’s cup in 1928, the chocolatey peanut candy became a fan fav! When Hershey’s got word of this creation, they quickly realized H.B. had struck gold. They then became Reese’s sole chocolate supplier to coat the cups with their signature milk chocolate. They would later go on to acquire the Reese’s brand after H.B. 's sons took over the company.
To really showcase how popular this candy was (and still is) among candy lovers, in 2012 it was the best selling candy in the United States with more than $2.603 billion in sales. In the same year, the lusciously tasty chocolate cups became the fourth best selling candy globally, garnering $2.679 billion in sales!! Imagine having that kind of impact so many decades later!
With more than 90 years of rich history, there is no denying the amazing impact and scrumptious chocolate Reese’s has produced. So we wanted to take you on a seriously sweet journey showcasing some of Reese’s most innovative Reese’s products that would make anyone's taste buds tingle!
We’re starting off with a few past variations of the Reese’s peanut butter cups you might’ve never heard of before, but you’re gonna wish you did.
Double Chocolate: Released in 2006, this Reese’s cup substituted the peanut butter filling for chocolate fudge – making it entirely made up of chocolate fudge. Not what you’d expect from a Reese’s cup, but we know it was delicious regardless.
Honey Roasted: If you were shopping for Reese’s in the early 2000’s, you may have come across the Honey Roasted Reese’s cup. The honey roasted peanut butter filling was everything you’d hoped it would be, adding a sweet kick to the peanut butter. This made a surprising comeback in 2017, but is sadly now discontinued.
Crunchy Cookie Cup: 1997 brought us the Crunchy Cookie Cup, where the filling had a layer of crushed chocolate cookies. Although it was discontinued two years later, Hershey’s brought it back in 2017 & now sells it in a Big Cup known as Big Cup Crunchy Cookie!
Marshmallow: This Reese’s cup had a layer of marshmallow in the peanut butter filling, and just thinking about it is making our mouths water!! Released in 2007, this fun take on a s’more-like cup is now only available during the Easter season. As much as we'd love these all year 'round, patience is a virtue, they say.
Peanut Butter & Banana Creme: First released in 2007, this unique cup was a tribute to Elvis Presley and his love for peanut butter & banana sandwiches! This cup was layered with chocolate, banana creme & the traditional peanut butter filling. Unfortunately, it is now discontinued, but we think it should've definitely made a comeback when the Elvis movie was in theaters.
Now moving forward in our timeline, here are a few examples of innovative flavours Reese’s offers today.
White Creme: Launched in 2003, the white creme cup is coated in white chocolate, instead of the traditional milk chocolate and of course still includes the peanut butter filling.
Size Variations: Reese’s has a variety of sizes for their traditional peanut butter cups, from thin sizes to Big Cups that are filled with more peanut butter filling, making the cup extra thick. Typically the Big Cups can be found with different flavours and sweet additions to the cup. There are Big Cups with Reese’s Puffs, potato chips & even pretzels.
Reese’s Zero Sugar: If you’re looking for an alternative to the sugar in an average Reese’s product, the Zero Sugar cups are the perfect snack for individuals with health restrictions.
Their most recent launch of products was frozen based snacks like ice cream cones, bars and sandwiches. In a statement made by senior director of Reese’s brand, Ian Norton, he states “At Reese’s we are always inventing new ways for fans to enjoy our iconic combination of chocolate and peanut butter. The new Reese’s frozen treats are the ultimate sweet and salty, chocolate and peanut butter experience.”
As for the future, we may not know what Reese’s has in store for their products, but one thing we can be certain of is the innovation and quality that will go into each new release.
We are excited to see how the Reese’s brand continues to evolve in the upcoming years, and can’t wait to come back and update you on what's new in the world of Reese’s!
So what has been your favourite special edition Reese’s that you’ve tried? Let us know if there's a fun variation you want to try next!
Happy I Love Reese’s Day!!!