A one-pound REESES Peanut Butter Cup is filled with your favorite mix-ins and fresh peanut butter in our most popular experience. Review the list of REESES Peanut Butter Cup ingredients below.
THESE INGREDIENTS CONTAIN ALLERGENS, AND ALL CUPS ARE MADE ON THE SAME PRODUCTION LINE. THIS IS INFORMATION FOR ANY COMBINATION OF FINISHED CUP ON THE DATE OF PURCHASE PEOPLE ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS, TREE NUTS, MILK, EGG, SOY, AND/OR WHEAT SHOULD NOT CONSUME THESE PRODUCTS.
Reese’s peanut butter cups are a beloved candy classic enjoyed by millions. The combination of creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate is simply irresistible. But if you avoid pork for dietary, religious or personal reasons, you may be wondering: Does Reese’s actually contain pork products? Let’s find out.
A Brief History of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
The story of Reese’s peanut butter cups begins in 1928 when Harry Burnett “H.B.” Reese invented the candy. Reese worked at a dairy farm owned by Milton S. Hershey the founder of Hershey’s chocolate. Inspired by Hershey’s chocolate Reese began experimenting with peanut butter fillings encased in Hershey’s chocolate coating.
Reese started making his peanut butter cups by hand, gaining popularity locally in Pennsylvania In 1963, the Hershey Company purchased the Reese brand and began mass distribution across America, cementing Reese’s place in candy history
What Were the Original Ingredients in Reese’s?
Old-fashioned candy recipes tended to have far fewer synthetic chemicals compared to modern brands. Looking back at vintage Reese’s packaging from the 1950s and 60s reveals the original simple ingredients:
Peanut Butter Filling
- Roasted peanuts
- Sugar
- Hydrogenated vegetable oil
- Salt
Milk Chocolate Coating
- Milk chocolate
- Sugar
- Cocoa butter
- Chocolate liquor
- Milk fat
- Soy lecithin
- Vanilla
As you can see, no pork products like lard were part of Reese’s classic peanut butter cup recipe. The filling used real peanuts while the coating relied on cocoa butter for a creamy texture.
How Did Reese’s Ingredients Evolve Over Time?
While Reese’s started with basic whole ingredients, over the decades more artificial and processed components made their way in. Here’s an overview of how the recipe changed:
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1970s: Hydrogenated vegetable oil replaced with partially hydrogenated oil containing trans fats.
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1980s: High fructose corn syrup added as a cheap sugar substitute. More emulsifiers and stabilizers included.
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1990s: Advanced emulsifiers like PGPR lengthened shelf life.
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2000s: Artificial flavors and preservatives like TBHQ became standard.
So Reese’s moved away from their 9 original ingredients to around 30 components today. Many consumers want a return to more natural recipes. But did this transformation ever introduce pork?
Does Today’s Reese Ingredients List Contain Pork?
Examining current Reese’s peanut butter cup ingredients provides clues to the pork question:
Peanut Butter Filling
- Roasted peanuts
- Sugar
- Dextrose
- Hydrogenated vegetable oil
- Salt
- TBHQ
Milk Chocolate Coating
- Sugar
- Chocolate liquor
- Cocoa butter
- Milk fat
- Soy lecithin
- PGPR
No pork products like lard are included. The filling still uses peanuts, sugar and vegetable oil. And the coating relies on cocoa butter for a creamy texture rather than animal fat.
Why You Won’t Find Pork in Reese’s Products
Given the evolution of Reese’s recipes over the decades, the lack of pork makes sense when considering:
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Taste: Introducing pork may negatively impact the iconic chocolate and peanut butter flavors.
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Texture: Ingredients like cocoa butter and vegetable oils already provide the desired consistency without pork.
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Kosher status: Most Hershey’s products, including Reese’s, are certified Kosher, and pork does not meet Kosher dietary standards.
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Vegetarian appeal: Pork ingredients would discourage vegetarian consumers from enjoying Reese’s.
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Peanut flavor: The signature peanut taste comes from real peanuts rather than pork substitutes.
Ultimately, the ingredients that define Reese’s remain peanuts, chocolate and sugar. Pork products would detract rather than enhance their classic candy profile.
Can You Enjoy Reese’s Guilt-Free?
While Reese’s no longer uses simplistic whole food recipes, pork has never appeared on their ingredient list. Those avoiding pork for medical, religious or personal reasons can continue to enjoy these nostalgic treats in moderation.
However, it’s still smart to moderate candy consumption due to the high sugar content. When an occasional sweet craving strikes, reach for a Reese’s cup to get your chocolate-peanut butter fix without the mystery pork! Reese’s may have come a long way from its early Pennsylvania shop days, but it thankfully remains a confection to satisfy both vintage and modern candy lovers alike.
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REESE’S Cup & Cup Butter
INGREDIENTS: PEANUTS, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, SALT, TBHQ & CITRIC ACID (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS). CONTAINS: PEANUTS. Ingredient(s) derived from a bioengineered source.
INGREDIENTS: MILK CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, MILK, CHOCOLATE, COCOA BUTTER, MILK FAT, LECITHIN (SOY), PGPR, NATURAL FLAVOR). CONTAINS: MILK, SOY. Ingredient(s) derived from a bioengineered source.
SALT, MOLASSES, CORNSTARCH, WHOLE GRAIN CORN, SUGAR, REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER (PEANUTS, SUGAR, MONOGLYCERIDES, PEANUT OIL, SALT), DEXTROSE, CORN MEAL, CORN SYRUP, CANOLA OIL, SALT, COCOA, CARAMEL COLOR, TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE, NATURAL CONTAINS: WHEAT, PEANUTS.
Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, skim milk, milk fat, lactose, soy lecithin, PGPR), peanuts, sugar, dextrose, salt, and TBHQ are some of the things that go into it. ⓊD CONTAINS: PEANUTS, MILK, SOY. Ingredient(s) derived from a bioengineered source.
Some of the things that go into making this product are partially defatted peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil (palm kernel oil, soy bean oil), corn syrup solids, dextrin, reduced protein wheat milk, and 2% or less of palm kernel oil, salt, vanillin, artificial flavor, and lecithin (soy). ⓊD CONTAINS: PEANUTS, MILK, SOY. Contains a bioengineered food ingredient.
INGREDIENTS: PEANUTS, PEANUT OIL, SUGAR, SALT, CORNSTARCH. Ⓤ CONTAINS: PEANUTS.
The following ingredients are used to make this product: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, sugar, cocoa; it also has 2% or less of the following: potassium sorbate (to keep it fresh), salt, xanthan gum, mono- and diglycerides, polysorbate 60, and vanillin (an artificial flavor). ⓊD Ingredient(s) derived from a bioengineered source.
The following ingredients are used: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sweetened condensed skim milk (skim milk, sugar), water, and 2% or less of sodium phosphate and natural flavors. ⓊD CONTAINS: MILK. Contains a bioengineered food ingredient.
Following are the ingredients that go into making milk chocolate: sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milk fat, PGPR, natural flavor; sugar; contains 2% or less of the following: cornstarch, corn syrup, artificial color (red, yellow, and blue lakes); confectioners’ sugar; gum acacia; and camu camu wax. ⓊD CONTAINS: MILK, SOY. Contains a bioengineered food ingredient.
FLOUR THAT HAS BEEN ADDED TO, SUGAR, AND VEGETABLE OIL (PALM OIL) Ⓤ CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY.
The following ingredients are used: sugar, bleached white flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), soy oil, cacao processed with alkali, and 2% or less of baking soda, egg whites, monocalcium phosphate, and natural vanilla extract. ⓊD CONTAINS: MILK, EGGS, WHEAT. MAY CONTAIN: SOY.
INGREDIENTS: SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, COCOA BUTTER, MILK FAT, LECITHIN (SOY), NATURAL FLAVOR). ⓊD CONTAINS: MILK, SOY. Ingredient(s) derived from a bioengineered source.
The following ingredients are used: corn syrup, sugar, modified cornstarch, dextrin, water; it also contains 2% or less of the following: gelatin, tetrasodium pyrophosphiate (a preservative), natural and artificial flavorings, and artificial color (blue 201).
INGREDIENTS: CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, WATER, FISH GELATIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE, BLUE #1. Ⓤ.
INGREDIENTS:%20SUGAR,%20CORNSTARCH,%20VEGETABLE%20OIL%20(PALM%20OIL,%20PALM%20KERNEL%20OIL),%20CONTAINS%202%%20OR%20LESS%20OF:%20LECITHIN%20(SOY),%20DEXTRIN,%20CONFECTIONER%E2%80%99S%20GLAZE,%20CARNAUBA%20WAX,%20BAKING%20SODA,%20COLOR%20ADDED%20(RADISH%20JUICE,%20APPLE%20JUICE,%20ANNATTO%20EXTRACT,%20BLUEBERRY%20JUICE,%20CHERRY%20JUICE,%20SWEET%20POTATO%20JUICE,%20BLACK%20CARROT%20JUICE,%20PAPRIKA%20EXTRACT,%20SPIRULINA%20EXTRACT,%20TURMERIC%20EXTRACT),%20CITRIC%20ACID Ⓤ CONTAINS: SOY. Contains a bioengineered food ingredient.
Included are WATER, MALT (TAPIOCA SYRUP, MALT EXTRACT), CANOLA OIL, SALT, YEAST, BROMELAIN, AND BAKING SODA. The flour is fortified with niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, and folate acid. CONTAINS: WHEAT.
THE INGREDIENTS ARE: sugar, skim milk, hydrogenated vegetable oil (palm kernel oil, soybean oil, palm oil), palm kernel oil, contains 2% or less of: soy lecithin, salt, and artificial flavor ⓊD CONTAINS: SOY. Contains a bioengineered food ingredient.
INGREDIENTS: PEANUTS, SALT. CONTAINS: PEANUTS.
INGREDIENTS: POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (SUNFLOWER OIL, CORN OIL, &/OR CANOLA OIL), SALT. Ⓤ
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FAQ
Do reeses have animal products?
Are Reese’s pieces halal or haram?
Does peanut butter have pork in it?
What are the ingredients in Reese’s?
Are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Real?
Ultimately, the claims presented in Wolfe’s post rely on outdated, irrelevant, or factually incomplete information. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups do, along with many other foods, contain the listed ingredients. This point, however, is close to the only factual one made by the author of the post.
Do Reese’s candies have peanut butter?
Whether in the form of peanut butter cups, pieces, or minis, the signature combination of chocolate and peanut butter in Reese’s candies can be hard to resist.
Are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups PGPR or TBHQ?
The Organic Reese’s is closer to the original Reese’s recipe. Below are some yummy Peanut Butter Cups which have no PGPR, no TBHQ, no Citric Acid, no Hydrogenated Oils, no Soybean Oil or Added Flavors.
What is in a one pound Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup?
In our fan favorite experience, a one-pound REESE’S Peanut Butter Cup is stuffed with your favorite mix-ins and fresh peanut cup butter. Review the list of REESE’S Peanut Butter Cup ingredients below.