Reese’s Bites (History & Marketing)

Have you ever had the pleasure of having Reese’s Bites? Reese’s Bites were one of the most delicious offerings that Hershey’s ever had. For some people, the cancellation of this candy is a tragedy that is still felt today. Keep reading to learn more about Reese’s Bites, why they were discontinued, and other delicious Reese’s and Hershey offerings you can try instead!

What Are Reese Bites?

Reese’s Bites was part of a line of candy called Hershey Bites. These were delicious bite-sized candies that came unwrapped in sharing-sized bags. Each bite was circular in nature and contained the taste of a full-sized variety. Reese’s Bites were among the most popular of these Hershey candies. Some other flavors included Hershey cookie bites, Hershey bites, Hershey Pretzel Bites, Kit Kat Bites, Rolo Bites, and Peppermint Patty Bites.

Although these candies were a hit and still, to this day, have followers who constantly demand that Hershey brings these selections back to the public, they have been discontinued for about 15 years. In 2007, Reese’s Bites and the whole line of candy were discontinued.

Why Were Reese’s Bites Discontinued?

There were many factors that this candy came off the market, including the fact that they were not as popular as some other varieties of Reese’s, and Hershey is constantly adding new Reese’s varieties. Since there are so many varieties and only so many customers, they will always consider what sells the best when making business decisions.

However, this candy was ultimately pulled off the market in 2007 because they were a choking hazard. Although this can be true of many forms of candy and food, big companies such as Hershey’s must take this information and analyze the dangers. This is something that probably should have been done before going on the market. Still, since there are other similarly shaped candies like skittles and M&M’s, it probably did not seem like as much of a risk.

However, the problem was not just the shape. First of all, this is a chocolate-covered candy. Hershey’s candy is smooth and silky, which means it is really easy for it to slide around the mouth, and on the tongue, swallowing without chewing became a real possibility. The other issue is the size of each bite. Since each bite is much larger than other similarly shaped candies, it is much more likely that someone, especially a child, could choke on this candy.

What Were Reese’s Bites Designed After?

Like many other candies in this line, Reese’s Bites are designed after the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. The Reese’s Cup itself is almost 100 years old. This delicious and incredibly popular candy bar was invented in 1928 by H.B. Reese, who was a former employee of the Hershey Company. It remained a family company until 1963. In 1956 his 6 sons took over the company, and then in 1963, they sold the Reese’s Cup to The Hershey Company.

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Is The Original The Best?

Of course, this is open for debate. Many people will be originalists, thinking the original is far superior to anything Hershey has come up with since. It is important to note that although The Hershey Company is a long-standing chocolatier and H.B. Reese initially worked for them, they did not create the original; Reese did.

So, all of the other varieties of Reese’s candy, including Reese’s Bites, were a creation of The Hershey Company, not the original inventor of this fan favorite. Some people love the original, and some people love some of the new offerings. Still, most people love a combination of the two.

However, one thing is for sure, without the original, there could have been no other, as each candy bar and treat has been based on the original recipe.

Is This The Only Reese’s Candy Which Was Discontinued?

Sadly, no. As The Hershey Company is always trying new recipes and variations of the iconic Reese’s Cup, they are also discontinuing many varieties that were either always meant to be on the market for a limited time only or ones that turned out to be less popular than they hoped for. Here are some other discontinued Reese’s Candy Bars and Treats:

• Caramel Reese’s Cups: These were like the traditional variety but also had an added layer of caramel filling.
• Crunchy Reese’s Cup: Made for people who love crunchy peanut butter. It has been discontinued and rereleased several times over the years. So depending upon when you look for it, it could be on the market.
• Double Chocolate Reese’s Cup: This variety had a chocolate fudge filling with no peanut butter.
• Crunchy Cookie Cup Reese’s Cup: This candy bar had a peanut butter filling layer and a layer with crushed chocolate cookies.
• Hazelnut Cream Reese’s Cup: This Reese’s Cup had no peanut butter; it was filled with hazelnut cream and was only available in Canada.
• Double Crunch Reese’s Cup: This variety was one cup with a peanut butter filling similar to the peanut butter in the Peanut Butter Snickers Bar.
• Honey Roasted Reese’s Cup: This Reese’s Cup used honey roasted peanut butter instead of the traditional peanut butter used in the classic candy bar.
• Marshmallow Reese’s Cup: This peanut butter cup was a mixture of a peanut butter layer and a marshmallow layer.
• Peanut Butter and Banana Creme Reese’s Cup: This Reese’s variety was a tribute to Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll. It has a layer of peanut butter and banana crème filling.
• Fudge Reese’s Cup: This was the traditional Reese’s Cup covered in chocolate fudge instead of milk chocolate.
• Extra Smooth and Creamy Reese’s Cup: This variety uses creamier peanut butter and smoother chocolate.
• Inside Out Reese’s Cup: This variety had the peanut butter on the outside and the chocolate on the inside.

Other Reese’s Varieties Still Available

At any given time, depending on the season and market demands, there are between 50 – 100 Reese’s candy bars and treats on the market. Here are some of the fan favorites and interesting selections you might want to look for:

• Miniature Reese’s Eggs: Miniature and Full-sized Reese’s in various shapes are most people’s favorite varieties. You can find these varieties for Easter (eggs), Halloween (pumpkins), and Christmas (Trees).
• Miniature Reese’s Cups: Mini Cups are also a big hit. The only downfall for most people is having to unwrap each cup to enjoy it since they are so small.
• Reese’s Sticks and Reese’s Mini Sticks: Think of a Kit Kat and then add peanut butter. This is what the Reese’s Sticks and Mini Sticks are. Delicious sticks of chocolate and peanut buttery goodness.
• Miniature Reese’s Cups Stuffed with Reese’s Pieces: They are exactly what they sound like.
• Reese’s Pieces: Reese’s Pieces have been on the market for decades. They are similar to M&M’s, but instead of milk chocolate hidden between a candy shell, it is peanut butter.
• Fast Break Bar: The Fast Break Bar is like Hershey looked at a Milky Way and wondered how they could make it better.
• Outrageous Bar: The Outrageous Bar is Reese’s version of the Snickers Bar.
• The Bunny: They also offer a chocolate-covered bunny in various sizes during the Easter season. These sizes are usually 5 ounces, 8 ounces, or 1 pound.

What Other Things Does The Hershey Company Offer?

If you love Reese’s and Hershey’s, you might want to know whatever things you can buy from The Hershey Company besides delicious Reese’s Peanut Butter Candy. Here is a partial list of the individual brands (with each brand having multiple products in some cases) that you may be interested in:

• Mounds
• Almond Joy
• Kit Kat
• Mr Goodbar
• PayDay
• Milk Duds
• 5th Avenue
• Bark thins
• Brookside
• Bubble Yum
• Breath Savers
• Jolly Ranchers
• Ice Breakers
• Good & Plenty
• Cadbury
• Heath
• Hershey’s Kisses
• Color
• Skor
• Whatchamacallit
• Symphony
• Twizzlers
• Whoppers
• York Peppermint Pattie
• Zagnut
• Zero

But I Still Want Reese’s Bites

Many people do. But unfortunately, it does not appear that they will be bringing back this variety of candy ever. However, if you really want some, you can always make a homemade copycat recipe today. If you are a good baker or chocolate maker, or you just really want some Reese’s Bites, you should try out the following recipe.

Ingredients

• Milk Chocolate (Milk Chocolate Contains Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milk, Chocolate, and Soya Lecithin (an Emulsifier))
• Partially Defatted Peanuts
• Sugar
• Blend of Vegetable Oils (Contains Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel and Soybean Oils)
• Peanuts
• Dextrose
• Nonfat Milk

Nutrition

Serving Size:	16 pieces (39g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat	105
Calories	203
Total Fat	12g	18%
Saturated Fat	7g	35%
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	2.7mg	1%
Sodium	70mg	3%
Potassium	149mg	4%
Total Carbohydrates	22g	7%
Dietary Fiber	1.2g	5%
Sugars	19g
Protein	4.4g
Vitamin A		0.5%
Vitamin C		0.5%
Calcium		4.4%
Iron		1.8%

• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Copy Cat Reese’s Peanut Butter Bites

Time: 30 Minutes
Yield: 100 Teaspoon sized balls
Ingredients:

• 2 cups of butter, room temperature4 cups of peanut butter, creamy
• 3 cups of peanuts, dry roasted, finely chopped, or ground
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• Chocolate Wafers to melt

Directions:

1. Mix butter and peanut butter until well combined.
2. Stir in the ground peanuts.
3. Gradually add powdered sugar until the batter forms a dough. Add more as needed. It should be non-sticky to the touch.
4. Form dough into balls the size of a teaspoon. You can use a teaspoon scoop if needed.
5. Cool peanut butter balls for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
6. Dip chilled peanut butter balls into the chocolate. Place on parchment or waxed paper to set and cool.
7. Enjoy. Wrap extra peanut butter balls in a sealed container or a freezer bag for storage.