Review: I Tried Reese's Pieces With Chocolate Cookies And Was Eating Them By The Handful

In the world of Hershey chocolate products, Reese's stands above the rest. Whether your favorite is the original cups, you like the crunch of a Take 5 bar, or you snarf down the mini cups by the handful, there's not much to complain about with the sweet-savory combo of peanut butter and chocolate. Hand to my heart, though, the best Reese's candy has to be the melt-in-your-mouth Reese's Pieces. They're slightly crunchy from the candy shell, but filled with smooth peanut buttery goodness inside. Even without a bit of chocolate, they're perfectly balanced and totally delicious.

My family frequently puts Reese's candies in stockings over the holidays, and buys the carrot-shaped Reese's Pieces packages by the basketful around Easter. Now, Reese's is hoping to elevate its snacking game by introducing its first update to the classic Reese's Pieces candies in the U.S. in more than a decade. The candy purveyor is releasing Reese's Pieces with Chocolate Cookie nationwide this summer (the sweet snack has previously been available in Canada), and promises that Reese's fans will love the blend of smooth peanut butter with a crunchy chocolate cookie center. 

It's no chore to taste-test new candy arrivals — especially if the trusty Reese's orange is anywhere on the label. I tried the latest offering to see if the new U.S. addition was worth the 10-year wait, or if it will eventually join the list of Reece's candies that have been discontinued over the years.

I received a sample of the soon-to-be-released Reese's Pieces with Chocolate Cookie from Hershey. After receiving the top-secret pack in the mail (the flavor wasn't released to customers yet), I took some photos and taste-tested a handful. Or five.

I evaluated the candies based on taste, texture, and how "snackable" they seemed — a major selling point in Hershey's promotions of the new kid on the Reese's block. I also considered how they compared to the beloved original Reese's Pieces. I noted cost and nutrition facts as well, though those were not major factors in my review.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

My first impression of the new Reese's Pieces with Chocolate Cookie was that they were significantly bigger than the original candies. You only need two or three for a mouthful of crunchy candy goodness. I popped one into my mouth and was surprised by how clearly the distinct Reese's Pieces flavor came through, but this time it was paired with a delightful crunch factor from the cookie piece in the middle.

The candy-cookie combo is only improved by the fact that it's also a mash-up of chocolate and peanut butter — arguably the best dessert pairing around. The chocolate cookie didn't distract from the peanut butter flavor — it wasn't very strong on its own. But it enhanced the sweet and nutty flavors that Reese's Pieces already have, making me want to reach back into the bag for another taste.

The new Reese's Pieces with cookie-fied centers has a much larger emphasis on texture change, in my opinion, than in flavor. The chocolate adds a new flavor profile, but it's not overwhelmingly different from what you expect in a Reese's Pieces. If you gave me a piece with no explanation, I'd know I was supposed to be eating some iteration of Reese's Pieces based on the bedrock flavor profile. That said, the new crunchy element the cookies add is unmistakable. If you like bars like Take 5 (an underrated candy, according to Reddit) because of the texture variations, the new Reese's Pieces are worth a try.

Though the new Reese's Pieces with Chocolate Cookie are noticeably larger than the original, the texture is the biggest difference between the two. The original candies have a touch of crunch from the candy shell, but it's nothing compared to the satisfying crunch that the Reese's Pieces with added cookies now has. While the originals are smooth and nutty, the new version adds an element of chocolate crunch — somewhat like a chocolate biscuit — at the core of each bite.

Because each of the new candies has a larger surface area, the candy coating is more pronounced than in the original Reese's Pieces. I don't mind that flavor or texture, so it didn't detract from the overall flavor for me. But if you're already on the fence about the candy shell on the regular Reese's Pieces, you might find the new candies have a bit too much of that coating. The first few pieces feel a little bit like sticking mini jawbreakers into your mouth — with a much tastier center.

Both versions balance the sweetness of the candy well, but in different ways. The original Reese's Pieces have a dominant peanut butter flavor, and the savory notes from that nutty ingredient keep the sugar content in check. In the newer version with cookie pieces, the chocolate center isn't cloyingly sweet, allowing the crisp texture to take center stage rather than tasting like a sugar bomb.

In my view, the two versions of Reese's Pieces candies serve different purposes. If you're looking for the comfort of a familiar sweet treat that boasts a smooth peanut butter flavor, the OG candies will hit the spot. If I were going to make chocolate cookies and wanted to add peanut butter instead of the usual grocery store chocolate chips, I'd also reach for the original Reese's Pieces.

Hershey said it aimed to create a more snackable version with its new offering of the Reese's Pieces with Chocolate Cookie, and I think the company accomplished that in spades. I don't make a habit of snacking on candy, but the crunchy cookie centers of the new Reese's Pieces were a lot more tempting than the original in that regard. It also felt less like eating candy because of that crunchiness. I had a hard time ripping my hand from the bag, and I caught my husband sneaking back into the kitchen for multiple handfuls, too.

If your sweet tooth requires some texture variation, the cookie-laden Reese's Pieces might be more satisfying than the original version. I don't always enjoy the taste of commercially-made chocolate cookies, but the expert peanut butter pairing in these candies is a toothsome delight. If you gave me a bag of these and a bowl of popcorn on movie night, I'd be a happy camper.

If you want to get your hands on these little crunchy delights to see if you agree with me (for science's sake, of course), you'll need to practice the virtue of patience for a bit longer. Reese's Pieces with chocolate cookies releases nationwide on Friday, July 17 — just in time for a candified update to your beach snacks for the second half of the summer.

You'll be able to find pouches of the new candies in all major retailers that carry Reese's products, with king-sized packaging to come later in 2026. You'll also be able to order directly from Hershey's site on July 25, according to a press release from the company. 

Pricing will vary by retailer and location, but my local Target lists pouches of regular Reese's Pieces, Reese's Thins, and Reese's Minis for $6.39. I'd expect a similar price point for these newcomers, even if the size of the pouch is slightly different from the others.

Candy is candy at the end of the day, and the new Reese's Pieces won't be winning any awards from dietitians. It seems like Reese's attempted to make the nutritional value of these new Reese's Pieces candies similar to the originals, however. In moderation, they're pretty much no different than any other candy in your stash. The main difference is that the bigger candies mean a smaller number of them per serving (13 pieces for the ones with cookie centers, instead of 38 pieces in the original box).

Both versions have 140 calories per serving, with similar values for sugar content (16 to 17 grams of added sugar). There is less saturated fat in the ones with cookie pieces — 23% of the recommended daily value instead of 30% in the original candies — perhaps from a smaller amount of peanut butter filling.

I found it curious that Hershey chose to keep Red Dye 40 in its new candies for this rollout, particularly since competitors like Mars are debuting new lineups for products such as M&Ms that won't include artificial dyes. Why not use a probably-popular product rollout to introduce a new color scheme, too? I assume the same candy shell recipe is used across both Reese's Pieces lines, which means any redevelopment could take some time. That said, the Reese's Pieces with Chocolate Cookie are delectable with or without new hues, and I'll be looking for them on shelves when my current supply runs out.