The Staggering Number Of Brands Owned By Hershey

Founded in 1894 by Milton Hershey, The Hershey Company owns many more brands than just its signature chocolate bar brand, and Heshey is the brand of chocolate most eaten in the United States. The chocolate and candy company began with selling a simple bar of milk chocolate, followed a few years later by foil-wrapped dollops of chocolates, and then almost two decades later came the debut of the peanut-studded Mr. Goodbar. In 1963, Hershey acquired the H.B. Reese Candy Company, known for its namesake peanut butter cups, and started distribution of York Peppermint Patties over a decade later. It isn't until 1977 that Hershey acquired its first non-chocolate brand, Y&S Licorice, and began expanding its candy empire with Twizzlers. In 1979, the company reached $1 billion in annual sales, which would equate to almost $4.5 billion in 2026, a staggering amount of sales. 

From the 1980s and on, the company continued to acquire more and more companies, which bolstered its growing portfolio of brands far beyond a basic milk chocolate bar. While familiar brands like Hershey's Kisses and Cookies 'n' Creme may be obvious, there are some savory snacks and even a couple of protein bar brands included in The Hershey Company's portfolio of a whopping 36 different brands, including a surprise brand with a supersized basketball player. Read on to find out exactly which brands are under The Hershey Company's gigantic brand umbrella. 

Starting with a brand that you might not be overly familiar with, 5th Avenue candy bars have a crunchy peanut butter filling, which slightly resembles a Butterfinger bar but has a more caramel or toffee-like flavor. The crunchy filling is enveloped in a chocolate coating and packaged in a retro-style wrapper. 

Depending on their feelings about coconut, many candy eaters either love or hate Almond Joy. The chewy, sweet coconut center is topped with whole almonds then coated in chocolate. The sweet treat even inspired the best International Delight's coffee creamer flavor. 

Despite the name, these are treats for humans rather than dogs, and barkTHINS are referred to as "snacking chocolate". The thin pieces of chocolate, often studded with nuts, sea salt, and even pretzels, joined the ranks of the Hershey brand in 2016, making barkTHINS a relatively recent addition for The Hershey Company. 

Breath Savers Mints are sugar free mints that come in in a few flavors and formats, like wintergreen, spearmint, and peppermint. Humans have been concerned with fresh breath for centuries upon centuries, and according to the brand, the mints have been clinically proven to "neutralize" bad breath rather than just cover it up. 

BROOKSIDE Dark Chocolate is part of our list of ten Costco candies you haven't tried yet. The brand makes candies with chewy, fruit-flavored centers that are covered in dark chocolate, using fruit flavors like Morello cherries, blueberries, and goji and raspberry. 

A huge part of one of the biggest candy trends of the 1980s, Bubble Yum bubble gum still uses the iconic white punk rock duck with a nose piercing, pink mohawk, and spiked collar on it's packaging. Bubble Yum products include original and cotton candy bubble gum, as well as lollipops with a gum center. 

Known widely for its creme eggs, Cadbury is the big brand name behind the first ever box of chocolates. With the United States license acquired by The Hershey Company in 1988, the brand has been making chocolate-covered treats for the masses in the U.S. ever since. 

Meant to mimic the flavor of milk and cookies, the Hershey's bar you can use as an ultra-sweet chocolate chip substitute in baking. Made with something other than white chocolate, the cookie-based treat is available in bars, candy coated "drops", and foil-wrapped Kisses. 

A distinctly savory offering from the chocolate-centric Hershey company, Dot's Homestyle Pretzels became an iconic, craveable snack. Dot's Homestyle Pretzels offerings include seasoned pretzel twists like parmesan garlic and honey mustard, along with a snack mix reminiscent of another famous cereal brand's classic snack mix.

Another protein bar in The Hershey Company's lineup is Fulfil, which might be the best protein bar brand on store shelves because they taste like candy. Each bar has 20 grams of protein, and come in flavors like Reese's chocolate peanut butter, chocolate hazlenut, and chocolate salted caramel. 

To many, it might be not much more than a disgusting movie theater candy, but Good & Plenty licorice candies have been a part of The Hershey Company since 1996. While the candy-coated licorice may be a divisive treat, it certainly offers a nostalgic flavor for some candy aficionados.  

Heath English toffee bars have been around since 1928, but they came into the Hershey family in 1996. Some may attribute the candy bar to the worst Dairy Queen blizzard flavor (although as a child in the '90s, Heath blizzards were a favorite for some of us), but it's hard to go wrong with a simple candy bar of English toffee covered in silky chocolate. 

First launched in 1900 with its signature branded rectangles, Hersey's candy bar is a blueprint for all other candy bars, but in modern times, that might actually be a bad thing. Over the years, the quality of the chocolate used in Hersey's chocolate bars has gone downhill and the bar no longer stands up on its own, taste-wise. 

There's a reason Hershey's Kisses are packaged in that iconic foil, and it has to do with keeping the chocolate inside safe. Up until 1921, each Kiss was hand-wrapped in foil, but the brand is one of Milton Hershey's earliest creations, debuting in 1907. 

Ice Breakers became part of The Hershey Company's repertoire in 2000, and the powerful mints come in both mint and gum form. With a wide array of flavors from peppermint to arctic grape to a fruity mix, there's a minty-fresh flavor for almost anyone. 

Jolly Ranchers started out as a beloved hard candy that takes its name from a friendly Colorado ice cream store. The brand has evolved beyond just brightly colored hard candies in classic flavors to include gummies, sour gummies, candy ropes, and even freeze-dried candies. 

Kit Kat bars actually started in England in 1935, where they used to be called Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp, but the original name didn't have the same ring to it as Kit Kat now does. While flavors like matcha from Japan are lauded, it's no surprise that the original Kit Kat flavor is the best. 

Lily's chocolate bars, gummies, peanut butter cups, and baking chocolate bars boast many facts on their labels, like no sugar added, certified gluten free, and Fair Trade Certified. But unfortunately, according to our taste test, Lily's is the worst baking chocolate brand on store shelves, so tread carefully if using Lily's chocolate for your next baking project.

Acquired by Hershey in 1996, Milk Duds are rounds of caramel coated in milk chocolate and are a classic movie theater candy. The outer chocolate layer melts away revealing a chewy caramel center that's likely to get stuck in your teeth. 

A cousin to Almond Joy, Mounds are bars of sweetened shredded coconut covered in dark chocolate that lack the signature almonds that Almond Joy bars have. Perfect for those with a specific almond allergy, they are a simple bar for anyone looking for a sweet and slightly tropical treat. 

Ranking almost dead center in our list of 50 classic Halloween candies, Mr. Goodbar harkens back to a simpler time. Created by Milton Hershey in 1925, the century-old candy bar is not much more than simple milk chocolate and roasted peanuts. 

The second protein bar in the Hershey's brand catalogue is ONE, also known as One Brands. The "flavor inspired protein bars" come in flavors like double chocolate, cookies 'n' creme, maple glazed doughnut, and peanut butter lovers, all blurring the lines between candy and protein bar. 

Invented in 1932 and acquired by the Hershey Company in 1996, Payday bars rank in the middle of our list of 18 peanut butter candies. The Payday brand has a few variations on the bar, beginning with a caramely, nougaty center that's covered in salted peanuts, and some are covered in a coating of chocolate. 

With its growing number of savory snacks and the skyrocketing prices of cocoa, the future of The Hershey Company may be snack foods instead of chocolate bars. The Pirate's Booty collection of baked snacks has been a hit for toddlers and adults alike, made with corn and puffed rice and cheese.

Known for it's classic puck shape and evergreen combo of chocolate and peanut butter, there is a long-established connection between Hershey and Reese's, and the cups were created in 1928. While Reese's makes many other flavors and products these days, like peanut butter eggs and Reese's Pieces, the peanut butter cup is forever an icon in the candy aisle. 

Rolos are a classic chocolate-caramel candy that taste way better frozen. The chocolate-coated caramels were originally invented in 1937 across the pond in England, but since 1969 the candies have been manufactured stateside, and they are ideal for using in tasty baked goods. 

Possibly the most unexpected brand under The Hershey Company umbrella is Shaq-a-licious XL Gummies. The extra-large gummies come in a variety of shapes and flavors, including cacti, sneakers, and of course, the famous basketball player's head. 

While there is a debate over whether Skinny Pop or Smartfood is the better popcorn brand, Skinnypop is The Hershey Company's only popcorn brand. In classic flavors like butter, kettlecorn, and white cheddar, Skinnypop is "made for snacking," according to the brand, and is one of the lighter snacks in Hershey's wide array of snack and candy items. 

Remarkably similar to fellow Hersey product Heath bars, Skor Chocolate Butter Toffee bars are also made of crispy toffee centers enrobed with a chocolate coating. Skor has a bit more of a buttery flavor compared to Heath, and Skor crushes up well to make an easy way to dress up ice cream sandwiches. 

Symphony bars resemble the classic Hershey chocolate bar, divided into rectangles with the company name embossed in every rectangle. Symphony bars use a very mild and creamy milk chocolate that is similar to old-school European milk chocolate. 

Twizzlers have been around longer than you might expect. The chewy red twisted ropes of candy started in Brooklyn in 1927, and the brand was then acquired by Hershey 50 years later. Now available in a wide arrange of shapes, colors, and flavors, Twizzlers products are another movie theater candy staple. 

Arguably the brand under The Hershey Company's product with the strangest name, Whatchamacallit has been around since 1978. The bars were originally made with just a crispy peanut-flavored center coated in chocolate, but in 1987 a layer of caramel was added on top of the peanut crisps. 

While they may not be ranked the highest on our list of classic movie theater candies, Whoppers Malted Milk Balls have been around since 1939, but they were called Giants until 1949. The light and airy chocolate-covered candy didn't become part of The Hershey Company until 1996.

York Peppermint Patties were first made in York, Pennsylvania all the way back in 1940, but the people behind York didn't invent the original mint chocolate chip patty. It wasn't until 1988 that The Hershey Company acquired York, and now the company makes about 1.5 billion patties yearly. 

If you've never had a Zagnut bar before, the candy bar has a crispy and crunchy peanut butter middle that's coated with toasted and sweetened shredded coconut. Zagnut came to The Hershey Company as part of a wider acquisition in 1996, but the bar was invented long before that in 1930.

Originally created long ago in 1920, Zero candy bars also joined The Hershey Company's long list of brands in 1996. Zero bars have a center base of peanuts and almond nougat topped with a layer of caramel, all coated in a white fudge exterior.