The Hershey's Bar Most Shoppers Never Saw Full-Sized

Who doesn't love mini chocolate bars from Hershey's? They're convenient one- to two-bite pops of perfection, a little treat that's great for throwing in your purse, handing out on Halloween, giving to your kids without fearing a full-sized sugar rush, etc. But there are also times when you want the bigger, original-sized version — like when you find your top favorite out of the minis and decide that particular variety of chocolate bar is going to be your next indulgence. If that favorite for you is Hershey's milk chocolate or dark chocolate, it couldn't be easier to find a full-sized iteration in any store. But what if your preferred bar is the more texturally satisfying Krackel bar?

"Is it just me, or does it seem like I've NEVER seen the full size version of these before?" a Reddit user asks in a thread with a photo of the Hershey's Krackel bar. Another Reddit thread begins with a different original poster stating, "I have never seen a full sized Krackel candy bar." And over on the social media platform Threads, @anthonydevito pondered in 2024, "Since it's Halloween, I'll ask the eternal question: Why have you never seen a full-size Krackel bar??" It seems the crunchy milk chocolate and crisped rice treat has a ton of fans, and those fans want to know why Hershey's only seems to offer miniature serving sizes of it. If there are this many eager would-be full-sized Krackel buyers, where are all the full-sized bars?

The problem is that despite all the online love, Hershey's must not be seeing enough traction in sales to make full-sized Krackel bars. In 1997, Hershey's stopped producing the full-sized iteration, but it kept making the miniature Krackel and including it in its variety packs.

People consistently demanded Krackel was a Hershey's favorite due for a comeback, and the brand relented in 2014, reintroducing full-sized bars. Unfortunately, it came with a super short lifespan: Within a year, Krackels were back to mini sizes only. Full-sized versions seem to have joined the ranks of nostalgic chocolate candies we may never get to eat again. 

Fans haven't given up hope, though. Other products like Hershey's Bar None bar may have reached the end of the road, but perhaps Krackel's persistence in fun-sized form keeps the faith alive. In addition to the Reddit threads bemoaning the lack of full-sized Krackels in the world, there's a Change.org petition created as recently as three years ago. Whether this convinces Hershey's to try yet another revival of full-sized Krackels remains to be seen. It seems to be one of people's most loved chocolate bars, but the behemoth chocolate brand may be content to continue offering it as a miniature treat. The execs might be onto something there, too. One Redditor notes, "I buy the assorted bags just for the these," regarding Krackel. Could it be Hershey's knows Krackels are the driving force behind its variety pack sales?