By Jesse Newman

Snack giants Hershey and Mondelez are combining two of their top-selling products -- the Reese's peanut butter cup and the Oreo cookie -- in a sugary marriage they say consumers have been begging for.

The result: The Reese's Oreo Cup and the Oreo Reese's Cookie.

Hershey said the new products, slated to hit supermarket shelves this fall, have been more than two years in the making. A similar cookie product was tested in 2014 for a limited time, and consumers have since been requesting more Reese's and Oreo mashups in comments on the brands' social-media posts, Reddit threads and direct phone calls, Hershey said.

"Consumers have been beating this drum for a very long time," said Stacy Taffet, Hershey's chief growth officer, in an interview. Inspiration also came from consumers' own posts of their DIY combinations, such as a Reese's peanut butter cup sandwiched between two Oreo wafers, the company said.

The products mark a departure from Hershey's message a decade ago, when an ad campaign touted the simplicity of Reese's peanut butter cups: "When you have the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter you don't mess with it. (You eat it.)"

Reese's-filled Oreos and Oreo-filled Reese's are set to launch at a time when big food companies are under pressure to boost sales as consumers recoil from lofty grocery prices and calls grow for healthier food options from consumer advocates and government officials.

Since taking office, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has vowed to " Make America Healthy Again," has cracked down on artificial dyes and ramped up scrutiny of other commonly used food additives. He has also lambasted sugar, calling it poison and blaming it for fueling a diabetes crisis.

Taffet said that Hershey is working to diversify its portfolio and that it plans to lean more heavily into "better-for-you" options in the future. But she said, consumers are still looking for joy in their lives.

"Everything is a balance," Taffet said. "A little bit of indulgence is really important."

Taffet said she thinks the Reese's Oreo Cup will particularly appeal to Gen Z who are especially drawn to foods with multiple textures, more complex flavors and brand collaborations. In recent years, the company has rolled out new Reese's peanut butter cup products stuffed with fruit-flavored fillings, caramel or a "molten chocolatey layer."

Write to Jesse Newman at jesse.newman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 29, 2025 17:34 ET (21:34 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.