Hershey’s is one of the largest and most popular chocolate brands in the world. Many people enjoy their chocolate bars, candy, syrups and baking products. A common question about Hershey’s is whether their products are vegetarian or contain animal-derived ingredients.
Quick Answers
– Most Hershey’s chocolate products are vegetarian, but not vegan. They contain dairy ingredients like milk fat and milk.
– Some specific Hershey’s products are certified kosher dairy, which means they contain dairy but no meat products.
– A few Hershey’s products contain small amounts of gelatin, a meat by-product, so they are not vegetarian.
– Hershey’s syrups are vegetarian and do not contain gelatin. Popular syrups like chocolate and caramel contain no animal ingredients.
– Hershey’s baking products like cocoa powder, baking chips and candy sprinkles are vegetarian. They do not contain meat, dairy or gelatin.
Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
The majority of classic Hershey’s chocolate bars are vegetarian but not vegan, because they contain milk-based ingredients. This includes their popular milk chocolate bars, dark chocolate bars, cookies and creme bars, and bars with mix-in ingredients like nuts or crisped rice.
For example, a standard Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar contains sugar, milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, milk fat, lactose, soy lecithin, PGPR), and milk fat. It has no animal-derived ingredients besides dairy components.
Most dark chocolate Hershey’s bars also contain milk fat and sometimes milk. Special Dark bars have milk listed. Even Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Bars contain milk fat, although they have higher cocoa and lower sugar content.
Exceptions – Hershey’s Bars With Gelatin
A few Hershey’s chocolate bars contain small amounts of gelatin and are not vegetarian. These include:
– Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Creme White Chocolate Bars – contain gelatin as a stabilizer
– Hershey’s Drops Milk Chocolate with Raisins – contain gelatin
– Hershey’s Pot of Gold Premium Collection – contains gelatin
If avoiding all animal products including gelatin, check ingredient lists carefully or look for a kosher “pareve” certification.
Hershey’s Candy and Other Sweets
Many classic Hershey’s candies and sweets are vegetarian, as they do not contain meat, dairy or gelatin. These popular treats are made from sugar, chocolate, nuts, rice, fruit flavors and other vegetarian ingredients:
– Hershey’s Kisses (milk and dark chocolate)
– Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars
– Hershey’s Special Dark Bars
– Hershey’s Nuggets (milk and dark chocolate)
– Hershey’s Bliss Chocolates
– Jolly Ranchers Hard Candy
– Twizzlers Licorice
– Whoppers Malted Milk Balls
– Payday Bars
– Mr. Goodbar Candy Bars
– Skinny Pop Popcorn
– Bubble Yum and Ice Breakers Gum
Exceptions – Candies With Gelatin
Some Hershey’s sweets do contain small amounts of gelatin, so they are not vegetarian:
– Hershey’s Krackel Milk Chocolate Bars
– Hershey’s Milkshake Bars
– Cherry Twizzlers Bites
Again, if avoiding gelatin, check ingredients lists carefully.
Hershey’s Syrups
All Hershey’s syrups are vegetarian and gelatin-free. Popular flavors like chocolate, caramel, strawberry and vanilla contain no meat derivatives or dairy ingredients.
For example, the ingredients in Hershey’s Classic Chocolate Flavored Syrup are: high fructose corn syrup, water, cocoa, potassium sorbate, mono- and diglycerides, xanthan gum, polysorbate 60, vanillin.
So you can enjoy Hershey’s syrups on ice cream, pancakes or other foods without worrying about animal ingredients.
Hershey’s Baking Products
Hershey’s baking chips, cocoa powders and candy making products are vegetarian and do not contain any meat, dairy or gelatin. This includes:
– Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
– Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
– Hershey’s Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
– Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder
– Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Chips
– Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
– Hershey’s Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
– Hershey’s Premier White Chips
– Sprinkles (jimmies)
So you can use these products for baking, candy making and other recipes without worrying about hidden animal ingredients. They are all vegetarian and gelatin-free.
Hershey’s Kosher Certification
Many Hershey’s products are certified kosher dairy by reputable certification organizations. This means they contain dairy ingredients like milk fat or milk, but no meat derivatives.
Kosher symbols likeOU-D demonstrate that the products don’t mix meat and dairy, and don’t contain pork or shellfish. However kosher certification alone doesn’t guarantee vegetarian status. You still need to check labels for gelatin.
Common Hershey’s Kosher Symbols
– OU-D – Orthodox Union Kosher Dairy
– OK D – Organized Kashrus Laboratories Dairy
– MK – Montreal Kosher
So when you see these symbols, it indicates the products are permissible for vegetarians, as long as gelatin is not listed in the ingredients.
Vegetarian vs. Vegan Hershey’s Products
While most Hershey’s chocolate bars, candies, syrups and baking products are vegetarian, fewer are also vegan.
Vegans do not consume dairy products, eggs or any animal by-products. All vegan products are vegetarian, while not all vegetarian products are vegan.
Most classic Hershey’s chocolate bars contain milk fat, milk or lactose. And even the dark chocolate bars often list “milk fat” as an ingredient.
So to enjoy dairy-free and vegan chocolate, look for options that specifically say “dairy-free” or “vegan” on the label, and check the ingredients carefully. Some vegan-friendly Hershey’s products include:
– Hershey’s Simple Pleasures Dark Chocolate
– Hershey’s Vegan Milk Chocolate Bar
– Hershey’s Special Dark Mild Sugar-Free Chocolate
– Hershey’s Unsweetened Baking Cocoa Powder
Sources of Animal Ingredients in Hershey’s Products
Here is an overview of common animal-derived ingredients found in some Hershey’s products:
Dairy Products
– Milk – from cows
– Milk fat – from milk
– Milk chocolate – chocolate with milk added
– Lactose – milk sugar
These dairy ingredients are in most regular Hershey’s chocolate bars, candies and baking chips. They make the products vegetarian but not vegan.
Gelatin
– Gelatin – protein derived from animal bones and tissues
Gelatin is found in some Hershey’s products as a thickener and stabilizer. It makes those products non-vegetarian.
Natural Flavors
– Natural flavors – can come from animal sources like meat or dairy. Need to check with manufacturer.
Some Hershey’s products list “natural flavors” which may or may not come from animals. Best to contact Hershey’s if concerned.
Contacting Hershey’s About Ingredients
To learn definitively whether a specific Hershey’s product is vegetarian or vegan, you can contact their consumer affairs department directly.
Phone: 1-800-468-1714
Email: https://www.hersheys.com/en_us/contact-us.html
The customer service team can look up formulation details and disclose minor ingredients like natural flavors. This way you can get complete ingredient transparency.
Vegetarian Status of Specific Hershey’s Products
Here is the vegetarian status of some popular Hershey’s product lines:
Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
| Hershey’s Milk Chocolate | Vegetarian |
| Hershey’s Special Dark | Vegetarian |
| Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme | Not vegetarian (contains gelatin) |
| Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar | Vegetarian |
Hershey’s Kisses and Candy
| Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses | Vegetarian |
| Hershey’s Special Dark Kisses | Vegetarian |
| Jolly Ranchers | Vegetarian |
| Twizzlers | Vegetarian |
Hershey’s Syrups
| Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup | Vegetarian |
| Hershey’s Caramel Syrup | Vegetarian |
| Hershey’s Strawberry Syrup | Vegetarian |
| Hershey’s Vanilla Syrup | Vegetarian |
Finding Vegetarian Hershey’s Products
Here are some tips for finding vegetarian Hershey’s products:
– Check ingredient lists carefully, especially for milk, milk fat, milk chocolate and gelatin.
– Look for the kosher symbols OU-D, OK D or MK meaning “dairy” – but still check for gelatin.
– Call Hershey’s consumer affairs for clarification on specific items.
– Choose plain chocolate bars and dark chocolate for a better chance of being vegetarian.
– Opt for syrups, sprinkles, cocoa powder and baking chips as they are reliably vegetarian.
– Avoid creme-filled bars, flavored candy, and limited edition seasonal products as they are more likely to contain gelatin.
– Buy treats marked as “vegan” or “dairy-free” to ensure no animal-derived ingredients.
Hershey’s Products to Avoid for Vegetarians
When buying Hershey’s products, vegetarians should avoid these items that definitely contain animal ingredients:
– Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Creme bars – contain gelatin
– Hershey’s Drops Milk Chocolate with Raisins – contain gelatin
– Hershey’s Pot of Gold Premium Collection – contains gelatin
– Hershey’s Krackel Milk Chocolate – contains gelatin
– Hershey’s Milkshake bars – contain gelatin
– Cherry Twizzlers Bites – contain gelatin
– Any limited/special editions – may contain hidden gelatin
– Items with natural flavors – may come from animals
Best Bets for Vegetarian Hershey’s Products
When in doubt, choose these reliable vegetarian options:
– Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars
– Hershey’s Special Dark bars
– Hershey’s Kisses (milk and dark chocolate)
– Jolly Rancher hard candies
– Twizzlers licorice
– Hershey’s Cocoa Powder (all varieties)
– Hershey’s Syrups (chocolate, caramel, strawberry, vanilla)
– Hershey’s Baking Chips (milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark chocolate)
Delicious Vegetarian Recipes With Hershey’s Products
You can make many indulgent desserts and treats using vegetarian Hershey’s products, like these recipes:
Hershey’s Fudge Brownies
Decadent brownies made extra fudgy with Hershey’s cocoa powder and chocolate syrup.
Hershey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy chocolate chip cookies with buttery undertones thanks to Hershey’s milk chocolate chips.
Hershey’s Hot Chocolate
Rich hot chocolate made from warming up Hershey’s cocoa powder and chocolate syrup in hot milk or milk alternatives.
Hershey’s Ice Cream Sundae
Layers of chocolate and caramel Hershey’s syrup over vanilla ice cream for the perfect hot fudge sundae.
Hershey’s Chocolate Ganache
An elegant chocolate icing or filling made by pouring heated cream over Hershey’s chocolate chips. Perfect for cakes and pastries.
So you have endless options for using vegetarian Hershey’s products to create delicious meat and dairy-free desserts!
Conclusion
Most Hershey’s chocolate bars, candies, syrups and baking products are vegetarian. Popular milk and dark chocolate bars, Kisses, syrups and chips have no meat-based ingredients, though they do contain dairy.
The main exception is that some specific Hershey’s products contain small amounts of gelatin, like Cookies ‘N’ Creme bars and flavored Twizzlers. So vegetarians need to read labels and check for ingredients like milk, milk chocolate, milk fat and gelatin.
Those avoiding all animal by-products can also look for Hershey’s candy and chocolate marked as “vegan” or contacting the company for clarification. Overall, most classic Hershey’s products are suitable for lacto-ovo vegetarian diets, providing delicious chocolate goodness without meat or meat derivatives.
