Reese’s Removes Dairy from Peanut Butter Baking Chips

Something is definitely happening at Hershey’s headquarters. First, they released Plant-Based Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Then they quietly reformulated Reese’s Pieces without dairy. Now the regular Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips have gone dairy free! And this time, it’s more than a little ingredient removal. Not only have they modified the recipe, they’ve also changed the kosher status of these beloved baking chips. We’ve got full details on this and the ingredients in this  post.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips: From Dairy to Dairy-Free

I know many of you are wondering, ‘what has changed?’ I’ve outlined the prior and updated formulas for the U.S. below, and have bolded the removed ingredients in red.

New Ingredients (starting mid-2025): sugar, partially defatted peanuts, hydrogenated vegetable oil (palm kernel oil, soybean oil), corn syrup solids, contains 2% or less of: palm kernel oil, salt, lecithin (soy), vanillin (artificial flavor). contains: peanuts, soy.

Old Ingredients: partially defatted peanuts; sugar; hydrogenated vegetable oil [palm kernel oil; soybean oil]; corn syrup solids; dextrose; reduced protein whey (milk); contains 2% or less of: palm kernel oil salt; vanillin (artificial flavor); lecithin (soy). contains: milk, peanuts, soy.

Note that it isn’t just the removal of two ingredients either. The order of some ingredients has changed, which signals a notable update to the recipe. AND the Kosher status has changed. This points to potential changes in manufacturing. Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips were Kosher OU-D (for dairy) and they are now Kosher OU (parve). See our Kosher Symbol Guide for more details.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips FAQs

I know many of you still have questions and we have answers! Feel free to leave a comment if you have additional concerns.

Are Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips Vegan?

Maybe. The new ingredients do appear to be vegan-friendly, but I can’t speak to the source of their sugar. Cane sugar is sometimes processed with bone char and considered non-vegan. You would need to contact the Hershey Company directly to find out the source of their sugar in their baking chips specifically, if concerned.

Why Hasn’t Reese’s Announced the Change?

You might be surprised to know that companies frequently reformulate product without fanfare, especially when it doesn’t add any top allergens. Product changes can upset a loyal customer base, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips have amassed many fans over the decades. That said, they might be planning to announce the formula change at a future date, when the product is fully rolled out or when they have a formal marketing campaign.

Are Reese’s Chipits Dairy-Free in Canada?

In Canada, Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips are called Chipits, and they already had a slightly different formula. We aren’t sure if the Canadian version will be going dairy free too.

Haven’t Reese’s Baking Chips Always Been Dairy Free?

No, they have contained milk (whey) for as long as I can remember. I’ve seen comments that they have been dairy-free for years, but up until this past week, they were still listed with milk (whey) in the ingredients on the Hershey website and on all packages that we had seen. It was easy to overlook since they didn’t use a “contains” statement on their recent labels. You had to read the ingredients to see the dairy.

Are the New Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips in Stores Now?

They are in some stores. The new recipe is what’s in production now, but it will take time for older inventory to sell through. The new formula has been spotted at some stores, and Hershey has changed the ingredients on their website. But you might still see older bags containing dairy for quite a while. Always check the ingredient statement!

Why Do the Stores Still Show Milk Online?

There isn’t an automatic update for images and ingredients online at all stores. Stores usually change the images and ingredients when there is an update, but it can take some time. They might wait until the inventory with the old formula sells through, or when they do batch product updates to their website.

Do the New Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips have Milk Cross Contamination Risk?

All food products have some degree of risk for cross contamination with allergens. Our food isn’t grown, shipped, produced, and packaged in a bubble. There isn’t a “may contain” statement on the packages we have seen, and the fact that they changed to a Kosher Parve certification is a good sign. But if you are concerned about potential cross contamination of any allergen, you must contact the company to learn about their allergen protocols. Only you can decide what’s safe for your needs.

Are Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips Gluten Free?

They do not appear to have gluten-free certification, but Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips do have a bold “Gluten Free” on the front of the package.

Will there Be the Classic Version and a Dairy-Free Version?

It does not appear so. This looks to be a product reformulation of the baking chips, not an added product.

What about the Sugar-Free Baking Chips?

The Zero Sugar Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips do contain milk. They are a completely different recipe.

Will the Recipe Change Effect Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups?

We’re doubtful. Removing the milk from Reese’s peanut butter cups would be a big ordeal, and they already have Plant-Based Peanut Butter Cups, which are dairy free.

For More Options, See Our Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips Guide!