How GLP-1s Are Changing Hershey's Halloween Treat Lineup
We may still have a little time before the pumpkins hit the porches, but Hershey is already in Halloween mode. The candy company just dropped its 2026 Hershey Halloween lineup, and it's the biggest one yet.
More than 20 seasonal treats are joining the party this year, with everything from familiar chocolate favorites to gummies, popcorn, cheese puffs, and some very cute little fangs. Hershey has even given the season its own name: "Hersheyween."
And we're not the only ones happy to start Halloween early. Hershey's research found that nearly two-thirds of parents have already purchased Halloween candy throughout the summer.
Reese's Pumpkins Are Back, Of Course
It wouldn't be Hersheyween without Reese's Pumpkins, and the peanut butter favorites are back where they belong.
They're being joined by several other festive Hershey Halloween treats, including:
KIT KAT Count & Witch: Classic KIT KAT bars, but with spooky Count and Witch shapes that break apart
Hershey's Cookies 'N' Creme Fangs: Cookies 'N' Creme with fangs because regular chocolate bars simply aren't dressed for the occasion
Jolly Rancher Gummies Trickies Minis: Halloween shapes with colors that don't match their flavors, a tiny trick with every treat
Hershey Halloween All-Stars: Reese's Pumpkins, KIT KAT Count & Witch, KIT KAT Ghost Toast, and Jolly Rancher Gummies Trickies, all packed into one very happy little Halloween box
There's even a new Reese's Pumpkin Bowl, available exclusively through Amazon, packed with 110 snack-size treats in a reusable pumpkin container.
That's one way to make sure nobody runs out of peanut butter cups halfway through the night.
Halloween Is Extra Salty This Year
Here's where this year's Hershey Halloween lineup looks especially interesting.
For the first time, Hershey is bringing a broader selection of salty Halloween snacks into the mix. Part of that shift traces back to a bigger cultural moment: the rising popularity of GLP-1 weight loss drugs. Hershey vice president Dan Mohnshine told Reuters that the expanded presence of brands like LesserEvil, SkinnyPop and Pirate's Booty is "in response to the (healthy eating) dynamic," pointing to shifting consumer habits as more people prioritize lighter, better-for-you snacking options.
That said, Mohnshine also told Reuters that chocolate has shown "pretty strong resilience" even amid the GLP-1 trend, with early sales of snack-sized bags of chocolates and candies climbing by double digits compared to last year.
The company's research found that 30% of parents plan to take their children to a trunk-or-treat event, and Hershey sees parties and other Halloween gatherings as opportunities for treats that go beyond traditional candy.
That means our candy bowls may have some new neighbors:
Pirate's Booty Trick-or-Treat: Little bags of aged white cheddar puffs for anyone who might be craving something salty between all those peanut butter cups
Pirate's Booty Boos & Bites: Ghosts and monsters made out of cheesy puffs
Reese's Sweet & Salty: Dipped Animal Crackers, Dipped Pretzels, and Filled Pretzels
SkinnyPop Halloween Packs: Halloween-sized bags of popcorn for trick-or-treating, parties, or the inevitable scary-movie marathon
LesserEvil is also joining Hersheyween for the first time, bringing Pumpkin Spice Popcorn, Spooky Popcorn, and cheese-puff Spooky Spaceballs along for the ride.
Halloween Candy 2026
Don't worry. Hershey isn't trying to replace our beloved chocolate pumpkins with popcorn. According to the company's research, 82% of parents are likely to buy chocolate in October. So, Hershey Halloween candy is still very much at the heart of the season.
Shoppers are just getting more ways to snack between costume parties, trunk-or-treats, scary movies, and the main event on Oct. 31.
And if someone wants to drop a tiny bag of ghost-shaped Pirate's Booty into a trick-or-treat bucket alongside the Reese's, that's a treat worth celebrating too.
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