Hershey's Special Dark
A dark chocolate sub-brand of The Hershey Company, best known as a darker counterpart to the standard Hershey bar.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Hershey's Special Dark is a dark or semi-sweet chocolate sub-brand manufactured by The Hershey Company. It is positioned as a darker, more cocoa-forward alternative to the company's conventional milk chocolate bar, with a deeper color and a richer, less milky flavor profile. The product is associated with the long-running Hershey tradition of producing semi-sweet and darker chocolate products in addition to its best-known milk chocolate range. The brand's historical background reaches back before the introduction of the modern Hershey milk chocolate bar. In 1894, the Hershey Chocolate Company produced and marketed a semi-sweet product described as vanilla sweet chocolate. The company continued developing less-sweet chocolate offerings during the twentieth century. A Not-So-Sweet bar appeared in the 1930s, and a Bitter-Sweet bar was added to the Hershey's Miniatures assortment in 1939. The latter product is the historical predecessor of the Special Dark bar. Hershey also sold a Semi-Sweet bar during the 1960s, reflecting the company's continuing interest in a darker chocolate segment. Special Dark is particularly associated with Hershey's Miniatures assortment. In 2006, Hershey introduced Hershey's Special Dark Miniatures, expanding the assortment beyond the plain dark chocolate piece. The package included the standard Special Dark bar as well as dark chocolate variants containing peanuts and crisped rice. These variants corresponded broadly to the product concepts represented by other Hershey brands, including Mr. Goodbar and Krackel, while using the Special Dark chocolate base. The standard Special Dark formulation is similar in overall construction to a traditional Hershey bar but uses dark or semi-sweet chocolate rather than milk chocolate. The cited product description identifies approximately 45% cocoa solids, with chocolate liquor and cocoa butter contributing to its flavor and texture. The listed ingredients include sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, alkalized cocoa, milk fat, lactose, soy lecithin, polyglycerol polyricinoleate, natural flavor, and milk. The presence of milk-derived ingredients means that the product is not a dairy-free dark chocolate despite its darker style. Hershey also briefly marketed a related product called Hershey's Extra Dark. Introduced in 2009 and discontinued in 2012, Extra Dark used a higher cocoa-solids level of approximately 60% and was offered in solid chocolate and fruit-and-nut combinations. The discontinued line included macadamia nuts with dried cranberries and a blend of cranberries, blueberries, pomegranate, and almonds. Its marketing highlighted the antioxidant associations of some ingredients. Special Dark remained the more established and recognizable dark chocolate offering within the Hershey portfolio.
History
Hershey's Special Dark belongs to the company's long history of producing chocolate products with lower sweetness and a stronger cocoa character than its signature milk chocolate bar. The earliest relevant predecessor cited for the Hershey business is a semi-sweet or vanilla sweet chocolate product manufactured and marketed in 1894, several years before the standard Hershey milk chocolate bar was introduced in 1900. This early product demonstrates that Hershey's portfolio was not limited to milk chocolate and that darker chocolate formats were present from an early stage. During the twentieth century, Hershey continued to offer products positioned between conventional sweet milk chocolate and more bitter chocolate styles. A Not-So-Sweet bar appeared in the 1930s. In 1939, the company added a Bitter-Sweet bar to Hershey's Miniatures, an assortment that became an important home for small-format versions of Hershey products. The Bitter-Sweet product is described as the predecessor of the modern Special Dark name. Hershey also marketed a Semi-Sweet bar during the 1960s, continuing the company's use of darker chocolate terminology before the current Special Dark identity became established. The Miniatures connection remained central to the brand. In 2006, Hershey began selling Hershey's Special Dark Miniatures as a distinct assortment. It included the plain Special Dark miniature as well as dark chocolate pieces with peanuts and crisped rice. The assortment extended the Special Dark identity into variations that echoed the formats of other Hershey products, while giving consumers a mixed package of dark chocolate options. The Special Dark recipe is described as similar to the ordinary Hershey bar in broad composition but based on dark or semi-sweet chocolate. Its cited cocoa-solids content is 45%, higher than a typical milk chocolate formulation and lower than the 60% level used for the later Extra Dark product. The ingredient list includes sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, alkalized cocoa, milk fat, lactose, soy lecithin, polyglycerol polyricinoleate, natural flavor, and milk. Thus, the product's dark-chocolate positioning concerns its cocoa style and flavor rather than the absence of dairy. Hershey tested a more intense adjacent proposition with Hershey's Extra Dark, introduced in 2009. Extra Dark was offered in a solid version and in fruit-and-nut combinations, including macadamia nuts with dried cranberries and a mixture of cranberries, blueberries, pomegranate, and almonds. Its marketing emphasized antioxidant qualities associated with selected ingredients. The line was discontinued in 2012. Extra Dark's shorter life and higher cocoa-solids level distinguish it from the more established Special Dark platform. Special Dark is therefore best understood as a Hershey sub-brand and product family rather than a separately incorporated company. Its role has been to provide a familiar Hershey format for consumers who prefer darker, more cocoa-forward chocolate, while its Miniatures variants have allowed the company to broaden the offering through small portions and inclusions such as peanuts and crisped rice.
- 2012
Extra Dark discontinued
[1]The Extra Dark line was discontinued after a short period in the market.
- 2009
Extra Dark introduced
[1]Hershey introduced the related Extra Dark line with approximately 60% cocoa solids and several fruit-and-nut variants.
- 2006
Special Dark Miniatures introduced
[1]Hershey began selling Special Dark Miniatures, including plain dark chocolate pieces and variants with peanuts or crisped rice.
- 1960
Semi-Sweet bar marketed
[1]Hershey's Semi-Sweet bar was sold during the 1960s, continuing the company's presence in the darker chocolate segment.
- 1939
Bitter-Sweet joins Hershey's Miniatures
[1]A Bitter-Sweet bar was added to Hershey's Miniatures assortment. It is identified as the historical predecessor of Hershey's Special Dark.
- 1930
Not-So-Sweet bar
[1]Hershey offered a Not-So-Sweet bar during the 1930s as part of its continuing development of less-sweet chocolate products.
- 1900
Introduction of the Hershey milk chocolate bar
[1]The standard Hershey milk chocolate bar was introduced, creating the product reference point against which later darker offerings such as Special Dark were positioned.
- 1894
Early Hershey semi-sweet chocolate
[1]The Hershey Chocolate Company manufactured and marketed a semi-sweet product described as vanilla sweet chocolate, establishing an early company precedent for darker chocolate offerings.
Products and positioning
An accessible, mass-market dark chocolate alternative for consumers seeking a richer and less milk-forward Hershey chocolate experience.
Dark chocolate bar
Hershey's Special Dark bar
The core Special Dark product is a dark or semi-sweet chocolate bar designed as a richer and darker alternative to the standard Hershey bar. The cited formulation contains approximately 45% cocoa solids and includes chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, alkalized cocoa, sugar, and milk-derived ingredients. Its dark-chocolate identity does not make it dairy-free.
Miniature assortment · 2006
Hershey's Special Dark Miniatures
Introduced in 2006, Special Dark Miniatures extended the brand into individually sized pieces and mixed dark-chocolate formats. The assortment included the plain Special Dark miniature together with pieces containing peanuts and crisped rice, giving the product family a broader variety format.
Extra-dark chocolate bar · 2009
Hershey's Extra Dark
Extra Dark was a related Hershey product introduced in 2009 and discontinued in 2012. It contained approximately 60% cocoa solids, exceeding the cited 45% level of Special Dark. Varieties included solid chocolate, macadamia nuts with dried cranberries, and a combination of cranberries, blueberries, pomegranate, and almonds.
Brand decisions
2012
Discontinuation of Extra DarkStrategyBackground
Extra Dark had been marketed as a higher-cocoa alternative to Special Dark and was introduced with several ingredient-led varieties.
Action taken
Hershey discontinued the Extra Dark line.
Aftermath
The discontinuation left Special Dark as the established dark-chocolate identity represented in the cited Hershey product history.
2009
Launch of Hershey's Extra DarkProduct launchBackground
Hershey developed a product positioned as more intense than Special Dark, with a higher cocoa-solids level and an emphasis on fruit-and-nut ingredients.
Action taken
The company introduced Extra Dark in solid and fruit-and-nut varieties, including versions with macadamia nuts and dried cranberries and with multiple berries, pomegranate, and almonds.
Aftermath
Extra Dark was discontinued in 2012.
2006
Expansion into Special Dark MiniaturesProduct launchBackground
Hershey had a long-standing darker chocolate tradition within its Miniatures assortment, including the earlier Bitter-Sweet product.
Action taken
The company introduced a Special Dark Miniatures assortment containing plain dark chocolate pieces and versions with peanuts and crisped rice.
Aftermath
The launch broadened Special Dark from a single dark chocolate style into a small family of miniature and inclusion-based products.
Sources1 sources
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