Krackel

Krackel is a chocolate confectionery brand owned and produced by The Hershey Company. It is distinguished by a milk-chocolate coating and a crisped-rice center or inclusion that gives the bar a light, crunchy texture. The brand was introduced in the United States on September 14, 1938, and is associated with Hershey’s portfolio of mass-market chocolate products. The recipe has changed over time. Krackel originally contained almonds, and peanuts were added to the formulation in 1939. In 1941, Hershey removed both nuts and replaced them with small crisped rice pieces, establishing the product profile that has defined the brand for most of its history. The rice pieces are described as being approximately 2 millimeters in diameter. The product’s principal appeal is the contrast between smooth milk chocolate and a dry, crisp interior, placing it in the same broad category as other crisped-rice chocolate bars while retaining its own Hershey packaging and brand identity. For much of its history, Krackel was sold as a standalone full-sized chocolate bar. That format was discontinued in 1997, after which the brand became available for 17 years only as one of the four varieties in Hershey’s Miniatures assortment. Hershey returned Krackel to individual-bar distribution in 2014, including a 4.5-ounce version described as using essentially the same core ingredients as the miniature product. The full-sized reintroduction was not permanent; the brand is currently sold in miniature form rather than as a continuously available full-sized bar. Krackel packaging is strongly associated with a red background, white lettering, and yellow supporting text. Its packaging was included in Hershey’s broader sustainability-related redesign of chocolate miniature wrappers in 2014. According to the referenced material, the redesign was intended to reduce paper use by an estimated 270,000 pounds annually, equivalent to approximately 1,950 trees. This packaging initiative applied to Krackel wrappers alongside other Hershey’s Miniatures products. Krackel’s ingredients generally do not contain gluten-containing ingredients according to the referenced description, but Hershey does not designate the product as gluten-free. The company’s position reflects the possibility of accidental grain contamination with gluten-containing materials. As with other packaged foods, formulation, labeling, availability, and package sizes may vary over time and should be checked against current product information. Today, Krackel occupies a relatively specialized position within Hershey’s chocolate portfolio. It is not presented as a standalone corporate business, but as a product brand distributed through Hershey’s confectionery system. Its continued presence in miniature assortments preserves the brand’s availability while emphasizing bite-sized sharing, variety packs, and seasonal or assortment-based chocolate consumption rather than relying solely on an individual full-sized bar.

Krackel was introduced by The Hershey Company in the United States on September 14, 1938. The original product was a chocolate bar with a nut-containing formulation. Almonds were used at launch, and peanuts were added the following year. In 1941, Hershey changed the recipe by removing both almonds and peanuts and replacing them with small crisped rice pieces. That change created the combination of smooth milk chocolate and crisped rice that became the brand’s enduring identity. Krackel was initially sold as an individual chocolate bar. In 1997, Hershey discontinued the standalone format and retained the product within Hershey’s Miniatures assortment, where Krackel was one of four miniature chocolate varieties. This period made the brand primarily an assortment product rather than a regularly stocked full-sized bar. In 2014, Hershey restored Krackel to individual-bar distribution after 17 years of miniature-only availability. The revived full-sized product was described as a 4.5-ounce bar using substantially the same core ingredients as the miniature version. The full-sized format was later discontinued again, leaving the miniature version as the principal current form described in the available reference material. The brand is recognizable through its red packaging, white logo lettering, and yellow secondary copy. In 2014, Krackel’s miniature wrappers were redesigned as part of a wider Hershey packaging and sustainability initiative. The reported objective was to save approximately 270,000 pounds of paper per year, or the equivalent of roughly 1,950 trees annually. Krackel’s formulation and labeling history also illustrates the distinction between ingredient composition and allergen or regulatory claims. Although its listed ingredients generally do not contain gluten, Hershey does not label Krackel as gluten-free because grains may be exposed to accidental contamination from gluten-containing grains. Product availability, ingredients, and package claims can change, so current packaging remains the appropriate source for purchase decisions. Krackel is currently best understood as an active Hershey product brand whose market identity is built around crisped rice, milk chocolate, and nostalgic continuity. Its principal role is within miniature assortments and bite-sized confectionery offerings rather than as a separately operated business.

• 2014

  Individual bar reintroduced

  [1]Krackelen.wikipedia.org

  Hershey brings Krackel back as an individual full-sized bar after 17 years of miniature-only availability.

• 2014

  Miniature packaging redesigned

  [1]Krackelen.wikipedia.org

  Krackel wrappers receive a sustainability-oriented redesign alongside other Hershey chocolate miniature wrappers.

• 1997

  Standalone bar discontinued

  [1]Krackelen.wikipedia.org

  Krackel ceases to be sold as an individual full-sized bar and becomes available through Hershey’s Miniatures assortment.

• 1941

  Crisped rice becomes the defining inclusion

  [1]Krackelen.wikipedia.org

  Hershey removes almonds and peanuts and replaces them with small crisped rice pieces.

• 1939

  Peanuts added to the recipe

  [1]Krackelen.wikipedia.org

  Peanuts are added to the Krackel formulation, which had originally used almonds.

• 1938

  Krackel launches

  [1]Krackelen.wikipedia.org

  The Hershey Company introduces Krackel as a chocolate bar with a nut-based formulation.

A nostalgic Hershey chocolate brand differentiated by the crunchy texture of crisped rice in milk chocolate, with current distribution centered on miniature-format assortments.

• Chocolate confectionery

  Krackel Miniatures

  The principal current format described for the brand. Krackel Miniatures combine Hershey milk chocolate with small crisped rice pieces, delivering a lighter crunch than a solid chocolate miniature. The format is distributed through Hershey’s Miniatures assortment system and is associated with the brand’s distinctive red packaging.

• Chocolate bar · 1938

  Krackel full-sized bar

  The original standalone format of Krackel. A 4.5-ounce version was reintroduced in 2014 after the brand had spent 17 years as a miniature-only product. The full-sized version has since been discontinued again according to the available reference material.

• 2014

  Reintroduce an individual Krackel barProduct launch

  Background

  Krackel had been limited to Hershey’s Miniatures assortment for 17 years.

  Action taken

  Hershey reintroduced Krackel as an individual bar, including a 4.5-ounce format.

  Aftermath

  The full-sized format was later discontinued again, while the miniature format remained the active form described in the source material.

  Source

• 1997

  Move Krackel into the Miniatures assortmentStrategy

  Background

  Hershey discontinued Krackel as an individual chocolate bar after decades of standalone availability.

  Action taken

  The brand was retained as one of four varieties in Hershey’s Miniatures assortment.

  Aftermath

  Krackel remained available in miniature form for 17 years before the individual-bar format returned.

  Source

• 1941

  Replace nuts with crisped riceGeneration change

  Background

  Krackel’s early recipes used almonds and then peanuts, while the brand’s texture and identity were not yet based on crisped rice.

  Action taken

  Hershey removed both nuts and reformulated the product with small crisped rice pieces.

  Aftermath

  The crisped-rice formulation became the defining product characteristic and remains central to the brand description.

  Source

• 2014

  Krackel returns as an individual full-sized bar[1]Krackelen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Product generation

  After being available only in Hershey’s Miniatures for 17 years, Krackel was reintroduced as an individual bar, including a 4.5-ounce format.

• 2014

  Krackel miniature wrappers included in Hershey sustainability redesign[1]Krackelen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Krackel wrappers were redesigned with other Hershey chocolate miniature packaging as part of a program intended to reduce paper consumption.

• 1941

  Krackel formula changes from nuts to crisped rice[1]Krackelen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  After earlier formulations containing almonds and later peanuts, Hershey removed both nuts and adopted small crisped rice pieces as the product’s characteristic texture component.

• 1938

  Krackel introduced by The Hershey Company[1]Krackelen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The Hershey Company introduced Krackel as a chocolate bar combining milk chocolate with a crunchy filling or inclusion.

1. 1Krackelen.wikipedia.org