The Secret Behind the Classics: How Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Are Made

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a beloved treat enjoyed by generations of candy lovers. But what goes into these delectable treats? Let's take a close look at the production process behind one of the most iconic candies in the world.

The Ingredients

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a delicate blend of creamy peanut butter and rich, velvety chocolate, sandwiched together with just the right amount of sweetness.

Chocolate

Typically, the chocolate used in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is a smooth blend of milk chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, and emulsifiers. The goal is to create a high-quality chocolate mixture that is both smooth and pourable.

Peanut Butter

The peanut butter used in these cups is a combination of roasted peanuts, sugar, and salt. These ingredients are carefully blended to create a sweet and creamy center.

The Manufacturing Process

The production of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is a meticulous process that involves several steps, from melting the chocolate to cooling the finished product. Here’s a detailed look at each stage:

1. Chocolate Melting

The first step in the process is to melt the chocolate ingredients in large tanks. This creates a smooth, pourable mixture that is essential for creating the perfect shape in the molds.

2. Molding

The melted chocolate is then poured into cup-shaped molds. These molds are usually made of metal and are chilled to help the chocolate set quickly, ensuring a smooth and consistent shape.

3. Peanut Butter Filling

Once the chocolate has set slightly, a layer of peanut butter filling is added to each cup. The peanut butter is typically mixed with sugar to enhance its sweetness and improve its texture. The peanut butter mixture is then deposited into the molds to create the center of the cup.

Key Fact: Reese's peanut butter cups contain absolutely no standard of identity peanut butter. This means they are part of products grandfathered in USDA regulations for marketing identity. If they were not grandfathered, Hershey would have to call their peanut butter center a "Peanut Flavored Confection."

4. Sealing with Chocolate

A final layer of melted chocolate is poured over the peanut butter filling to seal it in. This layer is smoothed out to ensure an even surface. This step is crucial to maintain the integrity of the cup and to prevent the filling from leaking out.

5. Cooling

The filled molds are then cooled again to allow the chocolate to harden completely. This ensures that the peanut butter is encased in a smooth and solid chocolate layer.

6. Packaging

Once the cups are fully cooled and set, they are removed from the molds, wrapped in foil, and packaged for distribution. This ensures that the flavor and texture remain consistent from the moment they leave the factory until they reach the consumer.

Quality Control

Throughout the production process, quality control measures are taken to ensure consistency in taste, texture, and appearance. Even a minor change in the production process can affect the final product, so careful attention is paid to every step.

Variations

While the classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is the most well-known, there are various other products in the Reese's lineup, including different sizes, shapes, and flavors. These variations may involve slight variations in the production process, but the core ingredients and methods remain the same.

For example, in the factory, the ground peanuts go through a series of steps before being added to the chocolate mixture. The peanuts are roasted in large convection roasters, cooled, and then ground into a fine, course texture. The ground peanuts are cooled again and stored until they are needed for the production line.

The peanut butter mixture is then continuously fed into a compounding extruder, where it is mixed with sugar and salt in the proper ratio. This mixture is then pumped to the molding line, where the peanut butter patty is wirecut and deposited into the wet chocolate in the glassine cup. The patty is tampered into the chocolate, topped with more tempered chocolate, and cooled to create the final product.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups have become a beloved treat due to this combination of chocolate and peanut butter, and the meticulous attention to detail in their production process.