Reese’s Puffs cereal is getting its first dark chocolate variant, marking a rare flavour shift for the General Mills brand since it launched in 1994.
The new Dark Chocolate edition rolls out nationwide this month. It keeps the classic peanut-butter base but switches the milk-chocolate notes for a deeper cocoa profile. The launch also introduces a new “Reese’s After Dark” box design created with Vault49, adding a neon-style visual theme to the range.
General Mills says the move responds to stronger demand for richer chocolate profiles across US grocery. It also shows how major packaged-food brands are leaning on flavour innovation to stay competitive on shelf — a pattern explored in our Packaged Food Brands in Supermarkets 2025 coverage. The flavour gives retailers another option for Q1 resets, where new variants often drive short bursts of category interest.
The original Reese’s Puffs recipe remains unchanged. The two flavours will sit side by side in the cereal aisle as General Mills broadens the lineup.
Why It Matters
Flavour extensions are still a key tool for household brands competing against value lines and private label. A darker chocolate profile may help General Mills pull in older shoppers who prefer less sweetness while keeping its core fan base. For retailers, it adds another SKU at a time when breakfast categories continue to shift between nostalgia, value and novelty.
Source note: Based on verified information from the official General Mills announcement.
