We got an early look at new and returning treats from Reese’s, KIT KAT, Jolly Rancher, Pirate’s Booty, LesserEvil and more.
Halloween is no longer waiting until October. Hershey is getting an early start with monster-shaped KIT KAT bars, Jolly Rancher gummies built around a flavor-guessing game, Reese’s snack mixes and spooky popcorn.
During an exclusive one-hour Hersheyween presentation, Nerdtropolis got an early look at the company’s new and returning candy, gummy and salty snack offerings for the 2026 Halloween season. This year’s portfolio reaches well beyond the traditional chocolate bowl. It includes plenty of individually wrapped choices for parties, movie nights and trick-or-treating.
Hershey calls the full season “Hersheyween,” beginning with Summerween in July, with anticipation building through August and September. October remains the main event, but the company’s research shows that Halloween has grown into a four-month celebration driven by small treats, family traditions and community events.
The scale of Hershey’s Halloween operation is massive. According to Hershey, it will produce more than 150 million pounds of candy across 160 seasonal products. Hershey also says its Halloween business generated $926 million in sales in 2025 and reached more than 41 million U.S. households.
KIT KAT and Reese’s Give Chocolate a Spooky Makeover
KIT KAT Count & Witch is one of the most visually playful releases in the new Hersheyween lineup. The classic chocolate-covered wafer is reimagined in two break-apart spooky shapes. It will be offered in regular and king-size bars, along with a six-pack made for sharing. Hershey is also introducing additional single-serve packaging options this season.
Hershey’s Cookies ’N’ Creme Fangs are also sinking their teeth back into Halloween for the first time since 2024. The snack-size candy transforms the familiar cookies-and-creme bar into a fang shape. Each seasonal bag includes 20 individually wrapped pieces.
For anyone who wants several full-size choices in one box, the new Hershey Halloween All-Stars assortment may be the lineup’s ultimate trick-or-treat upgrade. The 18-count box combines Reese’s Pumpkins, KIT KAT Count & Witch shapes, KIT KAT Ghost Toast and Jolly Rancher Gummies Trickies. Instead of filling the box with standard versions of familiar candy, Hershey built the assortment around limited-edition Halloween shapes and flavors.
Reese’s is also moving beyond its traditional cups with the new Reese’s Sweet & Salty assortment. The 18-count box contains snack-size packs of Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers, Reese’s Dipped Pretzels and Reese’s Filled Pretzels. Each option combines the brand’s chocolate and peanut butter flavors with a salty crunch. It is one of the lineup’s most interesting additions because it bridges the gap between the candy bowl and the snack table.
Of course, Reese’s Pumpkins are returning in a jumbo bag. The seasonal shape remains a simple but dependable combination of milk chocolate and peanut butter. Hershey’s research found that 22% of consumers named Reese’s Pumpkins their favorite Halloween product, while 39% selected Reese’s as the candy they would want on the best Halloween block in America.
Jolly Rancher Gummies Turn Trick-or-Treating Into a Game
Hershey is expanding the fruity side of the candy bowl with several Jolly Rancher gummy options. The most creative of the group is Jolly Rancher Gummies Trickies Minis Snack Size. Their colors intentionally do not match their flavors, turning each piece into a guessing game.
The chewy gummies come in seasonal Halloween shapes and five flavors: Green Apple, Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Grape and Watermelon. They are now packed in individual sachets, with 15 snack-size packs in each bag. That format makes them easier to distribute at parties, school events and trick-or-treat stops.
Jolly Rancher Gummies Minis Snack Size offers a more traditional alternative. These fruit-shaped, bite-size gummies come in bold fruit flavors and are also sold in a 15-count bag.
Meanwhile, the 50-count Jolly Rancher Gummies Assortment features sweet-and-sour varieties. It includes Jolly Rancher Sour Gummies Minis, Gummies Trickies Minis, Gummies Minis, and Sour Gummies Minis Awesome Reds.
The largest fruity option is the 120-count Sweets Assortment Stand-Up Bag. It introduces Sour Strips to Hershey’s seasonal portfolio and adds Airheads through a partnership with Perfetti Van Melle. The bag also contains Jolly Rancher Gummies Trickies Minis, Jolly Rancher Gummies Minis, and Strawberry Twizzlers Twists.
That mix gives households more choices for trick-or-treaters who would rather have sour, chewy or fruit-flavored candy than chocolate. It also reflects a bigger theme across the 2026 lineup. Hershey is building variety packs around different flavors and textures instead of relying on several sizes of the same core products.
Pirate’s Booty, SkinnyPop and LesserEvil Bring the Crunch
Some of the biggest changes to Hersheyween can be found outside the candy aisle. Hershey is making salty snacks a much larger part of the season, giving families more options for trunk-or-treats, classroom celebrations, movie nights and Halloween parties.
Pirate’s Booty Trick-or-Treat includes 32 individual bags of the brand’s aged white cheddar puffs. It offers a savory, candy-free option that is easy to hand out.
Pirate’s Booty Boos & Bites takes the theme further with ghost- and monster-shaped puffs in 18 snack-size packs.
SkinnyPop Halloween Packs bring 12 individual servings of popcorn in seasonal packaging. The familiar salty snack offers a lighter alternative to chocolate and gummies without losing the grab-and-go convenience needed for parties or trick-or-treating.
LesserEvil is joining the celebration with three seasonal products. LesserEvil Pumpkin Spice Popcorn combines popcorn with warm cinnamon-and-spice flavor for a snack made for fall movie nights.
LesserEvil Spooky Popcorn contains 18 individually portioned Halloween packs, while LesserEvil Spooky Spaceballs offers 18 bags of light, airy cheese puffs in colorful seasonal packaging.
These products help the collection feel like a full Halloween snack lineup instead of a standard candy launch. They also pair naturally with the growing popularity of trunk-or-treat gatherings and other events where families want a mix of sweet and savory choices.
A Hersheyween Double Feature
The new Hersheyween lineup also offers the perfect excuse for a spooky movie night. Start with Hocus Pocus, the family-friendly Halloween classic packed with witches, costumes and seasonal nostalgia. Pair it with Reese’s Pumpkins, KIT KAT Count & Witch bars and Hershey’s Cookies ’N’ Creme Fangs.
Then turn up the weirdness with Killer Klowns from Outer Space. The colorful cult classic is an ideal match for Jolly Rancher Gummies Trickies, LesserEvil Spooky Spaceballs and Pirate’s Booty Boos & Bites.
Together, Hocus Pocus and Killer Klowns from Outer Space create a fun double feature that moves from magical Halloween comfort to outrageous sci-fi horror. Add a bowl filled with Hersheyween’s new sweet and salty snacks, and the season can officially begin.
Halloween Has Become a Four-Month Season
The expanded portfolio arrives as Americans begin celebrating Halloween earlier. Hershey partnered with Morning Consult for an online survey of 3,026 U.S. adults, including 924 parents of children under 18 and 596 self-identified Halloween enthusiasts. The survey was conducted from July 8-10, 2026.
According to the findings, 67% of parents had already purchased Halloween candy during the summer, while 55% said they enter “Halloween mode” before October. Summerween is especially familiar to younger consumers, with 53% of Gen Z respondents recognizing the term compared with 6% of Baby Boomers.
Hershey describes the shift as “Treatonomics,” meaning consumers are prioritizing smaller experiences that create joy, anticipation and connection. The report found that 41% of parents expect to be more involved in Halloween this year.
Fun traditions motivated 41% of parents to begin celebrating early, while 39% pointed to the mood boost the season provides.
The holiday still builds toward neighborhood participation and trick-or-treating. Forty-six percent of parents said full-size candy bars help create the perfect Halloween block. In addition, 41% of adults pointed to a neighborhood where everyone participates, and 39% chose streets filled with trick-or-treaters.
“From Summerween with friends, stocking up for family movie nights or preparing for trick-or-treating, we’ve designed our seasonal portfolio with the right mix of products, pack sizes, and seasonal offerings to meet those moments,” Katie DeCapria, head of Hersheyween at The Hershey Company, said in a statement.
That broader approach is easy to see in this year’s lineup. Chocolate remains at the center of Hersheyween, but it now shares the spotlight with sour gummies, playful shapes, pumpkin spice popcorn and savory snack packs.
Whether shoppers are preparing for one big night or celebrating all season, Hershey is making sure the bowl stays full.
The 2026 Hersheyween products will be available at participating retailers throughout the Halloween season.
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
