What Are the Ingredients in Hershey's White Chocolate and How Does It Differ from Real White Chocolate?

November 9, 2025 •

3 min read

According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards, a product must contain at least 20% cocoa butter to be legally labeled as white chocolate. This fact is a key differentiator when examining what are the ingredients in Hershey's white chocolate, which is often referred to as 'white creme'.

Quick Summary

Hershey's white creme products, like Cookies 'n' Creme, are made primarily from sugar, vegetable oils, skim milk, and artificial flavors. Unlike traditional white chocolate, they do not rely on cocoa butter for their creamy texture.

Key Points

Not White Chocolate: Hershey's white-colored products are legally 'white creme' confectionery because they don't contain enough cocoa butter to meet FDA standards.
Vegetable Oil Base: The primary fat in Hershey's white creme is a blend of vegetable oils, such as palm, shea, and sunflower, not cocoa butter.
Common Ingredients: Beyond fats, the main ingredients include sugar, skim milk, corn syrup solids, and artificial flavors like vanillin.
Texture and Flavor: The use of vegetable oils results in a sweeter, less complex flavor and a texture some describe as waxy compared to the richer, smoother feel of true white chocolate.
Product Names: Look for product names like 'white creme' or 'confectionery coating' on labels to distinguish them from legally defined white chocolate.

The Core Difference: 'White Creme' vs. Real White Chocolate

Before diving into the specific components, it's crucial to understand the fundamental difference that sets Hershey's products apart from real white chocolate.

What is Real White Chocolate?

True white chocolate is made from a few key ingredients, centered around cocoa butter, the natural fat extracted from the cocoa bean. Key components include cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar, lecithin, and vanilla. Because it contains cocoa butter, real white chocolate has a distinctively high-quality feel and a pale ivory hue.

What is Hershey's White Creme Bar?

Hershey's white creme products are confectionery coatings that do not meet the legal definition of 'chocolate' in the U.S. because they replace some or all of the cocoa butter with other fats. This is why Hershey uses the term 'white creme' to describe products like its Cookies 'n' Creme bar or White Creme with Almonds bar.

Key Ingredients in Hershey's White Creme Products

A look at the ingredient labels for some of Hershey's popular white creme products reveals their unique composition, differing significantly from real white chocolate.

Sugar and Sweeteners

The primary ingredient is sugar, often combined with corn syrup solids or high fructose corn syrup.

Fats and Oils

Instead of cocoa butter, Hershey's relies on a blend of different vegetable oils, which can include palm oil, shea oil, sunflower oil, and palm kernel oil.

Dairy Components

These products include skim milk, lactose, and milk fat to provide a creamy flavor and texture.

Emulsifiers and Flavorings

Ingredients like lecithin (soy) and PGPR are used as emulsifiers for smoothness. Artificial flavors such as vanillin and other natural and artificial flavors provide the desired taste profile.

Ingredients in Popular Hershey's White Creme Products

Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme

This bar features a white creme base combined with cookie pieces. The white creme contains sugar, various vegetable oils (including a small amount of cocoa butter), nonfat milk, corn syrup solids, milkfat, emulsifiers (soy lecithin, PGPR), and natural and artificial flavors. The cookies are made with enriched wheat flour, sugar, cocoa, vegetable oil, high-fructose corn syrup, sodium bicarbonate, and salt.

Hershey's White Creme with Almonds

This variant combines the white creme base with almonds. The white creme includes sugar, a blend of vegetable oils (palm, shea, sunflower, palm kernel, safflower), skim milk, corn syrup solids, lactose, emulsifiers (soy lecithin, PGPR), and artificial flavor (vanillin).

Comparison Table: White Chocolate vs. Hershey's White Creme


Feature	Real White Chocolate	Hershey's White Creme
Fat Source	Relies on natural cocoa butter.	Uses vegetable oils like palm, shea, and sunflower oil.
Flavor Profile	Subtly rich, buttery, and delicate.	Predominantly sweet with a strong vanilla-like artificial flavor.
Color	A natural, pale ivory or yellowish hue from cocoa butter.	A bright, snowy white color.
Texture	Smooth, velvety mouthfeel.	Softer, often described as 'waxy' by purists.
FDA Standard	Meets the legal standard for white chocolate.	Classified as 'confectionery coating' and does not meet the standard.

Why the Name "White Creme" and Not "White Chocolate"?

The FDA has a "standard of identity" for what can be sold as "white chocolate," requiring at least 20% cocoa butter. Since Hershey's uses vegetable oils instead of sufficient cocoa butter, they cannot legally label their products as "white chocolate" and use the term "white creme" instead. The use of alternative fats is often a cost-saving measure. For more on FDA regulations, refer to the information from the WebstaurantStore.

Conclusion

Examining what are the ingredients in Hershey's white chocolate reveals it's a 'white creme' confectionery bar, not real white chocolate by U.S. standards. The key difference lies in the fat used: real white chocolate uses cocoa butter, while Hershey's uses a blend of vegetable oils. This results in distinct flavor profiles, textures, and legal classifications. Hershey's white creme offers a sweeter, more accessible taste, whereas real white chocolate provides a richer experience from cocoa butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, Hershey's white chocolate is not considered real white chocolate according to U.S. FDA standards. It is labeled as 'white creme' because it uses a blend of vegetable oils instead of the legally required amount of cocoa butter.

Hershey's uses the term 'white creme' to comply with FDA regulations. The FDA requires a minimum of 20% cocoa butter for a product to be called white chocolate, and Hershey's uses alternative vegetable oils.

The main difference is the fat source. Real white chocolate uses cocoa butter, while Hershey's white creme uses a blend of cheaper vegetable oils like palm and shea oil.

Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme contains a small amount of cocoa butter, but it is not the primary fat source. Its ingredient list specifies 'vegetable oil (cocoa butter, palm oil, shea oil, and sunflower and/or safflower oil)'.

Yes, Hershey's white creme products contain dairy in the form of skim milk, milkfat, and lactose. This means they are not dairy-free or suitable for those with milk allergies.

Vegetable oils are significantly less expensive than cocoa butter. Using alternative fats allows companies to produce a white-colored confectionery product at a lower cost.

No, Hershey's white creme is not vegan because it contains milk solids and other dairy ingredients.

No, many high-quality brands produce genuine white chocolate that meets the FDA's cocoa butter requirements. You can check the ingredient list for cocoa butter to determine if it is real white chocolate.