I was in New York for work a few weeks ago, and I took the opportunity to run through all the touristy spots in Times Square. I ate a $13 donut, I declined to buy a Champagne bottle full of M&M’s, and I walked into Hershey’s Chocolate World with a mission. You see, way back in May of 2021, Hershey’s launched a Chocolate World-exclusive line of “Ice Cream Shoppe” bars, based on popular ice cream flavors. I’ve been thinking about them ever since, and it’s finally time to try them for myself.
If you’d like to splurge and try these bars for yourself, you have two options: head to your nearest Hershey’s Chocolate World or order the lineup from Hershey’s online store. Are they worth it? Read on to find out…
- Hershey’s Cotton Candy Bar
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Pros: Lots of “white chocolate” bars make you feel you’re eating a brick of glue. But this Cotton Candy Hershey Bar is the nicest white creme candy bar I have ever eaten. The cotton candy flavoring is strong without being overpowering. There are no crunchy bits or “inclusions” (all the other bars have stuff in them), but the creme texture on its own is never overwhelming.
Cons: I ran a cotton candy company with my friends for a year right out of high school, so believe me: I’m done tasting cotton candy. Once you’ve washed it out of your eyebrows, the magic of spun sugar really isn’t there anymore. It’s a miracle that this candy bar didn’t give me flashbacks. My only complaint is that these aren’t on more shelves.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Hershey’s Strawberries ‘n’ Creme Bar
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Pros: After tasting this bar, I realized that all of these Hershey’s Ice Cream Shoppe bars were going to be very good. Hershey’s knows what they’re doing. This one tastes like a scoop of great strawberry ice cream.
Cons: The texture of the dry “Strawberry Flavored Flakes” in the bar didn’t really bring ice cream to mind. Strawberry is usually either an ice cream flavor or a chunked topping, but I understand the latter is a difficult texture to replicate in a candy bar.
Credit: Liv Averett / Hersheyland.com
- Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Mint Bar
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Pros: I appreciate the decision to make Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Mint Bar a mint cookies and creme flavored bar instead of the more standard mint chocolate chip. And the cookie pieces are big for a candy bar. There’s a healthy crunch in every bite. These remind me of the Cookie Crunch Andes Mints, which is no small compliment.
Cons: Finding cons for these candy bars is a struggle, folks. These don’t deserve my usual level of nitpicking; they’re all sincerely delightful.
Credit: Liv Averett / Hersheyland.com
- Hershey’s Birthday Cake Bar
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Pros: You know how Birthday Cake Oreos have those colorful dots to represent the concept of sprinkles? There are actual, full-size sprinkles in a Birthday Cake Hershey’s Bar. They add a great texture, and I’m retroactively mad at how many times I’ve been served fake sprinkles before now.
Cons: This only loses points because birthday cake flavor isn’t my favorite flavor—and they nailed it. The accuracy hurts them only because of my personal tastes.
Credit: Liv Averett / Hersheyland.com
- Hershey’s Chocolate Hazelnut Bar
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Pros: This was the only “chocolate” bar in the entire line of Hershey’s Ice Cream Shoppe Bars, which had me briefly concerned it just wasn’t good enough for wide release. That fear was obliterated in one bite. Y’all, this is just biteable Nutella. The hazelnut pieces are so texturally similar to the chocolate that I didn’t realize they were there at first.
Cons: There are no cons. This is the perfect candy bar. I’m so glad I can’t get these regularly; it would be a serious detriment to my health.
Credit: Liv Averett / Hersheyland.com
- Hershey’s Salted Caramel Bar
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Pros: I’m not sure how they solidified melted salted caramel ice cream into a candy bar, but I’m not complaining. I think I’m in love with this line of candy bars. If you’re anywhere near a Hershey’s Chocolate World, you owe it to yourself to pick up each and every one of these.
Cons: The toffee pieces were pretty sticky, which led to the least satisfying mouthfeel out of the entire lineup. Still, if you’re looking for a good salted caramel candy bar, that’s only going to add to the experience. Even when they’re wrong, they’re right.
Credit: Liv Averett / Hersheyland.com
