Hot Cocoa Hershey Kisses Return for 2025—Here’s Our Honest Review

I spend most of my day reading, writing, and thinking about little treats. (It’s a tough gig.) That round-the-clock dedication means I’m pretty up to date on candy releases, new and returning, but sometimes a candy sneaks up on me. I was out looking for the new Snickerdoodle Hershey Kisses when I found…Hot Cocoa Kisses? I really thought I was on top of the Hershey Kiss beat.

Further research revealed a couple different Hershey Kiss recipes under the “Hot Cocoa” name have been available off-and-on for close to twenty years. I searched the Sporked site and we’ve never covered them. So, whether they’re new or not, they’re new to us. 

I picked up a bag as part of my duty to cover as much seasonal nonsense as possible. Maybe next year, we’ll do an “Every Holiday Hershey Kiss, Ranked” piece. In the meantime, let’s unwrap a few Hot Cocoa Kisses and see why these have become a quiet annual tradition.

New Hershey’s Kisses!

Hot Cocoa Hershey Kisses

Walmart

Pros: Marshmallow flavoring is tough to nail down—hell, the first version of Hot Cocoa Hershey Kisses were available seasonally for over ten years before they figured out the marshmallow creme filling. I recently reviewed the Lindt Lindor Hot Cocoa Truffles; I liked the filling, but it definitely wasn’t straight marshmallow. Meanwhile, Marshmallow Moon OREOs (remember, the purple OREOs that celebrated the anniversary of the moon landing?) absolutely nailed the marshmallow flavoring, making them one of my all-time favorite OREOs in the process.

I’m happy to say that 2025’s Hershey’s Hot Cocoa Kisses lean towards the latter; the marshmallow-flavored filling is truly marshmallowy. These are a hidden gem in the Hershey Kisses’ holiday lineup. It’s not every day that I can say Hershey did something better than Lindt.

Cons: I’d buy stock in the Hershey Company if they agreed to swap the milk chocolate for dark chocolate. Sure, milk chocolate is more common for hot cocoa, but Hershey’s Special Dark improves everything it touches.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Where can I find Hot Cocoa Hershey Kisses for myself?

Luckily for you, this seasonal release is available pretty much everywhere. I picked up a pack at Target only to find them at Kroger and Walmart within a few days. I even saw them at CVS—the price was atrocious, but it was there! Snag a bag while you’re out Black Friday shopping—or Instacart a bag to your house since no one actually leaves their house for Black Friday anymore.