Many people are unaware of the differences between Hershey’s Hugs and Kisses candies. A theory that some people have is that Hugs have nuts while Kisses do not. That certainly sounds like a solid guess but definitely not what makes them different. Let’s take a look at what really sets these candies apart.
What Are They?
Hershey’s Hugs are described as milk chocolate hugged by white creme. When you unwrap an individual Hug, you will find the outer layer to be mostly white creme candy with stripes of milk chocolate. The interior or core is made of milk chocolate.
Here is one of the first commercials for Hugs from the early 1990s:
A Hershey’s Kiss, on the other hand, is made with classic milk chocolate.
Note that under the Kisses brand, Hershey’s makes a variety of flavors such as Cookies N Creme and Strawberry Ice Cream Cone. For the purposes of this article, when we mention Kisses we are only referring to the milk chocolate version going forward.
Nutrition
Overall, there are no significant differences in nutrition between Hershey’s Hugs versus Kisses. Kisses do, however, have more saturated fat, cholesterol, total sugars, and added sugars.
| Hugs | Kisses | |
|---|---|---|
| Serving Size | 7 pieces | 7 pieces |
| Calories | 160 | 160 |
| Total Fat | 9g | 9g |
| Saturated fat | 5g | 6g |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 5mg | 10mg |
| Sodium | 30mg | 25mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 19g | 19g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 17g | 18g |
| Included Added Sugar | 14g | 16g |
| Protein | 2g | 2g |
| Vitamin D | 2% | 2% |
| Calcium | 6% | 4% |
| Iron | 2% | 6% |
| Potassium | 2% | 2% |
Introduction Dates
These candies were released over 85 years from each other. Kisses are much older than Hugs as you likely guessed.
Hugs – Hugs were introduced in 1993, long after the first Kiss was made.
Kisses – Hershey’s Kisses first appeared on July 7, 1907. The candies were hand wrapped until 1921 when Hershey’s switched to a machine.
Image Credit – priya saihgal/flickr
