We Tried And Ranked 7 Hershey's Kisses Flavors

There's a good reason why Hershey's Kisses have been around for so long. They're a bite-sized chocolate that's perfect for those times when you want just a little something to satisfy your sweet tooth without overdoing it. Plus, the size makes them perfect additions to birthday party goodie bags or Christmas stockings, and they're obviously one of the most popular Valentine's Day Candies because who doesn't want kisses on V-Day? While Kisses may have started out simple, today there are an abundance of choices, some traditional and some unique. But which Hershey's Kisses are truly the best, and which options leave something to be desired?

Luckily, I had the opportunity to explore this question and report back with a ranking of seven Hershey's Kisses flavors. I judged each one on its smell, taste, and texture — something which my past experience as a confectioner (and my decades' long love of chocolate generally) came in very handy for. Here's how these seven Hershey's Kisses flavors stack up against one another.

I thought this offering had a really cool wrapper, with its tiny cookies — and honestly, I want to take a minute to say the cute, unique wrappers found on all these Hershey's Kisses flavors were a nice touch. That being said, this Cookies 'n' Creme option comes in at seventh place on my list. It's not because it's a bad flavor as none of them were truly terrible. It's because it's just bland.

The initial taste may have been bland, but the smell was mouth-watering. When you first open the bag, there's a strong smell of cookies and ice cream that's sweet and nostalgic. And, to be fair, the first bite may not have offered much, but there was a very light but pleasant cookie aftertaste. Texturally, it was smooth with a light mouthfeel and melted really well in your mouth. Overall, it's not a bad flavor and it may be just right if you prefer a much more neutral taste to your treats.

Trying the Hershey's Kisses Rainbow Brownie flavor was a bit of a wild ride, to be perfectly honest, and while I was totally here for some of it, I wanted to hop off other parts. It had a great start with a light rainbow brownie smell as soon as you opened the bag. Each little wrapped Kiss smelled delightful on its own, and the first few seconds of the taste test were downright euphoric. The chocolate here was superb with the smoothest texture that allowed for almost immediate melting in my mouth — honestly, it was like a hybrid between creamy pudding and traditional Hershey's milk chocolate. This creaminess was perfectly balanced with an occasional light crunch.

Unfortunately, after a few seconds, this rich, sweet chocolate taste was overpowered with a weird, super bitter aftertaste. It was such an overpowering taste that I almost gagged. Then, it began to fade away pretty quickly, combining with the sweet chocolate flavor again. Honestly, if it weren't for that odd bitter aftertaste, this Hershey's Kisses flavor could have easily pulled into the top spot of this ranking. As it is, it takes sixth place and I'm not sure whether to wholeheartedly recommend it or warn you to stay away, so let's go with "approach with caution."

As a full disclosure, I prefer dark chocolate over every other variety (including classic milk chocolate) by a large margin. Even though this is just a personal preference, it made me think the Hershey's Kisses Special Dark flavor would definitely rank in the top three. But, as you can see, it's ranked fifth — and there's a good reason for that. On its own, this dark chocolate flavor isn't terrible and I'd totally eat a few of these again. However, compared to other dark and special dark chocolates I've had over the years (and I've had a lot), this just falls way short in several ways.

One way these Kisses didn't fall short was the smell — opening the bag released a rich sweet chocolate smell with light bitter undertones. Unfortunately, the texture in my mouth was very hard, and it didn't melt well. While I realize darker chocolates do tend to be harder and less melty, this was beyond the normal and actually hurt the roof of my mouth. The flavor profile wasn't bad, with a primary earthy bitterness laced with light notes of cream and sugar. But then came a lingering aftertaste reminiscent of soil — it's the taste embodiment of what a greenhouse smells like.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the newest Hershey's Kisses flavor, and to say, I was excited to try it was an understatement — cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors, and I adore the cereal this candy was attempting to pay homage to. The wrapper on this new flavor is very bold and vibrant, making it stand out, and the smell released when I opened the bag? Pure cinnamon bliss. We were definitely off to a great start.

The initial taste was exactly like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, followed by light hints of white chocolate, which was delightful. But this was followed by the reason this Hershey's Kiss flavor only ranked fourth rather than higher — the aftertaste. When the hints of white chocolate began to fade away, it was replaced by a strong cinnamon aftertaste that I can only imagine is reminiscent of what people undertaking TikTok's dangerous cinnamon challenge was like. It was so overpowering that it sucked all the moisture from my mouth and left me feeling seriously dehydrated.

After chugging a bottle of water, my mouth regained some moisture and the faintest hints of cinnamon with white chocolate lingered. Overall, if it weren't for the dehydrating cinnamon, this could have been a top ranking flavor. If you choose to take this brand-new option for a spin, I recommend keeping a bottle of water handy.

Although they've labeled these as "Hugs" rather than "Kisses," they're essentially the same product and, to be honest, these were very similar to your standard Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate. A light, sweet chocolate smell was released when I opened the bag, which felt very nostalgic and familiar because it's exactly the same as the milk chocolate variation. As soon as I popped one of these bite-sized treats into my mouth, it began to slowly melt. As it did, it left behind a creamy, rich chocolate taste that was sweet without being overwhelmingly so.

The flavor profile was predominantly milk chocolate but there were the faintest hints of mild white chocolate which created a minuscule deviation from the standard flavor — and, to head off any arguments, yes, white chocolate is actually chocolate. That being said, paired with this mild taste deviation was a grainy mouthfeel as the chocolate continued to melt away. If you enjoy the original Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate, you'll enjoy this because there aren't any significant differences between the two.

Coming in second place is the solid, reliable Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate we're all familiar with and likely have fond childhood memories of — after all, they've been around a really long time. I can't help but wonder whether this specific Kisses flavor is old enough to pre-date the Hershey's secret chocolate laboratory, or whether any unique experimentation with it has ever taken place behind those tightly closed doors. Perhaps it's best not to try and improve on a classic.

The smell when opening this bag was a light, sweet milk chocolate — which we can thank Switzerland for, by the way, since that's where milk chocolate was actually invented. This translated to the taste, which featured a creamy decadence and smooth texture that melted in my mouth nicely. There was no strong aftertaste, although the initial taste lingered for a while, which was honestly pleasant. Overall, this was a reliable sweet treat that held up well to its unique flavor competitors, and I wholeheartedly recommend it for those times when you want a little something special.

Another fairly classic, traditional flavor, the Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate with Almonds easily took the top spot. A nutty, earthy smell with subtle hints of sweet chocolate escaped the bag when opened, providing a promising start to the taste test. Popping one in my mouth, I found the chocolate seemed a little softer and perhaps the tiniest bit creamier than the standard milk chocolate flavor. It melted well in my mouth and the encased almond offered a satisfying crunch and textural interest. After biting down, a nutty, earthy taste combined perfectly with the chocolate to create what I felt was an absolutely fantastic balance of flavors.

If you're a fan of almonds or like a little texture interest in your sweet treats, these are what you're looking for. Contrasting against failed innovations like Hershey's discontinued M&M's copycat, I can confidently say their Milk Chocolate with Almonds Kisses are here to stay — and once you try them, you'll understand why.

Hershey's Kisses flavors were chosen based on their availability in my local area in Southern New Jersey. While most flavors were purchased at Acme Markets, two were bought at CVS Pharmacy to help get the widest range of locally available flavors for this taste test. Each flavor was then assessed based on its smell, texture, and taste, and I also heavily considered the aftertaste because chocolate tends to stick to your mouth as it melts, meaning those lingering notes can have a significant effect on your overall experience.

To make my judgments, I relied on my more than fifteen years of experience in the food industry, during which time I cross-trained in hot foods and bakeries — I've spent countless hours dedicated to work as a baker, pastry chef, and confectioner, working heavily with chocolate for years. To ensure the fairest rating and decrease personal bias, I consulted my partner and children after making my own initial assessments, which were kept private until their thoughts were shared. Minor adjustments were made to the rankings where all other parties agreed unanimously.