How much sugar is in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g)? Each serving (42g) contains 19g of sugar, 220 kcal and 5g of saturated fat. At 19g of sugar it is one of the higher-sugar items in this guide.
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Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g): 19g of sugar per 42g serving
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) (42g) contains 19g of sugar, 63% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g, 79% of the limit for a child aged 7 to 10 (24g) and 100% of the limit for a child aged 4 to 6 (19g).
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups contain TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone), an antioxidant preservative used to extend the shelf life of the peanut butter filling. TBHQ is approved for use in UK food but is not commonly found in UK-manufactured confectionery.
At 19g per serving, this is one of the higher-sugar items in this guide. For context, the lowest-sugar item covered is Lindt Excellence 90% at 3.5g per 40g serving.
Sugar, salt and protein by age group
The table below shows how the sugar, salt and protein in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) compares to daily guidelines for different age groups.
Sugar, salt and protein by age group: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g)
Age group
Sugar (g / % limit)
Salt (g / % limit)
Protein (g / % target)
Age 4 to 6
19g / 100%
0.3g / 10%
5g / 25%
Age 7 to 10
19g / 79%
0.3g / 6%
5g / 18%
Age 11 to 17
19g / 63%
0.3g / 5%
5g / 12%
Adult
19g / 63%
0.3g / 5%
5g / 10%
Sugar and salt % shown against NHS/SACN daily limits. Protein % shown against estimated daily targets. Red = 75%+ of limit, amber = 20-74%, green = under 20%.
Free sugar vs total sugar
The sugar figure on a chocolate bar label is total sugars. Understanding the difference between free sugar and total sugar matters for reading any nutrition label accurately.
Free sugar vs total sugar: what the label shows
The sugar figure on a chocolate bar label is total sugars. In most chocolate, this is almost entirely free sugar, because chocolate is made from added sugar rather than whole food ingredients that contain naturally occurring sugars. Unlike flavoured yoghurt, where lactose from dairy inflates the total sugars figure, or fruit juice, where the sugar was once bound inside whole fruit, the sugar in chocolate is added in its free form and counts in full against the NHS daily free sugar limit.
This is an important distinction from many other packaged foods. A yoghurt showing 14g of total sugars may contain only 8g of free sugar. A chocolate bar showing 27g of total sugars contains 27g of free sugar. The number on the label means what it says.
The daily free sugar limit is 30g for adults and children aged 11 and over, 24g for children aged 7 to 10, and 19g for children aged 4 to 6. A standard chocolate bar can represent a significant share of any of these limits in a single serving.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) contains 5g of saturated fat per serving (42g), 25% of the adult daily guideline of 20g, and 38% of the guideline for a child aged 7 to 10 (13g). The saturated fat comes primarily from cocoa butter in the chocolate.
Ultra-processed food: what is really in it
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) is made from 2 main components: milk chocolate cup shell and peanut butter filling. Each component is produced separately before being combined.
Reading the ingredient list closely, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) contains emulsifiers and vanillin. These are not used to add nutritional value. Emulsifiers help fat and water-based ingredients blend together and stay mixed. Vanillin is a synthetic vanilla flavouring used instead of natural vanilla extract, providing vanilla taste at lower cost.
None of this means the ingredients are unsafe. What it indicates is the degree of industrial formulation involved. A piece of good quality chocolate made at home or by an artisan would typically use cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar and milk, with few or no additional processing aids. Mass-market chocolate reaches a similar result using a longer ingredient list with additional vegetable fats, emulsifiers and flavourings designed to keep the product consistent and cost-effective at industrial scale.
What's in it: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g)
Looking at the ingredient list rather than just the sugar and calorie figures reveals the additives and processing aids that give this product its consistent flavour and texture at industrial scale.
Processing (NOVA classification)
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed food. The NOVA classification system groups foods by the extent and purpose of the processing involved. Group 4 covers products that are formulated mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods, plus additives. In this item, that includes emulsifiers and vanillin. This classification applies to almost all mass-market chocolate and confectionery, regardless of the cocoa percentage or marketing claims.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) (42g) contains 19g of sugar, 63% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) contains 220 kcal per 42g serving, 11% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) contains 5g of saturated fat per serving, 25% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.
Yes. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed food, reflecting its use of emulsifiers and vanillin alongside the combination of refined ingredients and industrial processing methods involved in its manufacture.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) contains milk, soya, wheat and peanuts. May also contain traces of nuts from shared production lines.
At 19g per 42g serving, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (2-pack, 42g) is toward the higher end for sugar. Plain dark chocolate (70%+) typically contains 8 to 12g of sugar per 40g serving by comparison.
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Nutrition information from manufacturer official sources and UK FoodData Central. Figures are per item or stated serving size and may vary slightly by recipe updates. Reference intakes: EU Reference Intakes for an average adult (2,000 kcal); NHS/SACN free sugar and saturated fat guidelines. For guidance only, not medical advice.
