U.S. chocolate lovers continue to pay more for their favorite treats even as cocoa prices retreat from record highs. Halloween is shining a light on that gap: Chocolate candy prices are up 15.5% year over year, with an average price of $5.67 per package, per PwC figures cited by NBC News . And chocolate makers are now confronting a difficult question: How much more will shoppers pay?

Recent U.S. retail listings show what that means at the till. A regular 1.55-ounce Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar sells for around $1.99 at Target, and a 1.5-ounce pack of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups costs the same. A 5.1-ounce bag of Lindt Lindor truffles will cost you around $6.88 at Walmart, and a 4.8-ounce bag of Ghirardelli assorted chocolate squares goes for $7.20. Prices vary by retailer and location, and promotions can bring them down.

The pressure is now too great for the chocolate companies to ignore.…