Buzz
Everyone cherishes a beloved candy, whether sweet, tangy, or savory, that has tempted taste buds and derailed diets. Below are some discontinued delights from yesteryear that might remain a distant memory (though surprises can happen).
1. Trash Can Treats
This quirky candy celebrated the art of scavenging with a miniature plastic trash bin filled with small, pellet-shaped candies resembling typical garbage items like a fish skeleton, worn-out sneaker, dog bone, or empty soda bottle. Thankfully, the taste was far more appealing than the concept. Practical candy lovers appreciated that the tiny trash can doubled as a storage container for small treasures like stickers, erasers, or even Garbage Pail Kids cards (interestingly, both Garbage Can-dy and Garbage Pail Kids were brainchildren of Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Maus, who was part of The Topps Company's product development team at the time).
2. Bar None
Launched in 1986, Bar None marked Hershey’s first attempt at creating a premium chocolate bar, long before the gourmet chocolate trend took off. This innovative treat blended elements from popular bars of the era, featuring a cocoa wafer coated in chocolate and filled with a mix of chocolate and peanuts. Its tagline, 'tame the chocolate beasty,' hinted at its bold flavor profile, though the exact meaning remains a mystery. In 1992, Hershey revamped the recipe by adding an extra wafer and caramel, but the changes failed to boost sales. Despite being discontinued in 1997, the bar still has a loyal following of enthusiasts eagerly awaiting its return.
3. Bonkers
Bonkers, Nabisco’s chewy fruit candy, featured a gum-like exterior and a fruity center, showcasing the impact of clever marketing. While the candy’s artificial fruit flavor might not stand out in memory, its iconic commercials are unforgettable. The ads depicted serious characters being hilariously 'bonked' by oversized fruit, turning them into playful versions of themselves. However, as the advertising momentum waned, so did the candy’s popularity, eventually leading to its discontinuation.
4. Chicken Dinner Bar
First things first: The Chicken Dinner Bar contains no actual chicken. Created during the Great Depression, this chocolate-coated nut roll drew its name from Herbert Hoover’s campaign pledge of 'a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage,' symbolizing prosperity. Despite its misleading name (reinforced by clucking chicken commercials and a chicken-shaped delivery truck), the candy enjoyed remarkable longevity, staying on shelves for nearly four decades. Production ended only after the Sperry Candy Company, its original maker, was purchased by Pearson’s in 1962.
5. The Vegetable Sandwich Bar
Another oddly named product from the 1920s, unearthed in Steve Almond’s book Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America, is the Vegetable Sandwich Bar. Unlike the Chicken Dinner Bar, this snack lived up to its name. Marketed as a 'health' bar, it contained ingredients like cabbage, celery, peppers, and tomatoes, promoted for aiding digestion and avoiding constipation. While nutritious, its appeal as a candy alternative was questionable.
6. Gatorgum
Candy trends come and go, and the 1980s saw a surge in beverage-flavored chewing gums, including Gatorgum, inspired by Gatorade. Like its drink counterpart, Gatorgum claimed to quench thirst. Despite its loyal fanbase, the gum’s intensely tart flavor, which could sometimes irritate the mouth, likely contributed to its brief shelf life. Other beverage-themed gums, such as Dr. Pepper Gum, 7-Up Gum, and A&W Root Beer Gum, also struggled to find lasting success.
7. PB Max
A word to candy creators: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, in their countless variations, dominate the peanut butter candy scene, making competition nearly impossible. However, PB Max deserves credit for attempting something unique rather than copying Reese’s formula. Introduced in the early 1990s, PB Max featured a chocolate cookie base topped with peanut butter and enjoyed notable success. Surprisingly, as detailed in Joël Glenn Brenner’s book The Emperors Of Chocolate, Mars discontinued the product despite $50 million in sales, reportedly because the company’s founders disliked the taste of peanut butter.
8. Tart 'n' Tiny
Times change quickly. In the 1980s, Tart ‘n’ Tinys—Wonka’s small, candy-coated fruit-flavored pellets available in five varieties—were among the brand’s top sellers. By the 1990s, however, they vanished from shelves. Their discontinuation might be linked to their similarity in texture to Wonka’s SweeTarts, which remain popular in various forms like chewy, giant, and gummy versions. Dedicated shoppers might still stumble upon a vintage box online, but beware—any remaining stock is likely over 20 years old.
9. Peanut Butter Boppers
Produced by Nature Valley, Peanut Butter Boppers were positioned more as granola bars than candy. However, any snack combining peanut butter, chocolate, and graham cracker pieces qualifies as a candy bar in our eyes. Their commercials emphasized their fun and indulgent nature, but despite their appeal, Boppers vanished by the late 1980s after a brief run in the mid-1980s. The exact reason for their discontinuation remains a mystery.
10. Astro Pop
Astro Pops were as much a sugary delight as they were a potential makeshift weapon, making their 2004 discontinuation after over 40 years on the market all the more surprising. Designed by two rocket scientists, the lollipop’s three-stage rocket shape was marketed as the 'longest lasting lollipop on Earth.' Acquired by Spangler Candy (known for Dum Dums and Circus Peanuts) in 1987, the Astro Pop was eventually phased out in 2004 when it no longer aligned with the company’s broader strategy.
11. Nestlé Alpine White
Even among white chocolate enthusiasts, its intensely sweet flavor is polarizing. Nestlé attempted to position the Alpine White bar as a chic and refined alternative to traditional milk chocolate, supported by a video art-inspired ad campaign. However, consumer interest fell short, and despite a Facebook campaign to revive it, the bar remains discontinued.
