A Sweet Trip Down Memory Lane: 1950s Candy Bars

Great change took place in America the 1950s. The country was finally recovering from the Great Depression and WWII, and people were looking to find some kind of stability again. This included children who wanted an escape from their troubles at school or home. One way they found comfort was with 1950s candy bars – which now have a special place in American history as well!

Baby Ruth

One of the most famous chocolate bar brands still around today, this candy has been made since 1921 by Nestle company. It’s originally named after President Grover Cleveland’s daughter Ruth (who died at age 12) but is no longer associated with any presidential family member in Europe or North America..

Ingredients include milk chocolate, peanuts, corn syrup and baking cocoa.

Butterfinger

Named for the shape of its peanut butter and chocolate combination, this candy bar has a history that goes back to 1923 when it was first sold in Chicago by Curtiss Candy Company. It’s now owned by Nestle company who bought them out in 1990.

Ingredients include sugar, milk fat, cocoa; peanut flour, salt; dextrose, corn syrup and vanilla.

Milky Way

This candy bar was first sold in 1924 by Frank Mars and is still made today.

Ingredients include sugar, cocoa butter, nonfat milk solids; corn syrup, whole milk powder (milk), soy lecithin (emulsifier); salt.

3 Musketeers

First sold in 1932 by Mars, this candy bar has three layers of chocolate and vanilla creme.

Ingredients include sugar; milk ingredients: whole milk powder, nonfat dry milk solids; cocoa butter; soya lecithin (emulsifier); natural flavorings including vanillin from beets and vanilla extract.; artificial colors include

Mars Bar

First sold in 1932 by Mars and still made today.

Ingredients include sugar, skim milk powder; whey protein concentrate (milk), corn syrup, cocoa butter; soy lecithin emulsifier); artificial flavors: vanilla extract flavor from beets or vanilla beans and vanillin.; contains high fructose corn syrup.

Hershey’s Chocolate Bar

First sold in 1900 by Hershey’s and still made today.

Ingredients include sugar, milk ingredients: whole milk powder, nonfat dry milk solids; cocoa butter; soy lecithin emulsifier); artificial flavors including vanillin from beets or vanilla beans.; contains lactose.

Kit-Kat Bar

The Kit-Kat bar is a chocolate-covered wafer four finger bar with KITTY imprinted to it.

It was created by Rowntree’s in 1935, now owned by Nestlé since 1988 and made today.;

Ingredients include sugar; palm oil; whole milk powder, nonfat dry milk solids; cocoa butter; soy lecithin

Snickers Bar

The Snickers bar was created in 1930 by the National Confectioner’s Company and is still made today.

It has a milk chocolatey coating with nougat, caramelized peanuts, and roasted almonds.; Ingredients include sugar; hydrogenated palm kernel oil; whole milk powder, nonfat dry milk solids; cocoa butter

Big Time Candy Bar

The Big Time candy bar was made by The National Candy Company starting in the early 1950s.; Ingredients include sugar; hydrogenated palm kernel oil, whole milk powder, nonfat dry milk solids

Mounds Bar

Vincent Nitido introduced the Mounds bar in 1929 with a coconut-chocolate concoction blended together that contained nougat, coconut, and a dark chocolate coating.

Almond Joy

Almond Joy was introduced in 1946 by  Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing Company after they had acquired — and had success with — the Mounds bar. The Almond Joy name originates from a combination of almond paste with coconut.; Ingredients include sugar; hydrogenated palm kernel oil, whole milk powder, nonfat dry milk solids.

(Like 1950s candy bars? Then you might like our 1980s candy bars article, click here.)

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