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Candy Corn Trivia: 8 Sweet Things To Know

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8 Great Candy Corn Facts

 

It’s prime candy corn time! Those little tri-colored triangles have celebrated over 130 birthdays and are still going strong. Here are 8 sweet things you probably never knew about candy corn:

 

  1. 1. Candy corn was created in the 1880s by the Wunderlee Candy Company. It was popular among farmers who loved the corn kernel shaped candy that looked different from a lot of other candy. The Goelitz Candy Company, famous for their candy corn, began selling their brand around 1900. They still make candy corn today, but their company name has changed to the Jelly Belly Candy Company (guess what else they make!).

 

  1. Candy corn is over 130 years old. It’s a “mellow cream,” or a type of candy that’s made from corn syrup and sugar with a marshmallow kind of flavor. It tastes rich, but it’s actually fat-free.

 

  1. The original three colors of candy corn — orange, yellow, and white — mimic a corn kernel, although each piece of candy is about three times the size of an actual kernel. The bottom of the triangular candy is yellow, it’s orange in the middle, and the pointy end is white.

 

  1. Although 75% of the annual candy corn production is for Halloween, you can find it year round in varying holiday colors.

 

  • Indian corn has a chocolate brown wide end, orange center and pointed white tip, often available around Thanksgiving
  • Blackberry cobbler candy corn can be found in eastern Canada around Halloween
  • Reindeer corn, the Christmas variety, is red, green, and white
  • Cupid corn for Valentine’s Day is red, pink, and white
  • Bunny corn for Easter is only a two-color candy and comes with a variety of pastel bases (pink, green, yellow, and purple) with white tips.

 

  1. Brach’s Candy Corn:
  • There are nineteen pieces of candy corn in a serving.
  • A serving has140 calories (7.4 calories per kernel), zero grams of fat, 70 mg of sodium, 36 grams of carbs, and no protein.
  • A large bag of Brach’s candy corn is 22 ounces and has about 300 pieces.
  • Ingredients in Brach’s candy corn: sugar, corn syrup, confectioner’s sugar glaze, salt, honey, dextrose, artificial flavor, gelatin, titanium dioxide color, yellow 6, yellow 5, red 3, blue 1, sesame oil.

 

  1. According to the National Confectioners Association:
  • candy makers will produce nearly 35 million pounds of candy corn this year
  • this is equal to about 9 billion individual kernels of corn, enough to circle the moon nearly 21 times if laid end-to-end
  • candy corn is so popular that it has its own day: October 30 is National Candy Corn Day.

 

  1. How candy corn is made:
  • Originally it was made by hand.
  • Sugar, water, and corn syrup were cooked into a slurry (a thin mud consistency) in large kettles. Fondant (a sweet, creamy paste made from corn syrup, sugar, and water) and marshmallow were whipped in to give it a smooth texture and a soft bite.
  • The hot mixture was poured into “runners,” or hand-held buckets that held 45 pounds of candy mixture. Men called “stringers” walked backwards as they poured the steaming mixture into trays coated with cornstarch and imprinted with kernel-shaped molds. They made three passes; one each for the orange, white and yellow colors.
  • Today, the recipe is much the same but production is mechanized. A machine fills trays of kernel-shaped holes with cornstarch to hold the candy in corn triangle shapes. The holes are partially filled with white syrup, then orange syrup, followed by yellow syrup. The mold is allowed to cool, the mixture hardens for about 24 hours, then a machine empties the trays, the kernels to fall into chutes, and finally the candy corn is glazed to make it shine.

 

  1. Candy corn and candy corn flavor is big – you find it in drinks, bagels, cookies, and ice cream.
  • Nabisco has a limited-edition of candy-corn Oreos with a yellow-and-orange cream filling sandwiched between vanilla wafers.
  • There are also candy corn M&Ms with this description on Amazon: “Two classic candies join together to put a new spin on a traditional fall favorite. M&M’s candy corn white chocolate candies combine M&M’s chocolate candies and candy corn. In the distinctive orange, yellow and white candy corn colors, these bright candies will bring a festive and delicious approach to snacking and decorating this fall.”

 

  1. A survey of Americans found:
  • 8%think the whole piece of candy corn should be eaten at once
  • 7% think you should be start eating at the narrow, white end 10.6% like to start eating at the wider yellow end

How Far Do You Have To Walk To Burn Off Your Easter Candy?

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Running Easter BunnyIf you want to attempt to walk off the chocolate bunnies, jellybeans, and Peeps:

It takes a herculean effort to walk off lots of calories. It’s easier and more efficient to cut down on portion size. In case you want to make an attempt “to walk” off your candy indulgence:

If this is the candy in your Easter basket — and you eat it all:

  • 25 small jellybeans
  • 5 Peeps
  • 8 malted milk robins eggs
  • 1 ounce chocolate bunny
  • 1 Cadbury Creme Egg
  • 4 Lindt Chocolate Carrots

that adds up to 990 calories. You will need to walk 9.9 miles, 15.96 kilometers, or 19,800 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

If this is in your basket:

  • 25 small jellybeans
  • 5 Peeps
  • 5 marshmallow chicks
  • 8 malted milk robins eggs
  • 1 large 7 ounce chocolate bunny
  • 1 chocolate-covered marshmallow bunny
  • 1 Cadbury Creme Egg
  • 1 Cadbury Caramel Egg

that comes to 2076 calories. You will need to walk 20.76 miles, 33.48 kilometers, or 41,520 steps, assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps.

If you’re going “light” and only eat:

  • 25 small jelly beans
  • 5 Peeps
  • 1 medium (1 3/4 ounce) hollow chocolate bunny
  • 1 Cadbury Creme Egg

you would rack up 730 calories and you will need to walk 7.3 miles, 11.77 kilometers, or 14,600 steps — assuming you cover one mile in 2,000 steps — to walk off that number of calories. Sounds like a lot, but it is very doable over a few days.

Holidays and Celebrations

Holidays are days of celebration. But remember that a holiday is just one day and our bodies can easily compensate for a day of indulgence. Problems start when the holiday eating keeps going and going — which is easy to do when there are cabinets stuffed with Easter candy and bowls full of it every where you turn.

So arm yourself with some information, enjoy your holiday, and don’t feel obliged to eat every piece of candy in sight – the first bites always taste the best!

Please share this post with someone who may have eaten every last chocolate egg and jellybean  in the Easter basket!

Happy Easter

How Much Easter Candy Can You Eat For 100 and 200 Calories?

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Easter candy, 100 and 200 calories

Do you need a reason to splurge on a holiday – it is a celebration, after all? But, in case you want to “carefully” indulge on Easter candy, here’s how much of your favorite candy you can gobble down to the tune of 100 calories:

  • 17 Brach’s jellybeans = 102 calories (6 calories each)
  • 5 Peeps = 98 calories (28 calories for one Peep)
  • 6 Cadbury mini eggs = 96 calories (16 calories for one mini egg)
  • 2/3 of a Cadbury Crème egg = 100 calories (one egg is 150 calories)
  • 5 Cadbury mini crème eggs = 100 calories (one Cadbury mini crème egg has 40 calories)
  • 2/3 of a Cadbury caramel egg = 113 calories (one Cadbury caramel egg has 170 calories)
  • 2 Cadbury mini caramel eggs = 90 calories (one Cadbury mini caramel egg has 45 calories)
  • 2/3 Reese’s peanut butter egg = 113 calories (one Reese’s peanut butter egg has 170 calories)
  • 5 Reese’s peanut butter mini eggs = 100 calories (one Reese’s peanut butter mini egg has 40 calories)
  • 5 Hershey’s milk chocolate eggs = 102 calories (one Hershey’s milk chocolate egg has 29 calories)

 

Over and under the 200 calorie mark:

Higher Calorie Easter Candy (over 200 calories per serving):

  • 5 oz mini bag Cadbury Chocolate Mini Eggs: 210
 calories
  • 5 Nestle Butterfinger Easter Nestggs: 210
 calories
  • 1/4 cup Pastel Peanut M&M’s: 220
 calories
  • 9 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Pastel Kisses with Almonds: 230 
calories
  • 5 Hershey’s Pastel Miniature Chocolates: 230
 calories
  • 1 small 2.5 ounce Fannie May Solid Milk Chocolate Rabbit: 420
 calories
  • 1 small 7 ounce bag Jelly Belly Jelly Beans: 700 calories

 

Lower Calorie Easter Candy (under 200 calories per serving): 

  • 1 package (5 chicks) Peeps Marshmallow Chicks: 140 calories
  • 1 Cadbury Crème Egg: 150 calories
  • 1 Cadbury Caramel Egg: 170 calories
  • 1/8 cup M&M’s: 105 calories
  • 1 Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg: 180 calories
  • 4 Reese’s Peanut Butter Mini eggs: 160 calories
  • 7 Rolo Pastel Chewy Caramels: 190 
calories

 

Easter egg made of flowers

Bunnies and Eggs Come In All Shades of Chocolate

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chocolate bunnies and eggs

Peeps, jellybeans, and Cadbury eggs are extremely popular types of Easter candy, but on Easter kids head for chocolate Easter bunnies first.

No matter how old we are, we all have our preferred way of attacking the chocolate rabbit. Just so you know where you rank, 76% of us eat the ears first, 13% bite off the feet, and 10% go for the tail. Sixty-five percent of adults prefer milk chocolate, 27% prefer dark chocolate.

Bunnies aren’t the only chocolate treat of the season. Chocolate eggs — solid, hollow, decorated, candy-coated, and filled with sweetness – give the bunnies a race through the grass.

Easter Eggs – the Confectionary Type

Easter is the second ranked holiday for candy purchases in the United States (just behind Halloween) and solid, hollow, and filled chocolate Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies are extremely popular choices of Easter candy.

Chocolate Easter eggs, along with chocolate bunnies, first made their appearance in the 1800’s. They can be found everywhere and at every price point, some piped with flowers and others wrapped in foil.  You can find them in chain stores, discount stores, high-end chocolatiers, and sitting in a bowl on just about every receptionist’s desk.

Hollow and Solid Chocolate Easter Eggs

Today’s Easter eggs are mostly sweet chocolate made from cocoa solids, fat, sugar, and some form of milk. The first chocolate eggs were solid, made of a ground roasted cacao bean paste. Hollow eggs didn’t come on the scene until a type of “eating chocolate” was developed.  By the turn of the 19th century the improved process of making chocolate, along with newer manufacturing methods, made chocolate Easter eggs an Easter gift of choice.

Decorated with Flowers and Wrapped in Shiny Foil

John Cadbury make the first French eating chocolate in 1842, but the first Cadbury Easter eggs didn’t arrive until 1875 and were a far cry from today’s Cadbury Crème egg. Early Cadbury eggs were smooth surfaced dark chocolate filled with small silver candy balls called dragees.

Early decorated eggs were plain shells piped with chocolate and marzipan flowers. Today’s chocolate Easter eggs are predominantly milk chocolate and include solid, hollow, decorated, and filled eggs.

The Cadbury Crème Egg that’s so popular now, has a chocolate shell and a filling of white and yellow fondant made of sugar and water beaten into a crème. Since the first egg was made in the 1920s, new varieties include fillings of caramel, chocolate, mint, and peanut butter.

The average calories in popular types of chocolate Easter eggs:

Hershey’s

  • Cadbury Chocolate Crème Easter Egg, 1 egg (39g): 180 calories, 8g fat, 25g carbs
  • Cadbury Crème Egg, original milk chocolate with soft fondant crème center, 1 egg (39g): 170 calories, 6g fat), 28g carbs
  • Cadbury Mini Eggs, 1 package (1.4 ounces): 190 calories, 9g fat, 27g carbs
  • Cadbury Mini Caramel Eggs, 4 pieces (1.3 ounces): 180 calories, 9g fat, 23g carbs
  • Cadbury Mini Egg, 12 eggs (40g): 200 calories, 9g fat, 28g carbs
  • Milk Chocolate (foil) Eggs, 7 pieces (1.4 ounces): 200 calories, 12g fat, 24g carbs
  • Candy Coated Eggs, 8 pieces (1.3 ounces): 180 calories, 8g fat, 27g carbs

Dove

  • Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate Eggs, 6 eggs: 240 calories, 14g fat, 26g carbs
  • Foil Dark/Milk Chocolate Eggs, 6 eggs (1.5 ounces): 230 calories, 14g fat, 26g carbs

Reese’s

  • Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Eggs, 5 pieces (38g): 190 calories, 12g fat, 21g carbs
  • Reese’s Pastel Eggs, 12 pieces (1.4 ounces): 190 calories, 8g fat, 25g carbs
  • Reese’s Giant Peanut Butter Egg (whole egg, 6 ounces): 880 calories, 52g fat, 100g carbs

M&M’s

  • Milk Chocolate Speck-Tacular Eggs: 1/4 Cup (12 pieces): 210 calories, 10g fat, 29g carbs
  • M&M’s Peanut Butter Eggs, ¼ cup: 220 calories, 13g fat, 23g carbs
  • M&M’s Pretzel Eggs, ¼ cup: 180 calories, 6g fat, 28g carbs

Snickers

  • Original Peanut Butter Egg (1.1 ounce): 160 calories, 10g fat, 18g carbs
  • Snickers Mini Filled Egg (0.9 ounce): 130 calories, 6g fat, 17g carbs

Russell Stover

  • Caramel Egg (1 ounce): 130 calories, 6g fat, 19g carbs
  • Truffle Egg (1 ounce): 140 calories, 8g fat, 15g carbs

Whoppers

  • Robin Eggs, 8 pieces (1.4 ounces): 180 calories, 5g fat, 3g carbs
  • Mini Robin Eggs, 24 pieces (1.4 ounces): 190 calories, 5g fat, 35g carbs

Nestle

  • Butterfinger Eggs, 5 pieces (1.5 ounces): 210 calories, 11g fat, 29g carbs
  • Crunch Eggs, 5 pieces (1.3 ounces): 190 calories, 10g fat, 25g carbs

The average calories in popular types of chocolate Easter bunnies:

  • Solid Milk Chocolate Easter Bunny (2.5 ounces): 370 calories (average)
  • Dove Solid Chocolate Easter Bunny, whole bunny (4.5 ounces): 675 calories
  • Cadbury Solid Milk Chocolate Easter Bunny: 890 calories
  • Lindt Dark/Milk Chocolate Bunny (1.4 ounces): 225 caloriesSees Whole Bunny (4.5 ounces): 650 calories
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter/Reester, whole bunny (5 ounces): 720 calories
  • Russell Stover, whole bunny (4 ounces): 630 calories

Kosher Chocolate Candy

According to the Hershey Company website, Hershey’s candy coated milk chocolate eggs, chocolate crème eggs, peanut butter eggs, and all Hershey’s kisses are OUD.

 

Easter Candy Facts and Fun

 

 

If you want more sweet stuff, for 99 cents you can get the lowdown on Easter Candy.  Check out my ebook, Easter Candy Facts and Fun on Amazon.  You’ll spend less than you would on jelly beans.  It’s also way fewer calories than a chocolate bunny!

Marshmallow Peeps: do you love ‘em or hate ‘em?

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Marshmallow PEEPs

If you have a thing for the fluorescent marshmallow bunnies and chicks that were hatched over 50 years ago, you’re not alone. They got their name – PEEPS — because they were originally modeled after the yellow chick.  Now they’re made for Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day, too — so you can get them in yellow, pink, blue, lavender, orange, and green shapes that represent the different holidays. They also come chocolate dipped.

PEEPS continue to be the subject of lots of design contests (you’d be amazed what you can make out of peeps) and scientific experiments (some claim them to be indestructible). Just Born, the parent company of PEEPS, claims to produce enough PEEPS in one year to circle the Earth twice. Their website even boasts a fan club and a section for recipes.

Millions of Peeps

  • Each Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Marshmallow Peeps shaped like chicks, bunnies, and eggs, making them the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.
  • As many as 4.2 million Marshmallow Peeps, bunnies, and other shapes can be made each day.
  • In 1953, it took 27 hours to create a Marshmallow Peep. Today it takes six minutes.
  • Yellow Peeps are the most popular, followed by pink, lavender, blue, and white.
  • Peeps seem to be almost indestructible and are famous for their two-year shelf life. Scientists at Emory University claimed that Peeps eyes “wouldn’t dissolve in anything.” They tried to dissolve Peeps with water, sulfuric acid, and sodium hydroxide. No luck.

Do You Like Your PEEPS Soft Or Crunchy?

People have definite Peeps preferences. Some like them nice and soft, others like to leave them out in the air to age to perfection and acquire a little crunch on the outside.

They’ve been microwaved (careful, they expand and can really make a mess in your microwave), frozen, roasted, used to top hot chocolate, and added to recipes. Because their outer sugar coating tends to burn, they don’t toast well on sticks like regular marshmallows.

What’s In Them?

  • Send a PEEP to a lab for analysis and you’ll find sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, less than 0.5% of the following ingredients: yellow #5 (tartrazine), potassium sorbate (a preservative), natural flavors, dye, and carnauba wax
  • They’re gluten and nut free but are not Kosher
  • You can get sugar free PEEPS that are made with Splenda
  • Five little chicks (42g, one serving size) will set you back 140 calories, 0g fat, 1g protein, and 36g carbs

 

Easter Candy Facts and FunIf you want more sweet stuff, for 99 cents you can get the lowdown on Easter Candy.  Check out my ebook, Easter Candy Facts and Fun on Amazon.  You’ll spend less than you would on jelly beans.  It’s also way fewer calories than a chocolate bunny!