The Peeps have fans and haters but the candy is undeniably Easter
Peeps are not for everyone. Either you love them or you hate them.
But there’s no denying that the marshmallow candy is an Easter basket staple that has gone from being a yellow treat to a wide variety of colors and flavors.
“Marshmallow candies, chocolate covered eggs and chocolate bunnies are all iconic Easter treats, and our celebrations wouldn’t be the same without them,” said Lauren Boland, director of communications for the National Confectioners Association. .
The national outlook does not always favor sweets which are often at the bottom of the rankings among Easter treats. “Peeps might be the worst candy ever!” A Twitter follower wrote.
“Marshmallow Peeps are terrible Easter candy and should be banned immediately,” another wrote.
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“Peeps are the perfect sweet snack.”
“Peeps are the perfect sweet snack,” said Nicole Dietz-Hunt, owner of Fromage du Monde candy store in Canton, Ohio. “They go with everything. They’re delicious, they float, they melt and they look like boyfriends.”
“Are you sick of winter? Fancy spring? Here’s a Peep,” Dietz-Hunt added.
Stacey Boden of Canal Fulton, Ohio, said she loves stale Peeps and isn’t the only one with this preference. “Let them rest for a few days before eating them,” she said.
Others have enjoyed them frozen, dipped in chocolate, or as substitutes for S’mores and other marshmallow treats.
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Last year, Kristy Kennedy-Black took it to another level and makes a giant Easter peeps creation.
Peeps Flavor Ranking
There are over 20 flavors for Peeps lovers.
Kat Thompson, food editor at Thrillist, recently ranked the best Peeps flavors for online publication.
Here are his Top 10 flavors:
- Chocolate Caramel Swirl
- Fudge Dipped Strawberry
- Coconut coated with dark chocolate
- Chocolate pudding
- party cake
- Original enrobed in milk chocolate
- Tropical Blast
- The Original Donut Shop Cafe
- Hot tamales
- Daddy’s beard
The original Peeps, known for a variety of colors, finished No. 11 out of 20 flavors ranked.
Millions Made Every Day
In 2015, USA TODAY delved into the candy’s history with an article about its origins and other surprising facts.
For example, the Rodda Candy Co. of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, made the original Peeps by hand. It took nearly 30 hours for each to be made, mostly because they needed to cool before they could be packaged.
In 1953, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based Just Born Inc. — the company that also makes Mike & Ike candy — bought Rodda and automated the process. It now takes six minutes to make a batch.
That’s enough peeps to circle the earth twice in a year. That’s about 5.5 million a day or 2 billion a year, the company and online publication Mental Floss reported.
Topper worked for a bar in Akron, Ohio, which held a Peeps eating contest for customers on Easter.
“People would pile on these disgusting little ducks and bunnies” to win a cash prize, Topper said.
“The sidewalk would bear witness to the dead,” he added.
USA Today
