Nothing beats biting into your favorite candy bar, especially when it brings back childhood memories. Yet, many nostalgic discontinued candy bars have faded from our memories. This article explores seven unique and vintage candy bars that people still talk about, despite their absence from store shelves today.
Seven Up Bar: A Treat with Seven Flavors
Decades ago, the Seven Up Bar was more than just a bubbly soda. This chocolate bar offered a delightful experience with its creamy milk chocolate exterior and seven individual flavor-filled sections. From mint to caramel, each bite was an adventure. Initially produced by Trudeau Candy in the 1930s, it gained popularity after Pearson's took over production in 1951, tweaking the filling flavors along the way. The Seven Up Bar faced a trademark battle with the soda company and was ultimately discontinued in 1979. Its unique design has an interesting counterpart in Necco's Sky Bars, which offer four sections rather than seven. Today, fans remember the Seven Up Bar for its creative fillings and retro charm.
Chicken Dinner: A Nutty Delight Named for Dinner
Imagine a candy bar named after a full meal! The Chicken Dinner candy bar, created by Sperry Candy Co. in 1923, was anything but poultry-flavored. This chocolate-covered nut roll featured crushed peanuts and was marketed as a wholesome treat. During the Great Depression, its clever branding linked it to President Hoover’s famous phrase, making it appealing to consumers looking for comfort food. For a mere five cents, you could treat yourself to a chocolatey nutty delight. Though it vanished by the 1960s, its quirky name continues to evoke curiosity and nostalgia among candy lovers.
Marathon Bar: The Long and Chewy Classic
Mars introduced the Marathon bar in 1973, branding it as a candy bar that promised to last. With an impressive eight-inch length, this braided chocolate and caramel treat provided a chewy texture perfect for savoring. Ads from the 1970s, complete with cowboys and classic Western themes, painted the bar as a staple of American sweetness. Despite its popularity, the Marathon bar faced stiff competition from Cadbury’s Curly Wurly, which had a similar profile and eventually superseded it, leading to its discontinuation in 1981. Although you can still find Curly Wurly in the UK, fans of chewy chocolate still reminisce about the original Marathon bar.
Choco'Lite: A Taste of Lightness
With the rise of diet trends in the 1970s, Nestlé launched the Choco'Lite bar in 1972. Targeting health-conscious consumers, this chocolate offered a unique crunchy texture due to small air pockets. Marketed as a lighter alternative to regular chocolate bars, it promised that you could still enjoy a rich chocolate experience without guilt. Despite its innovative concept, Choco'Lite melted away from store shelves by 1982. The allure of diet bars didn't fade, as many similar products emerged in the following decades, but none have recaptured the essence of the original Choco'Lite.
No Jelly: The Peanut Butter Partner
When it comes to peanut butter, the combination with chocolate reigns supreme. The No Jelly candy bar created by Peter Paul capitalized on this duo in the 1970s but left many confused about its name. This unique bar featured crispy rice and rich peanut butter coated in milk chocolate. Despite its clever branding, consumers found the name off-putting. In the mid-1970s, No Jelly rebranded as the clearer Peanut Butter Bar, but the nostalgia for the original name still lingers among vintage candy enthusiasts.
Ruth's Home Run: A Sweet Home Run
Babe Ruth, one of baseball's legends, inspired multiple candy bars, including the notable Ruth's Home Run. Released in 1928, it was promoted with a colorful wrapper featuring the star's portrait and offered prizes like baseball cards. This candy bar capitalized on Ruth’s fame, and although it didn't last long in the competitive candy market, it showcased how sports and candy could merge into something memorable. The mythology surrounding Babe Ruth's relationship with candy bars remains a nostalgic point of reference for baseball and candy enthusiasts alike.
Z-Carb: Low Carb Chocolate for the Sweet Tooth
Emerging during the low-carb frenzy of the early 2000s, Z-Carb aimed to provide a guilt-free chocolate experience. Produced by HVC Lizard Chocolate, it offered a variety of flavors without the carbs. Despite its promises, it never gained lasting popularity and quickly faded from the market, overshadowed by more successful products. Though short-lived, the memory of Z-Carb lingers among those who remember its early excitement as part of the health trend in candy.
These nostalgic candy bars may no longer be available on store shelves, but their impact and memories remain vibrant. While modern candy bars hit the market with catchy branding and inventive flavors, there is something special about these vintage sweets that bring back cherished moments from our past. Whether it’s the multi-flavored Seven Up Bar, the clever marketing behind Chicken Dinner, or the chewy nostalgia of the Marathon bar, these treats remind us of a simpler time in candy history. As we explore the evolution of candy bars, we can’t help but celebrate these unique chocolate delights that once delighted our taste buds and captured our imaginations.