Cookie Dough Bites (candy) facts for kids
| Owner | Taste of Nature, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1997 |
| Website | www.tasteofnatureinc.com |
Cookie Dough Bites are a popular American candy. They have a soft, chewy cookie dough center covered in chocolate. You often find them in big boxes, like the ones sold at movie theaters. While the first flavor was chocolate chip, many different kinds have been made over the years. They first appeared in U.S. movie theaters in 1997. Now, you can buy them in many countries around the world!
Contents
The Story of Cookie Dough Bites
How Cookie Dough Bites Began
Cookie Dough Bites were created by Scott Samet and Douglas Chu. They started their company, Taste of Nature, Inc., in 1992. At first, they made healthier snacks for movie theaters. But their business wasn't growing much.
So, in 1995, they decided to try making candy. Their first candy was a chocolate-covered cookie dough product. It was sold in bulk, meaning in large amounts. The company soon realized they could make an even better candy.
They decided to put more cookie dough in each piece. Then, they created their own brand and packaging. This led to the official launch of Cookie Dough Bites in 1997.
Starting from Scratch
Douglas Chu and Scott Samet built their company from the ground up. They started in the back of Doug's parents' house. Each of them put in $5,000 of their own money to get started.
Beyond Candy
In 2018, the company that makes Cookie Dough Bites also started making cookies. They took over the production and sales of Mrs. Fields pre-packaged cookies. This means they became actual cookie makers!
How Cookie Dough Bites Are Made
The TV show Unwrapped has shown how Cookie Dough Bites are made. Douglas Chu, one of the founders, explained a special secret. They needed the candy to stay fresh for a long time on store shelves.
Special Ingredients
To do this, they had to remove a key ingredient from regular cookie dough: eggs. "We have a special egg-free formula," Chu said. This formula allows the candy to stay fresh for about a year.
The Perfect Flavor and Coating
Chocolate chip was the first and most popular flavor. This was an easy choice because chocolate chip is America's favorite cookie. They worked hard to make their candy taste just like it.
They also added a chocolate coating. This gives people a "burst of chocolate flavor" with every bite. After many tests, they found the best mix. People prefer an equal amount of chocolate coating to cookie dough inside.
Each Cookie Dough Bite also has a thin, shiny coating. "One coat of gum arabic gives the bites a glossy sheen," Chu explained. This coating helps the candies keep their shape. It also stops them from sticking together.
Production Power
The factory can make over 20,000 pounds of Cookie Dough Bites every day! While the recipe is similar to real cookie dough, Chu warns that it's not the same. "It is ultimately candy and not meant to be baked," he said.
What's in Cookie Dough Bites?
Cookie Dough Bites are mainly made of chocolate. This chocolate includes sugar, whole milk, and cocoa butter. A serving size of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites candy (half a package) has 190 calories.
The calories come from:
- 42% fat
- 54% carbohydrates (carbs)
- 4% protein
Many Flavors to Enjoy
Cookie Dough Bites come in many different cookie and cake-inspired flavors. The main difference is the cookie dough center. But the coating can also change. Some have dark chocolate, while others use white crème (which is like white chocolate).
There are even sodas that taste like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites and Red Velvet Bites!
Popular Flavors
While not all of these are made anymore, many are still available:
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
- Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
- Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites
- Fudge Brownie Cookie Dough Bites
- Cookies ‘n Cream Bites
- Red Velvet Cupcake Bites
- Cupcake Bites
- Strawberry Dream Bites
- Birthday Cake Cookie Dough Bites
- Cinnamon Bun Cookie Dough Bites
- S’moresels
- Moon Pie Bites
- Gingerbread
Fun Facts About Cookie Dough Bites
- After being sold only in movie theaters, the first store to sell Cookie Dough Bites was Blockbuster.
- Cookie Dough Bites came out in the late 1990s. But they might have been ahead of their time! In 2017, many people became very interested in "edible cookie dough." Google Trends showed that searches for "edible cookie dough" were at their highest point ever that year.
