Twinkie facts for kids

The logo for Twinkies, a snack made by Hostess.

A Twinkie is a famous American snack cake. It is a golden sponge cake with a creamy vanilla filling inside. For many years, they were made by a company called Hostess Brands.

After the company had some financial trouble, Twinkies disappeared from stores for a few months in 2012. But they made a big comeback in 2013 after new owners bought the brand. Today, Hostess Brands, Inc. is owned by The J.M. Smucker Company.

Twinkies are made in Emporia, Kansas, for the U.S. market. In Canada, a different company makes them. You can also find similar snacks in other countries. In Mexico, they are sold as "Submarinos" or "Tuinky." In Egypt and the United Kingdom, they are also sold under different company names.

History of the Twinkie

A box of Hostess Twinkies sold in Canada.

Twinkies were invented on April 6, 1930, by a baker named James Dewar. He worked for the Continental Baking Company in Illinois. Dewar noticed that the machines used to make cream-filled strawberry shortcakes were not being used when strawberries were out of season.

He had a clever idea to create a new snack to use the machines. He decided to make a small sponge cake with a banana cream filling. He got the name "Twinkie" after seeing a billboard for "Twinkle Toe Shoes."

Why the Filling Changed

During World War II, bananas were hard to get because they were rationed. So, the company had to switch the filling from banana to vanilla cream. People loved the new vanilla flavor so much that it became the standard for Twinkies.

The original banana flavor wasn't gone forever. In 2005, to promote the movie King Kong, Hostess brought back banana cream Twinkies for a short time. Sales went up by 20% during the promotion! Because it was so popular, the company made banana cream Twinkies a regular flavor again in 2007.

A Short Disappearance

In 2012, the company that made Twinkies, Hostess, had serious money problems. This is called going into bankruptcy. On November 16, 2012, Hostess announced it was closing down and would stop making Twinkies.

People were worried they would never see a Twinkie again. The news caused many people to rush to stores to buy the last boxes. For a few months, you couldn't find Twinkies anywhere in the United States.

The Return of the Twinkie

A look inside a special chocolate cream Twinkie from 2011.

Luckily, the story didn't end there. In 2013, two companies, Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co, bought the Twinkie brand for $410 million. They started making the snacks again, and on July 15, 2013, Twinkies returned to store shelves across the country.

The new Twinkies were a little different from the originals. They were slightly smaller and had 135 calories instead of 150. They also had a much longer shelf life of 45 days, compared to the original 26 days.

Since their return, new types of Twinkies have been created. In 2017, Chocolate Cake Twinkies were introduced. In 2020, a company called Post even made a Twinkies Cereal.

Deep-Fried Twinkies

A deep-fried Twinkie, often sold at fairs.

A deep-fried Twinkie is a popular treat, especially at state fairs. To make one, a Twinkie is frozen, dipped in batter, and then fried in hot oil.

When the Twinkie is fried, something amazing happens. The creamy filling melts and soaks into the sponge cake, making it warm and soft. This creates a delicious contrast with the crispy, fried batter on the outside. It's often served with a sweet berry sauce.

The idea became very popular in the early 2000s and spread across the U.S. You can find deep-fried Twinkies at fairs, sports games, and some restaurants. In 2016, Walmart even started selling frozen, pre-packaged deep-fried Twinkies that you can heat up at home.

See also

In Spanish: Twinkie para niños