Whoppers

Whoppers
Product typeConfectionery
Current ownerIconic IP Interests, LLC
Produced byHershey (1996–present)
CountryUnited States
IntroducedDecember 15, 1949; 76 years ago (1949-12-15)
MarketsGlobal
Previous owners
Leaf Brands (1949–96)
Tagline"The Original Malted Milk Balls" (Worldwide)
Websitehersheyland.com/whoppers

Whoppers are malted milk balls, with an artificially flavored "non chocolate coating", produced by the Hershey Company. The candy is a sphere about 3⁄4 inch (20 mm) in diameter and consists of a malted milk center formed through an aeration process, a technique commonly used in mid-20th century confectionery.

The candy was initially sold unwrapped at two pieces for one cent. After the creation of cellophane wrapping machines, smaller Whoppers were packaged and sold five for one cent, also known as Fivesomes. Leaf soon introduced the first confectionery milk-carton package, which would become a hallmark of the candy.

History

In 1939, the Overland Candy Company introduced the predecessor to Whoppers, a malted milk candy called "Giants". In 1947, Overland merged with Chicago Biscuit Company, Leaf Gum, and Laf Machinery. Leaf Brands reintroduced malted milk balls under the Whoppers name in December 1949.

In 1967, Leaf was purchased by W. R. Grace. The Leaf Confectionary unit was sold back to its management in 1976. Leaf was again purchased by Huhtamäki Oyj in 1983 and merged with General Mills' bubble gum division and Beatrice Foods Company's candy operations.

During the early 1990s, Whopper production was moved from Chicago to Robinson, Illinois. Leaf's 60-year-old factory on the Near North Side officially closed in 1993. In 1996, Hershey Foods Corporation paid $440 million to acquire the Leaf North America confectionery operations from Huhtamäki. Hershey then began licensing the company's brands, including Whoppers.

In 2018, Huhtamäki sold the intellectual property rights of 10 brands, including Whoppers, to Highlander Partners.

There are seasonal variants for Christmas and Easter - Sno-Balls and Mini Robin Eggs. Both are covered with a hard candy shell.

In 2000, Hershey introduced Mini Whoppers. Traditionally chocolate in flavor, a new strawberry milkshake flavored variant became available in 2006. Soon after, they also released Reese's Peanut Butter Cups flavored Whoppers (discontinued sometime between 2014 and 2015). For Easter 2009, three new milkshake flavors were released: vanilla, blueberry, and orange cream. The vanilla variant was reintroduced in 2016 as a seasonal product.

Ingredients

Opened Whoppers

Listed in decreasing order by weight: sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, whey (milk), malted milk (barley malt, wheat flour, milk, salt, sodium bicarbonate), cocoa, 2% or less of: resinous glaze, sorbitan tristearate, soy lecithin, salt, natural and artificial flavors, calcium carbonate, tapioca dextrin.

Similar products

References

  1. 1 2 Kimmerle, Beth (2003). Candy: The Sweet History (1st American ed.). Portland, OR: Collectors Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-888054-83-5.
  2. ↑ Liebig, Jason (26 June 2012). "A Walk Through Whoppers Packaging History!". CollectingCandy.com. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  3. ↑ D'Antonio, Michael (2007). Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's extraordinary life of wealth, empire, and utopian dreams (First Simon & Schuster Paperback ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. ISBN 978-0-7432-6410-5.
  4. ↑ Coffman, Rebekah (2023-12-05). "The Chicago Origins of Leaf Brands Candy". Chicago History Museum. Retrieved 2026-11-09.
  5. ↑ "WHOPPERS". www.hersheyland.com. Retrieved 2026-11-09.
  6. ↑ Koshetz, Herbert (1976-01-01). "GRACE DISPOSING OF ITS LEAF UNIT". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-11-09.
  7. ↑ Cuff, Daniel F. (1983-11-24). "BUSINESS PEOPLE; Acquisitions in U.S. Are Sweet for Finn". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-11-09.
  8. ↑ "LEAF TO CLOSE 2 CHICAGO PLANTS". Chicago Tribune. 1990-01-23. Retrieved 2026-11-09.
  9. ↑ "BITTER NEWS. Leaf Inc., maker of such…". Orlando Sentinel. 1990-01-22. Retrieved 2026-11-09.
  10. ↑ Edwards, Chris (December 10, 2013). "Federal Sugar Program and Chicago Jobs". www.cato.org. Retrieved 2026-11-09.
  11. ↑ Odette, Yousef (October 28, 2019). "More Than Jobs: What Chicago's West Side Lost When The Factories Closed". WBEZ Chicago. Retrieved 2026-11-09.
  12. ↑ "HERSHEY IN BIG CANDY DEAL WITH FINNISH COMPANY". The New York Times. 1996-10-19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-11-09.
  13. ↑ Brenner, Joël Glenn (2000). The emperors of chocolate: inside the secret world of Hershey and Mars (Reprint ed.). New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 978-0-7679-0457-5.
  14. ↑ McNulty, John (April 30, 2018). "Highlander Buys Big Candy Portfolio". peprofessional.com. Retrieved 2026-11-09.
  15. ↑ "Hershey's Whoppers". candyblog.net. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  16. ↑ "Whoppers Sno-Balls". candyblog.net. 4 December 2007. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  17. ↑ "Whoppers Mini Robin Eggs review". walkingthecandyaisle.com. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  18. ↑ Brian (3 November 2006). "Candy Addict » Candy Review: Strawberry Milkshake Whoppers". candyaddict.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  19. ↑ "Review: Vanilla Milkshake Whoppers". The Junk Food Guy. 28 October 2016. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  20. ↑ Richardson, Tim (2002). Sweets: A History of Candy (1st U.S. ed.). Bloomsbury, NY: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-58234-229-0.
  21. ↑ "Nutrition Facts for Whoppers - The Original Malted Milk Balls, Original". My Food Data. Retrieved 2026-03-21.