Ding Dongs

Ding Dongs are little chocolate cakes that come in a simple wrapper to be enjoyed as a pair. This is one of the most classic snacks that anyone might name, and many people love these products. Ding Dongs have been produced since the 60s, and they have not changed much since they were first made. If you love chocolate cake and chocolate snacks, you will want to be sure to try out Ding Dongs. These classic little cakes are delightful to enjoy, and they are easy to bring with you anywhere that you go.

History

Dings Dongs have been on the market since 1967. These little treats are sold under the name King Dons in Canada, but the Vachon Inc company produces the products under both brand names. The little cakes with the chocolate glaze on the outside and the creamy filling in the middle are the same in both markets as far as recipe. The only difference is the name they are sold under.

The original Ding Dong product was wrapped in a thin layer of aluminum foil. This was intended to help keep the little cakes from melting and from making a mess in kids’ lunch boxes. Today, they are sold in plastic wrap instead.

Ding Dongs are a lot like other crème-filled cakes that are on the market, but they are one of the original products of this kind. Hostess originally made the little cakes, and their name is still synonymous with this product. Even now that Ding Dongs are not made by Hostess, they are almost inseparable from the brand name.

There were issues over the year with the name of the Ding Dong, as Drake’s Cakes on the east coast claimed that their Ring Dings were named first. The Ring Ding and the Ding Dong were very similar products, and the conflict was eventually resolved because the products merged. Hostess did have to agree not to sell both products in the same markets as each other. This is why the King Dong name has persisted in Canada. The naming convention confusion was avoided in this market but could still be a factor in other markets.

Hostess created the mascot Kind Ding Dong to help sell the products at the beginning of the product’s life. This was the era of mascots being required in order to sell to kids. King Ding Dong carried a crown and scepter and wore a friendly face in every ad. This character was made to match other Hostess mascots from the same period, such as Captain Cupcake, Happy Ho Ho, Twinkie the Kid, and Fruit Pie
the Magician.

These mascots were cartoonish and welcoming, and they were featured in all kinds of ads on TV. Mascots were very effective during this period, but they waned in popularity during the 80s. As consumers became more aware of the dangers of consuming too much sugar, marketing to children was no longer allowed in the same unreserved way. This changed how companies marketed products like
Ding Dongs.

Today, it’s hard to imagine any food products being sold with the help of a mascot. Sometimes people assume that only cereals have used mascots to market their products due to this lack of universal mascot use by snack food companies.

Despite being unable to market solely to children, Ding Dongs have continued to be fan favorites and are one of the best-known snacking products out there. The confusion with regard to the name of the product even helped to make the Ding Dong more popular.

Changes to the names of the various products have led to a controversy which indicates that there was never a King Don product sold in other places outside of Canada. This is not the case, but there are many people who believe that the names of these products did not change within the US and Canada throughout the life of the product. This is called the Mandela Effect.

Many people refrigerate their Ding Dongs to help them to last longer without melting. This was one of the original challenges of selling products that were coated in chocolate. Melting was a real factor for these food items, making them largely seasonal products.

Today, Ding Dongs and many other chocolate products are made more stable with regard to melting through the use of preservatives and changes to their recipes. This helps to keep these products on the shelves year-round, and it has made Ding Dongs more popular than ever over the years. They are still a classic lunchbox snack, and many people consider them a lunchbox requirement.

If you want to enjoy a really delicious chocolate cake snack, you need to try out Ding Dongs. These classic little cakes are delicious, easy to enjoy in a few bites, and simple to carry around in your lunchbox or your bag. They make a great choice for picnics, camping, hiking, and more!

Ingredients

• Sugar
• Water
• Enriched Flour (Bleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate or Reduced
• Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)
• Palm Oil
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Palm Kernel Oil
• Cocoa Processed with Alkali
• Corn Syrup
• Soybean Oil
• Contains 2% or Less: Glycerin, Modified Cornstarch, Baking Soda, Corn Starch, Whey, Mono and Diglycerides, Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Egg, Preservatives (Sorbic Acid, Natamycin, Potassium Sorbate), Egg White, Dextrose, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Enzymes, Defatted Soy Flour, Polysorbate 60, Monocalcium Phosphate

There are many copycat recipes for these products as well if you want to try and make your own Ding Dongs at home. Many people claim that these recipes are just like the real thing and that you don’t have to hunt down real Ding Dongs if they are not sold locally in your area or region. Many people also make whole entire Ding Dongs cakes as well! Making your own sweets can be really fun, and sometimes it can be a great idea to make your own homemade version of a classic snack to see if you like it just as much as the real deal.

Nutrition

Serving Size:	1 sandwich (49g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories	180
Calories from Fat	81
Total Fat	9g	14%
Saturated Fat	6g	30%
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	2.5mg	1%
Sodium	75mg	3%
Total Carbohydrates	22g	7%
Dietary Fiber	0.5g	2%
Sugars	12g
Protein	2g
Vitamin A		0%
Vitamin C		0%
Calcium		2%
Iron		0%

• * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet.

Is a Ding Dong a Cake?

Ding Dongs do have a layer of cake underneath the chocolate, but they are crème-filled like a donut. There’s a little bit of everything included in this kind of snack, and you will enjoy chocolate as well as cake and sweet and delicious cream filling. People who love cake always love Ding Dongs, and if chocolate cake is your favorite dessert, you are in for a treat! Even though the Hostess brand is no longer directly making Hostess, the chocolate cake nature of this product has not changed.

This is a classic snack that offers all the cake and chocolate goodness that it did in the 60s. Being able to enjoy the kinds of snacks that your parents loved can be a really fun way to bond as a family. Many people love to share their favorite snacks and treats from childhood with their friends and family. Ding Dongs are a classic sharing treat, and you will not regret picking up these little cakes to share with friends and family.

Livery

Ding Dongs have been sold for many years with the same marketing techniques. The overall branding of the product has not changed much during this time either. The modern packaging shows an image of the two cakes per package. The logo of the product hovers above this image and is red. The letters are block-styles, and the Hostess logo still appears in the top left corner of the box.

The Ding Dongs boxes vary in size, and the larger boxes show additional images of Ding Dongs and other graphics. Sometimes the logos on larger boxes are split in half. Some of the lettering is red, and some is white on these larger boxes.

The original packaging was white, and the Hostess name was indicated in light blue with simple lettering. The Ding Dongs brand name was shown on the box inside a bell-shaped line drawing, and there were little dots of color all over the boxes. Some of these older boxes also showed an image of the Ding Dong. Usually, there was just one Ding Dong shown on the box as well.

Logo

Varieties

Ding Dongs come in other varieties besides chocolate these days. You can get the following Ding Dongs:

• Chocolate
• White Fidge
• Red Velvet
• Birthday Cake
• Valentine’s
• Peanut Butter
• Mashups with Twinkies

Mashups boxes come in various sizes. Some of the holiday boxes are also unique shapes, like hearts for Valentines. Not all of these products are around throughout the year, so if you want to try them, you will want to make sure to catch them during their season. This is true of many seasonal snack products, and many people miss out each year because they assume that their snack of choice will be around for longer than it really will be on store shelves.

Pictures

Ads

1970s commercial for Ding Dongs:

Another 1970s ad:

FAQ