Nutty Buddy – Peanut-Buttery Snack That Stood The Test Of Time

Are you ready for a nutty adventure? Look no further than Nutty Buddy candy! This delicious treat combines smooth chocolate with a crunchy wafer and a generous helping of creamy peanut butter. It’s the perfect snack for satisfying your sweet tooth and giving you that much-needed energy boost. 

And let’s be real, who doesn’t love a little bit of peanut butter goodness in their life? 

Overview 

Since 1964, McKee Foods has produced Nutty Buddy under the Little Debbie trade name, formerly known as Nutty Bars in the United States. 

Nutty bars bring back fond memories of an after-school snack of chocolate and peanut butter. They might not be the healthiest food option available, but they were undoubtedly among the most delectable. One of Little Debbie’s first multipack inventions was the crunchy wafer cookies with peanut butter creme layers and chocolate coating that were introduced in 1964. 

They continue to be one of the three most popular Little Debbie sweets because they are still so cherished.

Nutty Bars were initially created in 1960, four years before they made their way into our shopping trolleys in 1964. They were established two years after the initial McKee family purchased King’s Bakery and two years after a contemporary facility was constructed for them in Collegedale, Tennessee. An entirely new range of snack cakes and pies was created to meet manufacturing demand. The launch of the Little Debbie brand as we know it today would be aided by this action.

As a result, the bars were developed in 1959, a year before the Little Debbie brand’s first separately packaged treats appeared in candy stores in 1960. The bars under the name wouldn’t be packaged and distributed until 1964, along with traditional favorites like Banana Twins, Swiss Rolls, Zebra Cakes, Raisin Creme Pies, and Oatmeal Creme Pies. 

However, for many people across the country and beyond, it is a straightforward fact that the Nutty Buddy has stayed a staple for the brand ever since its introduction. 

Little Debbie Company

The Little Debbie Company is the inventor of the Nutty Buddy candy bar. Therefore, it is essential to also overview its brief history. Little Debbie is a beloved snack brand that has been a household name for over 60 years. The company was founded in 1960 by O.D. McKee and his wife Ruth started baking snack cakes in their home kitchen in Collegedale, Tennessee. Their first product was the Oatmeal Cream Pie, which quickly became a hit with customers.

As demand grew, the McKees expanded their business and moved into a larger facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They named the company after their granddaughter, Debbie, and the Little Debbie brand was born. Over the years, the company continued to introduce new products and expand its distribution, with snack cakes like Nutty Bars (Nutty Buddy), Swiss Rolls, and Cosmic Brownies becoming fan favorites.

Little Debbie joined the McKee Foods Company in the 1980s, which is still run and controlled by the McKee family today. With more than 7,000 workers and 10 manufacturing sites nationwide, the business has since expanded to become one of the biggest privately-held snack firms in the United States.

Despite its growth, Little Debbie has remained committed to its roots as a family-owned and operated business. The company continues to produce high-quality snack cakes and treats that are loved by millions of people around the world. From classic favorites to innovations, Little Debbie is a brand that has been around for decades and will continue to be a staple in snack aisles for generations to come.

What Does Nutty Buddy Taste Like?

Nutty Buddy has a unique and delicious taste that combines the sweetness of chocolate with the nuttiness of peanut butter. The chocolate coating is smooth and creamy, while the peanut butter filling is rich and creamy with a slightly salty flavor. 

The wafer layers in between add a satisfying crunch and texture to the candy. The overall taste is a perfect balance of sweetness and nuttiness, making Nutty Bars a favorite treat for many candy lovers.

Seasonal Variations of Nutty Buddy

Every year, Little Debbie releases seasonal versions of all beloved munchies, keeping the snack section from feeling like the same old. Nutty Buddy also participated in the merriment. The bars have been published in several variations, including Back to School, Red, White, and Blue, and a Be My Valentine rendition for Valentine’s Day. The white and pale green Spring Nutty Buddy, a fan favorite, has even inspired a formula for itself: Spring Nutty Buddy Mix. The Little Debbie company refers to this delicacy as “bunny bait.”

Little Debbie once created the Zebra Plus Nutty Bars by combining Nutty Bars and its well-known Zebra Cakes. The traditional bar was always given a fun twist by the novel treats, of which two are still offered today. When their respective seasons begin, North Pole Nutty Buddy and Spring Nutty Buddy almost always find their way to the shelves so that fans can savor their favored times.

Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies, another food produced by McKee Foods/Little Debbie, are very similar to the Nutty Buddy bars. They are like a smaller version of the treat. 

Is Nutty Buddy Healthy?

The ingredients of Nutty Buddy candy may vary slightly depending on the brand and country of origin, but typically include sugar, peanuts, vegetable oil, c, wheat flour, cocoa, salt, cornstarch, baking soda, soy lecithin, and natural and artificial flavors. 

The sad reality is that Nutty Buddy bars aren’t particularly nutritious for you, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. It doesn’t mean you can’t have one occasionally, but perhaps it shouldn’t become a normal practice. 

For starters, they are highly processed, contain a variety of chemicals, and are loaded with fats and carbohydrates. Nutty Buddy snacks actually have high levels of sugar, saturated fats, and trans fats. When consumed in excess, sugar can raise your own blood sugar levels, which can eventually result in problems with insulin intolerance, fat, and diabetes.

Trans fats and saturated fats in excess quantities can increase your cholesterol and cause long-term cardiac disease. The addition of TBHQ prevents the oils from turning rancid and maintains the hue of the bars. 

It’s definitely okay to treat yourself to a Nutty Buddy bar every so often, but try to limit yourself from devouring the entire package at once. One two-pack has 470 calories, 60% of your daily recommended amount of saturated fat, and 64% of your daily recommended amount of additional carbohydrates.

Shelf Life of Nutty Buddy

The fact that Nutty Buddy candy is so durable is fantastic. They might not last as long as some foods, at least not in terms of food safety regulations, but they can endure longer than many of our other beloved sweets. This delectable peanut butter delight, along with some other snack bars, is assured to be fresh for 60 days or as long as six months when they have been frozen. 

Therefore, the package in the back of your closet that has been sitting there for almost two months is still fine, but you shouldn’t keep it there for too long.

Lawsuits & Controversies

The Nutty Buddy bars were pulled in several states in 2007 due to an ingredient that might have contained metal fragments. The allegedly contaminated Nutty Bars were distributed to vending machines in Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois, Georgia, and Ohio. The particles were discovered following that dispersal during internal quality tests. Even though there were few to no complaints from customers, those who bought the product and complained to McKee Foods were given a complete reimbursement.

The business confronted another impending disaster two years after the government warned people to stay away from consuming pastries, cakes, ice cream, and other foods containing peanut butter because of a possible connection to a fatal salmonella epidemic. At the time, the bacterial disease epidemic had sickened over 470 individuals across 43 states, necessitated at least 90 hospital admissions, and resulted in six fatalities. McKee asserted that they had not heard any reports about diseases.

Nutty Buddy Name Change

Did you know that candy was not always called Nutty Buddy? The candy, which was formerly known as Nutty Bars, mysteriously changed its name to Nutty Buddy around 2016. Fans were confused about what it meant after the business published a comic in November of that year, at least when it came to the famous Nutty Bar nomenclature dispute.

Fans were still discovering the Nutty Bar moniker on the shelves, which added to the confusion caused by the comic.

One supporter even went so far as to start a petition on Change.org asking for the name to be changed back to Nutty Bars from Nutty Buddy, citing the nostalgic value of the original name and the need to clarify people who might erroneously call the bars “Nutty Buddy” bars.

Logo

Ingredients

• Dextrose
• Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid)
• Peanut Butter
• Sugar
• Palm And Soybean Oils With Tbhq And Citric Acid To Protect Flavor
• Palm And Palm Kernel Oil
• Water
• Contains 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Soy Flour, Cocoa, Soybean Oil, Salt, Mono- And Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Corn Starch, Baking Soda, Citric Acid, Artificial Flavor, Whey (Milk), Egg Whites.

Nutrition

Serving Size:	1 bar (19g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories	99
Total Fat	6g	8%
Saturated Fat	2.5g	13%
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.9g
Monounsaturated Fat	2.1g
Cholesterol	1.1mg	0%
Sodium	50mg	2%
Total Carbohydrates	11g	4%
Dietary Fiber	0.6g	2%
Sugars	7.7g
Protein	1.8g
Vitamin D	0mcg	0%
Calcium	13mg	1%
Iron	0.3mg	1%
Potassium	56.1mg	1%
Caffeine		0mg

• The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Pictures

Bottom Line

In conclusion, Nutty Buddy candy is the perfect combination of sweet and nutty. It’s the kind of candy that will leave you feeling satisfied and craving more at the same time. Whether you’re taking a quick snack break or enjoying a movie night with friends, Nutty Buddy is the ultimate candy companion and if you feel adventurous you can try Nutty Buddy cereal! 

FAQ