Tart N’ Tinys

Lovers of tart candies will probably tell you that this is one of their very favorite candy treats. Originally made under the Willy Wonka brand logo, these charmingly cute little candies have been popular since the 1970s. The product has had some ups and downs that have led to it going on and off the market since its release, and they seem to have once again gone out of production.

If you are sad that you will never get to try these tart little treats, don’t panic! There are still some candy sellers that have stock in these little treats that you can buy and have shipped to you. The current manufacturer has just brought them back to the market, so you should be able to get Tart N’ Tinys if you order online. They are also sometimes still sold in specialty candy stores in the US.

History

Tart N’ Tinys were first released in the 1970s under the banner of the Willy Wonka brand name. This lineup of products was hugely popular at the time due to their connection with the Willy Wonka movies. Over time, this bond faded from people’s minds, and the Willy Wonka label was retired. Throughout the 80s, Tart N’ Tinys were one of the best sellers for the Willy Wonka label, and many people were very sad when they were taken off the market along with most of the other Willy Wonka products.

In 2014, Leaf Brands acquired the Tart N’ Tiny brand, and they brought the little tart and sweet candies back to stores. The brand states that they plan to make a tropical version and a sour version of the classic snacks but have yet to do so. This would be a really nice way to refresh and update this classic product, and lovers of the original candies will probably be thrilled if Leaf delivers on this promise.

Leaf sells these products on their own website and through various online sellers such as Amazon. They also offer Tart N’ Tinys to candy stores to sell in bulk. If you have a privately-owned local candy shop to visit in your area, they might have this little treat in the bulk bins. If you love candies of this kind, getting a bulk baggy of them is always an ideal way to purchase them.

Tart N’ Tinys are essentially just cylinders of compressed dextrose. They have the same chalky texture as SweeTARTS but are much smaller and easier to eat. They were sold alongside Nerds when Willy Wonka was making them as a similar snackable, boxed candy. 

Tart N’ Tinys are also brightly colored, and they were originally sold in a coated version which was not chewy, and in a chewy recipe which was easier to eat but a little chalkier on the outside. The candies came in five colors in both varieties with fruit flavors. Each kind of Tart N’ Tiny product included all of them, and there were no boxes of these candies that were dedicated just to a single color or flavor of the treat. 

Kids from the 80s will often tell you that they loved the uncoated ones the most. They could pop tons of these tiny little candies into their mouth at one time and chew them up without having to waste time waiting for the hard candy shell to dissolve. Competitors’ products that were made with the same kind of recipe are all quite large, which means that they are not as easy to eat or as simple to stuff into your mouth.

Many people also argue about whether or not the original candies were called Tart N’ Tinies rather than Tart N’ Tiny. This, rather like the Berenstain Bears discussion, is entirely attributed to a quirk of the human brain that causes us to look for patterns that never existed. Mass memory that is attributed to incorrect information is commonly linked with conspiracy theories and is called the Mandela Effect. It’s a common factor in people’s memories of items that have gone off the market, which means that various candy products are actually tied to theories about naming changes or even complete product changes that never happened.

Livery

The Tart N’ Tinys product has had many different liveries over the years. When Willy Wonka first sold the product, it was offered in white boxes with orange and yellow lettering. There were strangely medicinal-looking images of the candies under the logo, and the product boxes didn’t say much about what the candies even were.

Later on, they were sold in boxes, and each of the varieties had a different color associated with the boxes and branding. The coated version was sold in a white box with colorful images of the candies behind the logo. The Willy Wonka branding was perched in the top left corner, and there were colorful splashes of what appeared to be painted to decorate the rest of the box.

The softer and more chewable version of the treats was sold in a blue box, and many of the boxes actually showed the flavors in the form of little bug-like creatures wearing hats and sometimes doing things like flying like helicopters. The Wonka logo was still attached to the top left corner of the box, and the Tart N’ Tinys branding for the product name was the same as on the candy-coated product. 

When Willy Wonka moved the products to sale in flexible packaging, both varieties were moved into purple baggies that showed the Tart N’ Tinys logo and the same silly images of the little bug creatures. These two kinds of product sizes were sold together at most candy stores for some time, and you could get either size product depending on your appetite.

As other companies have taken over selling Tart N’ Tinys, the Willy Wonka-style packaging has been changed. There were many years when the products were sold in green and white packaging that showed different cartoon images of the candies, and the logo returned to its original orange and yellow coloring.

When Leaf picked up the brand, the packaging was still lime green, but the rest of the product was given a facelift. The logo was yellow, white, and orange at this time and was changed to look more cartoon-like in nature. There was also a picture of the candies in the background of the logo on every product package. 

While less cartoon-like in nature and more practical than the Willy Wonka version of the branding for the candies, at least the leaf version shows exactly how cute and inviting the little treats in each bag are. There is probably never going to be a livery as cool and fun as the Willy Wonka branding for any candy product, but the Leaf version of the branding is a good runner-up.

It can be hoped that Leaf will make some kind of new packaging for the new varieties of Tart N’ Tinys that they claim they want to make. It would do the brand some good to have a bit of a fresh appearance while also offering up new flavors for people to try out. 

If you love oddball clothing and other branded items, Leaf also makes shirts and some other kinds of gear that show their version of the Tart N’ Tiny logo on them. The logo that is on shirts and other clothing that is sold by Leaf includes two little Tart N’ Tinys with faces, one with lipstick on and another that is grinning with sunglasses on. There is something really charming about these little cartoons, and they will probably make lovers of this candy who enjoyed them in the 80s smile with recognition.

Logo

What do Tart N’ Tinys Taste Like?

We’ve already talked about how chalky these candies are, but they are not unpleasantly gritty or dusty like some tart candies. They are both sweet and slightly sour, and they offer a pleasant, fruity taste profile. Many people will tell you that the various flavors are not that well-defined and that Tart N’ Tinys all just taste like Tart N’ Tinys. If you love fruity flavors, you should like all the various flavor profiles.

The candies crumble or dissolve in your mouth in a nice way, and they have a small burst of flavor to offer as you reach the center of each little candy. This is a lot like the experience of getting to the center of a SweeTart candy, and lovers of these other sweet and sour candies will appreciate this common flavor and taste experience.

Ingredients

• Dextrose
• Maltodextrin
• calcium stearate
• citric acid
• malic acid
• natural and artificial flavors
• colors (FD&C yellow 5 lake, yellow 6 lake, red 40 lake, blue 1 lake)

Nutrition

Serving Size:	60 pieces (15g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories	60
Total Fat	0g	0%
Saturated Fat	0g	0%
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	0mg	0%
Total Carbohydrates	13g	5%
Dietary Fiber	0g	0%
Sugars	12g
Added Sugars	12g	24%
Protein	0g
Vitamin D	0mcg	0%
Calcium	18mg	1%
Iron	0mg	0%
Potassium	0mg	0%

• 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.

Flavors

• Blue/purple – grape
• Yellow – lemon
• Orange – orange
• Red – cherry
• Green – lime

Pictures

Videos

A taste test:

A candy unboxing that shows the candies clearly: