We tried the new Butterfinger next to the candy's old recipe — and the winner is obvious (2024)

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We tried the new Butterfinger next to the candy's old recipe — and the winner is obvious (1)

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
  • Butterfinger has a new recipe rolling out in 2019.
  • The new recipe uses a different type of peanut and more cocoa, and certain ingredients will be cut.
  • We compared the new and old Butterfinger bars and found the revamped candy far exceeds its predecessor.

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There's a new Butterfinger in town.

Butterfinger recently announced a radical revamp for the 95-year-old brand. Starting in 2019, the candy will have a new recipe and wrapper; the bars will use a different type of peanut and more cocoa, and certain ingredients will be cut.

"The priority is really bringing Butterfinger back into the spotlight as a modern-day icon, because it hadn't gotten the attention it warrants in recent years," Kristen Mandel, who oversees the brand's marketing, told Business Insider. "We're excited to have all the resources and investment to put behind it."

Business Insider had the chance to get our hands on the new Butterfinger bar early. We decided to try Butterfinger 2.0 alongside the candy as it is currently sold.

Here's how the old and the new compare:

The difference between the two bars is clear from the packaging alone. While Butterfinger's wrapper has been getting more yellow, the new bar (on top) is a nearly neon shade, with a promise of an "improved recipe" in the corner.

We tried the new Butterfinger next to the candy's old recipe — and the winner is obvious (2)

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Upon unwrapping, the difference is more nuanced, but still apparent. The new bar is slightly shorter but wider.

We tried the new Butterfinger next to the candy's old recipe — and the winner is obvious (3)

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

But, the revelation of the new Butterfinger — on the right — only becomes clear when you take a bite. Butterfinger's "crispety, crunchety, peanut-buttery" core has always been key to the candy's charm, despite its saccharine taste and tendency to cement teeth together.

We tried the new Butterfinger next to the candy's old recipe — and the winner is obvious (4)

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

The new Butterfinger keeps the iconic texture while slightly dialing back on the sweetness and ratcheting up the peanut flavor for a more complex treat.

We tried the new Butterfinger next to the candy's old recipe — and the winner is obvious (5)

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Half a dozen taste testers — including one Butterfinger hater — were unanimous: the new core elevates the candy to new heights. Together with a richer chocolate coating, you have a Butterfinger that forgoes tooth-numbing and -cementing sweetness for a more wholesome experience.

We tried the new Butterfinger next to the candy's old recipe — and the winner is obvious (6)

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Brands often face backlash for recipe tweaks. In this case, any outrage would be undeserved. The new Butterfinger recipe easily beats the prior version, amplifying the flavors without losing what loyalists love about the candy.

We tried the new Butterfinger next to the candy's old recipe — and the winner is obvious (7)

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

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We tried the new Butterfinger next to the candy's old recipe — and the winner is obvious (2024)

FAQs

Did they change the formula for Butterfinger candy bar? ›

Recipe change

The new bar also uses a higher percentage of cocoa and milk in the chocolately coating and cuts ingredients such as the preservative TBHQ and hydrogenated oils. The packaging itself has also been upgraded to avoid spoilage.

When did Butterfinger change recipe? ›

In 2018, Butterfinger was acquired by Ferrara (the candy company behind Ferraro chocolates), who revamped the bar to include higher-quality ingredients. Not only did the peanuts get upgraded, but the recipe for the chocolate coating was redone to be smoother and more flavorful.

Why does Butterfinger taste bad now? ›

The company began with Butterfinger and reworked the formula to use bigger peanuts, more milk and cocoa, and fewer hydrogenated oils. The new version also no longer incorporates the chemical preservative TBHQ. With these changes, they were shooting for a more chocolate-centric flavor with purer ingredients.

Why did Butterfinger change their wrapper? ›

The former Nestlé products have been incorporated into Ferrara. The wrapper for the updated Butterfinger hitting shelves this winter keeps the candy bars fresher so they don't lost their “crispety, crunchety” experience. The package uses new double-layer, higher-quality material, Ferrara says.

What candy bar is most like Butterfinger? ›

Clark Bar

Clark Bars are similar to Butterfingers, because they are both milk chocolate peanut butter bars, but Clark Bars are like Butterfingers' better tasting, classier cousin.

What candy bar tastes like Butterfinger? ›

Crispy Crunch vs.

The Crispy Crunch Canadian candy bar is so similar to the American candy bar, Butterfinger. They really are like first cousins! Each candy bar has a crunchy tasting sort of flaky peanut butter middle which is covered in a milk chocolate coating.

Who makes Butterfinger today? ›

The Curtiss Candy Company was founded in Chicago in 1916 by Otto Schnering. The company did very well and grew quickly. Butterfinger became one of their popular sellers along with the Baby Ruth. In 1981 Nabisco acquired the Curtiss Candy Company.

What is the Hershey version of Butterfinger? ›

The 5th Avenue is a candy bar introduced in 1936, consisting of peanut butter crunch layers enrobed in chocolate. It is produced and marketed by The Hershey Company.

Is Butterfinger real peanut butter? ›

The whole thing starts off with real peanuts, which are freshly roasted at the factory every day. These peanuts are ground into a creamy peanut butter, the base for the Butterfinger filling.

Is Butterfinger real chocolate? ›

Instead of using what the Food and Drug Administration classifies as real chocolate — a combination of cocoa and cocoa butter — Butterfinger's coating is made with cocoa and less expensive (and less temperamental) vegetable oil, so it's not legally allowed to be called chocolate.

What's the oldest candy bar? ›

The Chocolate Cream bar created by Joseph Fry in 1866 is the oldest candy bar in the world. Although Fry was the first to start pressing chocolate into bar molds in 1847, the Chocolate Cream was the first mass-produced and widely available candy bar.

What is the orange stuff in Butterfingers? ›

The orange stuff is our own peanut butter mixed w/ cooked sugar candy, folded into thin layers.

Why are butterfingers orange? ›

Butterfinger candy bars has been around since the 1920's. These candy bars have a crispy, peanut butter layer that is covered in chocolate. The crunchy orange filling is made by combining a cooked hard candy with peanut butter.

Why is Butterfinger wrapper yellow now? ›

The changes begin with the wrapper you tear open. Butterfinger's new packaging material is double-layer and higher quality, improving the candy's freshness "to lock in the Butterfinger flavor consumers love." The new wrappers have the same blue and yellow colors as the one you know, but with a more modern-looking font.

What is the #1 favorite candy bar? ›

1. Snickers. Snickers is not only best-selling candy bar in the U.S., it's also the best-selling worldwide. The Snickers bar, made by Mars Inc., was named after the Mars family's favorite horse.

Do Butterfinger BBs still exist? ›

The Butterfinger BBs was discontinued in 2006.

Are Butterfinger Crisp discontinued? ›

Hi Dora! Our Butterfinger Crisp were discontinued. We'll be happy to let our marketing team know you were looking for them.

What's the difference between a 5th Avenue and a Butterfinger? ›

The 5th Avenue rings in at exactly 2 ounces and the Butterfinger at 2.1 ounces. The main difference, as far as I can tell between the two is that the Butterfinger coating is not chocolate but a chocolate-like substance where the 5th Avenue has a creamy milk chocolate enrobement.

Is a chick-o-stick the inside of a Butterfinger? ›

Atkinson Candy Company's Chick-O-Sticks are crunchy and have the same flaky texture of the inside of a Butterfinger candy bar, with a hint of coconut added into the mix. Chick-O-Stick are widely distributed at convenience stores, candy shops, and you can also find them online at Amazon.

Is a Chick-O-Stick the same as Butterfinger? ›

The Butterfinger is the more delicate of the two, with a more refined, buttery flavor. The Chick-O-Stick is denser and, especially as it ages, has a tendency to become stick-in-your-molars chewy after the first couple of chomps.

What nut is in Butterfinger? ›

In addition to the updated chocolate coating, the brand is now using "carefully selected" U.S. grown peanuts to make the crispety, crunchety interior. The peanuts all also be roasted in house. That's not all — Butterfinger is, quite literally, trimming the fat.

What is the Butterfinger slogan? ›

Each commercial ended with Bart saying the candy's tagline - "Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!" (in the late 1990s, this was changed to "Bite My Butterfinger!" which was said once by Lisa and from 2000 to 2001, this was changed to "Nothin' like a Butterfinger!").

Who makes 100 grand candy bars? ›

100 Grand (originally called the $100,000 Candy Bar and then, from the 1970s through the mid-1980s, as the $100,000 Bar) is a candy bar produced by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero. The candy bar was created in 1964 by Nestlé.

How much was Butterfinger sold for? ›

Butterfingers change hands: Nestle selling US candy business for $2.8 billion.

What is the biggest Butterfinger? ›

You have never tasted a Butterfinger candy bar as good as this!

Is zagnut like Butterfinger? ›

There's Only One Butterfinger

Other companies have tried to create candy with a taste similar to Butterfingers with offerings such as the Clark Bar, Zagnut, 5th Avenue, and Reese's Crispy Crunchy Bar, but candy lovers prefer the original.

Why are Hershey bites discontinued? ›

For many adults, there existed a fear these candies could become a choking hazard in a delicious, chocolatey disguise. In 2007, following outspoken concern these candies could be dangerous, Hershey discontinued the Reese's Bites product before removing the entire line of Hershey's Bites in the following year.

What is a chick o stick made of? ›

Cane Sugar, Corn Syrup, Peanut Butter (Contains Fresh Ground Dry Roasted Peanuts, Salt and Preserved with Vitamin E to Maintain Freshness), Toasted Coconut, Turmeric Color, Vegetable Juice Color, Natural Vanilla Flavor and Palm Kernel Oil.

Is there peanut butter in M&M's? ›

milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, milk, lactose, peanuts, milkat, soy lecithin, salt, natural flavor), sugar, peanut butter (partially defatted peanuts, palm oil), hydrogenated palm kernel oil, cornstarch, dextrose, less than 1% of: corn syrup, natural flavor, salt, dextrin, colors (includes blue 1 lake, ...

Are Butterfinger vegan? ›

So, while the store-bought and classic Butterfinger is not vegan, you can easily make your own vegan and gluten-free Butterfingers at home with a few simple ingredients like dark chocolate or chocolate chips, peanut butter mixture, corn flakes, and maple syrup.

Do they make dark chocolate Butterfingers? ›

Butterfinger Dark Candy Bar 3.7 oz. Wrapper, Box of 18 - Walmart.com.

Who makes Chick O stick? ›

Chick-O-Stick® – Atkinson Candy Co.

What do the initials M&M stand for? ›

M&M stands for Mars and Murrie - named after Forrest E. Mars Sr. – the founder of Mars – and Bruce Murrie, the son of Hershey Chocolate's president William F. R. Murrie. The story behind how M&Ms came to be, begins after Mars had a fall-out with his father and travelled to Europe.

What is the oldest candy in America? ›

Inside Salem's Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie, the oldest in America - CBS Boston.

What is the most expensive candy? ›

Answer: In 2009, 'Forbes' named House of Knipschildt's La Madeline au Truffe, the most expensive chocolate in the world. It costs USD 250 (Rs 20416.25) for a single piece. The ganache is made of 70 percent Valrhona dark chocolate which is encased inside a rare French Perigord truffle and shaped to perfection.

Is there coconut in Butterfinger? ›

Corn Syrup, Sugar, Peanuts, Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel and Palm Oil), Peanut Flour, Nonfat Milk, Less than 2% of Cocoa, Milk, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Annatto Color.

What happened to Butterfinger eggs? ›

A MAJOR candy maker has confirmed that it's discontinuing a popular treat. Butterfinger confirmed that it discontinued its much-loved Nest Eggs product. Consumers took to Twitter after noticing the chocolate eggs were absent from store shelves.

Does Butterfinger have dye in it? ›

Crack open a Butterfinger bar and you'll find a core that uses food dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 5 to get that distinctive orange hue.

What is the shelf life of Butterfingers? ›

What is the shelf life for products? All Butterfinger products have a shelf life of 10 months. What's the best way to keep my Butterfinger bar fresh? We recommend that chocolate products be stored in a cool, dry place between 60-70 degrees F away from heat and sunlight.

Where is the Butterfinger factory? ›

The Baby Ruth / Butterfinger factory, built in the 1960s, is located at 3401 Mt. Prospect Rd. in Franklin Park, Illinois. Interstate 294 curves eastward around the plant, where a prominent, rotating sign, resembling a gigantic candy bar, is seen.

Why butterfingers are the best? ›

Butterfinger remains one of the best candy bars out there: the thin, brittle candy layers taste strongly of peanut butter, and there's a great saltiness to the bar.

What does BFI mean in Butterfinger? ›

Butterfinger®, the one-of-a-kind chocolate bar with a crispety, crunchety, peanut-buttery taste, is introducing the Butterfinger Investigators (BFI) in a hilarious video series chronicling the antics of Butterfinger-swiping perps.

What candy bar has a yellow and black wrapper? ›

Abba-Zaba bars can be found almost exclusively west of the Rockies. The wrapper features a yellow and black checkerboard "taxi" pattern. They can be purchased in bulk on the web. They can also be found in candy specialty stores anywhere in the US and Canada.

Does Butterfinger have a new recipe? ›

Butterfinger has a new recipe rolling out in 2019. The new recipe uses a different type of peanut and more cocoa, and certain ingredients will be cut. We compared the new and old Butterfinger bars and found the revamped candy far exceeds its predecessor.

Have Butterfingers been recalled? ›

Nestlé USA, Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall of selected Nestlé Butterfinger Peanut Butter Crisp Share Packs and Snack Tray products due to the potential presence of small pieces of plastic. The affected products were manufactured in Franklin Park, IL and distributed nationally.

What is a Butterfinger candy bar made of? ›

Corn Syrup, Sugar, Peanuts, Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel and Palm Oil), Peanut Flour, Nonfat Milk, Less than 2% of Cocoa, Milk, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Annatto Color.

Did they stop making Butterfinger Crisp? ›

Our Butterfinger Crisp were discontinued. We'll be happy to let our marketing team know you were looking for them.

Why are butterfingers yellow? ›

Crack open a Butterfinger bar and you'll find a core that uses food dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 5 to get that distinctive orange hue. While these and other artificial ingredients are certified by the FDA for use in food, a growing number of consumers are looking for products with more natural ingredients.

What is the oldest candy bar still made? ›

The Toblerone was created in Switzerland in 1908 by Emil Baumann & Theodor Tobler. This chocolate bar filled with nougat, almond, and honey can still be bought today, it still comes in the form of numerous connected triangular prisms, and it's still emblazoned with the same original packaging.

Is a chick o stick the inside of a Butterfinger? ›

Atkinson Candy Company's Chick-O-Sticks are crunchy and have the same flaky texture of the inside of a Butterfinger candy bar, with a hint of coconut added into the mix. Chick-O-Stick are widely distributed at convenience stores, candy shops, and you can also find them online at Amazon.

Is the middle of a Butterfinger made from candy corn? ›

As the video explains, molasses, sugar, corn syrup, and water is cooked into a thick mixture that's spread to cool on conveyor belts, then it's combined with a separate mixture of creamy peanut butter and confectioners' corn flakes before it's sliced and coated with chocolate.

Why is it called a Butterfinger? ›

The popular candy was created in 1922 by Otto Schnering, who also developed the Baby Ruth. His Curtiss Candy Company, based in Chicago, ran a contest to name the bar. At the time sportscasters began using the term “butterfingers” to describe players who couldn't hold onto the ball.

Does Butterfinger have real chocolate? ›

Instead of using what the Food and Drug Administration classifies as real chocolate — a combination of cocoa and cocoa butter — Butterfinger's coating is made with cocoa and less expensive (and less temperamental) vegetable oil, so it's not legally allowed to be called chocolate.

How long does Butterfinger last? ›

All Butterfinger products have a shelf life of 10 months. What's the best way to keep my Butterfinger bar fresh? We recommend that chocolate products be stored in a cool, dry place between 60-70 degrees F away from heat and sunlight.

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