Clark Bar

What it is

A crispy peanut butter and spun taffy center coated in milk chocolate. It once had a caramel center.

The story

• 1917: first made by David L. Clark, an Irish immigrant, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• 1955: Beatrice Foods takes over.
• 1983: Leaf Candy Company takes over.
• 1999: Necco bought the recipe and equipment after the company shut down.
• 2018: Necco went bankrupt; Boyer Candy bought the Clark Bar.
• 2019: back on sale.

Fun facts

• Called the first successful American "combination" candy bar, made to send to troops in World War I.
• In World War II the company sent 1.5 million bars a day to the armed forces.
• The caramel center was dropped in the 1980s for longer shelf life.
• Boyer brought it back in late 2019, first at its factory outlet.

Is Clark Bar still made?

Yes, again. Clark Bar disappeared for a while and came back in 2019. Today it is made by Boyer Candy Company, Altoona, Pennsylvania. Look for it at candy shops that stock old-fashioned candy, or search for Clark Bar on Amazon.

If you like Clark Bar

• Cherry Mash (1918): A soft cherry center with bits of maraschino cherry, covered in chopped roasted peanuts and chocolate.
• Idaho Spud (1918): A potato-shaped bar: cocoa marshmallow center, chocolate coating and coconut flakes.
• Baby Ruth (1920): Peanuts, caramel and chocolate-flavored nougat in a chocolate coating.
• Mounds (1920): Sweet shredded coconut in dark chocolate.

See every candy from the 1910s or all candy bars.