Every candy that came back
Pop Rocks
Hard candy with tiny pockets of pressurized carbon dioxide that crackle and pop on your tongue. The rumor that "Little Mikey" from the cereal ads died from Pop Rocks and soda was false. General Foods stopped making it in 1980; it came back in 1986. Made today by Zeta Espacial S.A. of Barcelona (sold in the US by Pop Rocks Inc. of Atlanta). Full story.
Bonomo Turkish Taffy
A flat, chewy taffy bar. Smack it on a counter to crack it into bite-size pieces. In 1949 it was one of the first candies advertised on TV. Discontinued in 1989 and back on sale on 2 July 2010. Made today by Bonomo's Turkish Taffy. Full story.
Wonder Ball
A hollow milk chocolate ball with little candies hidden inside, plus a collectible sticker. Frankford bought it in 2004, and it returned again in 2016 after nine years away. Its line was "What's in the Wonder Ball?" Made today by Frankford Candy & Chocolate Company. Full story.
Wacky Wafers
A strip of tangy, coin-size fruit wafers in a clear wrapper. Dropped from the regular line after Nestle bought the Wonka brands in 1988. Leaf Brands brought them back in 2017. Made today by Leaf Brands. Full story.
Beemans gum
A mild, slightly peppery gum first sold as a digestive aid with pepsin. Production stopped in 1978, came back as plain gum in 1985 and again in 2019. Test pilot Chuck Yeager is said to have chewed a stick before every flight. Made today by Gerrit J. Verburg Co. (made in Morocco). Full story.
Black Jack gum
Anise (licorice) flavored chewing gum. Adams got his chicle from exiled Mexican president Santa Anna in 1869. It disappeared in the 1970s and came back in 1986, and again in 2019. Made today by Gerrit J. Verburg Co.. Full story.
Clark Bar
A crispy peanut butter and spun taffy center coated in milk chocolate. It once had a caramel center. The caramel center was dropped in the 1980s for longer shelf life. Boyer brought it back in late 2019, first at its factory outlet. Made today by Boyer Candy Company, Altoona, Pennsylvania. Full story.
Sky Bar
A milk chocolate bar in four sections, each with a different center: caramel, vanilla, peanut and fudge. A Sky Bar sign was one of only six lit in Times Square after VE Day in 1945. It vanished when Necco closed in 2018 and came back in 2019. Made today by Sky Bar Confectionery Company. Full story.
Mary Jane
Old-fashioned peanut butter and molasses taffy in a yellow wrapper with a red stripe. The cartoon girl in the yellow dress has been on the wrapper since the start. Production stopped after Necco closed in 2018 and Atkinson restarted it in 2020. Made today by Atkinson Candy Company. Full story.
Necco Wafers
Thin, chalky sugar disks sold in rolls, in flavors like lemon, orange, clove, cinnamon, wintergreen, licorice and chocolate. Sold as "Necco Wafers" since 1912. Gone from 2018 to 2020 after Necco closed, then brought back by Spangler. Made today by Spangler Candy Company, Bryan, Ohio. Full story.
Sweethearts
Chalky, heart-shaped candies printed with short messages like "Be Mine", "Kiss Me" and "Miss You". "Fax Me" was retired and "Text Me" added. Missing for Valentine's Day 2019 after Necco closed; back in 2020 with the old flavors. Made today by Spangler Candy Company. Full story.
Astro Pops
A tall, see-through, three-color cone lollipop shaped like a rocket. The pop was modeled on a rocket's stages. Spangler stopped making it in 2004; Leaf Brands bought the brand in 2010. Made today by Leaf Brands. Full story.
Bar None
Chocolate wafers with chocolate cream and crushed peanuts in milk chocolate. Hershey added caramel and split it into two bars in 1992, then dropped it in 1997. Iconic Candy, which revives lost candies, makes it again. Made today by Iconic Candy (revived). Full story.
Candy Buttons
Little dots of hard sugar candy stuck to a long strip of paper: cherry (pink), lime (blue) and lemon (yellow). Necco made about 750 million buttons a year. The first former Necco candy to come back after the 2018 bankruptcy. Made today by Doscher's Candies, Cincinnati. Full story.
Clark's Teaberry gum
Pink stick gum with a minty, wintergreen-like teaberry flavor. It dates to 1900. It peaked in the 1960s with the "Teaberry Shuffle" ads set to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Made today by Iconic Candy, LLC of New Jersey. Full story.
Who brings candy back
Small, family-run companies did most of the rescuing when Necco closed in 2018: Spangler, Atkinson, Boyer and Doscher's all bought a piece of it. Others, like Iconic Candy and Leaf Brands, specialize in reviving lost brands.
