Dorri Partain
Contributor

“Every bit of Bit-O-Honey goes a long way”

Introduced in 1924 by the Schutter-Johnson Company of Chicago, Ill., this chewy honey and almond flavored taffy was packaged just like a candy bar. With a red, yellow and blue wax paper wrapper, the bar was divided into six segments that pulled apart easily so each chewy piece could be savored or shared. The original price was five cents.

By the 1940’s, Schutter and Johnson had split into two companies, with Schutter’s name appearing on Bit-O-Honey bars. Johnson’s new company created the PowerHouse chocolate bar. Schutter also produced a chocolate bar called “Old Nick” that contained fruit and nuts.

In 1969, Schutter merged with the Ward Candy Company of New York City. Due to the similarities to Ward’s Chunky bar, Old Nick was discontinued but new taffy bar flavors were created; Bit-O-Licorice, Bit-O-Chocolate, and Bit-O-Peanut Butter.

Bit-O-Honey proved to be the winner as the other flavors, one by one, were discontinued. Terson Company bought Ward in 1981, then Terson sold Bit-O-Honey to Nestle in 1984.

In 2013, Pearson’s became the manufacturer before the Spangler Candy Company of Bryan, Ohio, purchased the name and recipe and began production in November 2020.

When introduced, Bit-O-Honey bars contained noticeable bits of almond. Today’s recipe for the candy lists the following ingredients: corn syrup, sugar, nonfat milk, hydrogenated coconut oil, almonds, and less than 2% honey, salt, egg whites, canola oil, modified soy protein, natural flavor, TBHQ, and citric acid.

The original Bit-O-Honey bar is no longer in regular production. Spangler only makes the bite-size individually wrapped pieces, perfect for passing out to trick-or-treaters on Halloween.