Do They Still Make Whatchamacallit Candy Bars?

The candy market is an extremely competitive landscape where old, nostalgic candies of the past come out to defend their success against brand-new customer favorites. Not only has a candy got to taste deliciously unique, but it has also got to stand out from the crowd on the store shelves. And with a name like Whatchamacallit, you can bet that Whatchamacallit candy bars certainly did that for many years. But are they still doing it now? If so, where on Earth can you get some Whatchamacallit? And if you can’t, what are some great alternatives to substitute in for the missing Whatchamacallit? These are the questions you came here with today, and below, I answer all!

So, do they still make Whatchamacallit candy bars? They do still make Whatchamacallit candy bars. They are made by their founder, Hershey’s, who manufactures them in the USA. The Whatchamacallit candy bars have changed slightly since their original conception in 1978. However, they are still widely accessible both online and in-store, particularly at specialist candy stores.

Is Whatchamacallit Still Being Made? 

Whatchamacallit is still being made. They have consistently been manufactured and distributed by Hershey’s since 1978, although the product has changed somewhat several times over the years.

Ok, so if you’re a Whatchamacallit fan, then it’s good news for you.

Because Whatchamacallit is still being made, and this has been the case since it was first made accessible to the candy-loving public in 1978.

Back then, Whatchamacallit was invented and made by the candy-makers at Hershey’s. 

Today…it still is.

However, Whatchamacallit is not exactly the same as it once was.

When it was first made in 1978, Whatchamacallit was a candy bar that consisted of peanut-flavored crisp and a thin outer layer of chocolate. 

This was the case until 9 years later, in 1987. It was here that Whatchamacallit changed. The peanut-flavored crisp was still the same, and so was the chocolate coating.

However, there was a new addition, and that was a layer of caramel between the peanut-flavored crisp and the chocolate coating.

And that’s the story of Whatchamacallit’s transformation…

…Except it isn’t!

Because, in 2008, Whatchamacallit changed again. 

Sadly, the changes this time weren’t to be as exciting as the addition of caramel back in 1987.

Instead, it was a generic change that happened for most of Hershey’s chocolate candy products.

They were replacing the expensive cocoa butter ingredient with cheaper oil substitutes that would reduce the costs.

Today, Hershey’s still makes Whatchamacallit right here in our home nation of the US of A.

However, some people, like yourself, perhaps, have come to believe that they have been discontinued. 

Sadly, not all candies can stay around forever. So many wonderful candies from the past had to be discontinued.

This normally happens for 2 reasons.

Reason number 1, the candy isn’t selling enough, so the manufacturer is making a loss.

Reason number 2, the candy is wrapped up in some kind of controversy.

This hasn’t been the case for Whatchamacallit. So why is there some doubt about its continued existence in the market? Well, there are a couple of causes.

The first is that Hershey’s significantly decreased the amount of advertising they funded to boost Whatchamacallit’s sales.

So, if you’re an older candy lover like me, you’ll have probably noticed that since the 80s, we don’t see as much marketing for the Whatchamacallit candy bars.

But rest assured; Whatchamacallit is still very much made at Hershey’s.

The other cause of such confusion is to do with what was known as the ‘little brother candy’ to Whatchamacallit, which was Thingamajig. 

Released in 2009 by Hershey’s, the Thingamajig was a similar type of candy to the Whatchamacallit, but it did not gain a similar amount of success.

In 2012, the Thingamajig was discontinued. 

But the production of the Whatchamacallit still very much continued. 

Where Can You Still Get Whatchamacallit?

You can still get Whatchamacallit candy bars from various in-store and online sellers. Some examples are Amazon and OldTimeCandy.

Even though some candies might survive the cut, they are produced in much smaller quantities.

This can make them much less accessible and means that only a few sellers actually stock them.

Fortunately, this is not the case for Whatchamacallit. You have plenty of options to choose from.

Below are some examples of reliable sellers that I often use when purchasing candy. Let’s take a look at each one in more detail.

OldTimeCandy.com

Whatchamacallit is an old time candy. After all, it was invented in the late 70s.

So it should come as no surprise that online seller OldTimeCandy.com stock Whatchamacallit.

This is what OldTimeCandy does. They distribute the popular, and at times rarest, candies from our childhoods long ago. 

The best thing about buying them here is you can buy individual bars, or boxes of 36!

Amazon

Amazon sells candy, but then again, they sell everything, don’t they? 

Whatchamacallit is included in their candy stock, but why choose to get it from Amazon?

Well, Amazon offers great bulk buying deals candy at reasonable money-saving prices, so you’ll get more Whatchamacallit for your buck. 

Amazon also delivers all its candy and Whatchamacallit bars straight to my door quickly whilst maintaining the chocolate in a perfectly fresh condition.  

And, of course, there’s the legitimacy of Amazon. Due to their strict policies, Amazon ensures that you can only buy from reputable sellers and verified merchants off their site!

Other Sellers

Whatchamacallit candy bars aren’t exclusively stocked at Amazon and Oldtimecandy.

Plenty of other sellers, both online and in-store, stock Whatchamacallit. 

An easy peasy google search will help you find many of the other great retailers to choose from when looking to buy some Whatchamacallit. 

In-store is an option as well as you’ll find Whatchamacallit on the shelves of many popular grocery stores, including Walmart and Target.

Other Candies Like Whatchamacallit If You Can’t Get Them

Similar candies to Whatchamacallit are those that include milk chocolate, peanut, and caramel. Some delicious examples are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Reese’s Shapes, Zagnut, Butterfingers, Take5, and Clark Cups.

Even though Whatchamacallit is still widely accessible, you never know what complications are going to arise when you’re looking to source some.

Everywhere online might have somehow managed to sell out at the same time.

Or you might be in a store right now where they haven’t stocked some, but you’ve got a Whatchamacallit itch that you just need to scratch.

So, what other candies could you substitute in to satisfy such an itch?

Well, it’s important to remember the nature of Whatchamacallit candy bars. Its 3 main ingredients are milk chocolate, peanut, and caramel.

Naturally, similar candy bars will be those that possess these 3 ingredients as well or, at the very least, 2 of them.

Below is a list of my favorite Whatchamacallit alternatives.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Many regard these as not just the GOAT of Reese’s products but the GOAT candy of the 21st century. 

When we hear Reese’s name, this is the candy most of us immediately think of.

It just has that mouth-watering combination of peanut butter and chocolate.

A great alternative to Whatchamacallit and a great candy to enjoy just for the hell of it as well.

Reese’s Shapes

Another Reese’s product on this list should be as no surprise, as they really do get their chocolate and peanut ratios right. 

Don’t think these are just like the cups; they’re not.

Reese’s Shapes have their very own unique peanut flavor that you won’t want to miss.

Zagnut

If you thought Whatchamacallit was old, then you clearly don’t know how old Zagnut is.

They have been making some of the most delicious peanut butter candy since before any of us were born, nearly 100 years ago.

They combine those 3 key ingredients of milk chocolate, peanut, and caramel just oh so well.

They even have the special addition of coconut in the mix too!

Read more: Do They Still Make Zagnut Candy Bars?

Butterfinger 

Another old peanut candy great is Butterfinger, first created in 1923!

Crispy peanut and a milk chocolate outer layer that is to die for.

Take5 

Made by Hershey’s as well, the Take5 has, in recent years, been added to the Reese’s portfolio of candy products.

This beautifully creamy peanut butter and milk chocolate delight might even make you forget all about Whatchamacallit as soon as you’ve taken a bite of it.

Read more: Do They Still Make Take 5 Candy Bars?

Clark Cups

We finish with Clark Cups, another old but great bar that combines peanut butter and chocolate. 

Now, you might be thinking, ‘aren’t they called Clark Candy Bars’ and you’d be right…well, not exactly.

Clark Candy Bars were made for US troops during World War 1. 

That peanut butter and chocolate were supposed to give them an extra boost of energy.

In the 90s, the company was going through a change in ownership.

During this time, a happy accident occurred whilst the candy bars were being made, which led to the invention of Candy Cups, which from here would go on to steal the show for this candy brand.

Finally

Hooray for Whatchamacallit! The candy that just keeps giving as it has done since the late 70s.

Buying it is easy.

But eating it is even easier… it’s that much of a treat.