Last updated 5 months ago | Originally Published: July 12, 2022

The Complete Story Behind the Baby Ruth Candy Bar

Did you know that the name Baby Ruth Candy Bar was actually quite controversial? With 2 versions of how the name came about, we thought it would be interesting to share them both and let you decide how the story went. As far as how the story goes, well, all it takes is one bite and then the rest is history! So before you dive into that candy bar, let’s first go over everything there’s to know about the legendary Baby Ruth Candy Bar! 

Baby Ruth As We Know It Today

If you’re not familiar with this candy bar, no problem, we plan to change that today, although we must say, you’ve really been missing out on something amazing!

First and foremost, the Baby Ruth is a chocolate bar filled with caramel, peanuts, and nougat. However, the formulation is slightly different today from the original bar as the makers today use dry roasted peanuts versus peanuts roasted in oil as they used to back in the day. Nonetheless, using roasted dry nuts produces a stronger nuttier taste, which perfectly highlights the creamy caramel and fluffy nougat. 

Unlike most candy bars, there are no different flavors and variations – there’s only one! Yet, Baby Ruth does come in a variety of sizes. Indeed, you can purchase single packs, share packs, fun-sized bars, and mini-bars. Plus, you can score 24-pack boxes, which is what we offer here at Candy Retailer! 

History of the Baby Ruth Candy Bar

Originally produced in Chicago by the Curtiss Candy Company and called Kandy Kake, the candy bar ended up not selling very well. With this in mind, CCC decided that the candy bar needed to change.

At the time, the Kandy Kake was made of pudding, peanuts, and caramel. So to switch things up a bit, the company decided to drop the pudding and replace it with nougat and chocolate instead. As we can all agree, the results were game-changing! After all, it’s been over 100 years since that change took place, and Baby Ruth is still a worldwide top-seller!  

Regarding CCC, they remained the producers of the Baby Ruth until 1981, at which time the candy bar was sold to Nabisco. Then in 1990, it was sold once again, this time to the renowned Nestle Company, who then sold to Ferrera Candy Company in 2018.

Since the acquisition of Nestle’s US candy catalog, the logo and packaging has slightly changed, so make sure your next Baby Ruth doesn’t have Nestle printed on the package! If it does, then you know that candy bar is pretty old. Also, Ferrera is responsible for improving the candy bar by using dry roasted peanuts, as we mentioned earlier! 

The Sweet Controversy With Baby Ruth

Many believe that the name stems from the famous baseball player Babe Ruth, but depending on who you ask you might get a different answer. 

CCC rejected this notion and emphasized that the name stemmed from President Cleveland’s daughter, Ruth Cleveland. However, the timing of it was suspicious, since the name change of the candy bar coincided with Babe Ruth’s own stardom. Whether this was actually true or not wasn’t ever confirmed. 

Furthermore, some whispered that the candy bar company was trying to avoid entering an endorsement deal with Ruth and wanted to hold off on paying royalties. As you’ll discover in this article, some of the marketing strategies that were used almost taunted those who believed this version of the story, despite there being no official confirmation of the name’s origins.  

Maybe it was a cheap way to employ strategic marketing, or it really was a way to pay homage to the president’s daughter, Ruth. Perhaps, we’ll never know the real story! But then again, for many, Baby Ruth is so delicious that the real story doesn’t even matter, although it is fun to imagine. 

The trouble with Babe Ruth

Despite persistently denying its ties to Babe Ruth’s fame, the star and the candy company did end up fighting their own sort of battle in court. 

That’s right; Ruth decided to create his own candy bar in 1926, and as a result, the CCC promptly sued him for copyright infringement. The argument was that even though the candy bar hadn’t been based on Ruth’s success. Not to mention, the name was too similar and that would cause too much confusion for the consumer.

In the end, the court ruled in favor of CCC, ending the legal battle with one of the greatest baseball players to ever live, Babe Ruth. Unfortunately, the MVP ball player never produced his own candy bar, but after all that was said and done, both Babe Ruth and the Baby Ruth Candy Bar ended up being all-American icons! 

Unique Marketing At Its Finest

As with every business, marketing is a big part of bringing in new clients – and the company went to extraordinary lengths to market this nutty delight. 

One of the first unique marketing strategies implemented by CCC was in 1923. The founder, Otto Schnering, hired a plane to drop thousands of individual Baby Ruth candy bars over Pittsburgh. Each of these was tied to a mini-parachute. This plan was so successful that it was repeated in several other cities in more than 40 states! 

Besides being on TV, the CCC also sponsored a radio show called The Baby Ruth Hour. Almost as if to mock the rumors about Babe Ruth, there is a common baseball theme in the candy company’s marketing strategy. Not only did the company put up a billboard near where Babe Ruth’s World Series ball landed, but they also continued to sponsor baseball teams, most notably, the Chicago Cubs in 2007.

Rise to Stardom

The Baby Ruth candy bar can be found in quite a few popular culture movies. In fact, its most epic appearance was in the movie Caddyshack, in which two young girls argue with a teenage boy about eating the candy bar. 

During the debate, the bar gets knocked into the pool and is later mistaken for….well, poop! Bill Murray’s character recognizes the bar for what it is when cleaning out the pool and of course, takes a bite of it eliciting disgust from local bystanders! Haha!  

That, however, was not the candy bar’s only claim to fame! You can also find it in The Goonies, The Sandlot, Leave It to Beaver, The Mighty, Hellboy, on the TV series Friends, and many others! 

DIY Home Recipes

Don’t get us wrong – these candies are delightful on their own, but these recipes knock the flavor out of the park! The next time you want to try something new and exciting from home, then may we suggest trying Baby Ruth Caramel Corn for the holiday season or simply create a party mix for your child’s birthday. You can’t go wrong with either one of them!  

Ending on a Sweet Note

It’s hard to believe how one little candy bar can have such an impact on American culture and can cause such a legal scene in the business world, but it clearly can! 

On that note, should you want to try any of the recipes mentioned above, are a fan of the chocolate-caramel-peanut combination, or are simply looking for a gift, you can Purchase Baby Ruth Candy Bars Here.

Lastly, we invite you to view our post on America’s most iconic candy brands and let the world know that Baby Ruth is the best by sounding off in the comments!