Double Dip Candy: History, Flavors & Ingredients

Snack History Nostalgia Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Have you ever heard of Double Dip Candy? This confectionary candy was introduced by Swizzles Matlow and became exceptionally popular for a short time frame. This powdery, sweet candy had a dipping stick and will closely remind you of the popular Fun Dip candy on the market today. 

Let’s take a closer look! 

History

Swizzles Matlow introduced Double Dip candy sometime before the 1980s. Unfortunately, the history is pretty limited as far as specific details so it’s hard to determine just exactly when it made its debut. The candy was always popular in locations like Spain, Italy, Austria, China, and similar countries. 

You may or may not have ever heard of the candy but in the U.S. it was popular primarily in the 1980s. Remember that it heralded from other countries. While it is full of sugar and flavor and made to taste like sherbet, it also was labeled as being suitable for vegetarians and being free of artificial colors, which is pretty remarkable for the timeframe. 

While Double Dip candy may be more challenging to find now since it’s not carried at just any candy store, it still is available for purchase. The best way to describe Double Dip is to compare it to a candy that we all know very well today, which is Fun Dip. They have the same concept but at the same time, Double dip is very unique and there is that factor that they have no artificial colors in Double Dip. 

Double Dip is a confectionary candy and in the 1980s it hit its peak popularity, primarily in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany. The candy has always been made the same and contained the same two flavors from the day it started. They have added a flavor or two along the way but the originals remain the most popular. 

The flavors were made with sherbet powder and they are imperative to that flavor of sherbet as well, making them a delightfully sweet treat. Each packet of Double Dip candy contains an orange and a cherry-flavored dip. These are separated in the packaging and you can mix them or double-dip them however you like. 

Then, each packet is completed with a swizzle stick. That stick is a small candy stick that is hard. Ultimately, you dip the hard candy stick into the powders and then lick off or suck off the powder, almost like you would enjoy a lollipop. You can dip and then dip again. You can dip both powers together. You can make fun and enjoy your Double Dip however you like! 

When you finish with your dipping powder, the candy stick is also sweet and edible so go ahead and gobble that up as well. 

The labeling of Double Dip candy suggests that even with the sweetness that the product is suitable for vegans, vegetarians, and celiac. With no artificial colors, that probably makes a difference there. However, the candy is still made with sugar, dextrose, various acid regulators, flavoring, and colors. 

Double Dip is regularly compared to Fun Dip for reference, simply because Double Dip has been primarily popular in places like the UK, Ireland, and Germany while Fun Dip is a similar concoction that is popular in the U.S. 

When Was Double Dip Invented? 

With this candy being originally made overseas, it’s hard to determine exactly when it was invented. There are very few sources on the history of the candy and most of them contain only minor details with very little of the backstory behind creating Double Dip. 

What we primarily know is that Double Dip hit its peak of popularity in the 1980s. It was around before it hit that peak and it is still around today but unfortunately, we don’t know any of the creation details or stories about who really created the candy either. 

Who Owns Double Dip Candy? 

Double Dip was introduced by a candy company known as Swizzles Matlow originally and it is still owned and manufactured by that company today. This is one delightful candy that has never changed hands and has hardly undergone any change over the years at all. 

The candy still primarily maintains its original flavor and has similar packaging even to its original packaging. They have updated that some over the years but you will see that the candy is pretty much the same as the original distribution. People love it just as it is. Why fix something that isn’t broken, right? 

How Did Double Dip Get its Name? 

If you look at the double flavors included in the candy packet, paired with the swizzle stick provided in every packet, the naming convention is pretty clear here. 

The stick allows you to dip, double-dip, mix and match, and enjoy your sherbet powders however you could possibly imagine. It’s almost an endless array of possibilities. Will you mix the flavors? Will you eat all of one and then the other? 

No matter how you enjoy it, you will double dip your stick into the powders over and over until your flavored powder is gone. Then you will eat that double-dipped swizzle stick and probably finish off with licking your fingers when you’re done! 

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Flavors

What you will find is that Double Dip candy has really never altered or adjusted its flavors over the years. Since its debut, they have maintained the orange and cherry sherbet flavors in every packet and this has pretty much always been enough. 

The company has since added a Cola flavor to the mix. This flavor was originally meant to be a special edition but the company did make it a permanent part of the line. What you will find is that orange and cherry are still the primary flavors but Cola is out there as well and it’s a delightfully tasty choice. 

It’s pretty remarkable that through the years this candy has been able to remain popular without adding a bunch of flavors or changing out their flavors over and over. It’s a simple orange and cherry and they have never felt the need to change that tactic. 

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients of Double Dip Candy.

• Sugar
• Dextrose
• Acidity Regulators: Citric Acid
• Malic Acid; Cornflour
• Sodium Bicarbonate
• Modified Starch
• Stearic Acid
• Anti-caking Agent: Magnesium Carbonate; Magnesium Stearate
• Flavourings
• Colours: Beetroot Red
• Curcumin
• Lutein

Nutrition

Average Values Per 100g
Energy	1580.0kJ/371.8kcal
Fat	0.5g
of which Saturates	0.4g
Carbohydrate	93.6g
of which Sugars	91.2g
Protein	0.0g
Salt	1.1g

Where to Buy?

Double Dip candy can still be purchased. In the U.S. the candy is primarily purchased online since it is not a U.S.-based candy. You can purchase Fun Dip as an alternative but you can easily purchase classic Double Dip online and enjoy this original confectionary candy. 

Candy stores in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and other nearby countries also carry Double Dip candy. Those areas can purchase the candy online as well or they can see if there is a local candy store that offers this tasty little dipping powder and swizzle stick. 

If all else fails, check out Amazon and some of the other online candy shops to find out what they offer and where they will ship to. While you might not be able to walk into your local Wal-Mart or other popular retail chain stores, you can still get your hands on Double Dip in the market. 

This candy continues to be available and while it may no longer be at its peak popularity, the company must be doing something right if they are still producing the candy more than 40 years after its peak in the market. 

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