Slo Poke Candy: History, Brands & Ingredients
Please leave a review or any memories of this snack in the comments at the end of this post.
Snack History Nostalgia Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Slo Poke candy has been around since 1926, and this candy product has not changed much since the earliest days that it was sold to candy lovers. There are many delightful features to be enjoyed when eating these older candies that are still on the market today. They are simple, classic, flavorful, and usually quite affordable as well. While not as complex or filling as something like a large candy bar, sometimes there is something much more fun about eating a simple candy brand to enjoy the same candy-eating experience as your grandparents might have had.
This candy product has changed hands many times throughout its time being sold to candy lovers. Many of the products that began their life in the 20s were owned by families who eventually decided to get out of the candy business as times changed. Along with a few other hard candy products and some gum brands, Slo Poke is one of the remaining original snacking items that has been around since the 1920s.
| Slo Poke Candy | Facts |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1926 |
| Manufacturer | Atkinson Company (current); originally MJ Holloway |
| Candy Type | Caramel bar (originally caramel lollipop) |
| Original Flavors | Caramel |
| Still Available | Yes |
| Country of Origin | United States |
| Parent Company | Atkinson Company |
History
Slo Poke candies began their life in 1926 by being sold as the Slo Poke Caramel Pop. The current candy is a candy bar that is large, flat, and wrapped in paper. However, the original candy treat was more like a lollipop, albeit made of caramel instead of hard sugar. The current version of these candies is much bigger than a bite, and you can spend quite some time working your way through eating it due to the classic, dense nature of the caramel that it is made of.
This is one of the original penny candies that kids loved to buy during the 1920s. The penny candy enjoyed a long life and became the dime candy at bulk candy stores in the 1940 and 1950s. Lots of these candies are still made in much the same way, but they are not as cheap as they were when candy could be grabbed in handfuls out of a bin and paid for with a few coins from your pocket.
Many people equate the Slo Poke to the Sugar Daddy, and there are certainly some similarities to be found in the texture and the flavor. The Sugar Daddy might be a little sweeter and chewier than the Slo Poke, but if you love one, you will love the other. The Slo Poke was made to take a long time to eat, and this was the hook that was used to sell this product for many years. Parents were probably grateful that their kids would get so much bang for their proverbial buck or penny. It might have been much quieter in some households while kids worked away at dissolving the Slo Poke candy that they bought at the corner store.
Today, this is the kind of candy that orthodontists and dentists warn you not to eat, but when have kids ever listened to this kind of sage advice? After all, if you have the patience to dissolve the Slo Poke a bit at a time, you will not be threatening the security of the braces brackets stuck to your teeth. However, you might be bathing your teeth in sugars Slo Poke ingredients for hours at a time!
The MJ Holloway candy company, which was also the maker of Milk Duds, was the creator of the Slo Poke. Holloway sold the candy until 1960 when the product was sold to Leaf, who then spread out its products in sales to various companies. Milk Duds became the property of Hershey’s, and the Slo Poke became the property of the Gilliam Candy company in 1998. The Black Cow candy is a similar treat that is made using the Slo Poke recipe, and this asset went along with the Slo Poke to this new owner.
When the Gilliam Candy Company went out of business, the Slo Poke went off the market for some time. It was not made again until the product was purchased by the Warrell Corporation under the name Classic Caramel Company. It is easy to see the difference between sales of the Milk Dud, which has been offered continuously since it was purchased by Hershey’s, and the sales situation of the Slo Poke, which has changed hands so many times. There are many classic candies that have suffered this fate after being bought by a small candy company that goes out of business shortly after being acquired. Thankfully for the Slo Poke, the road did not end with the Gilliam Candy Company.
When the Warrell Corporation bought Slo Poke, they decided that it needed to be made bigger. They changed the format of the candy to a 1.8-ounce bar of caramel, which was a large jump in size. This is essentially a product that is a large, flat bar of caramel. Many people actually just tap the bar on a hard surface and break it into pieces in order to be able to eat it. There is also a bite-sized version of the Slo Poke that is really popular during Halloween for inclusion in the candy bowl to be offered to trick-or-treaters.
The Atkinson Company recently acquired the brand and has taken over making the Slo Poke. They have not made any major changes to the packaging or the livery of the candies and have picked up where the Warrell Corporation left off. The Atkinson Company also makes Black Cow and Chick-O-Stick. Slo Poke is a natural accompaniment to the other classic candies that the Atkinson Company is known for, and it is likely a more secure place for the candy to have ended up with regard to it enjoying continued sales.
Slo Poke Candy Timeline
- 1926 — Slo Poke Caramel Pop introduced by MJ Holloway as caramel lollipop
- 1940s–1950s — Penny candy era ends; Slo Poke sold as dime candy
- 1960 — MJ Holloway sells Slo Poke brand to Leaf
- 1998 — Gilliam Candy Company acquires Slo Poke and Black Cow
- Post-1998 — Gilliam Candy closes; Slo Poke temporarily discontinued
- Post-Gilliam — Warrell Corporation revives brand as Classic Caramel Company
- Post-Warrell — Warrell reformats candy into larger 1.8-ounce flat caramel bar
- Recent — Atkinson Company acquires Slo Poke; continues existing format unchanged
Slo Poke Candy vs Sugar Daddy
| Feature | Slo Poke Candy | Sugar Daddy |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Dense, slow-dissolving caramel | Chewy, slightly softer caramel |
| Introduced | 1926 | 1925 |
| Manufacturer | Atkinson Company | Charms Company / Tootsie Roll Industries |
| Flavors | Caramel | Caramel |
| Format | Flat caramel bar or bite-sized pieces | Caramel lollipop on a stick |
| Availability | Specialty and seasonal retail | Widely available in retail stores |
| Halloween Use | Popular bite-sized version for trick-or-treaters | Common Halloween candy treat |
Livery
The Slo Poke candy wrapper was originally very plain, as is common to candies from the 20s. Each sucker was contained inside a small cardboard box, and the suckers were square to match. The box showed a drawn image of the candy treat inside and stated that it was, “ the all-day Slo-Poke Sucker”. At the other end of the little box were the words, “Rich with milk” and an arrow that pointed down to the side of the little box stating that the recipe was present on the packaging along the side.
The boxes that the original product would have been displayed in were usually dark brown, and they were often decorated with a small cartoon-like man wearing a bow tie. The box also proclaimed that the sucker, “lasts all day” and indicated that the suckers in the box had a “safety stick”. The original boxes show a price of 1 penny, and over time this changed to 5 cents and then 10 cents. There were 24 suckers to a display box, or the candies might be emptied into a bin to be sold in bulk to kids who wanted handfuls of these yummy treats.
The colors of this candy brand have always been dark brown and a light camel color. You definitely would have known that you were getting a caramel product when you looked at the boxes of these suckers. Over time, the colors of the product’s livery have not changed much, but the larger size of the candy bar format offers the chance to make the livery more interesting and complex.
Today, the Slo Poke bar is encased in a plastic candy wrapper that has a camel-colored base and dark brown bands at both ends. The words “Slo-Poke” are indicated in bubbly brown and white letters along the top of the wrapper, and there is an image of a cute, cartoony little turtle nestled just beneath the product name. The wrappers state that this is a “chewy caramel candy” and also, “an America tradition for more than 8- years- same great flavor, longer chew”.
The mini Slo Poke is still wrapped in a thin paper wrapper that is dark brown in color with white lettering for the Slo Poke name.
Logo
Ingredients:
From the Candybreakdown site:
- Corn Syrup
- Cane Sugar
- Coconut Oil
- Non-Fat Milk
- Whey
- Mono and Diglycerides
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Salt
- Sunflower Lecithin
- Artificial Flavor
- Caramel Color
Nutrition
| Serving Size: | 43g | % Daily Value* |
| Amount Per Serving | ||
| Calories | 180 | |
| Calories from Fat | 45 | |
| Total Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 135mg | 6% |
| Total Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g | 0% |
| Sugars | 20g | |
| Protein | 1g | |
| Vitamin A | 0% | |
| Vitamin C | 0% | |
| Calcium | 6% | |
| Iron | 0% |
- Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet.
Pictures
Ads:
Due to the age of this candy product and the fact that it is only marketed through a classic candy company these days, there are no video ads to share that come from the manufacturer. There are lots of people who have done taste tests of this little candy treat, and you can see what the current bars look like quite clearly in these videos.
It is really simple to order a Slo Poke or two to try out yourself as well since they are primarily sold online these days. You could find Slo Pokes at local candy stores that sell specialty products, but you will be unlikely to see Slo Poke candy ads on TV or find this product gracing the shelves of your local grocery store ever again.
A taste test:
Another taste test of the current Slo Poke bar:
Frequently Asked Questions about Slo Poke Candy
When was Slo Poke candy first introduced?
Slo Poke candy was first introduced in 1926 under the name Slo Poke Caramel Pop. It was originally formatted as a caramel lollipop rather than the flat caramel bar sold today. It is one of the few candy products from the 1920s that remains available to consumers.
Who makes Slo Poke candy today?
Slo Poke candy is currently made by the Atkinson Company, which also produces Black Cow and Chick-O-Stick. The Atkinson Company acquired the brand from the Warrell Corporation and has not made major changes to the packaging or the candy itself. They have continued the product in the format established by the Warrell Corporation.
What does Slo Poke candy taste like and how is it eaten?
Slo Poke is a dense, classic caramel candy designed to take a long time to eat, which was the original hook used to market the product. Many people tap the 1.8-ounce flat caramel bar on a hard surface to break it into smaller pieces before eating. It is often compared to the Sugar Daddy in flavor and texture, though the Slo Poke is considered slightly less sweet and chewy.
Has Slo Poke candy ever been discontinued?
Yes, Slo Poke was temporarily taken off the market after the Gilliam Candy Company, which owned the brand, went out of business. Fortunately, the Warrell Corporation purchased the brand under the name Classic Caramel Company and resumed production. The candy has since changed hands again to the Atkinson Company, which continues to make it today.
Is there a bite-sized version of Slo Poke candy available?
Yes, there is a bite-sized version of Slo Poke candy that is particularly popular during Halloween as a treat to offer trick-or-treaters. The standard version is a large, flat 1.8-ounce caramel bar, which represents a significant size increase introduced by the Warrell Corporation. Both formats maintain the classic dense caramel recipe the candy has been known for since 1926.
Very interesting article! My memories of Slo-Pok as a kid were from visiting our local drive-in movie theater. It was the pnly outlet for that candy. That was the original Holloway candy product. I’m pleased to see it available on Amazon.