Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Brach’s Maple Nut GoodiesI’ve seen Brach’s Maple Nut Goodies in stores for years. And for all that time, I not only didn’t know what they were, I really had no curiosity. But as the Candy Blogger, I felt it was my duty to pick them up and give them a try. So I bought some. I got the package home, opened it up and the devils were hard as rocks. I must have gotten an old bag. So I kind of dismissed it mentally. About a year later a co-worker gave me a bag and I experienced the same issue - they were rock hard. Brach’s is now owned by Farley’s and Sathers and recently did a complete re-design of their packaging earlier this year. So when I spied the new, bolder purple and pink wrapper at the drug store, I thought this was a signal that the candy was fresh. (The expiration was March 2012.) I was still puzzled though, and part of it is because I have no awareness at all of this candy. There are plenty of candies, food, novels and movies that I’ve never tried but I’m at least able to identify. There’s nothing remotely familiar about this candy, probably because no one else makes a version of it. The package describes it as:
So the internet and friends will not solve this mystery for me, I had to open a bag for myself. Sure enough, this batch was not rock hard and it certainly did smell like maple and peanuts. So far so good. The candy outside isn’t some sort of maple flavored white chocolate (though I’d actually love to try real white chocolate made with maple sugar ... someone, could you work on that?). The coating is like a dried fudge or frosting glaze. The ingredients don’t really explain the candy very well either: Sugar, Peanuts, Corn Syrup, Palm Kernel Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel, Soybean and Cottonseed, Emulsified With Soy Lecithin), Modified Corn Starch, Maple Syrup, Gelatin, Salt, Artificial Flavor, Sodium Bicarbonate, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Blue 1. Freshness Preserved By TBHQ and Citric Acid. So what I’m expecting is some sort of maple fudge covered peanut. What I got instead was a muddly wad of confusion. It was soft. I bit into it and it was like a peanut butter cookie, with a strong maple flavor to it. The center was more like a soft dough then a fudge. There’s gelatin in there and oodles of fat (from the peanuts themselves and the various added oils) but it doesn’t taste like it at all. It’s dry. The other thing is that there is no whole peanut in there. Granted, I only expected there to be one because the shape of the candy seemed rather like a coated peanut. Instead it’s little ground up peanut bits, like a chunky peanut butter. I figure this can’t be right. I’ve gotten a batch that wasn’t cured properly or maybe one where they left out the peanuts inside of all of them. So back to the store. So this is bag number four. This one also has a far off expiration date, January 2012 and the new package design. The cross section above shows the detail a bit better. There are chunks of peanuts in some sort of soft, not quite crumbly, doughy fudge. The whole effect is fine, just not quite what I was expecting. For what it is, it’s certainly different. It’s sweet, but the robust peanutty-ness balances that pretty well. There’s a little hint of salt and the maple is a more defined sweetness that’s not as sticky, more woodsy. It’s more like a snack, more like a cookie than a candy. Just about every other candy I’ve had that’s been made by a major company for at least 50 years has its imitators. For some reason no one else makes Brach’s Maple Nut Goodies Here’s an old ad from LIFE magazine featuring the Maple Nut Goodies. It also shows Iced Jelly Cones and Chocolate Ripple Nougats, anyone else remember those? Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:58 pm Candy • Review • Brach's • Farley's & Sathers • Peanuts • 5-Pleasant • United States • Rite Aid • Target • |
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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.
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These are a long time favorite of mine! I have seen private label versions of them at Tractor Supply and Bass Pro Shops.
That’s funny, because when I wrote my review of Maple Nut Goodies a couple of years ago, I could swear that they had whole peanuts in them. Maybe they changed the way the candy was made when they changed the packaging.
This was one of my ex-husband’s favorite candies. I’m almost certain they used to look a little different and have a whole nut in the center. (That description actually SOUNDS a little like my ex-husband, too.)
In the early 80s I worked part-time at the local Sears, which had a candy counter featuring all sorts of sweets by the pound (including Maple Nut Goodies). This is the sort of candy old women would buy. Cost-wise, a step up from hard candy but much less than chocolate. Definitely seems like a Depression-era treat.
As I recall, your description of the recently purchased MNG is exactly as they were 30 years ago. There were no whole peanuts inside the Goodie.
I’m sure if I had one today it would taste exactly as I remember them. Kind of satisfying in an odd way.
I’ve munched on Maple Nut Goodies since I was a kid. My grandfather had a serious sweet tooth and a big variety of the Brach’s candies were consumed. I don’t remember a whole peanut at any point since the 70’s. I will occasionally buy a bag and end up eating them all within a day. Everything you say is right but I can’t help loving them…and I must not be alone because they are always available at the checkout stands of Menard’s (a Home Depot competitor).
Keep up this vital work!
My mom and I have always loved these! I hadn’t seen them with Brach’s new packaging yet though. I actually really like the chewy center of them with peanut pieces. I bought some homemade Maple Nut Goodies from a mom and pop grocery store the other day, and they were literally maple fudge covered whole peanuts. They were good quality fudge, and sound much more like what you’re looking for, but they just didn’t scratch the itch for me!
Verrry sweet. That is for sure. Not my fav type of candy.
Well, my grandparents owned a candy store in the 40’s & 50’s. There was a lot of candy in those glass bins!! But, the iced jelly cones you mention, I cannot remember. That old-time photo is difficult to view the actual candy. Although I must say the various other candies are familiar to me. Ohh. Yuck. I really disliked each and every one of those. Just not appealing to my tastebuds.
I will take a few bites of a (frozen!) Hershey bar anytime!
After reading this, I went out and got a bag. They were actually pretty good! Apparently, Zachary makes something called “Double Dipped Maple Nut Treats”: Crunchy peanuts with two coats of our maple coating, which contains real maple syrup for your eating enjoyment! (sounds a little [or a lot] like Maple Nut Goodies!)
Hi we used to buy the maple nut buddies at Grant’s Department store in Buffalo in the 50s and 6os never in a bag or pouch always taken out with a scoop. No peanut inside that I remember just maple walnut nugat, maybe they did different versions in different areas? Haven’t had one in close to 40 years made me yearn for one just reading about them.
Can’t believe you’re downing Maple Nut Goodies! Geez! An All-American classic. Next you’ll be complaining that Apple pie is too soft and apple tasting.
My husband makes a trip to the Texas every year. Amongst the goodies he brings back is Brachs Maple Candy, I love it as do friends and family I have given some to. Such a pity he only goes once a year we could do with a regular supply.
When looking for a recipe for the Maple Nut candy I stumbled upon your blog. I must say, these candies remind me of when I was younger. My mom would always ask me if I wanted “turtles”. Growing up I used to ask my dad what type of candy the “turtles” were and he could never remember. It wasn’t until I moved to Missouri and went to a farm store named Orscheln’s farm & home, that I found my long lost “turtles”. And so I bought a pack, and sure enough it was them!!! I was so happy when I found out I can buy them at wal-mart for 1.49 instead of 2.69 at orscheln. What an awesome candy it is!!!
Cracker Barrel sells these! I’m not sure what company makes them but it isn’t Brachs. They are exactly the same though. They are so good! I can eat the whole bag in about 5 minutes lol
Something recently has changed about Maple Nut Goodies. Used to be my dogs’ favorite treat. They won’t touch them now. You can’t fool dogs. Mary.
My husband and I love this candy and the drug store we buy them from seems never to have more than 1 or 2 bags and we buy what they have. In fact, today we stopped to buy some and they didn’t have any! So disappointed. I can’t believe anyone who tries these do not like them. We’ve been eating them since the 60’s. Never have they had whole peanuts in them.
hi i love the maple nut goodie candies in the big 20 oz bag yum!!, but i purchased them last night and the middle candy is different its more of a crushed nut toffee mixture then the toffee nuts candy! and the coating is different to! please put them back the way they were why would you want to change a good thing? but if you must make these… label them differently and give me my originals back… please, thank you
My husband and I love maple nut goodies. At around Haloweeen time we bought a small bag of chewey Brachs goodies and ate them all in one day. A couple days later we saw a big bag of Brachs candies at Menards and were excited to find them in this size. When we opened the bag we found this gross crunchy crumbly toffee like center that terrible. We thought maybe it was only Brachs brand so after thanksgiving we bought a couple bags at Cabelas and found the same aweful crunchy candy. On to Gander Mountain the same day and found a bag of the chewey kind. We assume Brachs is the private label supplier for other brands too. I E-mailed Brachs to object to the change and they confirmed that they have changed process and they would be crunchy going forward. These are no longer “Maple Nut Goodies” and they need to rename the new junk. Needless to say we’re looking for an alternative. Does anyone know of another manufacturer of this candy besides Brachs/Farleys/Sathers?
I also bought a bag and was dismayed at what the “new process” had done to my favorite non-chocolate candy.
Even though the packaging has always said “crunchy” for the toffee, the crunch has been in the maple coating and the peanut pieces. The toffee was chewy deliciousness. But no longer!
Not only was the inside rock-hard and tasteless, the “maple” coating was like a 3 week old stale powdered-sugar butter cake frosting. What was once a melted smooth and slightly crunchy coating was now just firm & grainy! And, although the artificial maple odor (more of a stench than the old perfume) saturated the room when the bag was opened, the coating only tasted of powdered sugar & butter.
It was the first time in 50 years I’ve thrown away a nearly full bag of Brachs candy.
Maybe they are trying to kill the product line? The new bag design CERTAINLY should say “now more crunchy” so consumers know this disaster was intentional. There should have been a survey to let consumers have a voice. I doubt there have been so many dissatisfied people since they had to switch to artificial maple flavoring many decades ago.
If you like crunchy shards packed in wet ground sugar, rejoice! Otherwise, mourn the demise of another classic.
I threw away a bag today thinking they’d gone bad. So my wife brought me some from Walmart and they were the same! Instead of a chewy center it was hard and crunchy. I’m going to get some from Cracker Barrel and hope they’re still like the original. If they’ve also changed I may not buy any more.
Wow! I can’t believe it! I bought my usual 4 bags of Maple Nut Goodies this weekend at Walgreens. My wife opened a bag this afternoon and announced they were horribly stale. She was about to throw away and I said hold on, microwave them (which we do when we get the occasional stale bag). So, I decided to try one just to be sure and I was stunned. I realized they weren’t stale they were in fact very fresh and appeared to have a change of recipe. I tried several more to confirm and immediately went online to search to see if the recipe had been changed. I found this blog and read through to find that as feared Brach’s has changed the recipe. This is like the Coke mistake of changing their recipe ages ago! These are our GO TO candy, especially for long drives. I have ordered them in bulk before from Nuts.com. I just went to their site and they have a note on the Maple Nut Goodies section that confirms the Brach’s change, but Nuts.com will continue the original recipe. Chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Guess I will be ordering mine from Nuts.com in the future. One final note for those that love Maple Nut Goodies…my favorite thing is what I call the “conjoined twins” where 2 (or occasionally the trifecta) are stuck together…those are my absolute favorites and the wife and I will fight over those….LOL!!
I used to buy these at sears back in the 50’s when I was a little kid. I’d always get a quarter’s worth which they weighed out and placed in a paper sack while nice and warm.
However, I noticed the change recently and thought I had gotten a bad batch. Bought another the following week in a different store and they were the same as the previous week. They’re definitely not the same anymore. Needless to say I won’t be buying the Brachs brand of Maple Nut Goodies anymore.
Another long time maple nut goodie customer dissapointed in Brach’s change. I enjoy (enjoyed) these strong maple chews only a few times a year because they were so addicting I’d eat the entire bag. Today was one of those indulgant times of year and I was confused to bite into one and feel that wet grainy crunchy texture where formally experiencing a satisfying heavenly chew. Brach’s is insane to mess with such a beautifully unique creation. There was nothing else like those chewy maple goodies on the market! I’d compare the new ones to chewed up Heath bar. Yuck! Thanks to the reader who recommended nuts.com. Headed there now!
Maple nut goodies have always been my (as well as my whole family) favorite candy since I can remember. Some things you cant improve on and this candy was one of them. I do not care for the new change in recipe and will no longer be purchasing them.
Disappointed customer!
I am so glad I found this blog! I was searching for news about this candy after I recently bought a bag and discovered this horrible crunchiness. I thought my bag was stale until I opened the second bag to the same horror. I emailed Brach and they responded that the way they make the candy has changed and they will be crunchy from now on. Boo Hoo!
Way to ruin a great candy! If the Nuts.com candy is the same as the old glorious tried and true then I will order from them from now on…
My all-time favorite candy. Always get bags in my Christmas stocking each year. Opened them today, December 26 December 26th, Ang the recipe has apparently changed. They are no longer smooth on the outside but mushy and taste terrible. I’m about to toss these in the garbage. What a huge disappointment. Why change a good thing?
Maple Nut Goodies was always my favorite candy. Most everyone felt the same way. I told them that they were habit forming. Well we bought a bag of the “New” Maple Nut Goodies at Tractor Supply. We thought they were coming out with a new version. They should have left the original along and named this new candy something like “Maple Nut Crunch”. My dentist tells me not to eat anything hard. Oh well there does my “New” Maple Nut Goodies. This will be my last bag that I ever buy. Remember when Coke came out with the New Coke, it didn’t last either. Hope this version falls flat of his bag! Goodbye Maple Nut Goodies!
I bought a bag of the brachsmaple nut goodies and thought they were old , they were hard , so I throwed them away, I recently got another bag same thing they were hard, so throw d them away too! Don’t know why you would change ths s but i wont be buying anymore.
So, so, so disappointed in the new “maple nut goodies”. Feels like betrayal. Thanks for the nuts.com tip!
My husband always buys me 5 Maple Nut Goodie bags of candy for my Xmas stocking. They have been my favorite candy for all of my life. I was EXTREMELY disappointed in the new way Brachs is making them. They are now peanut brittle with butterscotch chips melted over them. Nothing Maple about them and they are hard as rocks. I could cry! No more Maple Nut Goodies for me!
Before Christmas Agri-Supply had the “old” kind. I quit buying them at TSC because they had the “New” kind. Now they just have the “new” kind, I guess I’ll just quit eating them….I hate the new ones. I guess when they quit selling they’ll figure out they FU a good thing. I told the folks at Agri-Supply, I’d never buy another bag of them.
So very disappointed about the new Maple Nut Goodies. Bought a huge bag at Craker Barrell and they were hard as rocks. Figured they were stale so took them back and got another-same rock hard candies! No more wasting $$ on this candy. Loved them - now they can keep them! This bag is going back and I am getting my $ back! Bad move, Brach ‘s…!
Yet another person commenting on the changed recipe. Like someone else above, I thought the candy went bad before the expiration, so I emailed Brachs/Ferrara to let them know. They emailed me back saying the process was changed and they were evaluating customer feedback. Good job, you fixed something that wasn’t broken and now it’s not even the same candy.
I agree with several complaints about the new recipe. I contacted Brachs and explained my concerns about the new reiteration. Brachs advised they were still in an evaluation process, but I wouldn’t hold my breath to them going back to the soft 190 calories per serving size product! I read a blog after my concerns were aired and responded to by Brach’s, and there was an individual who stated he had gotten the soft, 190 calorie version from Nuts.com. I ordered an initial 1 pound bag, and every since after ordering 3-5 pound bags, all are the new version that are hard, powdery, crumble, and taste like a sweetened chalk! Sent an email to Nuts.com about my experiences in quality control and asked to speak to someone in that area. No response to date. Been appropriate if Nuts.com disclosed like other maple nut goodies buyers do that they got their supply from Brach’s, but I see nothing on their label.
I will never buy another bag again I chipped a tooth cause I didn’t know I was buying a bag of rocks. Why does a company want to change something there was nothing wrong with the candy before. This candy sucks now I will NEVER buy it again and now a trip to the dentist. Thanks Brach’s
My wife bought me a bag of the maple nut goodies at Christmas time because she knows that I love them and it was a tradition at our house at Christmas when I was a kid. I opened the bag, anticipating a delicious candy, and I almost broke my dental bridge. I thought that they were old so I set them aside and figured that I could find a way to soften them, not wanting to waste them. My daughter bought me another bag a couple of weeks later. Again they were as hard as a rock, and again not wanting to waste them, I tried to micro wave one to no avail. I then set out to search the web and run accross this blog. I guess that I will give up their maple nut rocks and not wanting to “waste them”, I will drill them, put them on a string and make them into a rock necklace.
find88
uck!! man Im soooo disappointed in my fav candy!! give me chewy center
I’m also disappointed in the change in the Maple Nut Goodies. I sent an email to Brach’s today. Everyone…if you have not already emailed them, please do. They more they know people don’t like the new version, the better our chances are that they might go back to the original that we all know and love.
I just purchased a bag of maple nut. I don’t think the jaws of life could chew these!!! The bag has a Web address and says they guarantee satisfaction but when you go to the site there’s nowhere to place your complaint. Figures,that’s how business operates these days, just get the money. So not only will I never buy them ever again but I will never purchase anything from that store sgain. Sorry Dollar General
I have been enjoying maple nut goodies since 1977. Nothing better than a good fresh CHEWY maple nut goodie! What has happened to our recipe?? Pleeeeez turn back the hands of time. Give us our original MAPLENUT GOODIES!!
You can contact Brachs through their parent company, Ferrara Candy Company. Here is a link: http://www.ferrarausa.com/contact-us/
This is yet another complaint about the change in maple nut goodies. I will no longer purchase these from your company. I am taking the suggestion to try nuts.com. Hopefully they haven’t changed.
I will no longer purchase the maple nut goodie candies. What a HUGE disappointment that these are now hard and crunchy and taste nothing like the original!!! These have been a family favorite forever!! I am so bummed!!!!
Every so often I get a craving for Maple Nut Goodies. Brach’s or any other. They have changed/ruined them. Instead of chewy they are now crunchy. Not the same and I don’t like them.
The ones you got that were old/hard… all you had to do was warm them and they’d be chewy and fine.
I don’t know what happen but Maple nut goodies are, awful the outside is to soft and the inside to hard. I’ve eaten maple nut goodies for over 20 years and it’s nothing like the old one
Well this is bad news indeed. Same experience here. GIVE ME MY CHEWY CENTER BACK! I literally just threw the bag away and will NOT be buying them again unless they bring back the original. A disgusting taste and texture in the new ones.
I hate the new maple nut candy. Please change it back. It candy just doesn’t taste the same. I too thought I had bought candy that was expired because of the way it tasted.
Do NOT like the new maple nut candy. I thought it was old and out of date but was not. Had to throw it away. Ugh!
Their new recipe is absolutely horrible! They told me that they had to change their recipe because of FEDERAL REGULATIONS! What ever! They need to have these ROCKS thrown back at them. With enough, they could “gravel” their driveway!
My wife and I have enjoyed maple nut goodies for years. Here lately no matter where we buy them they are hard as a rock break your teeth on them. What happened? I don’t think we will be buying any more unless they go back like they use to be. After you buy several bags and have to throw them away gets a little pricey.
Well here is a follow up (see original comment #24), I ordered a pound of these from Nuts.com and instead of the delicious candy of old I got another bag of gravel! I guess it’s time to accept the Maple Nut Goodies we knew and loved is a thing of the past. It’s a shame that a classic that has been around for literally generations has been ruined.
I have loved maple nut goodies my entire life.(My mom’s favorite too)...bought a large package at Bass Pro….thought they were bad….took them back, they gave me another bag…Then I got some for Christmas too…What a waste… .I don’t like the NEW Maple Nut goodies and will not buy anymore.
Gerard , I did the exact same thing…ordered a pound of maple nut goodies from NUTS.COM,they were to my displeasure…. the same crunchy recipe! now I have all these wasted (not chewy like they used to be) maple nut crunchy’s .uck
I have been a fan on Brach’s Maple nut Goodies all my life. I’m now 60 and have bought my last package of them. My wife knows I love them and buys them for me when she wants something. I received 2 bags yesterday and opened 1. They were not the same as I remember. I opened other bag to make sure it was not a bad batch. The same result. Unless the change back to old recipe I have had my last one from them.
I am so disappointed about Brach’s Maple Nut Goodies. Will never buy them again. At first I thought they were just old or some kind of a mistake. So I waited for about a month and bought them again. Never will I buy again! Why do you have to change something that was so good? I cannot understand it. What a waste!! Do you even taste the product before you bag it up to sell? It is putrid. Please go back to the old recipe. A very disappointed customer.
I just received my maple nut goodies from Nuts.com…...crunchy…...not chewy…..but at least they are not hard as a rock like Bass Pros ....No more for me !
Had to laugh at #49 with the FEDERAL REGULATION. When I was back home on the mainland I bought a couple of bags. A couple from Dollar Tree and a couple from Walmart and when I got back home here and ate them I actually broke off a tooth and sat down and compared the difference in ingredients and the only main ingredient I can see that is missing that is making the candy had is GELATIN!!!!! That’s right people, gelatin. I’m glad I took a picture of the two bags side by side as proof because they’re trying hard as hell to get the old stock off the shelves. Shame on Brach’s for not notifying its consumers of this change.
In complete agreement with everyone above - the change to my most favorite candy is horrible! Never will buy them again.
I’ve loved these since I was a kid but the change from that chewy center to the rock hard,flavorless ,tooth cracking monstrosity is horrendous so I won’t be buying them again. Thanks alOt Brachs for completely ruining this for us.
I actually have bought several bags. The first two I assumed it was a bad batch…the 3rd I broke my back tooth in half!!! I went online to the Brach/Ferrara FB page and too screenshots of their replies to customers who complained. Here is what the company States: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1254196677996446&id=134600396622752
Hey Guys,ALERT !!!!! Don’t be fooled! The maple nut goodies from NUTS.COM are the same as Brachs!!!
To whom it may concern,
Please change them back!
Sincerely,
Ric
Please bring back the old recipe. I hate these new crunchy, non-tasting candies. Have gone off them entirely. Back to Hershey.
If you’ve read through these comments, then you’re likely just as upset as myself and the rest of the commenters about the recent changes to the Maple Nut Goodies recipe. The new “crunchy” center is absolutely terrible, and I’m pretty upset that one of my life-long favorite candies has changed to something so different and disgusting. Unless Brach’s returns to their former recipe, I will definitely NEVER buy another bag.
I think to improve our chances of a return to the former candy we know and love, we need to contact the company and leave feedback! If you’re reading this far, please take a minute or two to follow this link and leave comments on the website of Brach’s parent company, Farrara Candy Company at:
http://www.ferrarausa.com/contact-us/
Please return to the original recipe of Maple Nuts Goodies that I used to buy in the sixties. the outside of the candy now is too soft and each piece is a different shape. I remember the outside being hard and something you could suck on before you got to the center. Now it is soft and does not feel like it is fresh and does not taste the same. Why change something that was already perfect and the way people who bought it , liked it. I will not buy anymore!
No more maple nut goodies for my sister and I. We both discovered the change the same day. Miss the chewy center and smooth coating. If we were worried about calories we wouldn’t be buying
Maple Nut Goodies, i am so sad to see these have changed. I am like the others on here. I thought I had gotten a bad bag, but I just tried again and still horrible. Looks like I may have to figure out how to make them myself. I don’t know who approved this change. I hope they change back soon.
Just out 2 pound’s of these and very disappointed in the hard center. We definitely never buy again and have loved these for 30 years at least. So sad to see them changed.
Not like they use to be, not close to what they use to taste like.
To much toffee stuff to it.
They use to be a little chewy, now toffee balls.
No. Everyone is right about the change. They used to be a combo of soft toffee, maple and nuts. Now they are maple covered rocks. I will miss them.
I’m very disappointed where the new outer coating I liked it the way it was will no longer buy them they where my favorite candy
We have bought 4 bags since Thanksgiving at Menards and Cracker Barrel seeing if we just got a bad batch and have been disappointed each time. They have ruined Maple Nut Goodies. Bring back the original recipe. We are not buying them again until they are changed back.
Just opened a bag, they were rock hard and the expiration date isn’t until 12/19/2017 :(
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