Baby Ruth
What Is It?
A caramel nougat center studded with peanuts, enrobed in milk chocolate — one of the best-selling American candy bars of the 1920s.
History
Baby Ruth launched in 1920 as a renamed version of Curtiss's earlier Kandy Kake bar, and within a few years became the best-selling five-cent candy bar in the country. The official story is that the bar was named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter Ruth Cleveland — who had died in 1904. Many believed it was named after baseball superstar Babe Ruth, a connection that would have required a costly endorsement. Curtiss vigorously maintained the Cleveland story, allowing them to capitalize on Ruth's fame without paying him a dime. Otto Schnering promoted Baby Ruth with showmanship unmatched in the industry: he chartered planes to drop bars with miniature parachutes over Pittsburgh, sponsored a CBS radio program called The Baby Ruth Hour in 1929, and used skywriters. By the late 1920s Baby Ruth was a household name. It is still produced today by Ferrero, which acquired it through its purchase of Nestlé's US candy business.
Other Products from Curtiss Candy Company
- Kandy Kake
A combination candy bar of caramel, peanuts, and milk chocolate — the direct predecessor to Baby Ruth, sold under the Curtiss name before its 1920 rebrand.
- Butterfinger
A crispy, layered peanut butter-flavored candy core — made from pulled, aerated peanut taffy — enrobed in milk chocolate.