11 things you didn’t know about Peeps

It just wouldn’t be Easter without Peeps — those adorable, (usually) chick-shaped marshmallow treats. They make any Easter basket extra colorful, with pops of Peeps in pink, lavender, the original yellow and more. But did you know that Peeps, which are beloved all over the country, are actually manufactured by Just Born in Bethlehem, PA? What’s more, this iconic candy celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. With a few days to spare before Easter, here are 11 more things you didn’t know about Peeps.

1. For people who don’t like chocolate, Peeps has been the #1 non-chocolate candy sold at Easter for the past 20 years.

2. Watching your calorie count? Can’t have gluten? Each Peeps chick and bunny has just 28 calories, 0 grams of fat and is gluten free. Hurray!

3. Just Born was founded by Sam Born in 1923 in New York, but the company moved to Bethlehem in 1932.

4. In 1953, it took 27 hours to create one Peeps chick, because it was done by hand with a pastry tube. Today, thanks to the founder’s son, Bob Born, and technological advances, it takes only six minutes.

5. Roughly 5.5 million Peeps are produced daily, amounting to a total of 2 billion Peeps being produced per year.

6. Just Born produces enough Peeps in one year to circle the earth two and a half times. That’s a lot of Peeps!

7. Peeps have a lot of celebrity fans, including Reese Witherspoon, Cher, Katie Lee, Bethenny Frankel, Justin Bieber, Miranda Cosgrove, Joe Jonas and Dove Cameron.

 

8. Peeps come in different shapes (like bunnies, for example), but four out of every five Peeps purchased are chicks.

9. Betty White was just a year old when Peeps opened its doors in 1923.

10. It would take 98,000 Peeps to equal the weight of the Liberty Bell, which weighs 2,080 lbs.

11. It would take more than 775,000 Peeps to line the route that Rocky Balboa ran in the 1976 film, “Rocky.”

For more information on Peeps, visit: marshmallowpeeps.com.