Butterfinger candy bar

Butterfinger is a popular American candy bar known for its unique crispy, crunchy, peanut-butter-flavored center coated in a chocolate-flavored compound. The product was originally invented in 1923 by Otto Schnering, the founder of the Curtiss Candy Company in Chicago, Illinois. It achieved national fame through clever marketing stunts, including dropping the candy bars from airplanes.

Over the decades, ownership of the Butterfinger brand has changed hands several times. In 1964, Standard Brands purchased Curtiss Candy Company, which later merged with Nabisco in 1981. Nestlé acquired the brand in 1990. However, in a major shift in the American confectionery landscape, the Ferrero Group acquired Nestlé's U.S. candy business in 2018 for approximately $2.8 billion.

Today, Butterfinger is owned by Ferrero, a giant in the global confectionery market headquartered in Italy. Since the acquisition, the recipe was updated to use higher quality ingredients, such as jumbo runner peanuts and more cocoa. The product continues to be primarily manufactured in the United States, specifically in Bloomington, Illinois.