We never thought we’d see the day, but Peeps has announced that it will not be releasing its beloved Halloween- and holiday-themed treats this year, leaving a marshmallow-sized hole in our hearts. That’s right, seasonal favorites like the brand’s sugar-coated jack-o’-lanterns, Christmas trees, and hearts won’t be hitting shelves for Halloween or Christmas this year or Valentine’s Day early next year.
Just Born Quality Confections, the company that produces Peeps, said in a statement that it suspended production back in April to protect the health and safety of its employees during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While the company resumed limited production in May, it decided to forgo production of seasonal candies for Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day to focus on “meeting the expected overwhelming demand for PEEPS® for next Easter season, as well as our everyday candies.” The company typically produces two billion marshmallow confections a year, and with a cutback in production, we won’t be getting nearly as much marshmallow goodness as in years past.
Easter is classically the most popular time for Peeps, but we will definitely miss the purple cats and neon-green Frankensteins for Halloween, the adorable gingerbread-man marshmallows and festive trees for Christmas, and, of course, the heart-shaped marshmallow treats so often found in Valentine’s Day goody bags.
As a slight silver lining, Just Born said its seasonal treats are expected to return to store shelves by Halloween 2021, and at the end of the day, the most important thing is the safety and health of everyone involved, particularly the employees in charge of Peeps’ production. This just means they’ll taste even sweeter next Halloween!
