Over the years, I’ve received all sorts of e-mails quizzing me about the identity of some nearly forgotten candy or requesting images of a fondly missed favorite chocolate bar. It’s a fun challenge and incredibly satisfying when I’ve been able to provide an answer (or picture) to those inquiries.
One chocolate bar that I’ve been asked about a number of times is the Welch’s Frappé. It’s a brand I have no personal memories of as it mostly predates me, but for those that do remember it, it clearly left a big impression. Though it’s taken years of searching, I’ve finally assembled a historic look back at the brand which I’m excited to unveil today. So make the jump to check out the classic Welch’s Frappé!
Though you may not be familiar with the Welch’s candy name, a few of their brands remain top-sellers, now owned by Tootsie Roll Industries: Junior Mints, Sugar Babies, Sugar Daddy and Junior Caramels (formerly Pom Pom’s) were all originally launched under the Welch’s name.
Back in the 1930’s, Welch’s introduced a number of combination bars that would go on to be top sellers over the decades, but have since disappeared. One of those was the Welch’s Frappé. Welch’s Frappé was a chocolate-covered, rum-flavored concoction that included raisins among its more standard confectionery ingredients.
During my years of hunting, here’s the earliest Frappé wrapper I’ve been able to track down:
It’s great to be able to share this early version of the Frappé with its decidedly stylized logo. While that stylized logo would change in subsequent years, the core composition and colors found on this early wrapper design would remain all the way through into the 1970’s.
Here’s a version from the 1950’s:
In 1963, the confectionery assets of Welch’s would be acquired by the Nabisco company, resulting in a Nabisco-branded Welch’s Frappé arriving on shelves by the 1970’s. This final Frappé wrapper I have dates to 1973 and according to my research, the bar didn’t last much longer and was soon discontinued.
Outside of the fond memories and recollections that have been sent in to me over the years, these wrappers are all I’ve been able to track down on the specific history of Welch’s Frappé. But if and when I learn significantly more, I’ll revisit this topic and share the Frappé-riffic news here. Until then, I hope you’ve enjoyed the look at this fondly-remembered brand.
See you next time!
Oh my God- I LOVED this candy bar and so wish it was still being made- I can still remember how it tasted. Welch’s also made an AMAZING “fudge bar”. I would give anything to eat these again! Thanks for the memories with the wrappers!
I also loved both the frappe and the fudge bar. I wish someone would make them again.
Candy was SO important in those days. Born in ’34, even when times were hard (I wasn’t aware), you could always get a couple of pennies for candy. When I asked my mother in later years why didn’t I notice, she remarked, “Well, you LIKED macaroni…”. A little older, Welch’s Rum Frappe was my favorite. The “new” kid on the block, the Mars bar, didn’t interest me after the first try. Actually there was a candy that I’d deem the best candy in the world in Salem, Mass. It was at a candy store named Chute’s on Essex Street. Whenever Mother took me shopping, we’d end at Chute’s for a banana split, then buy a box of candy to take home to Dad. Describe? Sort of a hard tan fudge, almost a toffee but not chewy, with a soft cream filler between the two layers. The other delight I remember was taking the bus from S. Peabody to Boston, and stopping in the “Market” where they not only sold fruits and vegetables, but candy! Mother bought a small bag of rum chocolates, which I’d never tried before. I took a bite, only to have the inside liquid run down the front of my dress. She should’ve warned me it was hollow, sugar-lined with the rum inside. To this day, I lament that rum chocolate candies are scarce in this country. One trip to Ireland, I made the discovery of Rum Cadbury Bars, and filled my suitcase with them. This was much later, of course. Found rum flavored chocolate, very inexpensive, in Germany and Belgium, too. Ah, me. They never did quite come up to Welch’s Rum Frappe. . . I thought the word “rum” was in the name, but see I mis-remembered. Thank you, Jason, for my trip to yesteryear. Betty Anderson
Thank you so much for the memory. My brother who I worshipped and followed around introduced me to these when I was young. They weren’t on the market for many years after that but we used to take a pop bottle money (2 cents a bottle) and go down to the store and buy 2 of these. Then we would go across the street and sit on the stone wall and enjoy every last bite, our fingers turn chocolate coated as the warm summer days melted our treats onto our fingers. We loved those bars and the memories of those summer moments enjoying each bite with my best buddy will never fade. I have looked for these candies many times and as you said Betty, tried other candies overseas but have never found anything that is the same as that Frappe bar. I have mentioned them to my husband (he is a couple of years younger than I am) and he unfortunately had the great pleasure of enjoying one of these. Thrilled to have been part of the Frappe bar world, even if it was the tail end, I have never forgotten those and would be first in line if they ever brought them back!
Woops, just noticed my typos… my poor husband never had the please of enjoying one of these.
I have thought of this candy bar for years. I even contacted “Welch” about it and no one knew what I was talking about. Guess I am older than the people there these days.
They don’t know what they missed. I do wish someone had that recipe and would make those again for the old timers like me.
Thanks for my memories brought to life again. Old Timer
Me too, I was 14 and selling news papers on a corner with a drug store. Once I sold three daily newspapers I would go to the extensive candy counter in the store and buy a Frappe for 7 cents, which seemed like a lot of money for such a small bar. That was the first time I had tasted rum flavor and it has stuck with me ever sense. Our wedding cake 49 years ago was rum flavored because I liked this bar so much.
That’s awesome! Thank-you for the nostalgic memory, Robert!
I find it odd that none of my old friends remember that Welch’s Frappe bar, as it was so good. Then again, when I mentioned to a few of them recently that I had “barked my shin”, they never heard of that expression, either. It’s hard to believe that the Welch’s company doesn’t remember it–you’d think they’d at least have some sort of literature around the company about past concoctions they’d produced…………
Betty,
Yes, it is surprising that companies don’t have these kinds of records, but in my years of research, I’ve learned most don’t. So it’s left to me to track it down, document it and preserve it. 🙂
But where Welch’s candy is concerned, the candy division was handed over to Nabisco Confections in the 1960’s and those brands would similarly change hands two more times before landing at Tootsie Roll Industries. In cases like that (and that many current candy brands) where they were bought and sold, one of the first things that gets left by the wayside is history.
Hi Jason,
I didn’t read far enough today. I see that I am not the only one who remembers the Welch’s Rum Frappe’ Bar. Wish some of the old ones would be brought back for the older folks of today.
Thanks for all your great work finding these lost candies.
Dora
I remember that candy bar as well,it was delicious,i was living in Mass back then,and i am so glad that there are others that remember this candy.I wish some one would make it again,i would buy it by the box,lol.I have been looking for the company who made it for years,didnt know it was Welches,but i wish who ever bought the candy co would make that Frappe bar again.
Oh my oh my someone needs to come up with as close as possible recipe so I can take it to my local candy maker
In 1962 this cany bar got me thru my first baby! Could never turn one down. I need a recipe or candy similar to this’s one! Thanks for all the info.
Maybe it is true that as you age, you tend to cling to old taste favorites, and not be very adventurous in trying new recipes and foods. For myself, candy wise, even though I’ve tried Toblerone, Godiva, Ghirardelli and other top brands, have not been impressed. Nothing gives me satisfaction more than savoring a handful of Hershey’s Kisses, slowly, one by one. Even makes housework less objectionable, and keeps me going with little goals——vacuum half the room, pop in another Kiss, etc……….. Do you remember, as a child, how the thinnest ribbon candy was like a miracle, savored as much for looks as it was for taste? Happy Holidays!
I have pestered friends about the Rum flavored Welch’s candy bars for years. No one remembered them. Guess they did not like them!
On one of my trips that included Germany, found a bag of chocolate drops/discs (?) in a German grocery store. They were very inexpensive, I remember, guessing that a big bag of them were only a couple of dollars. After I got them back to where I was staying, and sampled them, I wish I’d ordered a case! A RUM-flavored chocolate, that had just the right amount of sweetness (—-so you could eat a lot of them, while reading, without getting sick : ) —— Being old, I could never use a computer to track them down, BUT, good as they were, they didn’t come close to Welch’s Frappe!
BETTY ANDERSON
Nothing compares to Frappe. My dad would give us a quarter, a dime for the movie, .15 left for soda, popcorn and a candy bar. I always would forgo the soda and get two Frappe’s. Yum best candy ever made
I agree with all comments. The Frappe candy bar was the best ever. Also liked the Welch’s fudge real well but the Frappe was my all time favorite. Wish some company would start making them again. I would be a repeat customer for sure.
Probably one of the more esoteric fascinations of my school days was this Frappe candy confection. My friends couldn’t understand my intrigue for it but I was always the odd ball in my neighborhood. I had eaten all kinds of candy and due to my father’s traveling occupation, opportunities to find new stuff while on trips with him were common place. Two oddities stand out in my memory and they were of course the Frappe and the other was the Idaho Spud. Fortunately I could find Frappe bars at home and I enjoyed them as they were different from the basic chocolate, peanut, rice crispy, and nougat bars I’d had so many of.
In my time Drug Store Soda Fountains were still common and most of us hit these places after school. I remember asking the Pharmacist what the term Frappe meant and he defined it to me as meaning “Something Wonderful”. Well that wasn’t how I found it defined when I looked it up but I’ll settle for his definition. When it comes time for me to travel into the great beyond, this will be one of those unique things I’ve encountered that will remain sweet in my memory as I take my leave.