Last Updated on October 28, 2022 by Jim Edwards
Mary Jane is is an old-fashioned and molasses kind of peanut butter candy. It is more like taffy as it is chewy. When you open the wrapper your nose will pick up the peanut butter smell immediately!
And it has a distinctive peanut butter flavor with a hint of molasses. It is a bit hard and takes a teeny bit of time to dissolve completely. It leaves a sweet after-taste once you are done with it and you will experience the peanut butter flavor first and then the molasses.
The wrappers are very distinctive with the “Mary Jane” little girl mascot on a yellow wrapper with a red strip. These candies have been on the market for over 100 years – since 1914. The chewy candy with an old-fashioned peanut butter taste is loved by both adults and children and also has a nostalgic aspect given that it has spanned many generations. It is a chewier taffy so if you have loose teeth, lose fillings or any serious dental work, you might want to be careful.
Contents
History of Mary Jane
Mary Jane candy first came into existence in 1914. A candy manufacturing company made it of Robert O. Lord. Charles N. Miller took over Lord’s company during the Great Depression. It later got acquired by the Stark Candy Company. Later, Necco started manufacturing the candy.
Charles Miller used to make the candy in his kitchen. The initial packaging featured a little girl as an illustration on the wrappers. The little girl is still featuring as an illustration to this day.
Necco was producing the Mary Jane candy till 2018. It went into bankruptcy, and all the assets and company’s brands were auctioned. Spangler Candy Company bought the rights for Mary Jane candies during the auction. However, Atkinson Candy Company announced in October 2019 that they would be producing the candy in agreement with Spangler.
Since January 2020, Atkinsons have been the producers of the famous Mary Jane candies. Note: they have now changed the name to New Mary Jane Candy.
Related: If you want peanut butter and chocolate but not in taffy, see our Peanut M&M’s review.
Mary Jane Candy Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Flavor and Taste of Mary Jane Candy like?
Mary Jane candy has a unique combination of peanut butter and molasses. It is a harder, firmer taffy and it gives your jaw some good exercise as you chew. And as you chew you get the old fashioned flavor taste of peanut butter and molasses with some sugary sweetness.
How Many Calories are in Mary Jane Candy?
Five pieces of 1.4 ounces have a total of 160 calories.
Ingredients and Nutrition Facts
| Main Ingredients | Other Ingredients |
| Cane Sugar, Corn Syrup, Peanut Butter(Contains Fresh Ground Dry Roasted Peanuts, Salt | Preserved With Vitamin E To Maintain Freshness), Molasses, Coconut Oil, Salt, Artificial Flavor, Mono- and Diglycerides, Sunflower Lecithin, Palm Kernel Oil |
Nutritional Facts of Mary Jane Candy
The nutritional facts mentioned below are for a serving size of 1.4 ounces (5 pieces, 40 g approximately), containing a total of 160 calories.
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat (4 g) | 6% |
| Saturated Fat (0.5 g) | 3% |
| Trans Fat (0.3 g) | |
| Cholesterol (0 mg) | 0% |
| Sodium (65 mg) | 3% |
| Total Carbohydrate (32 g) | 11% |
| Dietary Fiber (0 g) | 0% |
| Sugar (20 g) | |
| Protein (1 g) | |
| Calcium (20 mg) | 2% |
| Alcohol (0 g) | |
| Iron (0.7 mg) | |
| Vitamin A (0 mg) | 0% |
| Vitamin C (0 mg) | 0% |
Mary Jane vs. Bit O Honey Candy
Mary Jane and Bit O Honey candies are very similar in terms of shape, size, and textures. Both the candies are retro and similar in some ways but different in others. However, there are a few notable differences between the two candies.
- Mary Jane candies are made with molasses and peanut butter. In contrast, Bit O Honey candies have honey and almonds in them as the key ingredients.
- When you press on the candies, Bit O Honey is harder than Mary Jane. It is easier to chew a Mary Jane candy because of its taffy-like consistency.
- Five pieces of Mary Jane contain 160 calories, whereas six Bit O Honey pieces contain 150 calories.
- Mary Jane was curated in 1914, whereas Bit O Honey was introduced in 1924.
Related: Our Bit O Honey Review and another peanut butter favorite that is also vegan – Chick-O-Stick Review.
You can buy Mary Jane Candy in different size containers. The best way to try it is with a small tub like this one that contains 160 Mary Jane Candy pieces. They come out to around 15 cents a piece in bulk.
You can order it here
Video – Mary Jane Unwrapping and Taste Test
This is an excellent video if you want to see it up close. It has the unwrapping and a solid taste test too.
Image Credit: “Mary Jane” by Thomas Hawk is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
I’m Jim Edwards and I started this website to share my love of Junk Food. We cover new junk food, desserts, snack foods, fast food secret menus, candy (of course!) and other related news. We love trying “secret menus” at restaurants. And we love trying new products too. So, we are trying to have some fun with our hobby and share some useful information with you, our community. Please feel to send us your suggestions and feedback through the contact form. And if you have products you would like us to try, let us know…!