The Sweet Empire Behind Peeps: A Story More Sugary Than the Candy Itself
Every Easter, millions of Americans rip open a plastic tray to find rows of grinning, sugar-dusted marshmallow chicks staring back at them. Some people pop them straight into their mouths. Others let them “age” on the counter for days, waiting until they turn delightfully stale. A few brave souls microwave them just to watch them inflate like tiny, terrifying balloons. But whoever you are — Peeps lover, Peeps hater, or Peeps scientist — you’ve almost certainly held one in your hand.
So who on earth is responsible for this bizarre, beloved, billion-unit-a-year phenomenon?
The Birth of an Icon — In a Factory, By Hand
Rewind to the early 1950s. A small candy company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania called the Rodda Candy Company was making a humble marshmallow chick for Easter. The process was painstaking — each chick was squeezed out by hand using a pastry tube, one by one, then carefully decorated. It took roughly 27 hours to produce a single Peep. Yes, you read that right. Twenty-seven hours.
Then came Just Born.
Just Born: The Family-Owned Candy Powerhouse You Never Knew Ran Your Easter
In 1953, a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania candy company called Just Born Quality Confections acquired the Rodda Candy Company — and everything changed. Just Born’s founder, Sam Born, was a Russian immigrant and candy innovator who had already made a name for himself by inventing a machine that mechanically inserted sticks into lollipops (he literally received the key to New York City for that one).
His son Bob Born saw the potential in those little marshmallow chicks and did something revolutionary: he mechanized the entire production process. That grueling 27-hour handcrafting ordeal? Just Born slashed it down to just 6 minutes.
Suddenly, Peeps could be made by the millions. And they were.
From Chick to Cultural Phenomenon
By the 1960s and 70s, Peeps were Easter staples in American households. But Just Born didn’t stop at yellow chicks. Over the decades, they expanded into pink, lavender, blue, and white chicks; marshmallow bunnies (a near-equal rival to the chick); Halloween ghosts, Christmas trees, Valentine hearts, and beyond; and flavors ranging from classic vanilla to sour watermelon, mystery flavor, and even Pancakes & Syrup.
Today, Just Born produces roughly 2 billion Peeps every year — making it one of the best-selling non-chocolate Easter candies in the United States.
The Peeps Wars: A Nation Divided
Here is where it gets spicy. Few candies in American history have generated as much passionate disagreement as Peeps. The Washington Post has run an annual Peeps Diorama Contest for years, drawing thousands of artistic, satirical, and downright unhinged submissions from readers. People recreate famous artworks, movie scenes, and political moments — entirely out of Peeps.
Meanwhile, food scientists have discovered that Peeps are nearly indestructible. They resist acetone, phenol, sulfuric acid, and sodium hydroxide. In a world of planned obsolescence, Peeps might just outlive us all.
And yet — people eat 700 million of them every Easter season alone.
Just Born Today: Still Family, Still Sweet
Just Born remains a privately held, family-owned company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Beyond Peeps, they also produce Mike and Ike fruit chews and Hot Tamales cinnamon candies — two more American candy staples.
The company employs hundreds of workers and has deep roots in the Lehigh Valley community. Despite acquisition offers over the decades, the Born family has kept the company independent — a remarkable feat in a world where economic forces shape entire industries — a rare feat in the age of corporate candy consolidation.
The Answer: Who Makes Peeps?
Peeps are made by Just Born Quality Confections, a family-owned candy company founded by Sam Born and based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. They have been producing Peeps since 1953, when they acquired the Rodda Candy Company and mechanized marshmallow chick production — transforming a handcrafted novelty into an American Easter icon.