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Nothing to Snicker About

What's sweet, salty, globally popular, extremely profitable, and originally from Chicago? Snickers, the confection consisting of a winning combination of peanuts, nougat, caramel, and milk chocolate, is the world's top-selling candy bar, with annual sales near $457 million in the U.S. and estimated at $3 billion worldwide. Snickers also has Chicago roots.

Flash back to the 1920s. Mars, Incorporated, had already launched the successful Milky Way bar, and the company had just relocated from Minneapolis to a new factory at 2019 N. Oak Park Avenue in Chicago. At this time, Chicago was known as the "candy capital of the world" because of its large number of candy manufacturers. Mars company founder Frank Mars wanted to build "the most beautiful candy factory in America," and the picturesque Spanish Revival-style main factory building that resulted lived up to the hype. It took the company three years to develop the Snickers bar, which was named after the Mars family's pet horse. The bar had its debut in 1930. It originally sold for 5 cents each, but the price was quickly increased to 20 cents each.

Snickers launched in the United Kingdom and West Germany in 1968, which was also the year that the fun-sized Snickers bar was created. The Snickers ice cream bar was introduced in 1989, and in 2013 Snickers surpassed 1 billion in U.S. sales. Today, Snickers products include Easter eggs, Christmas trees, and high-protein bars.

Fun fact: Snickers bars were initially named Marathon bars in the United Kingdom, allegedly because of the similarity of the word Snickers to knickers, the local term for women's underwear. Marathon was changed to Snickers for global consistency in 1990, although the Marathon name did come back for a limited run in 2024.

Some of the slogans used in advertising campaigns for Snickers include:

  • Not going anywhere for a while? Grab a Snickers!
  • You're Not You When You're Hungry
  • Confused? Maybe You Just Need a Snickers
The longest-used slogan, which was featured in 1980s commercials and still appears on Snickers wrappers today, is "Packed with Peanuts, Snickers Really Satisfies."

Another fun fact: Mr. T. starred in a series of Snickers commercials in the UK in 2006. In various scenarios, he encouraged people doing wimpy things to toughen up, often by launching Snickers bars at them. The commercials ran with the slogan "Snickers: Get Some Nuts!"

So what makes Snickers bars so popular when there are so many other chocolate bars to choose from? Personally, I think it's the peanuts. The nuts make the bar substantial, and their saltiness balances out the sweetness of the other ingredients, adding a whole other dimension to the bar's flavor which sets it apart from other candy bars.

The Mars factory on Oak Park Avenue closed in 2024, and Mars, Incorporated is now headquartered in McLean, Virginia. However, Mars Snacking, a business division of Mars, Incorporated, has its global headquarters on Goose Island in Chicago and plans to open a new regional office hub in the Fulton Market district.

The now-vacant main building of the former Mars factory has been designated as a Chicago landmark, and the entire factory site, located in the Galewood neighborhood, is currently the focus of a redevelopment effort. "Mars" is still the name of the train stop near the former factory on the Milwaukee District-West Metra line, which makes it sound like interplanetary travel is taking place.

*********

If you're looking to incorporate Snickers bars in your baking, consider this brownie recipe, which makes a sweet and slightly salty treat.

Snickers Brownies

*Based on a recipe from Southern Food and Fun

Makes 16 brownies

1/2 c. butter

4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, broken into pieces

1 c. granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. flour

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

4 full-sized Snickers bars

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Chop butter into small cubes and set aside. Do the same with the Snickers bars.

2. Place the butter and sugar in a heat-safe mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the water doesn't come into contact with the base of the bowl. Stir until the butter and chocolate are melted. (Alternatively, you can microwave the butter and chocolate in 30-second increments, mixing well in between, until they have melted.) Transfer the melted butter and chocolate to a large mixing bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes.

3. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the chocolate mixture. Whisk until smooth and well combined.

4. Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt to chocolate mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in 1/2 to 3/4 of the chopped Snickers.

5. Pour the brownie batter into the pan. Spread out evenly. Top with remaining Snickers pieces.

6. Bake for 35 minutes or until the edges have set and the center is still slightly soft. Allow to cool in the pan completely before removing and slicing,

Sources:

Snickers, "Our Story." 

Mars, "Mars, Incorporated: History in the Making."

Wikipedia, "Snickers."

Lucy Brewer, "Snickers Brownies," Southern Food and Fun (August 22, 2025). 

Haley Willard, "10 Things You Didn't Know About Snickers," Daily Meal (November 4, 2014). 

Jordan Ellis, "Most Popular Candy Bars in America--Ranked by Sales," Most Popular (April 26, 2026). 

Jordyn Stone, "The World's Best-Selling Chocolate Bar Is an American Classic," Food Republic (June 29, 2025). 

"History of Snickers Candy Bar," History of Things (October 14, 2009). 

"Landmark Designation Report: Mars Candy Factory," City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development (July 11, 2024). 

Eunice Alpasan, "Candy Giant Mars Company Opens New $42M Food Research Facility on Goose Island," WTTW (January 18, 2024). 

Ryan Coogan, "Sorry Boomers, But Changing Snickers to Marathon Bars Won't Bring Your Hairline Back," Independent (September 21, 2024). 

Maria Okanrende, "As the Marathon Bar Makes a Comeback, the Real Reason They Weren't Allowed to Be Called Snickers in the UK When They Launched in 1967," Daily Mail (September 22, 2024). 

Michael Liptrot, "Mars Factory in Austin Is Now a Chicago Landmark," Block Club Chicago (October 9, 2024). 

Igor Studenkov, "Mars Site Redevelopment Meetings Paused as Stakeholders Rejuggle Format," Austin Weekly News (February 2, 2026). 

Mars, "Gov. Pritzker and Mars Snacking Announce 600 New Jobs, Expansion of Global Headquarters in Chicago," (March 25, 2026). 

Emily Ruzich, "Sweets in the City," Forgotten Chicago: Examining Vintage Postcards (February 12, 2021). 

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