This Classic Candy Bar Looks Nothing Like It Did in 1932

Somewhere along the way, 3 Musketeers lost two of its musketeers, and we feel like more people should be asking questions! There’s one bar in the wrapper, one fluffy chocolate center, and absolutely no explanation on the package about where the rest of the gang went.

It turns out this classic candy bar has a past that looks very different from the treat you’ve been sneaking out of the Halloween bowl. The original 3 Musketeers came with three separate pieces of candy in three different flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Yes, strawberry. 

When Mars introduced 3 Musketeers in 1932, shoppers got a little variety pack inside a single wrapper. Each chocolate-covered piece had its own flavored nougat center, giving candy lovers a choice between chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Think of it as the candy cousin of Neapolitan ice cream, minus the freezer.

The whole package originally cost a nickel, and the separate pieces made it easy to share. In theory, everyone could pick a flavor and walk away happy.   Of course, you could also keep all three for yourself. 

The big change came during World War II. With sugar and other ingredients rationed, Mars dropped the vanilla and strawberry pieces and focused on a single bar with chocolate nougat. What had started as a three-flavor assortment became the chocolate-only version that we're all familiar with today.

The original trio didn’t return as the standard assortment after the war. The single chocolate bar stuck around, leaving generations of candy lovers happily munching away without realizing there were two missing flavors in the family history.

The next time you pick up a 3 Musketeers from Blair Candy, you’ll have a little candy trivia to go with it.