Whatever Happened to Hostess Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts? (And a Surprising Comeback Clue!)

This is a long overdue update/revisiting of my post: RIP Hostess Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts, one of my highest viewed blog posts of all time.

Hostess Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts were discontinued around 2013 following Hostess's bankruptcy and restructuring.  Despite some nostalgic demand, Hostess has not announced plans to reintroduce them. Fans have expressed their longing for these treats on various platforms, sharing fond memories and lamenting their absence from store shelves. 

While no plans for their return seem to be on the horizon, I saw something at the store the other day that stopped me in my tracks for a few seconds..

Glazed Cinnamon Rolls are back, but not from Hostess

When I first saw Glazed Cinnamon Rolls on the shelves again in this great retro packaging, I got excited thinking Hostess had brought them back. Then it hit me — Hostess doesn’t even own Wonder anymore.

If Wonder still holds the rights to these Cinnamon Rolls, could they also have the rights to the long-lost Cherry Sweet Rolls that so many of us loved? In case you missed it, check out my article entitled: Discontinued Hostess and Tastykake Cherry Sweet Rolls

Wonder now currently has an entire donut lineup that goes toe-to-toe with Hostess. So if we’re dreaming big here.. how amazing would it be if Wonder decided to revive the legendary raspberry-filled donut? Now that would be a comeback worth celebrating.

Current Alternatives

For those seeking a similar experience, some alternative brands have been suggested by my readers:

Franz Bakery: Known for their raspberry-filled powdered donuts, Franz Bakery has been recommended by fans as a comparable option.  

Katz Gluten-Free: Offers a raspberry-filled jelly donut that is kosher and free of preservatives, providing a different yet enjoyable alternative, however they are not currently listed on their current product lineup, so I can't speak as to if they are still available l.

Great Value (Walmart): Their raspberry-filled powdered donuts have been noted as a budget-friendly substitute, though opinions on taste vary. I personally have had a tough time tracking them down to decide for myself.

While these alternatives may not replicate the exact taste and texture of Hostess's original product, they offer options for those craving a similar treat. 

Sorry I don't have more to share at this point, but promise to write about any developments or news that's even remotely related to this long lost delicacy. Make sure to bug Hostess and Wonder and ask them to bring back our sorely missed Raspberry Filled Donuts.

Contact Hostess Customer Service

Ask them to bring back Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts!

WONDER Bread Customer Service
Ask them about Cherry Sweet Rolls and..
 an inquiry about Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts couldn't hurt!

How about you? Have you come across a reasonable simile for Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts, or Cherry Sweet Rolls? Do you have any great memories of these sorely missed treats? If so, drop a comment below. We love to reminisce!

🍫 My Top 5 Favorite Candies from the ‘70s and ‘80s: Sweet Memories That Still Melt in My Mouth

There was nothing quite like being a kid in the ‘70s and ‘80s and walking into a corner convenience store with a pocketful of change. The smell of bubble gum, the faint hum of a soda cooler, and the sound of the door chime — it was pure magic. You could spend 50 cents and walk out feeling like a king with a treasure trove of sugar.

Here are my top five favorite candies from back in the day — the ones that made every trip to the store worth it.

🍫 1. Ice Cubes

Every trip to the store wasn’t complete without grabbing a handful of Ice Cubes — those little foil-wrapped squares of creamy chocolate bliss. They came in those shiny silver or gold wrappers, and once you unwrapped one, it was game over. The texture was unbelievably smooth, almost buttery, and they melted the instant they hit your tongue.

You didn’t chew Ice Cubes. You savored them. Recently, I stumbled across them again at a German market — the same brand, the same foil, the same melt-in-your-mouth magic. It was like time traveling straight back to 1978.

🍬 2. Nerds

When Nerds hit the candy aisles in the early ‘80s, everything changed. Tiny, tangy, colorful crystals of pure sugar — and we couldn’t get enough of them. Half the fun was the box itself, with two separate chambers so you could pour a little of one flavor or mix them together like a candy scientist.

Whether it was Strawberry vs. Grape or Cherry vs. Watermelon, every handful felt like a flavor explosion. You’d tilt that little cardboard spout right into your mouth, and before you knew it, the box was empty and your tongue was neon-colored.

Nerds weren’t just candy — they were a full-blown experience.

🍭 3. Bottle Caps

If there was ever a candy that felt like a fizzy science experiment, it was Bottle Caps. They looked like little soda bottle tops and came in flavors like root beer, cola, and orange soda. Somehow, those chalky little disks captured the essence of a fizzy drink without being liquid.

My friends and I used to sort them out, trade our least favorites, and pretend we were “drinking” our candy. Root beer was always my favorite — and still is.

🍫 4. Razzles

“First it’s candy, then it’s gum!” That slogan was burned into our brains thanks to Razzles. They started out like tiny fruit-flavored candies, but after a few seconds of chewing, they transformed into gum — a magic trick that never got old.

Every kid in the neighborhood had a favorite flavor (mine was the original red). You’d pour the whole pack into your mouth, wait for the transformation, and suddenly you were the coolest kid on your block — blowing bubbles and smirking like you’d just discovered alchemy.

🍫 5. Reese’s Pieces

Before E.T. made them world-famous, Reese’s Pieces were a secret weapon for peanut butter lovers. The crunchy candy shell and creamy peanut butter center were an instant classic. After that movie came out, they became impossible to find — stores couldn’t keep them in stock.

Even now, opening a pack gives me that same sense of excitement. They were the perfect road trip snack, movie treat, or after-school pick-me-up.

🏁 The Sweet End

These weren’t just candies — they were moments. Each one reminds me of simpler times: riding my bike to the store with friends, counting out change on the counter, and walking home with pockets full of chocolate and possibilities.

The ‘70s and ‘80s were full of wild flavors and even wilder packaging, but more than that, they were full of joy — the kind you can still taste when you find one of these classics today.

What was your favorite candy from the good old days? Drop it in the comments — let’s see which ones still make our inner kids light up.

🎬 My Top 5 Favorite Movie Candies from the ’70s and ’80s

Going to the movies back in the ’70s and ’80s was an experience like no other. The smell of popcorn filled the theater, the screen seemed enormous, and the sticky floors crunched beneath your sneakers. But for me, no movie trip was complete without candy. From the convenience store on the way to the theater or straight from the lobby, these little treats were the icing on the cinematic cake.

Here are my top five favorite movie candies from back in the day that still bring back those feel-good memories:

🍫 1. Milk Duds

The king of chewy movie candy! These little caramel bites smothered in chocolate had staying power—a good-size box could last you through a long stretch of the movie. They weren’t just for nibbling on their own either; toss a few into your popcorn and let them soften a bit, and you got that perfect sweet-and-salty combo before it was even a thing. Milk Duds were simple, delicious, and made the theater experience just that much more magical.

🍬 2. Hot Tamales

Before spicy candy was trendy, there were Hot Tamales. That cinnamon kick could wake up an entire theater and keep you alert during the slower parts of the movie. They were also a slow-eating candy, which meant one box could last most of the film. I remember shaking the box during previews, trying not to spill them while waiting for the movie to start. Sweet, fiery, and unforgettable.

🍫 3. Flicks

Flicks were chocolate perfection. Imagine a flattened Hershey’s Kiss, but made from chocolate so smooth and fine it practically melted the second it touched your tongue. Thick enough to savor, yet thin enough to pop a few in your mouth during the previews, they were a real treat. Wrapped in shiny little foil cylinders—red, green, or gold—you could spin the tube in your hands, tracing the repeating silhouettes of two Dutch kids chasing each other in wooden shoes. My dad always got me these, and I’d sit there staring at the wrapper before slowly unwrapping a disk and letting it dissolve in my mouth. They weren’t just candy—they were part of the ritual of going to the movies.

A bit of Flicks history: Originally developed by Ghirardelli in the early 1900s, chocolate wafers were a staple in theaters for decades. Production stopped in 1989, but in the 2000s the Tjerrild family revived the brand, bringing back the chocolate disks and those iconic foil-wrapped tubes, keeping the classic movie candy experience alive for a new generation.

🍬 4. JUJYFRUITS

These chewy, colorful gummies were tough little candies that tested your teeth through the entire film. Sometimes they’d get stuck in your molars, but that was part of the fun. Nothing says “classic movie candy” like sitting in the dark, trying not to crunch too loudly on a Jujyfruit.

🍫 5. Goobers & Raisinets

Chocolate-covered peanuts, chocolate-covered raisins—both made by the same company, both simple, crunchy, and classic. Perfect for tossing into your popcorn for that sweet-and-salty mix. I was one of those strange kids who actually liked chocolate-covered raisins, so Raisinets were a special treat for me alongside the Goobers. I remember the big boxes stacked next to the Milk Duds at the concession stand. If I had an extra dollar, this combo was my go-to—a perfect mix of chewy, crunchy, and chocolatey goodness.

🍬 Bonus Entry: Junior Mints!

Not exactly a candy you’d plan on enjoying the entire way through the movie, Junior Mints were a complimentary theater treat that packed a punch. That first cool, minty pop would awaken your senses, clear your sinuses, and snap you right into the action on screen. Perfect for staying alert during a slow part of the movie or intensifying the thrill during an exciting or suspenseful scene, Junior Mints were small but mighty—a little burst of freshness that made movie-watching just a bit more cinematic.

🎥 Bonus Memory: Sneaking Candy In

Let’s be honest—half the fun back then was sneaking your own candy into the theater. A jacket pocket full of treats saved a few bucks and felt like a small act of rebellion. My friends and I would walk in like candy smugglers, grinning all the way to our seats.

Those candy boxes, the movie posters in the lobby, the paper tickets—they all come together in one big nostalgic blur. Grab a handful of Milk Duds, a Flick or two, and you’re transported back to those magical movie nights. They just don’t make movie nights like they used to—but a little bit of old-school candy can take you right back.

This is not MY Bit-O-Honey Bee mascot

What in the Wide World of Sports is this?!?

I'm not SO retro that I'm against updating an advertising mascot's look, but what they have done to my Bit-O-Honey Bee is the complete opposite of a glow up. 

Who thought this was a good idea? Everyone I have showed this new mascot is bewildered. In fact, "Horrifying" and "weird" are responses I've gotten from folks.

Mind you.. Bit-O-Honey is far from my favorite candy, but it's always been there and I vividly remember it being one of the first candies I ever ate as a wee young lad. That cute little Bee became synonymous with good feelings and was always comforting to see like an old friend.

I guess people get like this with mascots even more so when it comes to brands they really love. The Cookie Crisp mascot is a good example. People love familiarity and associate it with comfort, and don't often take kindly when you turn that upside down or in this case, outright obliterate it.. not even leaving a trace of what you adored for life.

I don't know why the change of this cute little mascot for a candy that passes my lips every few years shook me up so much, but it did. Maybe I should tag this post under 'Old Man Rants'.

Hostess Fruit Pies 'Incredible Hulk' Marvel Comic Book Ad

 

He does make a valid point

I was an avid comic book reader during my youth. Back in the 70s and 80s I particularly remember full page ads by Hostess that were tied in with various Marvel super heroes.

I've always loved Hostess Fruit Pies, and on more than one occasion, these ads got me to put the comic books down, hop on my bike, and ride to the corner store to buy one. I can absolutely see masses of children doing the same thing back in the day.

It's a throwback from a time when advertising geared towards kids had a lot of thought put into it. Companies used to fight for your business, and it showed in the promotion and ads they ran. The tag lines were even more fun. I don't think I could ever forget the "You get a big delight in every bite" Hostess slogan.

Below is an ad from the front inside cover of a "Walt Disney's Comics and Stories" comic book that I've owned since 1980. Click on the image to enlarge, and enjoy..

Hostess went bankrupt several years ago and as new owners took over, much of the magic and quality faded from the brand. I read last week that the J.M. Smucker Company acquired Hostess through a deal they struck on September 11th 2023, for around $5.6 billon dollars. I don't think they could do any worse than previous owners Apollo Global Management.

Over the last decade, I've watched the brand drop popular products, decrease portion size, skimp on quality, and steadily lose relevance in the snack cake industry. I am keeping a watchful eye, hoping J.M. Smuckers brings back some of the old magic that made the brand so great, or at the very least improve upon the quality and distribution of their products. Time will tell..

Hostess Strawberry Jumbo Donettes. Just.. Eww

This is one of the very last snack cake reviews I performed before I largely stopped eating processed food. I got so excited upon spotting these, but you will see that this excitement faded very quickly.

Strawberry and blueberry donuts are just about my favorite cake donut flavors. However, I bought these with a bit of cynicism, as I had been disappointed repeatedly in the past by packaged donuts of the glazed variety.

As I pulled the donuts from the package, I immediately regretted buying them. The donuts were heavy, with a damp exterior. The donuts smelled great, and I could see little bits of strawberry throughout. Unfortunately when I bit into them, the flavor didn't exactly pack a punch in regards to strawberry flavor. The donut was heavy, chewy, and messy, due to the glaze it was covered with. In fact, I wouldn't even classify it as glaze, but more like a gelatinous mucilage.

I believe these donuts would be 100% better, if they were made with more real strawberries and no glaze at all. Fresh off of the Hostess production line, these Jumbo Donettes very well may be delightful. On the other hand, by the time they reach store shelves, the donut and glaze have begun melding and intermingling, changing the donut's consistency entirely. The result is the mess you see above.

Hostess Mini Glazed Donettes

These are 100 times better than Jumbo Glazed Donettes

In my experience, glazed donuts just don't translate well to being mass produced and packaged. It's not just Hostess either. I've eaten a multitude of packaged glazed donut brands, and not a single one has impressed me as of yet.  The only exception to this rule are mini donuts that Hostess and other companies produce. For some reason, these little donuts always have a nice crisp layer of glaze on them that doesn't meld with the rest of the donut.

To give you another example, take Krispy Kreme Glazed Original Donuts. Made fresh they are wonderful. Sitting in a box for a week in the store however, not so good.  At that point, they are reduced to soggy, runny, heavy globs of yeasty dough. It's the same story with glazed supermarket donuts that are made fresh, boxed, and then sit for a couple days.

So in short, I won't be reviewing any more glazed packaged cake donuts from Hostess or any other brand. I'll leave the glazed donut making to the pros who serve them fresh daily. I may opt for some mini glazed donuts in an emergency someday, but I've got to be honest about something. After this review, it was along time before I could look at another donut, glazed or otherwise. And for me.. that's a pretty rare occurrence.

Hostess Baseball Cupcakes: The Snack That Makes Me Feel Like a Kid Again

I have a soft spot for limited edition snack cakes.. and Hostess Baseball Cupcakes are right up there. I do not follow baseball closely but every spring when Baseball Cupcakes show up in stores, I know Opening Day has arrived.

I fell in love the second I saw them. I mean, just look at them. Little frosted cakes shaped like baseballs. They are so perfectly themed it feels like a childhood dream.

There are two versions. Day Game is yellow cake with the classic creamy Hostess filling. Night Game is chocolate cake with the same creamy filling. Both have white frosting and red squiggles to mimic baseball stitching.

I appreciate the cute look of Day Game but I actually prefer Night Game. There is something about the mix of rich chocolate cake, the light filling, and the white frosting that just works for me.

'Night Game Version'

These Baseball Cupcakes are a nostalgic callback to what Hostess has always done best. The original Hostess Cupcakes go way back. The vanilla filling and squiggle icing are rooted in decades of snack cake history.

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Pros and Cons of Hostess Baseball Cupcakes

Pros

• Strong nostalgia factor. Brings me back to childhood and Opening Day memories.

• Cute baseball design. White frosting with red stitching.

• Two flavors. Day Game or Night Game, something for everyone.

• Seasonal excitement. Only in stores for a short time.

• Classic Hostess filling. Comforting and familiar.

Cons

• Limited availability. They disappear fast.

• Small size. One or two will not fill you up.

• Very sweet. Not for anyone avoiding sugar.

• Packaging can be messy. Often squished in stores.

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Why They Mean Something to Me

I have been into Hostess snacks for as long as I can remember. These cupcakes feel like a little tradition. For me they are not just dessert. They are a signal that something familiar and fun is back.

There is a weird but delightful part of me that wonders how they get made. Does the bakery line change just for these seasonal cakes?

Even though I do not eat them as much now, I still keep an eye out for them every spring. Some things.. the little nostalgic wins, are worth it.

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Fun Facts

• Hostess brought these back in 2018 and called them Baseball Cupcakes.

• The red squiggle on top is a nod to real baseballs.

• Baseball and snack cakes are both big American traditions.

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The OG and inspiration for Baseball Cupcakes

If you spot these in a store, I recommend grabbing a box. Have fun with it. Take some to a ball game, or to a World Series party. If you have memories of eating them or any fun stories, drop them in the comments. I would love to hear them.

RIP Hostess Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts — A Nostalgic Favorite

I wrote an article close to a decade ago, to share my dismay with Hostess for discontinuing their Raspberry Filled Donuts. That article was still getting an unreal amount of traffic and interaction to this very day. In fact, no other article I have written has brought the amount of traffic to 'The Retro Dad' that this one has. It's still a subject that lots of folks are interested in, so I have dusted off the article and updated it for the snack cake loving masses in 2023. Enjoy..

Hostess Raspberry Filled Donuts were originally called 'Hostess O's'. I rememeber when we called them O's, and I believe the name was changed in the late 70s.

I don't eat a lot of donuts now, but..

Over the last year and a half, I've developed a much healthier relationship with food. The other day while shopping with my wife, I did something that puzzled her. She couldn't believe I was perusing the snack cake aisle intently. A few years ago she wouldn't have even blinked, but it actually shocked her I was doing so now. 

I explained that I do this every time I visit the market for one single reason. That is, to search for anything that remotely resembles the now extinct Hostess Raspberry Filled Donuts. I also informed her that the day I come across a reasonable simile, they will be coming home with me, and store bought snack cakes will grace my cupboard shelf for the first time in nearly two years.  

As a result of bankruptcy, Hostess went through a buyout in recent years. Unfortunately, the wonder that was Hostess Raspberry Filled Donuts, became a casualty of this corporate reorganization. They obviously didn't make the cut for the updated product line and it's a shame. Not only were they my favorite Hostess product, loads of snack cake fans feel the same way (just peek at the comment section below this post).

Memories..

I had seen and eaten Raspberry Filled Donuts before at various church functions. My Dad would also occasionally buy them to have on hand at his barber shop to share with his morning customers. I was already hooked, but my love for these these delightful powdered delicacies was solidified at 13 years of age.

Spring 1983..
My friend and I had been enjoying a very successful spring with our lawn mowing and landscaping business, and concluded we had rightly earned a Saturday off. Friday night we stocked up on fishing gear and farmed my friend's yard for night crawlers. We turned in early and set our CASIO wrist watch alarms for 5:00 a.m.

Early the next morning we stopped at the local 7-11 on the way to our top secret fishing hole, to stock up on some food and refreshments for the day. I spotted the Hostess raspberry filled donuts on the shelf and excitedly bought a box for our breakfast. This was the first ever box I had bought with my own money, and I remember feeling quite excited and empowered.

We rode our bikes about five miles to our favorite fishing spot on the river. We made a little campfire, casted our lines into the water, and waited for the fish to start biting. We cracked open the box of donuts and poured ourselves some coffee from our thermoses. I don't know if it was the serene atmosphere coupled with the feeling of independence we had that morning, but those raspberry donuts were about the best thing I had ever tasted.

As for the all day fishing trip, we fished for all of 20 minutes when the clouds rolled over, the temperature dropped twenty degrees, and snow started flying. You see, this story takes place in Northern Colorado, where freak snow storms in June have been known to happen from time to time. We hurriedly packed up all of our gear and quickly hightailed it back to my friends house riding into the wind, dressed for 80 degree weather.

Sometime before 8:00 a.m. we walked through my friend's front door soaking wet, our skin feeling blistered and burned from the wind chill and snow. Walking through the dining room on the way to the kitchen, we came across his parents sitting at the table sipping their morning cup of coffee. My friend's Mom poured us each a cup, and we all polished off the remaining donuts while he and I cursed the crazy Colorado weather. And cursed it we did, as it was 73 degrees by 1:00 that afternoon. Like the locals say in Colorado.. "If you don't like the weather here, just wait ten minutes".

From that point on, I would think of this story every time I ate a Hostess Raspberry Filled Doughnut, and probably shared it with my kids more times than they cared to hear. Dejected as I was back then, I now look back fondly on this childhood memory and can't help but smile every time I do so.

The very last box of Hostess 

Raspberry Donuts I ever bought in 2012.

It's a real punch in the gut when you go to buy a product you love, only to find out after the fact that you will never be able to do so ever again. This happened to me in 2013 when I could no longer find Raspberry Filled Donuts on the shelves. My dismay turned into panic as I searched store after store with no luck. I got online and reached out to Hostess customer service, to see if they could point me to a retailer that carried them. After a couple of days they sent me an email stating that the donuts were discontinued with no plans to bring them back.

Now what?
I so wish I could track down a reasonable simile to the Hostess Raspberry Filled Donut. I could've sworn I saw other brands on the shelves back in the day, but they were nowhere to be found over the years as I searched for them. They have definitely evaded me, and I have even used cross country road trips as opportunities to search for them in other regions. I've hunted for them to no avail, but I've heard things that give me hope.

Several of my readers have told me there is a nice raspberry filled donut that FRANZ makes. It's a brand I've been keeping a sharp eye out for, although I haven't seen them in Florida yet.

More of my wonderful readers have told me about a company named 'Katz' that makes a Raspberry filled jelly donut that is kosher, free of preservatives & chemicals, and still tastes wonderful. While I haven't located them yet, I will keep looking.

Also, Wal-Mart apparently sells some raspberry donuts under their Great Value brand. Folks have told me they are similar, albeit not quite as good as Hostess was. Sadly, I haven't been able to find any since I started actively looking for them.

I got excited recently, as they showed up on the Wal-Mart app. When I tried to order them however, I was told they were out of stock. I went to the store just in case, but they were nowhere to be found. I see these brands of donuts available on the reseller market, but the prices are ridiculous. I saw boxes on eBay selling for $18.00 last time I entertained going that route. I'm a patient man, so rest assured I will not be doing that. If I do find an affordable way to obtain them online however, I will share the info here.

We could always bother the heck out of Hostess to resurrect them. I contact them a few times a year to bring them back, as well as their Cherry Sweet Rolls, Cinnamon Rolls and Banana Cream Filled Twinkies. You can directly message Hostess Customer Service using the link below..

Contact Form for Hostess Customer Service

Ask them to bring back Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts!

UPDATE Oct 2025

This topic has lived rent free in my head for years now. And.. there may or may not be a new wrinkle to this whole thing. Check out my new article I've written about it. Link is below..

Whatever Happened to Hostess Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts? (And a Surprising Comeback Clue!)

Snack review - Congo Tropicals Plantain Chips

Congo Tropicals in Miami recently offered to send me a couple bags of their plantain chips to review. I'm always down to sample new brands of healthier snacks, so I gladly accepted the offer. I was excited to try a product from just down the road, and if I'm being totally honest, that awesome Monkey logo of theirs also helped to bolster my desire to try them. I'm a sucker for great logos, and this one is genius. I mean how great would this look on stickers, hats, frisbees or shirts?

The sister fruit to bananas, Congo Tropicals’ Plantain Chips are the perfect alternative to the crunchy potato chips you crave. Found in tropical regions, plantains are high in fiber, potassium, energy, and low in cholesterol. Brought straight to your home with Congo Tropicals, the sugar-free snack is the superfood you never knew you needed in your home! The perfect healthy snack for heading back to school and packing lunches!

Living in central Florida, I've sampled dozens of varieties of plantain chips. After recently losing 55 pounds I've stopped eating them, as many contain too much salt and are very greasy. They kind of taste like potato chips, and that's partly because they are made in a similar way. In all actuality, Plantain Chips should be a healthier snack option seeing as they're truly a superfood. Congo Tropicals boasts a healthy plantain chip, so I was all too ready to see if they were any good.

My Review..

Congo Salted Plantains
Upon opening the bag and grabbing a few chips, I immediately noticed there wasn't salt falling off of them, nor were they greasy. So many brands make plantain chips that are super thin and greasy. I'm happy to say that Congo Plantain chips are not! They were thick, crunchy and perfectly salted. These chips only have 15 mg of sodium per serving, equivalent to 1% of your daily allowance. They have no cholesterol, saturated or trans fats, and are gluten free with no added sugar. They are without a doubt the best plantain chips I've had in years.

Congo Ripe/Maduro chips
Maduros are ripened plantains that are sweet. The closest thing to these for taste would be a dried banana chip. Banana chips however are a lot sweeter and have less flavor. These chips were considerably harder than the salted plantains, but not as hard as your typical bulk banana chips. I only eat maduro chips on rare occasion, but I really enjoyed the Congo brand of sweet plantain chips. They were not overly sweet, with a complex flavor. If available, and I had a sweet tooth to take care of without breaking the calorie bank, I would definitely grab a bag of these.

All in all I enjoyed both varieties of these chips immensely. It makes me want to try out their garlic flavored variety soon! These days, any snack that ticks all the boxes for healthier eating makes me happy. And.. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention they're quite filling as well! So in closing, if you want a salty or sweet, incredible tasting guilt free snack that's actually satiating, look no further than Congo Tropicals!

If you can't find Congo Tropicals Plantain Chips at your local grocer, fear not! You can find them at their website for a couple dollars per bag, as well as on Amazon. I highly recommend them, and am ecstatic to add another healthy snack option to my rotation. I've listed links below if you you want to give them a try.

Note: These are so good.. they sell out FAST.
But fear not, you can also buy them on the  Congo Tropicals website

This was a sponsored review. Opinions are my own, and I take pride in giving my honest and truthful opinion about everything I review. If you would like to work with me on a project or promotion, by all means contact me. Click here to view our privacy policy.

The Hunt for Powdered Raspberry Filled Donuts (an expedition of the sugary kind)

I have not bought snack cakes for almost a year now. In fact.. abstaining from them completely, helped me to lose 55 pounds since then. However, now that I have a healthier relationship with food, I occasionally allow myself to indulge in a treat from time to time. I asked myself today what is the one snack cake I would allow myself to enjoy once a month. The answer was quite simple, my favorite snack cake of all time. Hostess Raspberry filled Donuts.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it) treating myself to this delicacy may never happen, as they are no longer made by Hostess. They were discontinued around 2012, and while there were some reasonable simile's to be found here and there, even these now seem to be non existent. Web searches seem to be of no help, but I desperately want to believe there are Raspberry Filled Donuts manufactured by a snack cake company, somewhere in this country.

Therefore, I've now made it my mission to find a suitable replacement to take the place of my long lost snack cake. I started by hitting up the grocery store closest to my home, and will then broaden my search in an outward radius. As I love road trips, I will also be steadily searching stores across the state of Florida, the Southern U.S., as well as westward across the country. Here are the results of my first foray in this snack cake hunting expedition I've embarked upon..

The Hunt for Raspberry Filled Donuts
Expedition #001 - Wal Mart
(Four Corners, Clermont Florida)

It was really strange perusing snack aisles for the first time in over a year, after going cold turkey on snack cakes in any form. I forgot just how many varieties are offered in some major supermarket chains, and was surprised by a couple new additions to the snack cake world. Below are my findings..

The Main Snack Aisle

Nothing remotely similar to Powdered Raspberry Filled Donuts to see here. In fact, I was kind of shocked at just how small this snack cake section was.

The Stand Alone Displays

Little Debbie
Had no hope of finding them here, but checked anyway

Entenmann's

A decent variety, but again, nothing close to what I'm looking for. I had to squeeze my way around this display because of the boxes and pallet jacks surrounding it. CRIPES! Have I ever mentioned how much I detest day stocking in supermarkets? Oh yes.. I believe I have!

Spanish Snack Cakes
The Spanish brands of snack cakes always intrigue me. The 'Pinguinos' filled cookies caught my attention for sure. They look like a cross between an OREO Cakester and a Hostess Cupcake! The old me would have walked out with a box, but I was able to shake off that old impulse, and refocused on the task at hand.

Tastykake Donuts
Getting closer, but not close enough.

End Cap Displays..

TASTYKAKE
Tastykake has really surpassed Hostess in recent years all the way across the board. Quality, shelf space, distribution, they seem to be hitting on all cylinders. I will keep a close eye on this brand as they often release new items while still embracing the classics.

Little Debbie

On this trip, I noticed that Little Debbie snacks were peppered widely throughout the store. While I initially almost passed by the sections stocked with Little Debbie treats, I quickly started rethinking that line of thought. 

When Hostess went through bankruptcy and the company ceased production on all snacks, supermarkets quickly backfilled the empty shelves with Little Debbie snacks. It must have done wonders for Little Debbie earnings during that year. Since then, I've noticed a steady string of new snack cakes being released all year long. I made sure to give them a look, but unfortunately came up short.

Minion Cakebites

I swear Minions have a wider reach & presence than Mickey Mouse these days.

The Store Bakery

Not Raspberry filled Donuts. Rather.. Strawberry Sweet Rolls. I almost grabbed these as they looked similar to my second all time favorite Hostess snack.. Cherry Sweet Rolls. I stayed strong however, and continued my mission.

A sea of pastries and donuts..
but none that were filled.

So my inaugural expedition was unfortunately a bust. As for now, I am holding strong in regards to my snack cake celibacy. If I find any snack cake products that are similar in any shape way or form to the old Hostess Raspberry filled donuts however, I will snatch them up and review them with haste! 

How about you? Were you a Raspberry Filled Donut fan as well? Have you seen anything remotely resembling this great snack on the shelves anywhere? If so.. drop us a comment below. In the meantime, I will continue the hunt, and will share my findings here. 

UPDATE Oct 2025!

This topic has lived rent free in my head for years now. And.. there may or may not be a new wrinkle to this whole topic. Check out my new article I've written about it. Link is below..

Whatever Happened to Hostess Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts? (And a Surprising Comeback Clue!)

Discontinued Hostess and Tastykake Cherry Sweet Rolls

In this blog post, I break down what happened with these beloved snack cakes that generations have come to love, are no longer available for purchase, and possible substitutions.

The Hostess Sweet Roll

Remember these rolls? Well I sure do! In fact, they were a big part of my childhood growing up. My absolute favorite was the Cherry Sweet Rolls, but my parents preferred the Cinnamon Rolls, so that's what they bought 90% of the time. Mind you, I would never complain about eating the cinnamon rolls if they were in front of me. I remember my Mom putting these out for people she would invite over for coffee, or for visitors after dinner. On weekends, my Dad would get up early to buy a newspaper, and would bring these home for us as a snack before breakfast. That was a weekend tradition I carried on after I started my own family.

The Hostess Cherry Sweet Roll's Cousin

Everything about these rolls are still so very vivid in my mind. The wax paper tray that surrounded the rolls, the smell of the bread and cherries as you cracked open the package, the thick white icing, and of course the great tasting rolls themselves. 

While the icing helped the Hostess Sweet Rolls to be iconic in their own way, the great taste of the Hostess Cherry Sweet Roll would tend to get lost in that vast sea of icing. Unless, you warmed the rolls up prior to eating them. Then the icing would melt and spread out, somewhat correcting the whole icing to bread ratio.   

Like so many other Hostess snack cakes, they have been discontinued in recent years. This was one of many snack cake casualties of the brand that deeply saddened me. I believe their demise had to do with corporate reorganization that happened after Hostess filed bankruptcy, temporarily closed, and were then bought up by another company.

TASTYKAKE Sweet Rolls

The most recent casualty in the sweet roll game. 

I can't tell you how ecstatic I was, upon discovering Tastykake Cherry Sweet Rolls a few years back. I opened the package and the smell of cherry filling and yeast leavened sweet bread instantly hit me. That same type of soft wax paper tray even held the rolls tightly together just like the Hostess packaging used to.

As for the taste, it was very similar with one exception. That being, the white icing atop all of the rolls. Tastykake opted to use a layer of lighter glaze on these sweet rolls. Hostess had that thick white icing that was very sweet, messy, or if getting close to the sell by date.. crunchy or brittle. Hostess Sweet Rolls were definitely always better when heated up prior to serving. A quick warm up would get that icing softened up and melted into the cracks and crevices of the sweet roll.

Tastykake Cherry Sweet Rolls had the perfect balance of glaze, cherry filling, and sweet bread. While they are wonderful warmed up, they were every bit as enjoyable if you ate them right out of the package. It was quite obvious that Tastykake went for a quality, rather than just trying to be a copycat, and it showed through and through. 

Where have all the Sweet Rolls gone?

Over the last year, Tastykake sweet rolls started getting harder and harder to find. Eventually, I could only find them on Amazon. Then a reader of the blog, after reading one of my old reviews on the Tastykake Cherry Sweet Rolls, messaged me and said they are no longer appearing in the companies product lineup on their website.

I had talked with customer relation folks at Tastykake in the past, so I sent a message out to them this week asking for any info they could share about these products. Sadly, they responded back and notified me that both Cherry and Cinnamon Tastykake Sweet Rolls have officially been discontinued. Needless to say, I was incredibly bummed out once I heard the news.

Tastykake came through for me and countless other folks, by replacing a sorely missed Hostess snack cake that was a staple in households for decades. I wondered how Tastykake could justify removing this product, but to be quite honest, I'm sure it all boils down to lower consumer demand for sweet rolls.

UPDATE! 7-22-2022
These may be back to stay. I spotted them on the shelves again at a Publix supermarket this week! Hey.. lots of things changed during the pandemic. Lets hope the demand for these great rolls has been on the rise and they will make a strong comeback along with the sorely missed Cherry Sweet Rolls!

What's next?
So Hostess Sweet Rolls are gone and now Tastykake has followed suit. Lets face it, younger generations have different tastes, so I believe these snack cakes are simply being aged out. However, it makes me wonder what beloved snack cakes are next in the firing line. Coffee Cake? Boxed Donuts? Oatmeal Creme Pies?

There IS one small glimmer of hope for us sweet roll lovers however. It appears that Hostess and Tastykake-esque sweet rolls are still being made by bakeries. Here is what I've found at my local Wal-Mart..

Strawberry rolls from Wal Mart Bakery

Cherry, cheese and apple assortment of sweet rolls

I realize this is Wal-Mart Bakery we are talking about, but the good news, is that it's pretty easy to make a decent sweet yeast roll. There's really not much to icing and filling, so I'm willing to bet these taste pretty good. Plus, they aren't going to be jam packed with chemicals and preservatives that mass produced snack cakes typically contain.

If Wal-Mart Bakery still sees a demand for this type of sweet roll, it makes me wonder if smaller grocery store bakeries, and lesser known or regional snack cake companies recognize a demand as well. Its definitely given me a bit of hope that these types of snack cakes haven't been totally snuffed out yet.

I'm not sure if anything out there will hold up to the old Hostess and Tastykake sweet rolls, but I'm willing to put in the research hours to find out! If you have personally found a reasonable simile to the classic cherry or cinnamon rolls, let me know about it in the comments section below.

Finally, if you're just as bitter as I am about the discontinuation of these classic sweet rolls, there is something you can do. Flood the Hostess and Tastykake in-boxes with email requests pleading for the return of Cherry Sweet Rolls, and make sure to thank them for bringing back the Cinnamon Rolls. A direct link to the companies consumer response reps are listed below, so make your voice heard!

Contact Hostess Online

Contact TASTYKAKE Online

UPDATE Oct 2025!

This topic has lived rent free in my head for years now. And.. there may or may not be a new wrinkle, and sweet rolls are definitely involved! Check out my new article I've written about it. Link is below..

Whatever Happened to Hostess Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts? (And a Surprising Comeback Clue!)