Soft vs. Stale: The Great Peeps Debate That Lovingly Divides a Nation

Soft vs. Stale: The Great Peeps Debate That Divides a Nation (Lovingly)

Everyone loves the magical times during the year when grocery store shelves explode into a pastel-colored wonderland and tiny sugar-coated marshmallow birds, and bunnies reign supreme.   

These beloved and perhaps controversial marshmallow treats are a seasonal favorite, especially during Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and even the Day of the Dead. However, Marshmallow Peeps reign supreme at Easter, available in various shapes, flavors, and colors.

Yes, we're talking about Marshmallow Peeps, the polarizingly delicious "love them hard or soft" treat from the fine folks at Just Born.

Whether you love them or love to pretend you don't - but secretly sneak a few when no one's looking or hide a few in your desk as this author does -there's one debate that's been fluffier than a fresh Peep itself and just as heated:

Are Peeps better soft… or stale?

Let's set the (microwave?) stage with a touch of Peeps history.

A Short & Sweet Peeps Primer.

Peeps first appeared in 1953, courtesy of Just Born, a candy company based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. However, we need to dispel the candy myth that Just Born was the first to come up with the idea of cute creatures crafted out of soft marshmallows.

Before automation, a now-defunct company called Roda, located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, attempted to produce this iconic candy, but a single handmade marshmallow "chick" required 27 hours to create. 

No, that's not a typo.  

If eBay existed in the pre-automation days, one could imagine that a single Peep would have commanded a high dollar!

Just Born acquired this company, relocated its headquarters 75 miles to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and, thanks to the owner's industrious son, Bob, he developed a machine that could reduce the process to six minutes per tray.  The name was also changed to, you guess it, PEEPS.  

And so a legend was born.....

Who said that the proverbial next generation doesn't do wonderful things for the candy industry? 

These days, thanks to sugar-coated wizardry and some impressive candy-conjuring machines, they churn out over 5 million Peeps a day during peak season.

Yes, somewhere out there, a marshmallow metropolis is born daily thanks to the wonders of modern automation.

The marshmallow industrial complex is alive and well. According to NDTV.com, in March 2025, 4549,604 packs of Marshmallow Peeps were sold.

That adds up to about 6 Peeps per person or roughly 2 BILLION - No, not Million - Marshmallow Peeps sold yearly! Talk about job security for the folks at Just Born!

The original chick-shaped Peep has since evolved into a full-on family: Bunnies, Minions, Pumpkins, Ghosts, and even Patriotic Stars.

They've also diversified into flavors— Birthday Cake, Cotton Candy, Dr.Pepper, Rice Krispies,  Root Beer Float, Hot Tamale, to name but a few—who knows what's coming next— and have even dipped their sugary toes into the world of non marshmallow related candies, plush toys and scented candles.  

Don't worry; there is no argument yet about how to eat the plush toys or candles. Branded candies seem a little off to us, as we consider ourselves purists when it comes to Marshmallow Peeps, but who are we to judge?

But no matter the shape or flavor, one thing remains constant: the passionate disagreement over Peeps texture.   

No one said that candy lovers aren't a fickle lot!

Team Soft: The Fresh-Faced Fluff Lovers

This team believes Peeps should be eaten right out of the package in their prime. 

"Why would you intentionally stale a marshmallow?" they argue, wide-eyed and mildly horrified. For these purists, the joy is in the immediate squish—the soft bite, the gooey melt-in-your-mouth consistency, the sugar that says, "Hey, dental health, see you never."

Soft Peeps are akin to edible clouds, they argue. Light. Airy. Innocent. The original dream. Is anything else just marshmallow heresy?

As William Shakespeare once said, "To be or not to be" that is the question. Peeps weren't around when he was writing, but these words would have been apropos if they were.

Team Stale: The Crunch Connoisseurs

Then there's the proudly unhinged group that takes their Peeps and exposes them to the elements—not because they forgot to eat them, but because they meant to. T

These aficionados will gleefully rip open the packaging, place the tray on a windowsill or atop the fridge, and let science do its thing, akin to biodynamics used in winemaking. 

They declare, "Two days minimum," as though aging marshmallows is akin to dry-aging a steak, extolling the virtues of a vintage cheese, or decanting a bottle of vintage wine!

One can only imagine a connoisseur saying, " These 2025 Peeps are good, but the 2024 vintage had more texture, and the taste lingered long after the head of the Peeps Bunny had been bitten off, and let's not even discuss the 2023 vintage, which was an absolute disaster."

One can also imagine looking for a quick exit from these long-winded culinary connoisseurs, but that's a different discussion....

To them, these "aged," not stale Peeps are a textural masterpiece—a crisp sugar crust with a chewy, almost toffee-like interior. It's the culinary equivalent of candy fossilization. If a soft Peep is a hug from a cloud, a stale Peep is a playful punch from a marshmallow with character.

Scientists, Philosophers, and One "Crotchety" Aunt Carol Weigh In

Food scientists—yes, this has been studied in the hallowed halls of food academia—confirm that as marshmallows age, the air inside them dissipates, and the sugar hardens, creating that unique stale-peep crunch.

But is that…BETTER?

Even Just Born themselves remain in Switzerland on the matter. "We make them soft," they say diplomatically. "However you enjoy them is up to you." Classic corporate side-step—or masterful marketing ploy?

And don't even get Aunt Carol started....

Every Easter, she goes on a rant about how her grandmother used to slice open Peeps with kitchen scissors and let them "cure" for a week—a truly remarkable feat!  

Perhaps because of Carol's grandmother's obsessive opinions about how best to prepare Peeps, Carol, too, is a bit eccentric; hence, she has been removed from many holiday card mailing lists. However, her judgment about Marshmallow Peeps is not to be trifled with.

The Verdict?

Much like pineapple on pizza, crunchy peanut butter, or socks with sandals (okay, maybe not that last one), the soft-vs. stale Peeps debate is less about right and wrong and more about flavor identity.

Are you a fresh-Peep optimist? A stale-Peep rebel? A chaotic neutral who microwaves them and watches them puff into sweet marshmallow balloons of doom.

Whichever side you're on, one thing is sure: Peeps aren't just candy but a lifestyle, and few things are more comforting than choices, especially regarding how you enjoy your favorite candy! 

So, tear open a pack. Or don't. Let them sit and gather crunchy wisdom. Or zap one for a 5-second sugar show. Just don't forget to enjoy the debate along with the treat.

In the end, soft or stale, life's a little sweeter with a Peep in hand and a friend to argue with peacefully.