The History of Little Debbie

In 1933, O.D. McKee began selling 5-cent cakes for Becker’s Bakery. In 1935, he began experimenting and created oatmeal creme pies, which he sold for 5 cents each. In 1954, the McKee family purchased King’s Bakery, later renaming it to McKee Baking Company in 1962. In 1957, a new plant was built in Tennessee and a new line of snack cakes and pies was developed, including Nutty Bars, which debuted in 1959. In 1960, the Little Debbie brand was officially created — it was named after O.D. McKee’s granddaughter and her likeness was used on the packaging. Little Debbie Swiss Rolls were rolled out in 1962, after O.D. McKee was inspired by a trip to a European trade show. Several other products that were introduced in the 1960s stood the test of time, including Zebra Cakes and Raisin Creme Pies. In 1966, Jelly Rolls debuted (they were later renamed Strawberry Shortcake Rolls in 1994) and in 1968, the first Little Debbie seasonal product was created, Chocolate Party Cakes. In 1969, the brand rolled out its famous Fudge Brownies and in 1970, Moon Crunch Snacks were rolled out in celebration of the 1969 moon landing (they were later renamed Star Crunch Cosmic Cookies). The 1970s also saw the release of Little Debbie Devil Squares, Fudge Rounds, and Peanut Butter Crunch Bars. The 1980s saw the release of several more snack products, including Dunk’em Sticks (later renamed Donut Sticks), Fancy Cakes, and the iconic Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. The decade also marked the first time that Little Debbie products were sold in all 48 contiguous states. In 1991, Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights went to space on the space shuttle Atlantis; they were included as Thanksgiving treats for the astronauts. That same year, Little Debbie Vanilla Snack Cakes were renamed Zebra Cakes; they remain one of Little Debbie’s most popular snacks. In 1999, Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies were introduced. In 2009, Little Debbie Chocolate Cupcakes were released along with bagged Mini Donuts in a variety of flavors. Little Debbie Mini Muffins debuted just a few years later in 2012 and Little Debbie Birthday Cakes debuted in 2018. In 2020, Little Debbie Unicorn Cakes were released and in 2022, Zain the Zebra was added to the packaging for both Zebra Cakes and Zebra Cake Rolls, while Zebra Cakes Mini Donuts were rolled out for the first time. Today, Little Debbie remains one of the most popular, well-known snack brands in the United States.