Hostess is getting really experimental with its Twinkie flavors! Though the sweet treats typically consist of a golden sponge cake stuffed with a creamy vanilla filling, the brand’s latest Twinkie variety is polarizing to say the least.
On Monday, September 9, the Missouri-based company tweeted a photo of a box seemingly featuring Twinkies filled with a peanut butter and pickle cream. These “Peanut Butter & Pickle Sandwich” Twinkies, as they are called, consist of that typical golden sponge cake packed with a savory and sweet “peanut butter pickle filling.”
The green and beige box features Twinkies’ spokes-character “Twinkie the Kid,” but this time he’s shown as a pickle instead of a Twinkie, which is what he is traditionally depicted as. As if to really drive the latest flavor home, the box also includes a picture of a peanut butter and pickle sandwich.
“Only the real ones know about these #Twinkies #PeanutButter #Pickles,” Hostess tweeted along with the photo.
Not surprisingly, social media users were quick to react to news of this unusual confection, and many weren’t exactly eager to give it a try. “That’s disgusting,” wrote one Twitter user. Added another: “Just because you can stuff things into other things doesn’t mean it’s always a good idea.”
However, though Hostess’ tweet didn’t include any indicators that this latest Twinkie flavor won’t actually hit store shelves, a rep for the brand tells Us Weekly that these treats are, in fact, a joke. “The Twitter post from earlier this week is just some social media levity from Hostess,” the spokesperson explained. “We regularly feature fun, fictional products on our social media, and this is one of those.”
As Hostess watchers will know, the brand does frequently like to have fun when it comes to teasing new flavors. Last month it tweeted about the launch of Mustard-filled Twinkies for National Mustard Day and in July it teased the unveiling of colorful Tie-Dye Twinkies. Still, it should be noted that both of those tweets included the hashtags “FakeProduct” and “NotReal,” respectively. The Peanut Butter Pickle Twinkie tweet, however, included no such context clues.
Should Hostess decide to make its fake Peanut Butter Pickle Twinkies a reality, the treats will have at least on fan. “Peanut butter, jelly, and bread and butter pickles … Plus a bowl of tomato soup to dunk it in, and I’m a happy boy!” mused one adventurous Twitter user. “I’d be willing to try these.”
