Twinkies Are Back And Smaller Than Ever, Where To Buy The Popular Snack

Snack fans rejoiced earlier this year when they heard Twinkies would be revived following bankruptcy of Hostess. But you can't really say they're making a big comeback, as it appears the cakes are smaller than they used to be.

The Associated Press looked at boxes of the new Twinkies, already on shelves at Wal-Mart and scheduled for a national rollout on July 15, and discovered the cakes are smaller than their predecessors. The new Twinkies weigh in at 77 grams and 250 calories for two cakes vs. 85 grams and 300 calories for two cakes previously.

While the size change may seem to be related to the new rollout, it was actually planned before the Hostess bankruptcy filing last November. According to Hostess spokeswoman Hannah Arnold, the change was initiated in mid-2012, AP reports. Another change by the previous operator involves the increased expiration date of Twinkies. The previous shelf life of Twinkies was set at 26 days but was increased to 45 days in November. But despite the size and date changes, the taste hasn't changed: The new operators are using the same old recipe.

Apollo Global Management and C. Dean Metropoulos & Co., which also owns the Pabst Brewing Co., announced the revival of Twinkies in March along with their acquisition of the company. Production of the cakes began in June after local reports in Georgia revealed a plant was being prepared to make Twinkies. For a list of retailers selling Twinkies, visit Hostess Cakes’ consumer site.