Dentists and pop fans alike love the limited-time drink called Peeps Pepsi. Two years ago, it was a social media sensation limited to prize winners only. In 2023, it’s available everywhere until late April.
This sugar bomb combo will have teeth rotting for months to come. And these brands have devoted fan bases willing to try anything they put out.
So Peeps Pepsi must be worth trying, right?
Let’s find out!
What Are Peeps?
Peeps are sugar-coated marshmallow treats shaped like baby chickens. Each candy has two tiny eyes and a cute beak and tail. Their yellow or pink uniforms make them the perfect eye candy in any Easter Basket.
Surprisingly, they’re available year-round. Just Born produces specialty varieties for holidays like Halloween and Christmas in various shapes and colors. That said, the yellow chicks and pink bunnies are the most popular.
Founder Sam Born revolutionized the marshmallow candy business when he began mass production of Peeps in 1953. Before that, each confection was made by hand. By using machine molds, Just Born, Inc quickly became the world’s largest marshmallow candy manufacturer.
Most of these fluffy treats taste just how you might guess: like a marshmallow drenched in sugar. People loved them so much that by the 90s, the brand included flavors like Root Beer Float and Orange Sherbert. You can even get Chocolate Mousse Reindeer and Frankenstein’s Monster for Halloween. But we’re a little cautious about trying that one.
The Just Born company loves experimenting. They have lip balm, nail polish, and umbrellas. We thought it might be fun to understand the brand’s unusual marketing strategy. That’s until we heard about Peeps Pepsi.
What Is the Peeps Pepsi Collaboration?
The marketing team behind the Peeps Pepsi collaboration should receive an Academy Award for Best Production Design. Their Instagram ad features a marshmallow bunny drawn curiously into a slow-rotating can.
The collision results in a yellow Pepsi can and three Peeps in the middle of an inviting, colorful landscape. The ad makes you want to try it.
This collaboration debuted in 2021 as an exclusive for a fan contest. Only 3,000 lucky sweepstakes winners and brand reviewers got their hands on them. The hype was so good that the one-offs went for hundreds of dollars on resale markets. And since it was a pop-up-only product, fans who didn’t get it experienced serious FOMO.
Well, guess what? This monstrosity is back! You can try this sugary delicacy at your nearest Target or CVS. And fans of the candy are literally running there, according to online responses.
If anyone still feels out of the loop, we’re really talking about a marshmallow-flavored cola.
Pro Tip: Peeps Pepsi not for you? Find out What Is a Dirty Soda Shop to wet your whistle.
So What Does Peeps Flavored Pepsi Taste Like?
The good news about Peeps Pepsi is that it tastes exactly like they say it does – marshmallow-flavored cola. And the bad news? The fact that it tastes like something created in a lab. Yikes! It’s so sickly sweet that you might as well squirt whipped cream and liquid sweetener in your mouth and then chase it with a shot of soda.
Some reviewers say it tastes a little like creme soda. Others claim it’s classic refreshing Pepsi with just a hint of marshmallow. Still, others say it tastes like someone left stale Lucky Charms in their sold. But we can’t tell you what’s in it besides sugar, sugar, and more sugar.
Where Can You Find the Soda and Win Prizes?
You can find Pepsi x Peeps online by doing a product search on the cola company’s website. Just plug in your zip code. Depending on where you live, some small mom-and-pop corner stores may carry the soda but not be listed in the database. You’ll likely find them in Walmart, Target, Familiar Dollar, and Amazon.
You can also win prizes when you buy. Awards range from exclusive products to vacation packages for two. Once you get your hands on a Peeps Pepsi can or bottle, scan the AR lens and play their Snapchat egg hunt.
We’re wondering if the hype would be the same if the prize were a two-pound bag of sugar.
Can You Make Your Own Peeps?
We thought a home recipe might be nice for those who delight in the idea of an easter Peep but want to avoid a coma. First, yours might taste even better than the original because they’re freshly made. Second, you won’t be adding things like carnauba wax, the main ingredient in car wax as well as the yellow chicks.
You’ll need sugar, food coloring, gelatin, water, and kitchen tools. After mixing granulated sugar with your dye of choice, you’ll pipe freshly made marshmallows into blankets and let them cool. You can use cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles for the eyes.
Pro Tip: Wanna try the recipe out for yourself? Check out the recipe here.
What Do Peeps Do in the Microwave?
Peeps have a reputation for being indestructible. We’re unsure if this is because people love them so much or because they’re basically chemical wax balls with sugar on top. Either way, pop culture has a lot of fun with them.
For example, theirs a long-lived experiment involving putting them in the microwave.
Most of the time, it’ll blow out to four times its size. Because marshmallow is made by whipping, they have loads of air bubbles. Heat makes them expand until hitting the sugar coating. That’s when they deflate into a blob. So your nuked fluff will look more like the inside of a s’more. You might get one to explode if you leave it in there long enough.
Does Peeps Pepsi Live Up to the Hype?
When Peeps Pepsi cans came crashing into town in 2021, fans went crazy over them. But the glory was most likely based on the look and clever marketing. Both brands bragged about the pillowy soft marshmallow flavor of their drink. But who wants their soda to taste like that?
We get the fun of it, especially at an Easter party. But this super sweet soda is gross. You’re better off with a cup of hot cocoa and one or two small marshmallow cubes.
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