What Are Hostess Kazbars And Why Do They Contain So Many Layers?

Do you remember the great Twinkie Panic of 2012? Twinkies — along with the rest of the Hostess snack cake lineup — almost departed from store shelves forever as the brand teetered on the thin edge of bankruptcy. While Hostess did actually go broke and sell off the company, the new buyers went right back into the same snack cake business under the same familiar name. In order to reboot Hostess for the 21^st century, company execs must have hired some trendspotters. How else would you explain the introduction of items such as baby bundt cakes, tiny food (miniature Ding Dongs, Donettes, and Twinkies rebranded as Bouncers), and caffeine-enhanced Boost Jumbo Donettes? 

Another new item in the Hostess product line-up is also meant to appeal to a more modern market. A multi-layered treat called Kazbars will be available in both triple chocolate and chocolate caramel varieties. This snack was apparently inspired by market research, which tipped off the Hostess R&D team that "multitextured snacks" are what everybody wants to eat these days (via Hostess). 

The idea of a multi-layered bar cookie is nothing new, as seven-layer magic cookie bars have been around for nearly 60 years. Still, it's somewhat different territory for Hostess, since many of its other snacks are simpler ones: cream-filled yellow cake, cream-filled chocolate cake, fruit-filled pie crust, etc. Kazbars have six different components, starting with chocolate cake and creamy filling and piling on candy crunchies and either caramel or chocolate fudge. Layers five and six consist of chocolate coating, plus a "delightful drizzle." Of what, the Hostess PR team did not say, although it looks to be more chocolate. (Should that really count as another layer?)

Kazbars' thick and chunky size, as well as their layers, is something Hostess felt would be a hit with young men — the whole "Snap into Slim Jim" demographic. Market testing, however, found that moms and kids like them, too, go figure. Ultimately, it probably won't matter to Hostess who buys Kazbars as long as the product is moving off store shelves. Individually-wrapped Kazbars (2.75-ounce size) are set to release in convenience stores and grocery stores, while eight packs of 1.25-ounce bars will be sold in grocery stores and larger retailers by the middle of March 2023. Despite the multiple layers, the mini Kazbars have around 150 calories apiece, which is about the same as a single Twinkie.