Hostess' Ding Dongs And Twinkies Mashup Is An Ode To Childhood

If there's one thing that Hostess fans might not have anticipated when the company went out of business in 2012, it's that not only would it return just a year later, but it would end up flourishing. Now, eleven years after the snack cake company's flirtation with bankruptcy, Hostess is ready to have a little fun. The brand has announced a mash-up of two of their most popular snacks: Ding Dongs and Twinkies.

It sounds like a limited-time offer, but the new Ding Dongs x Twinkies Mashups snack cakes, which will be available at Walmart stores around the country beginning in July 2023, are a permanent addition to the brand's offerings. This is notable, since after the Hostess cakes company was bought and revived in 2013, its product line was reduced from 150 items to 90. Those who've been craving a little something special from their sweet treat game might be intrigued by this mash-up, which features a cake in the shape of a Ding Dong with its classic chocolate icing, but with the spongey interior and quintessential cream filling of a Twinkie.

The fact that this new snack cake from Hostess is made of two iconic treats means that it's pretty easy to imagine exactly what the Ding Dongs x Twinkies Mashups taste like, and reviewers are confirming that it's basically, well, a combination of Ding Dongs and Twinkies (and some also pointed out the similarities to Chocodiles, which disappeared for more than 15 years).

TikTok creator @bootlegfoodreview noted that the cake is less greasy than the original Twinkie, which they said was a good thing. But overall, they concluded, "These were pretty good, but not the earth-moving mash-up I was hoping for." TikTok user @ariel.snackandshopwithme said that they didn't notice much of a difference, and that it "kind of just tastes like a Ding Dong." On YouTube, reviewer @StevesRealWorld said that they liked the treat but wished it had more cream filling and more chocolate fudge coating. 

It might not be the type of flawless dessert you'd get from a fancy bakery, but for a sweet treat you can get from Walmart, it sounds like it will likely hit the spot for fans of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and similar scrumptious treats.