History of Little Debbie

Early Years (1930s - 1950s)

• 1933: O.D. McKee starts selling cakes for Beckers Bakery using a 1928 Whippet as a delivery truck.
• 1935: Introduction of the Oatmeal Creme Pie during the Great Depression by making soft oatmeal cookies with creme filling.
• 1954: McKee family purchases Kings Bakery, renaming it McKee Baking Company in 1962.
• 1957: A new plant in Collegedale, Tennessee, is built to keep up with production demands, leading to the start of the Little Debbie brand.
• 1959: Introduction of Nutty Buddy Bars.

The Birth of the Brand (1960s)

• 1960: Family pack introduced; Little Debbie brand is created with granddaughter Debbie as the face. Introduction of full-color Little Debbie portrait by Pearl Mann.
• 1962: Full color cartons introduced for Little Debbie snacks; Swiss Cake Rolls added after inspiration from European trade shows.
• 1964: Introduction of the Little Debbie Bow Tie logo and several classic products like Swiss Rolls, Zebra Cakes, and Nutty Buddy.
• 1965: McKee Foods awarded THE ADDY for Little Debbie commercials.
• 1966: Strawberry Shortcake Rolls (originally Jelly Rolls) and construction of the second plant in Collegedale.
• 1968: Seasonal Cakes introduced with Chocolate Party Cakes.
• 1969: Introduction of Fudge Brownies.

Growth and Innovation (1970s)

• 1970: Star Crunch Snacks introduced as Moon Crunch Snacks.
• 1972: Devil Squares introduced.
• 1975: Fudge Rounds developed by Cliff Dildy.
• 1977: Introduction of Peanut Butter Crunch Bars.

Expansion and Popularity (1980s)

• 1982: Little Debbie becomes the Official Snack Cake of the 1982 World's Fair.
• 1983: Introduction of Dunkable Donut Sticks.
• 1985: Little Debbie snacks sold nationwide across 48 contiguous states; Little Debbie doll launched.
• 1986: Fig Bars and Chocolate Chip Cakes introduced.
• 1988: Devil Cremes and Salted Caramel Cookie Bars introduced.
• 1989: Frosted Fudge Cakes and Little Debbie featured in "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids."

Digital Era and Continued Success (1990s)

• 1991: Little Debbie products taken to space with Atlantis shuttle.
• 1996: Launch of littledebbie.com; Little Debbie snacks sold in Canada.
• 1999: Honey Buns and Christmas Tree Brownies introduced; Cosmic Brownies debut inspired by cosmic bowling.

A New Millennium (2000s)

• 2000: 40th Anniversary celebrated with special releases and merchandise.
• 2003: Chocolate Chip Creme Pies introduced.
• 2006: Little Debbie sponsors NASCAR.
• 2009: Chocolate Cupcakes launched; Little Debbie expands social media presence.

Recent Developments (2010s & Beyond)

• 2010: 50th Anniversary celebrated with a national contest.
• 2011: World's Largest Oatmeal Creme Pie created.
• 2012: Introduction of Mini Muffins.
• 2014: Peanut Butter Creme Pies introduced.
• 2018: Launch of Little Debbie Birthday Cakes.
• 2020: 60th Anniversary celebrated; introduction of Unicorn Cakes.
• 2022: Introduction of Zain the Zebra on Zebra Cakes packaging.

Little Debbie has grown from humble beginnings to become a beloved snack brand with a diverse array of products and a rich history of innovation and popularity.