Circus Peanuts

Circus Peanuts are peanut-shaped marshmallow candy. They date to the 19th century, when they were one of a large variety of unwrapped "penny candy" sold in such retail outlets as five-and-dime stores.

Although the most familiar variety of mass-produced Circus Peanuts in the 2010s is orange-colored and flavored with an artificial banana flavor; confectioners originally distributed an orange-flavored variety that was only available seasonally due to a lack of packaging capable of preserving the candy. In the spring, five-and-dimes sold Circus Peanuts as penny candy. In the 1940s, Circus Peanuts became one of the many candies to become available year-round owing to the industrial proliferation of polyethylene packaging.