This Discontinued Little Debbie Snack Was An Impressive Twix Copycat

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Cosmic Brownies, Swiss Rolls, and Zebra Cakes are all classic Little Debbie snacks that most of us remember fondly from our childhood. They were always there, always delicious, and even if our parents didn't let us pick them up at the grocery store, we were guaranteed to have at least one friend whose parents did. But one beloved Little Debbie snack has been mysteriously discontinued, leaving fans desperate for its return: The Caramel Cookie Bars.

We don't know much about the original Little Debbie's Caramel Cookie Bars, including when they were released or when they were officially discontinued. The only information we do have is that Little Debbie's Salted Caramel Cookie bars, which seem to have possibly replaced the originals, were released in 1988. Whether that release date applies to both Salted Caramel and the original bars (maybe the Little Debbie website calls them Salted Caramel simply because it was the newer version?) remains unclear. Both seemed to be reminiscent of Twix bars, with crunchy shortbread, gooey caramel, and milk chocolate coating.

Netizens speculate that Little Debbie stopped production on the sweet snacks in the 2020s, but according to Little Debbie's website, the Salted Caramel bars were enjoyed for over 25 years, which would bring their discontinuation to around 2013. Still, some Redditors claim they've seen boxes of the bars at stores recently. The original bars are nowhere to be found, but the salted caramel version — which we think tastes sweeter than the regular stuff – has apparently been spotted at a few discount stores. If you want to enjoy that nostalgic Twix taste, you're better off eating a Twix bar or making your own caramel instead.

This unfortunate news hasn't stopped diehard Little Debbie fans from losing hope. In fact, one fan created a Change.org petition for the old-school snack to make a comeback, in the name of nostalgia and customer popularity. "I loved these so much! Please bring them back, they were a huge family favorite," one petitioner wrote. Another said, "I remember these as a kid in the early ['90s]. My brother and I used to make our mom get a couple boxes so they would last us during the week after school."

Few modern-day snacks truly compare. "I loved these even better than Twix [because] the chocolate isn't as thick[. The] layering is perfect," one Reddit user said. Another user said the Australian snack Chewy Caramel Tim Tams are reminiscent of Little Debbie's version. But of course, they're only found in certain stores and in limited flavors. So instead of letting these cookie bars become vintage snacks no one remembers anymore, we'll have to keep pressing Debbie until she gives us what we need — caramel chocolatey goodness!