This Fan-Favorite Candy Bar Was Shipped To Soldiers During World War I

Long before candy bars were just another impulsive buy at the grocery checkout, one Pennsylvania confectioner created a chocolate-covered treat that traveled around the world. That treat was the Clark Bar, a popular candy that's older than you might think. Introduced in 1917, as America entered World War I, it was specifically designed for troops overseas. Boasting a crunchy peanut butter center and an innovative milk chocolate coating, the bar was a hit with soldiers and civilians alike. More than a century later, the Pittsburgh-born candy is still kicking.

The Clark Bar was invented by David L. Clark, an Irish immigrant whose company produced a wide variety of sweets, including chocolate drops. But the drops weren't exactly designed for such travel, so the U.S. military asked Clark to come up with something that could easily ship out to servicemen. The result was an individually wrapped candy bar, which sounds simple now, but was quite ingenious back then. The original Clark Bar was about four inches long and sold for just $0.05.

The combination of crunchy, nutty, and chocolatey elements helped it stand out from other simpler bars. Unsurprisingly, the Clark Bar was popular with the troops. In fact, the confection was so successful that the D.L. Clark Company became a major candy brand after the war, and, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette archive, went on to produce over 900,000 bars a day by 1929.

Although the Clark Bar is still around today, its production history hasn't been smooth. After changing hands several times, the bar was acquired by the New England Confectionery Company in 1999 (the brand behind Necco Wafers) and remained there until it went bankrupt in 2018. That's when the Boyer Candy Company — best-known for Mallo Cups, yet another forgotten vintage candy — stepped in. Boyer purchased the full package: recipe, brand rights, and even equipment. It was a true homecoming of sorts, as the candy bar returned to its home state.

As of November 2026, Boyer's website still lists the Clark Bar, but it's known to sell out. In addition to reviving the original bar, the company has also brought back a related confection, the Clark Crush Bar, which reportedly comes from a just-discovered recipe that's nearly 50 years old. This new variation includes peanut butter, chocolate, and chunks of "Clark crunch," all combined into one.

The original Clark's journey from a soldier's treat to a nostalgic Pittsburgh chocolate is just one of many candies that were popularized during wartime. The bar wasn't created in a marketing executive's office, but during a crucial time in world history. Despite some interruptions in production, the Clark Bar carries on as a Pennsylvania confectionary staple, one that continues to win over new fans.