The History of ALMOND JOY Candy Bars In 1919, Peter Halajian sold homemade sweets door-to-door, including MOUNDS Candy Bars. It wasn't until 1948 when consumer demand for chocolate led to the creation of ALMOND JOY Candy Bars.

Almond Joy

The coconut center is made with unsweetened shredded coconut, honey, and coconut oil to bind it together. With an almond on top and a chocolate coating, the candy bar is complete. While I placed almonds both inside and on top of the chocolate coating, I would suggest placing the almonds inside the chocolate coating.

Peter Paul debuted Mounds, a dark chocolate-covered coconut candy bar, in 1921 (named “Mounds” for its shape), and Almond Joy in 1946, after WWII had ended and access to rationed sugar and coconut was restored.

Greek mythology tells us of the Queen of Thrace, Phyllis, who believed her lover would never return from war, having found another romantic interest. In despair, she commits suicide. Seeing her sacrifice, the Gods turn Phyllis into an almond tree.

The Greeks made the almond tree a sign of fertility. As such, it was closely linked to the cult of the hermaphrodite deity Adgistis, offspring of the sacred union of Zeus and Gaia and whose androgynous nature, the source of an uncontrollable and chaotic power, hastened her downfall.

Mounds (candy bar)

Hershey bar

The first mass-produced chocolate bar was J. S. Fry & Sons' “Fry's Cream Stick,” which was introduced around 1850. You can no longer buy that exact bar, but you can buy the version created in 1866, Fry's Chocolate Cream.

Coconut candy

Mounds' original slogan, "Indescribably Delicious", was created when Mounds ran a contest to come up with the best two words to sell the candy.

The MOUNDS Candy Bar story starts in 1919 when Peter Halajian sold his homemade sweets door-to-door. During WWII, a shortage of coconut and sugar caused Peter to discontinue other products to focus on MOUNDS Candy Bars. MOUNDS and ALMOND JOY Candy Bars joined The Hershey Company family in 1988.