In Pursuit of Perfection: The Story of Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn

If there was a Harry & David Hall of Fame, you would undoubtedly find Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn among its first inductees. For the past three decades, it’s been a fan- favorite treat, but bringing it to life was no small feat. 

Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn was dreamed up by our inventive confectioners around 1995 as they sought to put their own twist on the ever-popular caramel popcorn. 

Their first attempt didn’t quite hit the mark, nor did their second. Envisioning a salty, buttery, nutty snack with just the right crunch, it took time and perseverance to figure out the recipe — and after more than 160 (!) tries, they finally reached their goal. 

So, what goes into this iconic snack?

The exact recipe is a well-guarded secret, of course, but the basic ingredients include real butter and vanilla to make perfect caramel, premium almonds and jumbo cashews, toasted just right, and two types of air-popped popcorn — butterfly and mushroom varieties — selected for their visual appeal and superior eating quality. 

Today, our candy makers focus on just 180-pound batches at a time to ensure uniform quality and allow for flexibility in creating new flavors that include additional ingredients beyond the standard caramel corn and nuts. When chocolate is called for, we use our own velvety rich proprietary blend, and any other ingredients incorporated are selected with the same thoughtfulness as everything else in our recipe. 

Much of our Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn is made in our very own on-site candy kitchen here in Medford, Oregon — the same place where we craft our chocolate truffles, chocolate-covered fruit, and chocolate mini mints. From April to mid-October, we produce Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn seven days a week — which adds up to 7 million pounds in the course of a single year! 

So much to munch

Innovation has always been a hallmark of Harry & David, and our Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn is no exception. While there will always be fan-favorite flavors — our milk chocolate, dark chocolate, classic caramel, and dark chocolate caramel take turns competing for most popular — our teams are always brainstorming and taste-testing new and exciting flavors to rotate in and out of our lineup. We currently offer 24 unique flavors in total, but more than 65 flavors have been retired to the vault over the past 30 years, though you never know what might make a comeback. 

One of the most exciting developments in recent years has been the launch of major partnerships with names like Nestlé and Mars to create flavors featuring M&M’s® candies, Butterfinger® bites, Snickers® pieces, and Buncha Crunch® candies. We’ve also combined Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn with some of the popular snack mixes found in our Harry & David gifts to create a whole new sweet and savory snacking experience. 

We haven’t stopped there, though — there's a whole world of Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn-inspired creations, including cookies, bars, coffee, even a cheesecake, and more. We even have our sights set on a Moose Munch® ice cream, so keep an eye out for that cool new addition.

If the past 30 years are any indicator, the future is full of delicious possibilities.