Ever Wonder Why Pop-Tarts Come In Packs Of 2?
For over 60 years, Pop-Tarts have been a quintessential part of breakfast routines, after-school snacks, and late-night munchies. If you grew up enjoying these treats, you might be familiar with the puzzling way the product is sold — two rectangular icing-clad pastries in a silver package. Some generous parents let their kids eat both Pop-Tarts in one sitting, but the rest of us tortured souls had to save the other one for another day. And, since that leftover, poorly wrapped Pop-Tart inevitably became stale, some have wondered why Kellogg's packaged them in pairs in the first place.
There are some interesting theories circulating online, mostly about corporate greed. But perhaps the most amusing explanation comes from lifetime Pop-Tarts fan Jerry Seinfeld, who began referencing his beloved snack in 2010, years before his latest movie exploring the food lore. During a stand-up routine, Seinfeld once joked, "Two in each packet, two slots in the toaster. There's no wrong way. Why two? One's not enough, and three's too many." While that argument seems logical, the actual reason is a little more nuanced.
When Kellogg's released its first four flavors (strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and apple-currant) in 1964, the company wasn't certain this new breakfast concept would be a success. Rather than sink more capital into an unproven product, they reduced operating costs by placing two Pop-Tarts in each package (to package them individually, the company would've needed twice the number of expensive machines). Although Pop-Tarts' rapid success soon warranted the investment, customers got used to the double packaging, so it stuck.
Pop-Tarts continue to be a frosted icon
Pop-Tarts creator William Post, who died in February 2024 at the age of 96, remained modest about the breakfast pastry's success and couldn't have predicted how the brand would continue to thrive, with more than 100 flavors created over the decades. The "Crazy Good" tarts have also become a total part of pop culture, finding new ways to remain relevant to new generations.
Pop-Tarts fans have waited in line at Comic-Con International to get a selfie in the Pop-Tarts-themed "Toasting Room" and rooted for the strawberry-flavored Pop-Tart mascot in college football's viral Pop-Tarts Bowl. Kellanova, who now owns the snack brand, reportedly makes 7 million Pop-Tarts daily, roughly earning $1 billion annually in sales within the U.S., with no signs of slowing down. If you want to try to make them at home, there's a multitude of ways to do so including an easy lemon curd Pop-Tarts recipe using puff pastry, lemon curd, and an egg.
But perhaps it's super fan Jerry Seinfeld (who favors the toasted brown sugar cinnamon flavor) who has created the greatest love letter to the snack food, releasing a biopic on Netflix called "Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story." The comedian, stars in, directed, and wrote the comedy that will undoubtedly spike Pop-Tart sales even more in 2024.