The Discontinued Bug-Themed Popsicle That Delivers '90s Nostalgia
If you grew up in the '90s, Disney animated films were likely a major part of your cultural awakening. But these movies weren't just features at the box office, they were the source material and inspiration for everything from apparel to lip gloss. And of course, when there's widespread love of a marketable piece of art, snacks inevitably will follow.
When beloved sidekicks in "The Lion King", the meerkat-warthog duo known as Timon and Pumbaa, got their own spin-off show in 1995 Nestlé jumped on board to roll out popsicles for which these two grub-loving creatures would have clamored: Bug Pops. They were released under the company's "Cool Creations" line, which also included limited edition movie-themed ice cream cups (Pocahontas with wild berry sprinkles, anyone?). But the major difference here was that these popsicles had a surprise hiding in their core -- gummy bugs.
Eating a Bug Pop may not have required a love of actual grubs, but it was a particular and somewhat polarizing snack experience. And it happens to be one I personally enjoyed then, and fondly remember with nostalgia.
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The Polarizing Bug Pops
Boxes of Bug Pops included grape and cherry flavors, each with an orange center, and the package featured Timon tossing bugs into Pumbaa's waiting jaws. For those of us humans eating these pops, they were a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. First, there was the ick factor of eating "bugs." That said, plenty of people to this day are fans of candy critters (although the invention of the gummy worm doesn't go back as far as we thought).
What I personally found a bit more challenging with respect to Bug Pops was the actual eating experience. While the outside of the pop was pretty standard, and I did love the idea of working for a "prize" at the center (like a Tootsie or Blow Pop), I was always reminded upon unearthing a worm or other critter why I never put gummy bears on top of ice cream. Frozen gummy candy is just not that pleasant, as it becomes almost rock hard and too cold to really taste.
Fortunately, I developed my own system for enjoying these chewy bits, sucking on them like hard candy until they were soft enough to bite into, but that technique required a level of patience not all of my friends shared. With this method, there was also the challenge of keeping up with a melting popsicle while trying to make your way through each bug, so it definitely wasn't for everyone. Perhaps that's why the Bug Pops went bye-bye.
Continued Cravings For The Discontinued Bug Pops
Eventually, Nestlé discontinued the Disney-branded Bug Pop, and the show went by the wayside as well. It's difficult to determine which came first, but the company also had a non-Disney version of essentially the same product, which simply went by the name "Bugz." The major distinction was that these were constructed a little differently. Instead of a differently-flavored core like the Bug Pops, these had a small base of one flavor, with a larger, longer layer of another on top. Bugz came in orange and grape, but also in orange and strawberry rather than cherry.
These have also been discontinued, but apparently I'm not totally alone in enjoying gummy bugs stashed inside a fruity frozen treat. As recently as 2019, a petition circulated to convince Nestlé to revive these critter-filled pops. Perhaps they should have enlisted a celebrity, as it was speculated that Popsicle double pops could come back thanks to Justin Bieber.
Today, lovers of gummy candy can find flavored frozen treats that refrain from actually including pieces of the candy, like Sour Patch Kids ice pops. Fortunately, it's pretty simple to make homemade popsicles, so you can whip up easy homemade healthy popsicles or raspberry peach frozen pops, and tuck slices of actual fruit inside -- or, you can satisfy your nostalgic craving by adding your own gummy treats.
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