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What started as a 5-cent snack sold during the Great Depression has become one of Little Debbie's best-selling treats more than 90 years later.
Oatmeal Cream Pie was Little Debbie's first cupcake and its roots date back to 1935, when OD McKee developed the treat after selling baked goods out of the back of his 1928 Whippet, according to Little Debbie's website.
In 1934, the McKees had purchased a bakery near Chattanooga, Tennessee, using the family car as collateral, according to the website.
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“Money was so tight that they had to put up a tarp near the back of the bakery to serve as the family home,” the company history says.
Oatmeal cream pie was the first baked snack named after Little Debbie. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)
Fast forward to the 1960s and Little Debbie, named after McKee's granddaughter, was an established brand.
Oatmeal Cream Pies are “the snack that started it all!” Little Debbie's website proclaims.
“Oatmeal Cream Pies have been satisfying families since 1960 as the first baked snack under the Little Debbie brand,” the product description on the website says. “Whole oats, molasses, and irresistible cream filling combine to create this classic treat.”
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The original family packages of baked goods contained oatmeal cream pie and sold for 49 cents a box.
“After its initial introduction, more than 14 million cakes were sold in 10 months,” says Little Debbie's website. “While Oatmeal Cream Pie was the original Little Debbie cupcake, by 1964 there were 14 different varieties, including the ever-popular Nutty Buddy and Swiss Cake Roll wafer bars.”
Oatmeal cream pies, which originally sold for 49 cents a box in 1960, are made from whole oats, molasses, and cream filling. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)
Little Debbie has released several versions of Oatmeal Cream Pie, including Oatmeal Cream Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches and Oatmeal Cream Pie Ice Cream Bars. Home bakers have also created many copycat versions of the iconic snack.
Today, McKee Foods, still based in Tennessee, describes itself as “America's largest family-owned bakery.”
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The company produces more than 75 Little Debbie products. Oatmeal cream pies, along with Swiss rolls and Nutty Buddy wafer bars, remain the company's most popular products. More than 200 million boxes of these three products are sold each year.
Oatmeal Cream Pies continue to be one of Little Debbie's best-selling products. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)
Little Debbie continues as a family business and Little Debbie herself is still involved. The fourth generation of the McKee family is learning the business and Debbie McKee-Fowler serves as chair of the McKee Foods board of directors.
The company is “honored” by the success of the Oatmeal Creme Pie and the brand's other products, McKee Foods said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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“Our success ultimately means that we are delivering a product that people really love,” the company said. “The Oatmeal Creme Pie, for example, has been a part of family gatherings and moments shared with friends for more than 60 years. Being a family business keeps us grounded in our core values.”
Oatmeal cream pies have stood the test of time, according to McKee Foods, because the flavor appeals to many different demographics and generations.
Little Debbie products continue to be some of the most popular items produced by McKee Foods. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)
“The spiced cookies are nostalgic for a homemade oatmeal cookie, and the sweet cream middle adds extra whimsy to the product for younger consumers. It's a small, non-polarizing treat.”
A customer recently told McKee Foods a story that the company says captures the essence of how oatmeal cream pie is often associated with good memories. The client ate oatmeal cream pie every time he went fishing with his grandfather.
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“Today, every time you eat an oatmeal cream pie, it instantly brings back good memories of those fishing trips,” the company said. “That powerful sense of nostalgia and comfort is what makes our products so much more than just a snack for so many people.”
