--- description: The iconic heart-shaped Sweethearts candies are coming back in time for Valentine's Day with some new but noticeable changes. title: Valentine's Sweethearts Candies Return This Year With Some New Changes image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8949981e29473c9f/698a08f016d8843536c3794a/sweethearts-candy-hearts.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Valentine’s Sweethearts Candies Are Making a Comeback This Year But They Won’t Be the Same  by [Cady Lang](/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 16, 2020 5:36 PM CUT  WILTON MANORS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Sweetheart candy hearts are seen on the shelf at the To The Moon Marketplace on January 29, 2019 in Wilton Manors, Florida. William Newcomb who works at the store said, 'they stocked up early on the heart shape candy after learning that the Necco company had filed for bankruptcy protection and went out of business.' The Sweetheart candy was being made by Necco since 1886 and is in short supply after the company went out of business as Valentine’s Day approaches. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) WILTON MANORS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Sweetheart candy hearts are seen on the shelf at the To The Moon Marketplace on January 29, 2019 in Wilton Manors, Florida. William Newcomb who works at the store said, 'they stocked up early on the heart shape candy after learning that the Necco company had filed for bankruptcy protection and went out of business.' The Sweetheart candy was being made by Necco since 1886 and is in short supply after the company went out of business as Valentine’s Day approaches. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Getty Images  by [Cady Lang](/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 16, 2020 5:36 PM CUT Sweethearts, the pastel candy hearts with [romantic messages](http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2048687,00.html "undefined") that have become synonymous with [Valentine’s Day](http://business.time.com/2013/02/11/why-consumers-just-dont-feel-the-love-for-valentines-day/ "undefined"), are back after a year-long hiatus — but die-hard fans will note a few significant changes. The beloved candy was absent last year after it changed ownership to Spangler Candy, perhaps best known as the producer of Dum Dum lollipops, in Fall 2018; the timing of the sale prevented the company from being able to produce Sweethearts in time for Valentine’s Day, much to the disappointment of candy hearts enthusiasts everywhere. In a statement to [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/16/sweethearts-candy-is-back-for-valentines-day-but-not-without-hiccups.html "undefined"), Spangler spokesperson Diana Moore Eschhofen said that the incident was a learning moment for the company. “It became really apparent to us how much people were going to miss them,” she said. In order to ensure that there would be Sweethearts this year, the original Sweethearts equipment from the former Necco factory in Massachusetts, was moved to another plant in a year-long process that involved transporting sixty truckloads of equipment and in some cases, lifting out larger pieces of equipment through the roof with a crane. Despite the new factory, however, Spangler is still facing its fair share of challenges in creating Sweethearts for fans this year. According to Eschhofen, based on the technical challenges they’re facing and consumer response, it’s doubtful that Spangler will be able to meet the consumer demands for 2020\. While the candy hearts will be available at drugstores nationwide, regional stores will have them in limited supply. The hope is that Spangler will be able to meet consumer demands in 2021. Those won’t be the only changes for the candies either; the printer that gave Sweethearts their trademark romantic quips wasn’t working consistently and the new printer they acquired was damaged — which means that this year’s crop of hearts will have decidedly less to say than usual. The candy may also taste a little different too, but this change is less about necessity and more about nostalgia. Spangler found the original recipe for Sweethearts in old paperwork; while Necco had modified the formula and flavors over the course of Sweethearts’ 118-year history, Spangler is excited to bring back the OG flavors, including banana and wintergreen — a sweet surprise for any fan of the brand. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5766483/sweethearts-candy-hearts-changes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5766483/sweethearts-candy-hearts-changes/"},"headline":"Valentine’s Sweethearts Candies Are Making a Comeback This Year But They Won’t Be the Same","datePublished":"2020-01-16T17:36:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:01:13.100Z","description":"Here's what you need to know","url":"https://time.com/5766483/sweethearts-candy-hearts-changes/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Food","viral","onetime","clickmonsters"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8949981e29473c9f/698a08f016d8843536c3794a/sweethearts-candy-hearts.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8949981e29473c9f/698a08f016d8843536c3794a/sweethearts-candy-hearts.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Valentine's Day Favorite Sweethearts Candy Will Be Scarce In 2019","caption":"Valentine's Day Favorite Sweethearts Candy Will Be Scarce In 2019","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5766483/sweethearts-candy-hearts-changes/","name":"Valentine’s Sweethearts Candies Are Making a Comeback This Year But They Won’t Be the Same"}}]}] ```