What was the original flavor of Twinkies' filling?

The original flavor of Twinkies' filling was banana. The snack cake was created in 1930 by James Alexander Dewar, a manager for the Continental Baking Company, later associated with Hostess.

Dewar was looking for a way to use shortcake pans that normally helped produce strawberry shortcake when strawberries were out of season. He filled small sponge cakes with banana-flavored cream and named them Twinkies, reportedly after seeing a billboard for Twinkle Toe Shoes. The early product was therefore quite different from the vanilla-centered Twinkie many later consumers knew.

During World War II, bananas became difficult to obtain, so the filling was changed to vanilla crème. That substitute became the familiar standard and is the main reason many people assume vanilla was always the original flavor. Hostess has periodically brought back banana versions as limited or nostalgic products.

The strawberry option is another common confusion because the cakes were inspired by strawberry shortcake. Chocolate and vanilla varieties have also appeared in later products, but neither was the original filling flavor.