Whoppers are chocolate-covered malted milk balls first sold in the United States in 1939.
The candy was introduced by the Overland Candy Company. Its center is made from a light, crunchy malted-milk confection, while the outside is coated in chocolate-flavored material. The combination gives Whoppers their distinctive toasted, milky flavor.
The name “Whoppers” was adopted in 1949. The candy later became associated with The Hershey Company after Hershey acquired the Leaf Candy Company, which had purchased the product’s earlier manufacturer.
Whoppers are often compared with Maltesers, a related malted-milk candy popular in Britain and other markets. The two products have similar centers but are separate brands with different histories and formulations.