Valomilk

by Sifers

1931 – 1981 IT CAME BACK

Back since 1987 and still hand-made in Kansas, with Cracker Barrel as the biggest account. The family has reportedly explored selling the brand, so enjoy the runny middle while it runs.

Last verified Nov 7, 2026

Kansas City's molten-center marshmallow cups, born in 1931 when a batch of marshmallow refused to set and Sifers sold the mistake anyway. A Los Angeles candy company bought it in 1970 and shut the Kansas City factory in 1981.

🧾 One more thingRuss Sifers restarted production in 1987, and the family still tells the origin story proudly — "making wrong right ever since 1931," as they put it to NPR. The buyer that killed it, Hoffman Candy, also made Cup-O-Gold.

Filed under: Candy & Gum · the ’70s & earlier

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📅 Timeline

1931A batch of marshmallow refuses to set; Sifers sells the mistake anyway as Valomilk Dips, at five cents.
1970The family sells the company to Los Angeles-based Hoffman Candy — the maker of Cup-O-Gold.
1981The Kansas City factory is shut down and production ends.
1987Russ Sifers brings Valomilk back to Kansas City stores.
2026Still hand-made in Kansas, with Cracker Barrel as the biggest account; the family has reportedly explored selling the brand.

❓ People also ask

Is Valomilk still made?

Yes — the Sifers family revived it in 1987 and still makes it in Kansas. It's sold at Cracker Barrel, candy shops and online.

Why is Valomilk runny inside?

By design, by accident: the 1931 original came from a failed marshmallow batch that wouldn't set, and the flowing center became the whole point.

🧾 Sources

Valomilk (Sifers Confection Co.), Our History (2026)
NPR, Valomilk's: A Sweet Treat That Runs Down Your Chin (2012)
Heavy Table, Russ Sifers of Sifers Valomilk Candy Cups (2009)
Kansas City Magazine, Kansas City's Valomilk candy is made with one part marshmallow and two parts perseverance (2021)

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