A Review and Release History of the Different Hostess Cupcakes

Review

Two of my favorite snacks joining forces?! Count me in! I love Peeps, and I grew up eating Hostess Cupcakes!

First things first, the packaging of these cupcakes looks awesome! I love the box’s design; it’s just so cool to look at those bright-colored cupcakes, Peeps, and the box’s bright theme as a whole. Then, when you open it up, you’re greeted with individually wrapped Hostess Cupcakes with the most adorable little Peeps printed on the package, along with the Peeps and Hostess logo.

Yeah, I love the crossover of these two iconic staples!

Opening these up, I immediately notice large sugar crystals on top of the frosting. And indeed, they provide a very light but decent contrast to the super-moist, moderately dense hostess cake. Notably, these cakes are compositionally similar to their chocolate and regular vanilla counterparts. However, the flavor is where it differs.

Flavor-wise, biting in, they’re clearly a sweet marshmallow. Not peeps marshmallow, more so regular marshmallow flavoring with a noticeable addition of sugar and sweetness. It’s complemented by the vanilla cake, providing a sweet combo of vanilla and marshmallow. And finally, just to note, they’re about as sweet as most other hostess cupcakes.

All in all, they’re the sweet vanilla hostess cupcakes with a sweet and creamy marshmallow inside. Exactly as advertised, though, I wouldn’t necessarily say they have the iconic Peeps marshmallow taste. In fact, I’d say these taste even better because they’re less artificial, sweeter, and the vanilla cake pairs so well with them!

Release Date

Released early 2026. Found mid-February at Walmart.

Review

I really thought this would be much more tarty, specifically the inside pinkish-red filling. Instead, these are quite tame, with mostly the traditionally creamy taste and a moderate amount of smooth raspberry. It’s definitely unique and adds another layer of flavor to the originals; the combination of light, sugary raspberry and the traditional chocolate cake, along with the amount of creaminess, all work well together. Lastly, the sweetness level overall is about the same.

I guess, just don’t be blown away or expect anything substantial here!

Release Date

Initially released around December 2015. Found at Walmart in early January 2026.

Review

These are somewhat different than their regular vanilla-based cupcake brothers, albeit only a little.

The cake itself does seem to have just a hint of graham cracker alongside a vanilla cake base, toning down some of its traditional sweetness. The chocolate is light, coming from the top layer, and the cream does seem more or less the same as regular Hostess Cupcakes, but perhaps with an essence of marshmallow.

Basically, these are very reminiscent of their vanilla cupcakes with chocolate tops but with a smidge of graham cracker taste if you pretend hard enough. S’mores? No. Good? Yup.

As a side note, refrigerating these yields a much denser, more satisfying texture, essentially making them feel more premium.

Release Date

Released July 9, 2025, for a limited time, according to some, while others report as early as July 2020. I found them in late June at Walmart.

Review

Reasonably sweet, moist, thick, and creamy artificial vanilla cupcakes. And, despite being an artificial vanilla, they’re still pretty darn good; just don’t expect a premium-tasting, bold vanilla–this runs on the sugary-tasting side. The filling inside complements the dense, moist texture of the cake well, and the thin line of soft-stiff frosting on top adds a touch more to the sweetness and texture. Overall, personally, I still prefer the chocolate ones!

Release Date

While I’m not sure of an exact release date, they were likely introduced around 2013 or shortly afterward, only to come around during later Easter seasons. These are also likely identical to the Christmas version: Hostess Holiday Cupcakes as well. Found at Stop & Shop.

Review

Despite it looking like it has the same cupcake cake, for some reason, these are different than the other Hostess cupcakes, including the vanilla ones. The cake itself leans more on a buttery side with a dash of vanilla. It’s also moister than its vanilla counterpart. The small bit of chocolate on top adds a background of sweet milk chocolate, which is nice. Overall, moderately sweet, and in my opinion, better than vanilla and likely on par with my favorite, the all-chocolate version.

Release Date

While I can’t find an exact release date, these have likely been around for some time. Found at Stop & Shop.

Review

The texture is typical of their other standard cupcakes: soft, moist, and thick, and like the others, it leans towards the sweeter side. The taste is mostly sugar-tasting with some, almost bitter, odd, artificial-tasting pumpkin. Weirdly, refrigerating these brings out a noticeably more pleasant, sweet pumpkin taste. To sum it up, although these aren’t bad Hostess cupcakes, they aren’t one of their better ones… unless you fridge them.

Release Date

Released August 2019 for the fall season alongside returning Pumpkin Spice Twinkies and Caramel Crunch Donettes. This has repeatedly returned throughout the years, around the same time. Found at Target.

Review

Vanilla and sugar cookies, in a way, have more or less the same flavor profile, right? With that, these cupcakes here definitely feel like the Hostess vanilla-based cupcake versions. In fact, when I compared the two, I couldn’t really find any real differences. They’re reasonably sweet, creamy, and have a sugary vanilla taste. That’s really it.

Lastly, these are great chilled or frozen. They retain the same flavor and become denser.

Release Date

Released March 2025. Found at Walmart.

Review

As advertised, these are about identical to their bigger cousins. The only difference I noticed was that the frosting extends down more, from the top to nearly the bottom, on some sides. Also, they’re definitely more crumbly despite having the same texture. Perhaps it’s because they’re smaller? Either way, they’re nearly bite-sized and come in packs of two minis. In the end, personally, I definitely prefer the more fulfilling, less crumbly regular big brother versions.

Release Date

Released March 3, 2025. Found at Walmart.

Review

It is moderately sweet with a creamy strawberry taste. Interestingly, it doesn’t come across as too artificial, and the strawberry isn’t overpowering or fake at all. Like other Hostess Cupcakes, these are super soft, thick, and moist. Basically, it’s your traditional Hostess Cupcake with a creamy strawberry flavor.

Release Date

Released for a limited time in February 2018. These have come around every now and then. Found at Speedway in March 2024.