Across New England, children and adults alike have been enjoying the Fluffernutter sandwich for over a century.
of The humble sandwich It’s the most basic: two slices of white bread spread with peanut butter on one side and marshmallow “Fluff” on the other, make a sandwich out of it, and cut it in two for easier eating.
But despite their simplicity and high-carbohydrate content, the sandwich has long remained a comfort food staple and lunchtime indulgence.
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While the concept of a marshmallow creme and peanut butter sandwich may conjure up images of “nightmarish retro food” from the 1960s, the origins of the Fluffernutter actually date back to World War I, according to the New England Historical Society’s website.
At that time, a woman named Emma Curtis, the great-great-granddaughter of Paul Revere, and her brother Amory developed a product called “Snowflake Marshmallow Cream.”
The Fluffernutter sandwich was invented in Melrose, Massachusetts during World War I, but the modern name “Fluffanutter” didn’t come into use until nearly half a century later. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
According to the New England Historical Society, the company originally made its products in the kitchen of its Melrose, Massachusetts, home, but when demand soared, it moved to a factory.
The product sold so well that Emma Curtis began writing recipes using the marshmallow creme and printing them in pamphlets, and during World War I, she printed a recipe for the “Liberty Sandwich,” a peanut butter and marshmallow creme sandwich on oat bread, according to the historical society.
According to the New England Historical Society, other companies had similar marshmallow creme products, but the Liberty Sandwich is believed to be the first published recipe for what would later become known as the Fluffernutter.
While the Curtis brothers were making their marshmallow creams, two other people in Massachusetts were also making spreadable marshmallow products.
While the Fluffernutter has stood the test of time, the Curtis brothers’ company has not: According to the New England Historical Society, in 1962, the Curtis marshmallow factory was destroyed by arsonists, and the company went out of business shortly thereafter.
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At roughly the same time that the Curtis brothers were making their marshmallow creams, two other people in Massachusetts were also making spreadable marshmallow products.
According to the product’s website, on May 14, 1920, H. Allen Durkee and Fred L. Mower of Swampscott, Massachusetts, announced they had formed a partnership to manufacture Marshmallow Fluff.
Durkee Mower has been making Marshmallow Fluff in Massachusetts, the birthplace of the Fluffernutter, for over a century. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
According to the website, Durkee and Mower bought the recipe for Marshmallow Fluff from a man named Archibald Query and began selling it door-to-door.
According to the website, Marshmallow Fluff was such a success that Durkee Mower was able to survive sugar rationing during World War II and continue business.
In 2024, 104 years after Durkee and Mower announced they were teaming up to create Marshmallow Fluff, Marshmallow Fluff is still being made in Lynn, Massachusetts.
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John Durkee, grandson of H. Allen Durkee and current president of Durkee Mower Co., said in a phone interview with Fox News Digital last week that he had eaten a Fluffernutter sandwich for lunch that very day.
John Durkee, president of Durkee Mower Co., which makes Marshmallow Fluff, said he still enjoys the delicious Fluffernutter sandwich. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
“It’s the sweetness of the marshmallow combined with the saltiness of the peanut butter, and, you know, those two basic flavors go really well together,” he said.
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However, Durkee eschews traditional white bread in favor of whole wheat bread.
“We’re trying to make it a little more nutritious,” he said.
“But honestly, in terms of calorie count, the Fluffernutter is actually not that bad. So it’s actually a reasonable, decent sandwich,” Durkee said.
Now, let’s take a look at some fun facts about Fluffernutter.
5 Fun Facts About the Fluffernutter
1. According to the New England Historical Society, the name “Fluffanutter” was invented by an advertising agency in the 1960s, nearly 50 years after the sandwich was invented. The term is trademarked by the Durkee Mower Company.
2. “National Fluffernutter Day” is celebrated annually on October 8th.
3. The What the Fluff? Festival takes place annually in Somerville, Massachusetts.
According to the event’s website, the event is a “wacky festival celebrating the invention of Marshmallow Fluff” and will feature an Archibald Querrey impersonator, “Fluff jousting,” marshmallow-throwing contests and more.
The annual “What the Fluff? Festival” takes place in Somerville, Massachusetts, and among the events featured here is a blindfolded Fluffernutter sandwich-making contest. (Paul Marotta/Getty Images)
Four. Astronauts have been eating Fluffernutters aboard the International Space Station.
In 2011, Massachusetts native Richard Linnehan munched on the treats while in space, and in 2012, Lt. Commander Sunita “Sunny” Williams showed off a jar of Marshmallow Fluff during a video tour of the International Space Station.
“I love Fluffernutters, so they sent me some Fluff and I made Fluffernutters with peanut butter,” the Needham, Massachusetts, native said in the video, as she floated weightlessly in a jar of Marshmallow Fluff.
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Five. Merriam-Webster added “Fluffernutter” to its dictionary in 2021.
It is defined as “a sandwich made of peanut butter and marshmallow cream between two slices of white sandwich bread.”
