Green Giant and Peeps Collaborate for Unforgettable 'Cauliflower Bunnies'

Along with candy corn, conversation hearts, and Cadbury Creme Eggs, Peeps are one of the most polarizing holiday candies out there. You either love that sugar-dusted texture, or you ... don't.

Once the new year has come and gone, Peeps launches their aggressive marketing campaign, complete with offbeat flavors and unexpected collaborations. Easter is days away now, and we've already seen Peeps Pepsi, Peeps Cookie Coops, and marshmallow-scented Peeps Easter Grass. But it turns out there's still time for Peeps to pull a stunt or two.

Enter Peeps' latest "collaboration" with Green Giant: extra large cauliflower-flavored bunnies. Is this all just some elaborate April Fool's prank? Of course. Did I expect candy to show up at my house when Green Giant emailed me about testing out a new product? Nope. Out of all the possible collaborations and flavors out there, I think it's fair to say nobody expected these.

Now, to be fair, Peeps missed out on their prime season last year. So it makes complete sense that after a year of virtual silence (and strange food brand stunts including multiple clothing lines and touchless hot sauce dispensers) Peeps would up their ante, and perhaps vegetable-flavored marshmallow candy is fair game. Part of the caveat with the Cauliflower Peeps is that they aren't available in stores, making them super limited-edition. So even though I was really afraid to (I am very publicly not a fan of Peeps) I opened up the bag Green Giant sent me and actually tasted the Cauliflower Bunnies.

I gave those big bunnies a thorough inspection (smelled them, licked them, that sort of stuff) before I actually took a bite. But if I'd paid a little more attention to the interior packaging, I would've realized the truth sooner. I didn't detect a single hint of cauliflower because I'd been pranked: These weren't cauliflower-flavored Peeps, but simply regular jumbo Peeps bunnies that were disguised in a custom bag. So if you have a short attention span like I do, maybe you would have done the same thing.

That's not the only thing I learned, however. I realized that I do, in fact, like Peeps when there's a substantial amount of marshmallow involved. That gritty texture I abhor in regular-sized Peeps is far more muted in the jumbo kind. These were actually ... pretty good.

Now that I know the truth, I may cut down on the Peeps trash talk, because there are clearly cases where I'm wrong. The "Cauliflower Peeps" may not replace Mini Cadbury Eggs as my favorite Easter candy, but at least I won't groan if they ever come my way again.