Make Your Own Goo Goo at the Goo Goo Cluster Chocolate Class

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How would you like to get a nourishing lunch for a nickel?! That is exactly how the first mass produced combination candy bar was advertised. Invented in 1912, the Goo Goo Cluster was invented in a copper kettle in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

While in Nashville, we participated in a chocolate class at the Goo Goo Shop called the “Taste of Goo Goo.” This isn’t the facility where all the candy bars are made, only the shop that sells the Goo Goo products. There were even samples of the peanut butter Goo Goo available to taste.

There’s a whole wall of information about the progression of the Goo Goo Cluster over the years. It was interesting to see how it had changed over the years.

When it was time for our chocolate making class to start, our group found a position on the table and dawned our aprons.

First, we were able to make our very own personal Goo Goo Cluster. The delicious candy bar combines marshmallow nougat, caramel, fresh roasted peanuts, and is covered in milk chocolate. We were even given the option of adding oreo, pecans, pretzels, white chocolate, and sprinkles.

While making our candy bar, we were told about the history of the Goo Goo Cluster. The candy bar is so yummy that it was named after the first words a baby says so that people will ask for it from birth! The candy bar was first sold under a glass display. Then, employees would individually wrap them in tinfoil. 

Here’s a vintage starch mold that was on display. This hand cranked machine helped automate the candy bar making process in the 1940s. 

Ultimately, a machine was produced to wrap the Goo Goo Clusters much more quickly. Today, 20,000 Goo Goo Clusters can be produced in one hour! It took us an hour to make one! 

After we put our ingredients into our chocolate mold, they were covered in chocolate and set aside to cool.

Next, we made peanut butter frosting to go on our brownies. It was fun watching Chris use the mixer like it was some power tool. 

He liked the frosting so much that he cut his brownie in half so that he could put more frosting on it.

After we finished making our brownies covered with the peanut butter frosting, we were given samples of the Goo Goo milkshake and the Honky Tonk Blonde Sundae. The milkshake was SO delicious. I think the Blonde Sundae would have been yummy if I was able to eat it. It was so hard that I broke my plastic fork and couldn’t cut it with a plastic knife. This didn’t cause any difficulty for Chris, however, who took it upon himself to finish mine off!

At the end of the tour, we were given a bag for our fresh desserts that we had made, as well as a Goo Goo button. We received a 20% discount on our purchase inside the shop for participating in the chocolate class. Book your own GooGoo making class here.