The Bay Area history of Corn Nuts, America's favorite crunchy snack FacebookTwitterEmail Corn Nuts, the crunchy corn snack still found in convenience stores today, were created in 1936 in Oakland by Albert Holloway.Photo illustration: SFGATE/ Kraft Heinz If you bring up Corn Nuts in a conversation, most people will immediately bring up the salty snack’s texture. As my dad says, “Corn Nuts? Those will break your teeth.” Some fear the drastic dental implications of their hearty crunch; others crave it. Most associate Corn Nuts with road trip gas station stops or third-grade soccer practice. But what most don’t know is that the polarizing snack originated right here in Oakland.