Sam Altshuler, a Russian immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1917, founded Annabelle Candy Co., Inc., in 1950. He learned the art of candy making, and after years of perfecting his recipe, finally achieved success with his Rocky Road candy bar. He named his business the Annabelle Candy Company after his daughter, and began manufacturing Rocky Road in San Francisco. The item quickly gained popularity throughout the western United States where it has its strongest hold today, and is currently ranked highly among the top best selling chocolate bars on the West Coast.

In 1972, the Company purchased Golden Nugget Candy Company, of San Francisco, the makers of Big Hunk and Look candy bars, and began manufacturing those products. In 1978, Annabelle acquired of the Cardinet Candy Co., which manufactured U-No and Abba Zaba candy bars.

What started as a family business continues today as the one of the largest independently owned candy bar manufacturers in the United States, producing some of the most popular and traditional West Coast items available on the market today.