BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Beginning August 16, deep-fried Twinkies will be available beyond the state fair at more than 4,000 Walmart stores nationwide. Covered in a funnel cake-like batter, the collaboration between Hostess Brands and Walmart took over a year to bring two deep-fried Twinkie flavors, Original Golden and Chocolate, to retail.

John Pearson, senior buyer–frozen foods at Walmart, notes on the company’s blog that the deep-fried Twinkie is something different for the frozen aisle and adds more dessert choices to the retailer’s savory assortment. "The original samples were pretty good,” he told CNBC. "But the batter was a little lumpy."

After trial and error, the two companies eventually “got to the delicious final version now arriving in our stores. And thanks to Walmart, Hostess is growing by entering the frozen food aisle for the first time ever,” Pearson says.

Battered and partially fried before being frozen, CNBC reports that the Twinkies need to be finished for a short time in the oven, toaster oven or frying pan. They'll be available only at Walmart for three months and then made available to other retailers.

The news source notes the deep-fried Twinkie made its mark when Christopher Sell added the treat to the menu of his Chip Shop restaurant in Brooklyn about 15 years ago, and the idea then spread to state fairs.