A method for preparing a pre-sweetened comestible, comprising the steps of: A. providing a base of dried food pieces having an exterior surface; B. applying minor amount of a first sweetened liquid edible fat-and-powdered sucrose slurry to at least a portion of the exterior surface of the base to form a first sweetened oil slurry coated base, wherein the weight ratio of oil to powdered sugar ranges from about 20:1 to about 1:1, wherein the powdered sugar has a mean particle size of less than 100 microns; wherein the weight ratio of base to powdered sugar in the slurry of the sweetened oil slurry ranges from about 20:1 to about 1000:1; C. applying a major amount of a second sugar syrup coating to the base pieces as a coating or layer in a weight ratio of base to coating composition, said sugar syrup coating composition comprising 80% or less sucrose (dry weight basis of syrup), at least 15% of a second non-sucrose supplemental soluble solid (dry weight basis of syrup), and the balance other undissolved ingredients, wherein the weight ratio of base to second sugar syrup coating ranges from about 100:10 to 100:100 to provide a wet, sweetened oil and sugar syrup coated base; and sufficient amounts of moisture to form a syrup; D. drying the wet, sweetened oil and sugar syrup coated base to a moisture content of about 1-5% by weight of the coating to provide a pre-sweetened dry coated comestible having a sucrose crystallinity value of at least 0.35. A. providing a base of dried food pieces having an exterior surface; B. applying minor amount of a first sweetened liquid edible fat-and-powdered sucrose slurry to at least a portion of the exterior surface of the base to form a first sweetened oil slurry coated base, wherein the weight ratio of oil to powdered sugar ranges from about 20:1 to about 1:1, wherein the powdered sugar has a mean particle size of less than 100 microns; wherein the weight ratio of base to powdered sugar in the slurry of the sweetened oil slurry ranges from about 20:1 to about 1000:1; C. applying a major amount of a second sugar syrup coating to the base pieces as a coating or layer in a weight ratio of base to coating composition, said sugar syrup coating composition comprising 80% or less sucrose (dry weight basis of syrup), at least 15% of a second non-sucrose supplemental soluble solid (dry weight basis of syrup), and the balance other undissolved ingredients, wherein the weight ratio of base to second sugar syrup coating ranges from about 100:10 to 100:100 to provide a wet, sweetened oil and sugar syrup coated base; and sufficient amounts of moisture to form a syrup; 80% or less sucrose (dry weight basis of syrup), at least 15% of a second non-sucrose supplemental soluble solid (dry weight basis of syrup), and the balance other undissolved ingredients, wherein the weight ratio of base to second sugar syrup coating ranges from about 100:10 to 100:100 to provide a wet, sweetened oil and sugar syrup coated base; and sufficient amounts of moisture to form a syrup; D. drying the wet, sweetened oil and sugar syrup coated base to a moisture content of about 1-5% by weight of the coating to provide a pre-sweetened dry coated comestible having a sucrose crystallinity value of at least 0.35.