easy 1960 desserts

• Kid-friendly
• Slow cooker recipes
• Quick & Easy
• Gluten-free
• Tips and techniques
• Competitions
• Homes To Love
• Home Beautiful
• Better Homes and Gardens
• Hard to Find
• Your Home and Garden
• Shop Your Home & Garden
• Now to Love
• Now to Love NZ
• That's Life
• Women's Weekly
• Women's Weekly Food
• NZ Woman's Weekly Food
• Gourmet Traveller
• Bounty Parents
• marie claire
• Beauty Heaven
• Beauty Crew
• Dinner ideas
• Test Kitchen

Retro dessert recipes for entertaining

Tropical bombe alaska

Classic golden syrup dumplings

Vanilla slice

Old-fashioned apple pie slice

Old-fashioned apple and rhubarb pie

Neenish tarts

Creamy rice pudding with cinnamon sugar

Baked rice custard

Sticky date pudding

Lemon meringue pie

Summer trifle

Sponge roll with jam and cream

Black forest mud cake

Lemon delicious

Summer pudding

Poached pear and quince with almond crumble

Classic pavlova

Opera gateau

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

Sign up for our newsletter

Want 20% off at THE ICONIC? Sign up to the latest news at Women’s Weekly Food.

Disclaimer: By joining, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Related stories

Brown butter loaf cake

Easy banana muffins with pecans

Native ad body.

Julie Goodwin’s sour cream cheesecake slice

Julie Goodwin’s melting moments

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Food and Recipes

31 Vintage Church Desserts Worth Praising

If we had to pick a favorite cookbook from the kitchen shelf, it wouldn't be the shiny new one that looks as good on the counter as its new-age recipes taste. It wouldn't even be the special one that holds the holiday essentials, things like glazed ham and fruitcake. No, those wouldn't be saved in this fictional house fire. It'd be the tattered, faded, stain-covered spiral notebook hidden away at the end of the stack. It'd be the church cookbook . Through the generations, Southerners have published their most trusted recipes in these collections, whether it dubbed a church cookbook or community cookbook, and we've gathered lots of our favorites here on Southern Living .

These are the vintage Southern Living dessert recipes we swear by. From classic cold salads to warm, creamy casseroles, these recipes simply don't go out of style. We'll never pass up a bowl of banana pudding, a square of Texas sheet cake, or a slice of buttermilk pie. There's really nothing like the old-fashioned desserts you can find in your mama's old church cookbook. We rounded up the most classic desserts that have been coming out of Southern kitchens for generations. We're warning you, these'll have you singing some praises.

Classic Southern Pound Cake

Recipe: Classic Southern Pound Cake

She's the ultimate classic, and there's no world in which this recipe doesn't belong on the list.

Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie

Recipe: Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie

This pie was created to be budget-friendly by Southern women who were "making-do" with what they had on hand, going way back to the depression era and World War II.

Easy Peach Cobbler

Recipe: Easy Peach Cobbler

Though any Southern cook knows this recipe by heart, we still include it in just about any cookbook, just in case.

Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing

Recipe: Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing

Texas claims this chocolate sheet cake as its own, dating back to the mid-20th century. And judging by its ooey, gooey, nutty, fudgy self, we understand why. "Everything is bigger in Texas!"

Classic Banana Pudding

Recipe: Banana Pudding

We'd recognize this classic banana pudding any day, any cookbook. It takes a page straight from grandmother's recipe box. (But sometimes you might use that vanilla pudding packet in the pantry, and that's okay.)

Luscious Lemon Bars

Recipe: Luscious Lemon Bars

A plate of lemon squares disappears mighty quick at any Southern gathering. You'll see this classic recipe in many a church or community cookbook.

Vintage Fresh Apple Cake

Recipe: Fresh Apple Cake

How else would we use our fall harvest? This apple sheet cake, filled with fresh Granny Smith apples and topped with to-die-for cream cheese frosting, was destined to feed a crowd.

Strawberry-Pretzel Jello Salad

Recipe: Strawberry-Pretzel Jello Salad

Nostalgic churchgoers know this dish from a mile away. It's a salad...in a casserole dish...with strawberry gelatin.

Peanut Butter-Banana Icebox Pie

Recipe: Peanut Butter-Banana Icebox Pie

In the South, icebox pie is a staple during the hot summer—when all we want to do is just cool down. This pie recipe is an ode to Mr. Elvis Presley, making it a Tennessee church cookbook favorite.

Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie

Recipe: Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie

They had us at "meringue." You really can't beat these fluffy white peaks of sugary goodness.

Over the Moon Chocolate Pie

Recipe: Over the Moon Chocolate Pie

Inspired by a sweet confection born in 1917 in Chattanooga, the MoonPie, this pie recipe is church potluck-approved. The dessert is made with a graham cracker crust, has a rich chocolate filling with a touch of Tennessee whiskey (another nod to its birthplace), and is finished off with light clouds of marshmallowy meringue.

Lemon-Orange Chiffon Cake

Recipe: Lemon-Orange Chiffon Cake

The chiffon cake was introduced in the mid-20th century and dubbed the first "new" type of cake in over 100 years. The creator held onto its secret ingredient—using oil instead of butter—until he sold the recipe in the late 1940s, but we're thinking the church ladies had already figured it out.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pretzel Pie

Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pretzel Pie

Strawberry-pretzel salad is one of the most nostalgic Southern dishes, and rhubarbs are a real delicacy down here. So we combined them into a salty-and-sweet pie.

Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge

Recipe: Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge

This creamy fudge recipe was supposedly the go-to of President and Mrs. Eisenhower. The ingredient list is incredibly simple, which is enough to convince us of its merit.

Hummingbird Cake

Recipe: Hummingbird Cake

It's the most popular recipe in Southern Living history. Simple spiced cakes with canned pineapple and bananas popped up in community cookbooks throughout the early 20th century, and this three-layer dream is the ultimate example.

Strawberry Kuchen

Recipe: Strawberry Kuchen

Kuchen, the German word for cake, is often more bread-like and made with a yeasted dough. Our variation has a tender, fluffy crumb topping and is then topped with fresh strawberries and sliced almonds.

Hello Dolly Bars

Recipe: Hello Dolly Bars

This beloved bar recipe packs the perfect mixture of salty and sweet, making it a crowd-pleaser for any host.

Classic Chess Pie

Recipe: Classic Chess Pie

For a couple hundred years, the chess pie has been a staple on Southern dessert tables. It's hard to pass up a legend.

Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie

Recipe: Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie

Utterly deadly, indeed.Although there are plenty of pecan pie recipes out there, we can vouch for this one as your best one yet.

Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars

While the church potluck might be weary of nut allergies, there's nothing that says the cookbook needs to be.

Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy

Recipe: Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy

Popular in the 1800s and early 1900s, a pandowdy is essentially cooked fruit under a pastry crust. But unlike a cobbler, the cook uses a fork to break, or "dowdy" the crust. What's it all for: The broken crust absorbs the sweet juices from the cooked fruit!

Coconut Cream Pie

Recipe: Coconut Cream Pie

Don't even get the church ladies started on cream pie. Coconut cream pie? Forget about it.

Little Layer Chocolate Cake

Recipe: Little Layer Chocolate Cake

Known best below the Gnat Line, this towering chocolate cake's height can be based on which birthday you're celebrating—or how much you're trying to show off at the church homecoming. The 10 to 18 layers are a feat.

Ultimate Apple Pie

Recipe: Ultimate Apple Pie from Buxton Hall

Fall means apples, which obviously means apple pie. Every Southern cook needs a classic, but insanely tasty apple pie recipe.

Cherry Pie Bars

Recipe: Cherry Pie Bars

We're tapping into good 'ole Americana—in bar form. This grabbable, cherry-speckled bar is super portable and makes a huge batch.

Cassandra's "Light" Fruitcake

Recipe: Cassandra's "Light" Fruitcake

Cassandra, we'd like to formally thank you. This recipe has turned even the most fruitcake-hating people in the region.

Ambrosia Pudding Pie

Recipe: Ambrosia Pudding Pie

Following British tradition, the earliest custard pies were recorded as puddings in antebellum cookbooks. And—as any Southerner knows—ambrosia is a church cookbook staple. This is the best of both worlds.

Hummingbird Bundt Cake

Recipe: Hummingbird Bundt Cake

This spin on classic hummingbird cake is a no-brainer for any gathering because of its relative ease and fuss-free hands-on time compared to the layered version. You still get all of amazing flavor of the crushed pineapple, bananas, cinnamon, and pecans.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

This chocolate cake is next-level moist because of its secret ingredient: Duke's mayo. And we don't even care. We're too far gone.

Chocolate Delight

Recipe: Chocolate Delight

This old-school dessert goes by many names, but whatever you call it, it's a delicious combination of chocolate pudding and cream.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Recipe: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

You can't skip the iconic maraschino cherries in this classic upside-down cake.

Related Articles

HEYWOOD-WAKEFIELD

Home » Blog » Spotlight on the Mid-Century Era » Sweet and Retro: Classic 1950s and 1960s Desserts

Sweet and Retro: Classic 1950s and 1960s Desserts

Few things endure like memories of the foods we ate as children. Of course, it’s not all pleasant… if you grew up in the 1950s or 1960s, you might suffer from the occasional SPAM loaf flashback. But desserts trigger some of the sweetest, happiest food-related memories. They’re the ultimate comfort foods for kids, and for plenty of adults, too (but we’re not here to talk about the obesity epidemic).

Whether or not you grew up in the mid-20 th century and feel some nostalgia for them, many of the iconic desserts of the age still seem perfectly simple and special today. Any of those listed below would be right on target if you’re hosting a mid-century modern themed party —and if you are, make sure you also check out this selection of classic 1950s and 1960s cocktails .

Here are seven desserts that frequently graced the tables of families and hosts during the 1950s and 1960s, as well as a few from that mid-century icon, the soda fountain. We’ve included a link to a recipe for a classic version of each.

Angel Food Cake

This dessert, a type of sponge cake, was a popular item to serve guests in the 1950s and 1960s. It’s distinct from many other types of cakes for its exclusion of butter. First created in the US in the late 1800s, it takes its name from its particularly light, fluffy, airy texture and mild flavor, which prompted people to call it “the food of the angels.” Traditionally, it’s baked in a tube pan or bundt pan. It can be eaten plain, but it’s often topped with a fruit compote or sauce or a light glaze.

Angel food cake recipe

Baked Alaska

A predecessor of the ice cream cake, this decadent dessert is rumored to have been invented in 1867 at New York City’s Delmonico Restaurant. It’s made from sponge cake and ice cream topped with meringue. The preparation is quickly baked in a high-heat oven. The meringue insulates the ice cream from the heat, preventing it from melting while the meringue sets.

Baked Alaska recipe

Banana Split

This sundae was invented in 1904 at a soda fountain in Latrobe, PA. There are lots of ways to make one, but the classic has a banana cut in half lengthwise lining three scoops of ice cream (one each of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry), served in an elongated dish and topped with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry or two. Chopped nuts or peanuts, fresh berries, and pineapple chunks are other traditional toppings.

Banana split recipe

Jell-O Mold

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, there wasn’t much people wouldn’t encase in Jell-O, including green salads and seafood salads. The practice worked much better for desserts, which were made more visually appealing by shaping the gelatin in a ring mold or bundt pan. Fruit, marshmallows, chopped nuts, or other ingredients were added into the mix and often piled up in the center of the mold too.

Jell-O mold recipe

There are many variations of this soda fountain, ice cream shop, lunch counter, and burger joint staple, but it’s traditionally made with milk, ice cream, and a flavoring syrup (e.g., chocolate or malt). It became popular in the US in the 1930s, and before that was usually an alcoholic beverage made with whiskey.

Milkshake recipe

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Upside-down cakes have a history going back centuries. It was easy to add fruit, sugar, and other ingredients into a pan, then pour cake batter over it and cook it over a flame; the preparation would then be dumped out upside-down. In 1911, Dole invented a machine that sliced pineapples into even rings, and it wasn’t long before they were introduced to this upside-down cake concept. By the 1950s, most housewives in the US were making this simple dessert for their families.

Pineapple upside-down cake recipe

Sign Up Now!

Love the mid-century modern era? Then subscribe to get our original content celebrating the times in a monthly email!

By Leonard Riforgiato

Leonard Riforgiato is a successful furniture manufacturing entrepreneur, a Miami resident, and co-owner of legacy furniture company Heywood-Wakefield.

Magazine Categories

Sign up now!

Receive our latest content delivered to your inbox monthly

REFINISHERS

View Furniture Catalog

Solid wood furniture from responsibly sourced lumber. 100% American-made.

Orlando Web Design by CREATE180 Design

Gluten-Free

• Whole Grains
• Shop All Flours »
• Pasta & Pizza
• Cake & Pastry
• Explore Our Flours
• Ingredients
• Extracts & Flavorings
• Spices & Pantry
• Starters & Leaveners
• Chocolate & Cocoa
• Enhancers & Thickeners
• Shop All Ingredients »
• Explore Our Ingredients
• Cake & Pie
• Muffins & Quick Bread
• Frostings & Fillings
• Shop All Mixes »
• Seasonal Mixes & Sets
• Mix & Pan Sets
• Explore Our Mixes
• Dessert Cups
• Shop All Gluten-Free »
• Parchment & Mats
• Cake & Cookie
• Mitts & Towels
• Rolling Pins
• Gadgets & Utensils
• Thermometers
• Shop All Tools »
• Featured Brands
• Thermoworks
• King Arthur
• Explore Our Tools
• Scone & Popover
• Doughnut & Muffin
• Bundt & Specialty
• Cookie & Sheet Pans
• Shop All Pans »
• Emile Henry
• Nordic Ware
• Seasonal Pans & Sets
• Explore Our Pans
• Glasses & Mugs
• Shop All Logo Shop »

Collections

• Bakers' Favorites
• New Arrivals
• Best Sellers
• Recipe Bundles
• Digital Catalog
• 2024 Recipe of the Year
• Cakes Made Easy
• Pie Must-Haves
• Scrumptious Scones
• Cookie Creativity
• Pantry Starts Here
• Your Best Bread
• Sourdough Savvy
• Blissful Bagels
• Celebrate Breakfast
• Pizza Perfection
• Special Diets
• Secret Ingredients
• Baking School Favorites
• Ready to Gift
• Must-Have Tools
• Pizza Lovers
• Customer Favorites
• Gifts Under $25
• Gifts Under $50
• Gifts Under $100
• Best Splurges
• Shop All Gifts »
• Buns & Rolls
• Cookies & Bars
• Muffins & Popovers
• Pancakes & Waffles
• View All Categories
• Recipe of the Year
• Holiday Breads
• Cupcake Season
• New Classics: Pie
• View All Features
• New from the Test Kitchen
• Best Basic Recipes
• 5 Ingredients or Fewer
• Sourdough Discard Recipes
• Recipes to Bake With Kids
• View All Recipe Collections
• Bakers Hotline
• Ingredient Weight Chart
• How to Measure Flour
• Recipe Success Guide

Baking Guides

• Sourdough Baking
• Scone Baking
• Gluten-Free Baking
• View All Baking Guides
• Bake for Good
• Tools and Pans
• Baking Tips and Techniques
• All About Yeast
• High-Altitude Baking

Baking School

Classes by category.

• Bagels, Buns & Rolls
• Biscuits & Scones
• British Baking
• Cake & Cupcakes
• Pizza & Flatbread
• Holiday Baking
• Kids & Camps
• Pasta & Noodles
• Pies & Tarts
• Professional Level

Classes by Location

• Classes in Vermont
• Classes in Washington
• Live Online Classes
• On-Demand Classes
• Class Calendar

What To Expect

• Our Instructors
• Policies and Information
• Vermont Travel & Lodging
• Washington Travel & Lodging
• Food Justice
• Grains for Good
• Impact Report
• Tips + Techniques

Bakery Flour Sales

• Distributors
• Baker's Percentage
• Batch Costing
• Common conversions
• Dough Temperatures
• Preferments
• Video Tips for Professionals
• Professional Classes
• Café, Bakery & Store
• Baker's Rewards
• Share on Facebook
• Share by Email
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Linkedin

American baking down the decades, 1960-1969

Breakfast leaves the table.

If you're a Boomer, you almost certainly remember the tumultuous 1960s. The oldest members of the Baby Boomer generation graduated from high school in 1964 – the same year the youngest ones were born.

1964 was a pivotal year. The war in Vietnam, an event that would define our childhood and young adulthood, was still a small conflict somewhere in the Far East. Elvis was shocking our parents, but crew-cut Pat Boone continued to croon as well.

The Beatles? On February 9, 1964, 70 million people tuned in on their rabbit-eared black and white television sets to watch the Fab Four's American debut on the Ed Sullivan show. Their final number, "I Want to Hold Your Hand," represented the typical first step in the American girl's life plan: love, marriage, motherhood.

Stay-at-home mom? They were the norm, not some new societal trend.

Moms cleaned the house, did laundry, checked homework and, of course, prepared meals – three a day, plus probably an after-school snack as well. Lunches got packed in brown paper sacks; dinner was a sit-down affair, usually served as soon as Dad walked in the door from his job.

And breakfast? You ate it at the table, from a plate (bacon and eggs) or bowl (cereal). Breakfast on the run? No such thing.

Until July 14, 1964. That's the day Kellogg's iconic grab & go breakfast, Pop-Tarts, hit the shelves.

"You can eat ’em in the dark, eat ’em in the park, eat ’em in a rollercoaster..." when the introductory TV ad. In other words, forget anchoring yourself to the breakfast table. Once you pop these babies out of Milton the Toaster (remember him?), a simple "May I be excused?" and you're free to go.

No need to push scrambled eggs around the plate or listlessly spoon up lukewarm oatmeal. No, Pop-Tart in hand, you can crash out the door into a waiting gaggle of kids, ready to enjoy a Saturday of kickball, bike-riding, and a trip to the drugstore for a package of Twinkies and the latest Superman comic.

What was your favorite Pop-Tart flavor? Mine was (and is) plain-as-plain-can-be unfrosted brown sugar cinnamon. Thus, when I set out to make my own homemade toaster tarts (because why not, right?), brown sugar cinnamon was the test filling.

Though I did test strawberry, too – in a nod to the original four flavors.

After all, these pastries are nothing more than pie crust sandwiched around a thin layer of fruit (or brown sugar) filling.

I can do that – and so can you. With one caveat: remember, Boomers, this isn't 1964, and you're not the kid you used to be. We're all looking to eat just a touch healthier these days. So this whole-grain version of our Tasty Toaster Tart recipe is 50% whole wheat, and 30% lower in fat than the original.

We can live with that, right?

1. Make the crust.

Gather these ingredients:

1 cup (120g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1 cup (113g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour 1 tablespoon (11g) sugar 1 teaspoon salt 16 tablespoons (227g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pats 1 large egg 2 tablespoons (28g) milk

Whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter until the mixture holds together when you squeeze it, with pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible. 

Mix the egg and the milk. Drizzle it into the dough as you mix, adding just enough to bring the dough together. It will be cohesive, but not wet or sticky. Stir in an additional tablespoon of milk, if necessary.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a rough 3" x 5" rectangle, smoothing the edges. Wrap in plastic or waxed paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes; this will relax the gluten and firm up the dough a bit, making it easier to roll.

You can also refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days; let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature before you roll it out.

2. Roll it out.

Place one piece of dough on a generously floured work surface; I like this silicone rolling mat , which helps keep cleanup to a minimum.

Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/8" thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9" x 12". Trim off the edges; place the scraps on a baking sheet, and set them aside, along with the 9" x 12" rectangle of dough.

Press the edge of a ruler into the dough, to gently score it in thirds lengthwise and widthwise; you’ll see nine 3" x 4" rectangles.

Beat 1 large egg, and brush it over the entire surface of the dough; you won't use all of the egg.

3. Make the filling.

I'm trying two fillings: brown sugar cinnamon and strawberry. Each of the amounts below will make enough for an entire recipe of toaster tarts, so choose one – or make a double batch of pastry.

Brown sugar cinnamon 1/2 cup (106g) brown sugar 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon , to taste 4 teaspoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Mix everything together.

Strawberry 3/4 cup (255g) strawberry jam (or the jam of your choice) 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

Bring the jam and cornstarch/water to a boil in a small saucepan and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool.

Roll the second piece of dough, and cut it into a 9" x 12" rectangle, same as you did the first piece.

4. Assemble the toaster tarts.

Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each marked rectangle. If you're using jam, try to keep it in the center of the rectangle, away from the edges.

Carefully lay the second piece of pastry on top.

Use a chopstick, dull ruler edge, or other blunt, straight object to seal the filling into its separate tarts. Press down firmly; you want a good seal.

Press the outside edges tightly to seal, as well.

If you want a fancier edge, press with the tines of a fork.

Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork; you want to make sure steam can escape, or the tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries.This also helps prevent the filling from leaking out.

Refrigerate the tarts (they don’t need to be covered) for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350°F.

Now, if you're following our online recipe, you'll notice I've diverged from the directions here. The original recipe calls for separating the nine tarts before baking, sealing around all four edges of each.

I figured, why make extra work? Bake the tarts as a single sheet, then separate them once they're baked. We'll see how that turned out shortly.

Note: Remember those dough trimmings you set aside? Sprinkle them with cinnamon-sugar (or any leftover brown sugar filling); these have nothing to do with your toaster pastries, but it’s a shame to discard them, and they make a wonderful snack. While the tarts are chilling, bake these trimmings for 13 to 15 minutes, until they’re golden brown.

5. Bake and enjoy!

Remove the tarts from the fridge, and bake them for 25 to 35 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pan.

If you've baked them in a single sheet, cut them apart while still warm.

And how did the single-sheet method work? Fine and dandy – for the brown sugar tarts. The strawberry tarts were fine, too, so long as you don't intend to pop them into the toaster at some later date, to rewarm. Their edges didn't seal as well as the brown sugar tarts.

Also, notice I did have just a bit of filling leakage – but only on the couple of tarts I didn't vent thoroughly enough.

Nothing succeeds like excess! Add a decorative drizzle of confectioners' sugar glaze, if you like. I didn't even bother with measurements here, simply stirring together about 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar with enough milk to make it "drizzle-able."

Now, how about popping these into the toaster? If their edges are sealed well enough, go for it; just don't toast for too long, as you never know when your handmade (as opposed to machine-stamped) tart may spring a leak. I'd say a toaster oven, with a pan underneath, would be more fail-safe.

"You can eat ’em in the park, you can eat ’em in the dark..." Or you can simply relax and eat these toaster tarts at the breakfast table.

Or after dinner, relaxing in your favorite easy chair with a cup of coffee. For many of us older Boomers, the allure of Pop-Tarts remains; but the call to action is fainter than it used to be, for sure!

Please bake, rate, and review our recipe for Tasty Toaster Tarts .

What was your usual (or favorite) high school breakfast? Share with us all in comments, below.

• Tasty Toaster Tarts
• 225th anniversary
• history of baking
• toaster tarts

About PJ Hamel

Recommended products.

November 7, 2023 at 4:04pm

Recommended flours for GF and is there a recipe to utilize?

November 11, 2023 at 9:42am

In reply to Recommended flours for GF… by Sabrina Fife (not verified)

Hi Sabrina, we sell a variety of gluten-free flours and also include a wealth of recipes on our website to utilize them. Generally, we don't recommend substituting one gluten-free flour for another, since they are formulated differently and won't perform the same way. This blog post offers lots of information on the variety of gluten-free flours we sell, and how best to incorporate them into your baking. Our Gluten-Free Baking Guide is also a great resource for gluten-free bakers. And if you find you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our Baker's Hotline. We're here M-F from 9am-9pm EST, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am-5pm EST, and the number to call is 855-371-BAKE (2253). 

December 11, 2022 at 11:08am

In the ingredients it says nothing about shortening but in the Method it says ** Add the shortening, mixing until everything is evenly crumbly. Then work in the butter, leaving some larger, pecan-sized pieces. Which one is correct please?

December 11, 2022 at 11:23am

In reply to In the ingredients it says… by Vanjoes (not verified)

Hi Vanjoes! It looks like this recipe has had a minor reworking changing it from a shortening crust to an all butter crust. If you'd like to make this a shortening crust still you could substitute it for some or even all of the butter, but we find that this recipe is much more delicious with a butter crust. Happy baking!

October 16, 2016 at 11:19am

October 16, 2016 at 12:24pm

In reply to Thanks bunches for these blogs. Reading the recipe and seeing t… by Wanda Warren (not verified)

July 20, 2016 at 11:48pm

July 21, 2016 at 5:53pm

In reply to I would rather not use piecrust---can you come up with a recipe… by tanya (not verified)

March 10, 2016 at 7:40am

March 10, 2016 at 10:24am

In reply to At the point where you refrigerate these, could I leave them O… by Sara (not verified)

Post A Comment

• No HTML tags allowed.
• Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
• Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

Recommended Posts

How to make snowflake pancakes

Use our pancake mix to prepare a cozy breakfast for any winter morning.

I've baked over 18,000 pancakes. Here's how to make your best.

From preparing toppings to greasing your griddle, these are my top tips.

Creative ways to eat keto-friendly pancakes

Sandwiches, wraps ... even cereal!

Sourdough for breakfast

Starter adds a flavorful edge to buttery biscuits

Connect with us

Receive recipes & special offers.

View our privacy policy

Our Social Communities

Get in touch.

Chat | Email

Popular in recipes

• Supersized, Super-Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Small-Batch Cinnamon Rolls
• Sourdough Starter

Popular in products

• Gluten-Free Bread Flour NEW!
• Fresh Sourdough Starter and Glass Sourdough Crock Set
• Baking Parchment Paper

Popular in blog

• Bread baking in a Dutch oven
• 10 tips for new sourdough bakers
• Make and freeze pie crust

Home » Food & Pop Culture » 16 Creepy Desserts From The 1960s That Will Make Your Stomach Cry

16 Creepy Desserts From The 1960s That Will Make Your Stomach Cry

Max Rosenberg

• Published January 30, 2019

There are some desserts that can definitely be kind of strange. In fact, when we look back at the dessert trends from this decade, we’ll probably wonder what ever made us eat these things. Some examples include charcoal ice cream (looks cool, but is it even good for you?), high-protein ice cream (the real stuff is always better), and cronuts (complicated and not always as tasty as you think they’d be). But honestly, none of these strange dessert options are as weird as the things people ate for dessert in the 1960s.

The 1960s had plenty of great food options, some of which we still love today.

This is the decade that gave us fondue, chicken a la king, Swedish meatballs, and meatloaf. And there were plenty of delicious desserts as well. If it weren’t for the ’60s, we might never have bananas foster, chocolate fondue, or baked Alaska! But for all of the good things came plenty of strange ones.

The 1960s were known for lots and lots of Jell-O dessert options: fruits encased in Jell-O, Jell-O mixed with something completely weird (like cream cheese!), and much more.

There were also plenty of creepy flavor mixtures going on, and some items that hopefully tasted better than they seemed. Check them out if you’re brave:

1. Whip ‘n Chill was a super popular part of the Jell-O brand that was like light, fluffy pudding.

It sounds better than it looks, that’s for sure!

2. Junket was a digestive enzyme known as rennet.

It was dumped into milk and would curdle into a sort of custard..

Sounds… wonderful.

3. Broken Glass Cake got its name from its appearance…

…but chunks of jell-o mixed with some sort of whipped topping seems like a little much..

Which is an understatement.

4. This sunshine Jell-O salad has an extremely unappetizing texture to it.

We didn’t know jell-o could look this way..

And cue the food nightmares!

5. And this lime Jell-O and cottage cheese salad looks even worse, if that’s possible:

Why ruin jell-o like this, 6. fruit salad cheesecake might taste better than it sounds, but… it certainly doesn’t look great..

Honestly, how did people eat these things without getting sick at the sight of them?

7. This prune salad in Jell-O looks horrifying!

Prunes and jell-o.

No thank you. Prunes and, well, anything? Also no thank you.

8. This Under-The-Sea Jell-O salad is cream cheese and Jell-O, which doesn’t seem like a mix that should have happened.

No more cream cheese or cottage cheese mixed with jell-o, please.

We’ve had enough!

9. We’ll give this “Strawberry Magic Pie” the benefit of the doubt and say maybe it just looks creepy?

Though we love strawberries and and magic, mixing in sour cream is a bit of a turn off..

Top it off with some gelatin and our bodies are not ready.

10. The Tunnel of Fudge was a really popular 1960s dessert that sounds weird, but probably honestly tastes really great.

It also kinda looks weird, but then again, doesn’t everything that was sweet during the 1960s?

11. This rainbow sparkle salad looks so odd!

“rainbow sparkle salad” is very misleading..

Again, no. more. cottage. cheese.

12. Ginger Whip doesn’t sound like the best flavor we’ve ever heard.

Ginger ale, jell-o, and orange juice.

Who came up with this stuff?!

13. This is… pineapple in Jell-O? Who can tell?

Why would you ruin a perfectly good pineapple like this.

It doesn’t need to be covered in Jell-O!

14. Okay, fruit cake on its own is terrible.

Who thought frozen fruit cake would be a good idea?! And topped with salad greens — no thanks.

15. This crushed pineapple mix seems very horrifying.

“winter time is pineapple pie time”.

Are we being pranked right now?

16. Miracle Whip and peaches?! No thank you!

We think we’ll stick to the popular desserts of today.

Because, yikes!

Did you like it?

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4.8 / 5. Vote count: 471

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related Articles

Discontinued Foods That Live On In Our Memories

• 4.5 ( 205 )

Applebee’s Employees Spill Secrets We Never Would Have Guessed

• 4.8 ( 407 )
• 2 weeks ago

Why Do People Put Peanuts In Their Coke? We Get To The Bottom Of It

• 4.5 ( 241 )
• 2 months ago

1990s Diets That Will Make You Glad It’s the 2020s

• 4.8 ( 152 )

Want to get all the hot news?

• Tips And Tricks
• Entertaining
• Decorate The Plate
• Work with us
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy

©2024 First Media, All Rights Reserved.

• Dining & Entertaining
• Food & Grocery
• Kitchen Appliances
• Kitchen Accessories
• Entertaining / Parties
• Food & Pop Culture
• Beverage News
• So Yummy by Bella

Enjoy Your $19.99 FREE Copy of Our Digital Cookbook!

Enjoy our FREE Digital Cookbook as Our Way of Saying Thank You!

I agree to the storing and processing of my personal data by So Yummy as described by the Privacy Policy.

Get your So Yummy Cookbook digital copy - for Free!

Enjoy surprising, smart and absolutely gorgeous home cooking recipes & tips.

Thanks for subscribing!

Your Cookbook Awaits in Your Inbox

Rolling Sweet Tooth

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

7924 Fm 1960 Rd E

Humble, TX 77346

You Might Also Consider

Kung Fu Tea

1.5 miles away from Rolling Sweet Tooth

Alena B. said "Rosehip Lemonade is my new favorite!!! I'm always on a mission to find Kung Fu Teas around Houston area & spotted this one out in Humble (Atascocita). They have some new seasonal items on the menu so definitely head over to check…" read more

in Juice Bars & Smoothies, Coffee & Tea, Bubble Tea

Dessert Gallery Bakery & Cafe

Hailey L. said "I found the reviews for this place to be interesting? It has gotten anywhere from Jennifer C.'s 1 star, to Kymberlie M.'s 5 stars! I decided to check this place out this past week. What does one do when you see ratings from a…" read more

in Cupcakes, Bakeries, Desserts

Ask the Community

Ask a question

Yelp users haven’t asked any questions yet about Rolling Sweet Tooth .

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

Delicious ice cream and good service Great atmosphere A different twist on ice cream and the kids love it!

I've been to these rolled ice cream places before where they load your cup with at least 5-6 rolls, but this one only had 3 small rolls in it for $6. We purchased two cups so it was over $12 with tax & not alot. Thats a lot of money for the small amount of ice cream we got. My husband was also disappointed. And the extra ice cream that was on the ice plate was just thrown away. I was thinking why throw it away & not put it in your customers cup? I like supporting local businesses but this was a lot of money for very little product.

Business owner information

Business Owner

May 13, 2024

It sounds like you ordered the kid's cup and not the regular size. The kid cup has 3 rolls because that's a good amount of ice cream for a child to eat. The regular cup has 5-6 rolls in it. The cup sizes are displayed at the register so customers can see the distinct difference in size before they make their purchase..

4 other reviews that are not currently recommended

Other Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Nearby

Crumbl - Humble

1.0 miles away from Rolling Sweet Tooth

Nikia H. said "My daughter and I tried @crumblcookies for the first time and they did not disappoint!!!!! We went in hoping to try the famous french toast cookie but unfortunately breakfast week ended and this week was Minion week. At first I was…" read more

in Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bakeries, Desserts

Dairy Queen

2.9 miles away from Rolling Sweet Tooth

Dana L. said "DQ hands down, has the best summer treat of them all...the BLIZZARD!!! Who ever came up with that concept was a GENIUS!!! To me there is not an ice cream treat better than the Cookie Dough Blizzard....so addicting it is ridiculous!!…" read more

in Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Fast Food

People Also Viewed

Baskin-Robbins

Blue Bell Creameries

Mr Frosty Snowcones

Refresqueria El Encanto

Neveria Caprichitos

Abbott’s Frozen Custard

Sabor Xtremo refresqueria

Cafe Gripon’s Churros

Best of Humble

Things to do in Humble

Browse Nearby

Things to Do

Thrift Stores

Find more Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt near Rolling Sweet Tooth

• Search the site Please fill out this field.
• Saved Items & Collections
• Add a Recipe
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

Roaring Twenties Desserts That Deserve a Comeback

The Roaring Twenties might be associated with beaded flapper dresses and pinstriped suits, economic prosperity, and the rise of the "Lost Generation." But the 1920s were a unique time for cooking, especially when it came to desserts. A multitude of factors — including Prohibition, refrigerators becoming common in most households, and the beginning of the Great Depression — were at play and affected everything from ingredient sourcing to cooking techniques.

But just because these dish ideas are a century old doesn't mean you can't enjoy them today during the 2020s. From tomato soup cake to layered gelatin, find out what desserts were a hit a hundred years ago.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

In the early 1900s, the Dole company began packaging canned pineapple in Honolulu, Hawaii. Over the years the business grew, and by the 1920s most households now had access to this exotic ingredient. Because of this, the pineapple upside down cake was quickly born by combining the popular style of skillet cakes with the tangy tropical fruit. Another popular new product of the time, syrup-packed maraschino cherries , were also commonly included in the cakes. Traditional maraschino cherries had been around since the turn of the century and were preserved in liqueur, but during the Prohibition the sugary variety quickly became the new norm.

Try it: Grandma's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Neapolitan Ice Cream

While ice cream existed for centuries before this era, it became a more attainable everyday dessert in the early 1900s thanks to the invention of refrigerators for households. Looking over menus from the time, ice cream was a regularly served dessert. We even spotted "avocado ice cream" on a Christmas Day menu for a Los Angeles restaurant in 1925. But by and large, the most common flavor in the 1920s was Neapolitan. The ice cream is thought to have been brought to the United States by immigrants from Naples, hence the name. Combining a trifecta of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors molded together, the dessert was meant to represent the Italian flag.

Try it: Make it with Strawberry , Vanilla , and Chocolate ice creams

Although patented in the late 1800s, Jell-O didn't become a hit with American households until the 1920s. This is partially due to intense marketing in the early years after the turn of the century — free Jell-O cookbooks were handed out door-to-door). Also, more homes had refrigerators, a necessary tool for setting up gelatin. The brand had a variety of flavors available even then, including strawberry, lemon, cherry, and peach. Jell-O was commonly served as a molded dessert, a salad containing pieces of fruit or even vegetables, and as a layered treat using multiple flavors.

Try it: Seven Layer Gelatin Salad

Fruit Cocktail

Although its origins are mildly hazy, the common story about the name "fruit cocktail" comes from the Prohibition years. With restaurants having cocktail glasses that were unusable at the time due to the alcohol ban, chefs apparently got creative and started serving a sweet fruit mixture out of them. No matter its beginnings, the fruit cocktail trend caught on, and by the mid-1930s Del Monte was selling a canned version to households, cafeterias, and even military bases across the nation.

Try it: Fruit Cocktail Drop Cookies

Tomato Soup Cake

Also sometimes referred to as "mystery cake" due to the secret ingredient, tomato soup cake is a creative take on baked goods that came about in the Depression era. There is no claim-to-fame for who invented it, but variations of the cake began popping up in community cookbooks around the late 1920s and early 1930s. Tomato soup made the perfect ingredient for cakes to add moisture since it was both frugal and shelf-stable. It was used as a substitute for the majority of the dairy (such as milk and butter) in recipes, which was hard to buy in large quantities during the time. Don't be concerned about a tomato-y tang in your cake, the combination of spices, dried fruit, and nuts will make for an aromatic dessert that masks any flavor.

Try it: Mimi's Tomato Soup Cake

More Retro Dessert Ideas

• 15 Vintage Jell-O Desserts That Are Due for a Comeback
• 15 Grandma-Approved Desserts You'll Love to Make and Share
• 20 Vintage Summer Desserts For Timeless Treats

You’ll Also Love