10 Retro ’70s Desserts That Deserve A Sweet Comeback
Remember when desserts came in neon green colors and featured ingredients like crushed cookies mixed with whipped cream?
The 1970s gave us some truly wild and wonderful sweet treats that somehow vanished from our tables over the decades.
Many of those groovy desserts actually tasted amazing despite looking a bit unusual, and it’s time we brought them back to life in our modern kitchens.
1. Watergate Salad
What happens when you mix pistachio pudding, crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows, and whipped cream? You get one of the most mysteriously named desserts in American history! Nobody knows exactly why it’s called Watergate, but this bright green fluff became a potluck staple throughout the decade.
Kids absolutely loved the sweet, creamy texture and fun color. Parents appreciated how incredibly easy it was to whip together in just minutes. You can make it even better by adding chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch that balances the fluffy sweetness perfectly.
2. Jell-O Poke Cake
Picture a plain white cake transformed into a rainbow masterpiece with just a few pokes of a wooden spoon! After baking, you jab holes all over the cake and pour liquid Jell-O into every opening. As it sets, you end up with colorful streaks running throughout each slice.
Birthday parties in the ’70s weren’t complete without one of these show-stopping creations. You could customize the colors to match any theme or holiday, making every celebration feel extra special and personalized.
3. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Flipping a cake pan upside down to reveal a glossy, caramelized topping felt like pure magic to home bakers everywhere! Maraschino cherries nestled inside pineapple rings created that iconic retro look that screamed sophistication. The butter and brown sugar mixture caramelized beautifully while baking, creating a sticky-sweet glaze.
Cast iron skillets worked perfectly for achieving that gorgeous golden crust. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream melting on top, and you’ll understand why this dessert ruled dinner parties across America.
4. Chiffon Pie
Light as a cloud and twice as dreamy, chiffon pies took the dessert world by storm with flavors ranging from lemon to chocolate to strawberry. Whipped egg whites gave the filling an airy, mousse-like texture that practically floated off your fork. The secret was folding everything together gently so you wouldn’t deflate all those precious air bubbles.
Refrigerator pies became hugely popular because they didn’t heat up the kitchen during hot summer months. Plus, they looked incredibly elegant without requiring advanced baking skills or fancy equipment.
5. Grasshopper Pie
Bright mint green filling and a chocolate cookie crust made this boozy dessert a grown-up favorite at dinner parties! Crème de menthe liqueur gave it that distinctive color and refreshing flavor that tasted like frozen mint chocolate chip ice cream. The name came from the grasshopper cocktail that inspired the recipe.
You can easily make a kid-friendly version by swapping the alcohol for mint extract and green food coloring. Either way, the combination of chocolate and mint remains absolutely irresistible to anyone with a sweet tooth.
6. Ambrosia Salad
Greek gods supposedly ate ambrosia for immortality, and honestly, this fruity concoction might just be that delicious! Mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, coconut flakes, and marshmallows all get mixed with sour cream or whipped topping. Southern families especially loved bringing this to church potlucks and holiday gatherings.
Some recipes included chopped pecans or walnuts for added texture and richness. The beauty is that you can adjust the ingredients based on what’s in your pantry, making it endlessly customizable and budget-friendly.
7. Baked Alaska
Watching meringue toast to golden perfection while ice cream stayed frozen underneath seemed like actual sorcery to dinner guests! Cake forms the base, ice cream stacks on top, and fluffy meringue covers everything before a quick trip to a blazing hot oven. The meringue acts as insulation, protecting the ice cream from melting.
Restaurants sometimes served it flambéed with rum for extra drama and showmanship. Making one at home takes planning but guarantees you’ll become a legend among your friends and family.
8. Tunnel of Fudge Cake
Cutting into this bundt cake revealed a hidden river of gooey chocolate fudge running through the center like buried treasure! A Pillsbury Bake-Off contestant created the original recipe in 1966, but it exploded in popularity throughout the following decade. The magic happened because the center stayed intentionally underbaked and fudgy.
Finding the exact right frosting mix became tricky when companies changed their formulas over the years. Modern bakers have adapted the recipe using different ingredients while keeping that signature molten chocolate tunnel intact.
9. Cherry Coke Jell-O Mold
Combining America’s favorite soda with fruity gelatin created a jiggly dessert that wobbled its way onto every holiday table! Cherry Jell-O mixed with Coca-Cola instead of water gave it a unique fizzy flavor that kids found absolutely fascinating. Suspended fruit pieces added visual interest and extra texture to each slice.
Fancy copper molds in elaborate shapes turned simple gelatin into edible art that impressed everyone. Getting the mold to release cleanly required a quick dip in warm water and a lot of hopeful thinking.
10. Viennetta Ice Cream Cake
Pulling a Viennetta from the freezer felt like serving something straight from a fancy European restaurant! Thin chocolate layers rippled between vanilla ice cream in elegant waves that looked impossibly difficult to create. The reality was that specialized machines made the distinctive pattern, but guests didn’t need to know that secret.
Cutting through the crispy chocolate layers made a satisfying crackling sound that built anticipation. While it disappeared from many stores, the nostalgic demand has brought this sophisticated frozen treat back to select markets recently.
