So many changes between different decades, and it’s always fun to look back in history and think about the things that make each period of time unique. Trends like style and beauty define certain years, but they aren’t the only ones: so does food. While certain dishes and recipes seem to be popular always, no matter what, not everything is a classic. Each decade has its own selection of foods that, while they may have been delicious and revolutionary back then, seem totally crazy now.
The 1980s were no exception. It might not seem that long ago, but looking at the desserts that people ate in the ’80s makes it seem like it was forever ago.
When it came to desserts in the ’80s, people were finally starting to get over that obsession with molded Jell-O dishes that took over the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s — although some could still be found. The desserts of the ’80s weren’t quite as horrifying as some of the desserts from older time periods, but still, there were plenty that make us want to gag now.
It makes you wonder: what are we eating and loving for dessert today that people are going to be seriously grossed out by in the future?!
For now, let’s reminisce over these creepy things people ate for dessert in the 1980s, and just feel happy we don’t have to eat them now.
1. This Raspberry Halo Mold doesn’t look great:
Okay, so the weirdly molded desserts weren’t entirely gone.
Now we don’t have any desire to revisit this monstrosity of excessive food coloring, but apparently, it was all the rage in the past. Whoever thought Halo Mold was a good idea certainly had an interesting appreciation for sweets. And the name isn’t all that appetizing, either. Why did people want to eat something that referenced mold (even if the word’s context was different)? We’ll never know.
And don’t get us started on the ingredients.
This dessert from the 1980s combined fruit gelatin with suspended bits of frozen raspberries, marshmallows, and angel food cake. That’s, uh, quite a mix. Couldn’t they have simply had gelatin or angel food cake? Having both might be a bit much.
2. This Cool Whip and yogurt pie seems kind of strange:
There are definitely worse things.
Now, it’s not like other foods aren’t more poorly matched. But that doesn’t mean this mix of Cool Whip and yogurt sounds particularly appetizing. The graham cracker crust that holds the creative pie actually looks pretty good, though. We’d like to have that crust with just about any other filling.
3. This Christmas rainbow poke cake just looks weird:
Is this supposed to be like edible art?
If so, we don’t expect the baker to receive any art awards anytime soon. In fact, does anyone else thinks this cake looks more like melting crayons than a holiday dessert? We understand the holiday color scheme, but that’s about all we understand with this ’80s cake.
4. These “moist” brownies could use some better advertising:
In fact, some words should just be banned altogether.
Okay, if we’re being honest, the brownies seem fine. It’s rare that we find a brownie we don’t like, and people in the 1980s obviously appreciated a good chocolate dessert. However, the wording in this ad just needs a lot of work.
Seriously, what’s happening?
They used the word “moist” not once but twice. The word choice is all wrong. It’s an absolute no-no now, and it probably was in the ’80s too. For that reason alone, we have to pass on these frosted Nestlé bites. No thank you, next.
5. Cheeriodle chocolate ice cream cups were apparently a thing:
Okay, we like the idea of a cup filled with chocolate ice cream. It actually sounds like a normal, delicious ice cream cone. But, apparently, those dessert manufacturers couldn’t just leave well enough alone. During times like these, we really wish people knew how to leave well enough alone. If it’s not broke don’t fix it.
And why drag Cheerios into the mix?
The small oat-cased cereal tastes great on their own. Now we’re not saying you have to limit your Cheerio intake to only breakfast meals. But do those iconic little circles really belong with ice cream? It seems like they’d turn into a soggy mess. Plus, how do you even say “Cheeriodle”?!
6. Nuts in gelatin — doesn’t sound that delicious:
Yes, you’d get your protein.
But do you really need protein badly enough to subject yourself to this? Did people in the ’80s all have protein deficiencies or something? That could be the only plausible reason people would enjoy this strange creation. The whipped cream on top of the wiggly dessert looks good; that’s it.
What were these marketers thinking?
Having fruit in Jell-O just wasn’t enough for them. Nope, they absolutely had to throw some nuts into a gelatin mold, too.
7. This Almond Sherry Cake is probably the least offensive of the bunch:
But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have flaws.
The outside looks good, so we were very close to congratulating those 1980s’ bakers on their good taste. Seriously, a nice frosting with sliced almonds? Sign us up! The cake gets a little more disturbing after a second glance, though. An entire clump of almonds runs through the entirety of the dessert. To put it mildy, that just looks off.
8. What is happening with this “spumoni elegante” cake?
The usual gelato mixture took a turn.
We actually enjoy nice spumoni. The dessert makes us think of a leisurely food vacation in Italy, but this is not what we picture when we fantasize about Italian delicacies. We’re not sure of the inspiration behind this “cake,” but we definitely don’t think any dessert should ever be wrapped in egg custard.
9. This fruit n’ creme supreme dessert could be better:
It’s just condensed milk and fruit.
Now there’s nothing wrong with mixing those two ingredients. We just don’t believe they consist of an actual dessert. can we get a little more effort, please? Maybe sprinkle on some graham cracker flakes or granola. Or is that too much work to handle?
10. This tunnel cake is so strange to look at:
It’s actually a little off-putting.
There’s a chance that this cake could taste great, but really, why does it look like that? If you stare at the white frosted, duo-layer dessert, your eyes go out of focus. We’d much rather prefer a cake with… less visual stimulation. And the chocolate shavings don’t help.
11. Hot Buttered Cheerios were a thing:
But they never should have got their own ad.
Why did people enjoy eating bland Cheerios coated in butter? They didn’t even add sugar or honey to kick up the wow factor. Seriously, this just sounds boring if not unnecessarily unhealthy. We want no part of this.
12. This nature bread looks like a bland excuse for a dessert:
Can you even call this a dessert?
It seems like a much less intricate version of carrot cake. There’s no icing, but well, you get shredded carrots and molasses. For some reason, people went crazy over this stuff in the ’80s. Maybe they felt like the so-called dessert was healthy, but it even falls short there.
13. Jell-O Pudding Pops certainly don’t seem better than Fudgesicles:
But they were beloved by almost everyone for more than a decade. We barely like pudding in its normal form, so when people freeze the jiggly mixture we draw the line. It’s the pudding texture, especially, that gives us pause. If that’s all we had in our freezers for dessert, we would skip the after-dinner treat entirely.
14. British Trifles don’t even have sound yummy:
This 1980s dessert was especially popular in Britain. People from all walks of life enjoyed it. If you ask us, though, there were too many textures. Custard, sponge cake, and egg creme might all be combined in the trifle dessert. Couldn’t they just pick one or two?
