17 Vintage Halloween Treats That Never Get Old

Caramel Popcorn Balls

Corn as a foodstuff dates back thousands of years, but the history of the popcorn ball is a little harder to verify. One fanciful story traces the origin story of popcorn balls to a perfect storm involving a hot Nebraska cornfield, a rain-soaked sticky sorghum field, and a tornado. What we do know for sure is that a recipe for Pop Corn Balls appeared in E.F. Haskell’s “Housekeeper’s Encyclopedia” in 1861.

Rocky Road Popcorn Balls

According to food lore, “rocky road” as a dessert name dates back to 1853 when Australian merchants needed to come up with a way to repackage and market candies that didn’t quite survive the long journey overseas from Europe. Here, two old-time treats meet up in one Halloween delight. “I made these fun treats for my boys and am now making them for the grandkids. Great any time of the year, but especially good at Halloween for trick-or-treaters. A combination of rocky road candy and sweet popcorn rolled into a ball.” —SweetBasil

Salted Pumpkin Caramels

“Making your own homemade salted pumpkin caramels is much easier than you would think. Scooping out a pumpkin and carving a jack-o-lantern is much harder! If you’ve never made caramel candy, this recipe is a great place to start.” —Chef John

Caramel Apples

The official origin story of caramel apples is that a Kraft Foods salesman named Dan Walker came up with apples dipped in melted caramel back in the 1950s when he was trying to use up some extra caramel stock after Halloween. Dentists have blessed or cursed him ever since.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Cake-like cookies sandwiching a sweet filling were so beloved long ago that Amish farmers would shout “Whoopie!” when they found them packed in their lunches — or so goes one version of the lore. In the first decades of the 20th century, whoopie pies became commercially produced (some say 1918; others say 1925), and they’ve retained their old-fashioned appeal to this day. This version, made with pumpkin instead of the more traditional chocolate, is just right for Halloween, and just might get a few whoops of joy from your family and friends.

Marshmallow Treats

Officially dating back to 1939, this combination of marshmallows, crisp rice cereal, and butter was invented by Kellogg’s employees Mildred Day and Malitta Jensen. Yes, you can cut them into crispy, sticky beige squares as originally intended. But you can also add color and bend this highly malleable mixture to your creative will.

Crispy Rice Candy Corn Treats

Crispy rice treats also make the perfect base to customize with your favorite candy. We can’t think of a more classic choice for Halloween than candy corn, which dates back to the 1880s.

Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds

Ancient native cultures in the Americas consumed nutrient-dense pumpkin seeds both raw and roasted, as far back as 10,000 years ago. There’s no evidence that they sprinkled them with sugar and cinnamon, though.

Honeycomb Toffee

With its light and airy construction, this crispy confection resembles a sponge or a honeycomb, and is known by many names all over the world. Some date the candy back to the 1940s, but that’s hard to verify given its global appeal. This particular recipe comes from Chef John, who says, “This very fun and simple-to-make candy goes by many names; cinder toffee, sponge candy, and my personal favorite, ‘hokey pokey,’ but no matter what you call it, this eye-catching confection is a proven crowd pleaser. As long as you’re very careful and heat the syrup up to the correct temp, there’s not a lot that can go wrong.”

Nutmeg Cake

The tradition of eating spiced “soul cakes” on All Hallow’s Eve dates back to the Middle Ages. Children would go door to door singing a ritual song in honor of the dearly departed, and collecting small, spiced cakes to eat.

Slime Popcorn

We’ve already talked about corn as a traditional foodstuff, but what about marshmallow? Food history tells us that ancient Egyptians enjoyed the sap of the mallow plant mixed with honey and nuts. Centuries later, the French used the same sap to create a fluffy but labor-intensive candy. And of course the process was mechanized and modern-day marshmallows were popularized in the United States in the early 1900s. Which brings us to this eyeball-studded bowl of green-tinted marshmallow popcorn. Who could resist?

Pumpkin Cake I

Pumpkin spice may have become an ultra-popular flavor in the 2010s, but the blend of spices dates to 1934 when McCormick began producing it with pumpkin pie in mind. The flavor has since inspired tons of recipes. Bake our Pumpkin Cake I in a bundt pan for vintage charm.

Pumpkin Cake

Did you know that the first jack-o’-lanterns weren’t pumpkins at all, but were originally carved out of turnips? The tradition originated in Ireland, inspired by a folktale that involved a guy named Stingy Jack who reneged on a deal with the Devil and was condemned to roam the night with only a coal in a turnip lantern to light his way. Fast forward to this sweeter version of the tale, and you have a pumpkin cake decorated like a grinning jack-o’-lantern.

Hoot Owl Cookies

“This recipe has been around since the 1960s. My mom made them for us every fall,” reviewer Carolyn says. “My favorite thing about them: When they bake, they all take on different personalities!”

Bloody Skeleton S’mores

This cute and creepy treat is a gruesome twist on the classic graham cracker + chocolate + marshmallow treat you know and love as s’mores. While no one really knows who officially invented the s’more, it first appeared as a recipe in a 1927 publication about the Girl Scouts.

Apple Hand Pies

Food encased in pastry for portable, hand-held meals dates back to forever, and can be stuffed with both sweet and savory fillings. You’ll find a version of hand pies in cultures all over the world, so let us just focus on the hand pies before us. They’re stuffed with fall’s favorite fruit, making them perfect for this roundup of old-fashioned Halloween treats.

Monster Bites

Bobbing for apples is a popular Halloween party activity that actually dates back to the 14th century as a match-making game wherein women would try to capture a floating apple with one bite and thereby discover the names of their sweethearts. You know, because apples were ancient symbols of fertility and all that. Well, these playful apples bite back with almond teeth embedded in peanut butter, minus the angst of the dating game.

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