Pineapple pie has a surprising vintage history — see the old-fashioned recipes that made it a home baking favorite for decades.
christmas recipes
Try these hot rum recipes for winter drinks made with cider, coffee, tea or eggnog. Easy to make and good for cold nights or holiday gatherings.
Gifts from the kitchen are easy to make, easy to share and don’t require anything fancy. Use what you have and turn treats into thoughtful gifts fast.
Crisp, freshly-baked spicy cookies, made from these classic gingersnap recipes, are sure to entice the whole family.
These edible cranberry candles were a real holiday salad in the 1960s. Molded in cans, topped with mayo and lit with candles, they were part food, part decor.
Philly cheese bells from the 1980s shaped a cheddar and cream cheese spread into festive molds. Easy to prep, easy to serve, and good with crackers.
This exceptional Bacardi rum cake is a pudding cake baked in a ring pan, and flavored with Bacardi dark dry rum. You may be surprised at how easy it is to get an elegant cake – perfect for the holidays!
Here are six ways to make warm and wonderful traditional gingerbread — the kind of classic cookies and cakes your great-grandmother probably used to make!
Make a double batch of these chicken meatballs with cranberry glaze – serve what you need, and freeze the rest for a spur-of-the-moment party.
A shrimp Christmas tree appetizer is a scene-stealer and a real buffet beauty, certain to cast a special charm over any holiday party – yet so easy to do! Here’s how.
Get seven sassy snack mix how-tos from yesteryear, including the granddaddy of them all: the original Chex mix recipe!
Found: The perfect recipe for the classic caramel candy, that everyone can enjoy making — and eating.
Make these vintage Christmas cane cookie buns from 1963 with a clever no-rise dough and festive fruit filling shaped like candy canes.
Here are 20 classic mincemeat recipes (used to make the holiday favorite, mincemeat pie) – as remembered through the decades.
Try this tasty and easy recipe from the early 1960s for old-fashioned rolled sugar cookie cutouts, accompanied below by step-by-step photos!
Paintbrush cookies from Betty Crocker’s 1956 promotional booklet let you paint edible designs before baking. A fun, colorful twist on traditional cut-outs.
Pecan pumpkin pie adds the rich flavor of pecans in a crunchy top layer. Corn syrup is combined with canned pumpkin and eggs for a fast, smooth custard filling.
Though many have tried, no cook has ever been able to improve upon the taste of traditional pumpkin pie. Carnation’s famous pumpkin pie recipe is a Thanksgiving classic – and we have the ’50s recipe right here.
More than good, Libby’s pumpkin pie is smooth, gently spicy, and perfect! Get the classic pie you love – the original vintage recipe is right here, with our very own step-by-step photos to guide you.
Pumpkin dream pie is a 1950s no-bake dessert made with pudding, whipped topping, and pumpkin — simple, sweet, and ready in no time.
Try these holiday punch recipes from the 1950s and 1960s for your next party — simple, festive drinks that brought the cheer to vintage celebrations.
These delicious classic pumpkin cookie bars are sort of like a denser pumpkin bread, and pair perfectly with a tasty orange-y cream cheese frosting. Get the retro recipe from the 80s here!
If you want to try something new that’s actually old for Thanksgiving, try making this homemade pie crust recipe from 1950!
What is a pumpkin roll? It’s a lightly-spiced pumpkin cake, jelly roll-style — filled with sweet, fluffy cream cheese. Try this retro version from the 70s!
Popcorn balls were a holiday and party favorite for decades. See how these sticky-sweet treats became a go-to homemade snack in vintage America.
Warm up like it’s the 1960s with hot Dr Pepper! This retro drink, served with a slice of lemon, is a unique and cozy twist on the classic soda.
People of all ages will love these cute vintage Christmas cookie houses, which can be made easily and inexpensively. See examples and get directions here!
You might remember some of these popular fudge recipes from your childhood. We encourage you to try at least one this year (or try them all)!
Looking for some deliciously sweet fall snacks? Try these two classic recipes: some amazing pumpkin spice cookies with lemon icing, and the traditional seasonal favorite, Libby’s pumpkin nut bread!
These two Libby’s pumpkin cheesecakes are rich with cheese and pumpkin and brown sugar, flavored with maple, topped with sour cream and cinnamon – truly delicious desserts.
Dig this crazy caramel popcorn – it’s positively wild, all candy-coated and crunchy with almonds, pecans or peanuts, made with corn syrup.
Having a retro party for the holidays? Here are lots of crazy kitschy vintage Christmas appetizers you may want to serve… at your own risk.
Check out this fascinating collection of 1970s Christmas photos and magazine clips, showcasing the unique holiday spirit and trends of the era.
A plate of Christmas goodies just would not be complete without them: those delicious classic peanut butter blossoms cookies, featuring a big chocolate kiss right on top.
These rich and tender cherry thumbprint Christmas cookies have bright and colorful button centers, made by placing pretty halved red or green candied cherries into the middle of each one.
Get ready for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with the help of these old-fashioned stuffing recipe, made with simple ingredients and fresh foods.
Pumpkin pie doesn’t have to be light in color and light on flavor! Try these recipes for dark and delicious old-fashioned pumpkin pie with molasses & brown sugar – and see some other tasty variations, too!
Chocolate potato cake is a flavor variation on a vintage favorite. For decades, cakes using plain mashed potatoes as a main ingredient were very popular. Here are three easy recipes!
This recipe for tasty Greek Christmas cookies uses half almond flour and half all-purpose flour for the dough – which is spiced with cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon, then topped with a candied cherry.
This amazing peppermint fudge recipe from the 80s combines the flavor of peppermint with creamy white chocolate for a treat that practically tastes like Christmas.
Here’s a collection of gingerbread houses to inspire you this holiday: a fairy-tale cottage, half-timbered country house, marvelous Victorian mansion, and many more – along with details on how to make your own classic gingerbread house.
Rocky Road fudge — with its tried-and-true combination of chocolate, marshmallows and nuts — reaches new heights when made in fudge form.
A Rice Krispies gingerbread house – or Christmas cottage – made from crispy rice cereal is easier and faster to put together than most conventional gingerbread houses! Here’s how to do it.
This shaped butterscotch yule log is like a roll of butterscotch fudge that you cut into slices – and is super easy to create. Here’s how to make one for Christmas!
If you are looking for a treat so Christmas-y that you can actually taste the festivity, it’s hard to beat the old-fashioned charm of gingerbread recipes.
If you’re having a party, consider these 12 cheese ball recipes! These tidbits provide a good color, taste and texture contrast to other foods, and can be made ahead of time, too — even several days ahead to suit your convenience.
Toast the season’s riches with this snappy pinecone-shaped cheeseball! Formed in a nutshell of crisp, crunchy almonds, its flavor is so scrumptious, your guests will go simply nutty.
This retro cranberry pumpkin bread recipe makes for a breakfast or dessert filled with warm flavor from just the right blend of fall spices, plus a little bit of a tart kick from the popular autumn fruit, cranberries.
Here’s a tasty holiday menu you probably haven’t seen before: Truman Capote’s favorite Thanksgiving recipes! Find a collection of delicious vintage dishes here.
Once you have made your perfect pumpkin pie – using the classic Libby’s pie recipe or another version – you might want to accent your delicious dessert with one of these tasty pumpkin pie toppings!
As you prepare to dive into the busiest cookie-baking season of the year, make sure you’re prepared with the best quality cookie-baking supplies!
If you think your quest for the best pumpkin pie recipe has only just begun, we have news for you: you’ve just found the vintage recipe motherlode. Which is the best pie? Try some and decide!
Make these melt-in-your-mouth classic chocolate rum balls with powdered sugar – candies with a little rum kick – with this retro recipe from 1982.
These shortbread-like cream cookies are super fun and festive when dipped into melted chocolate, and then rolled in edible decorations!
Celebrate this season with this quick and easy Hollyday Mint Pie recipe. You’ll love how easy it is to get into the holiday spirit.
Hot punch is one of the traditional winter warmer-uppers, whether or not there’s booze in it. Here are more than a dozen old-fashioned hot punch recipes for the holidays, both with and without alcohol.
In these recipes from the 1950s, find out how to make classic gingerbread cookies — pretty decorated cut-out Christmas cookies with that famous spicy flavor.
Find out how to make these delicious old-fashioned fall desserts with recipes for pumpkin dessert squares, a coconut choco-swirl cake & a date bar cake.
Something new has happened to pumpkin pie: Double layer pumpkin cheesecake pies! Cream cheese blends perfectly with spicy pumpkin, and bakes up smooth and creamy.
This vintage easy pumpkin chiffon pie features a no-bake filling – and is made completely from scratch. Make it in just 9 easy steps, illustrated here!
These Karo lace cookies are so thin & elegant, crisp & crunchy, you can serve them to company, give them as gifts, or hang them on the tree.
Here’s a delicious dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas! This retro ’80s recipe for pumpkin pudding with honey pecan sauce — which actually makes six sweet mini souffles — is surprisingly easy to make.
Re-create that warm holiday feeling with an almond pudding loaf that’s will fill your home with the delicious aroma of home baking.
Here is an easy 1970s chocolatey Coconut Joy no-bake cookie recipe from C&H. With it, you can easily make these sweet treats for the holidays – or any day of the year!
This carrot cake Christmas pudding is a variation of the classic holiday dessert, but based on a carrot cake recipe. That means it should make a delicious treat even for those who aren’t fans of old-fashioned plum pudding.
How about a little old-fashioned holiday inspiration? Check out these super-cute retro Christmas cake decorating ideas to help you use frosting to make a wreath, stocking, reindeer, Santa Claus cake and more!
From the era before electricity, automobiles and radio come these very old-fashioned recipes for Victorian Christmas side dishes. Get a taste of the holidays, 1800s-style!
What kind of sweets did they enjoy more than 100 years ago — especially when ready-made candies were few and far between? People back in
Here are three old-fashioned plum pudding recipes – classic Christmas desserts full of fruit, booze, and other good things that there is little room for the dough.
Try these Triple Treat holiday bars: A vintage bar cookie recipe from 1973! They’re easy to make. Take one pan, bake one base, then top 3 different delicious ways.
Here is a group of irresistible cookies of every kind which you’ll enjoy making as much as giving. From Woman’s Day magazine (December 1962) Cookies
If you’re looking to recreate that special vintage Christmas cookie recipe that your grandmother used to make, or want to discover old-fashioned cookies to make new again, here’s a big tasty collection of treats for you!
If you’re looking for tips on doing something just like they did it 100 or more years ago, you’re in the right place! Here are
Two Christmas traditions (eggnog and Kringla) rolled into one soft, cakelike cookie. Here’s how to make classic eggnog kringla cookies with this recipe from 1990.
This holiday chocolate nut squares recipe makes a delicious vintage cookie bar – filled with chocolate, pecans or walnuts, plus coconut on a sweet cookie dough base!
Whether they’re right out of the box or in your favorite recipe, here is is an easy way to tempt the vanilla wafer lovers in your family: Make a nilla wafer cranberry cheesecake!
Here are three different recipes for vintage pumpkin meringue pies – one with a homemade pie and meringue topping, a second with a ginger-infused meringue, and the last using a pre-made pumpkin pie with a nutty meringue on top.
Iced Nesselrode Pudding, a chestnut-based chilled sweet, was considered to be very expensive, very fancy, very tasty — and was, consequently, very popular during the Victorian era.
Go a little retro this year! Make delicious holiday butter cookies and lots of different pressed Christmas cookie designs – including spritz – from these easy vintage recipes.
This deliciously festive pear-cranberry cobbler recipe from the ’90s is filled with seasonal fruit and a crumbly topping.
This delicious gingerbread cake has a light and fluffy molasses meringue topping – perfect for the holidays! Get the retro recipe right here.
Swedish rosettes, a light Scandinavian cookie, uses a rosette iron to create its distinctive shape. The result is as delicious as it is beautiful.
Glowing with cheer, try this fresh-made delight – Kahlua Christmas cake, made with ground almonds instead of flour, and covered with a mocha frosting.
Try one of these vintage 7-Up cake recipes with lemon-lime soda! ‘Never before have you had a cake so light, so airy, so high, and with such a delightful new flavor.’
Get some great retro recipes for some classic molasses cut-out cookie recipes: Swedish crisps, gingerbread men & Christmas tree cut-out cookies!
There’s magic in the rich, chocolate moistness of Duncan Hines’ mint magic brownies — and in how deliciously they disappear.
Joyous in the holiday season, homemade candy & fudge are gifts happily remembered: golden taffy nuggets sweetly flavored with molasses, white velvet creams, chocolate cream fudge and more deliciousness.
Holiday punch takes on a whole new dimension when you spark up the brew with deliciously fizzy drinks like ginger ale, 7-Up and Sprite!
This cute Jell-O Jingle Jells recipe features bells cut out of Jello (with a cookie cutter) and served with flaked or riced Jello and whipped cream.
Try this Borden holiday eggnog pie, made with a filling of vanilla pudding, eggnog, spice, and whipped topping mix. The result is festive, delicious and easy.
Once upon a time, fruitcake took days to prepare. Weeks even. But not anymore! Here’s the famous 9-minute ‘can’t fail’ holiday fruitcake.
Layered pumpkin pies set in the fridge with pumpkin and whipped cream. Try a 1972 classic and a 1992 no-bake pie made with pudding mix.
‘Tis the season for vintage Christmas Rice Krispies Treats, so find out how to make clown pops, surprise balls, crispy snowmen, toy animals and puddin’ tart shells and more!
Get some creative retro recipes for coconut Christmas cakes, with various festive holiday designs and themes from the 1940s through the 1980s!
These two retro pumpkin coffee cake recipes will make for a delicious breakfast or brunch — and they will even fill your home with that heavenly pumpkin spice aroma.
Meat is the foundation of a dinner, and vegetables, sauces, jellies, preserves and relishes help to make the whole complete. Here are several traditional sauces and sides to serve with meats.
Here are four different spins on a classic coconut eggnog pie recipe – one with bourbon, one with rum, two without booze – all delicious vintage desserts from the 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s.
Old-fashioned eggnog recipes come in many varieties, so here are more than a dozen – though definitely take a look at the traditional Southern egg nog how-to, which will apparently allow the spirit of Christmas to descend upon you.
