7 Foods Boomers Grew Up Calling Treats That Kids Today Would Refuse

Ask anyone who grew up in the 1950s or 1960s what counted as a treat, and the answers can be surprising. There were no rainbow-colored cereals in every cupboard, no candy aisle the length of a football field and no app that delivered milkshakes to the front door. A treat was often something simple that Mom or Grandma pulled together from what was already in the kitchen, and kids were thrilled to get it.

Times have changed, and so have taste buds. Many children today have grown up with sweets that are brighter, sweeter and more heavily marketed than anything their grandparents knew. Put some of those old-fashioned goodies in front of a modern kid, and you might get a wrinkled nose, a polite “no thanks” or a flat-out refusal. Here are seven foods boomers grew up calling treats that many kids today would turn down without a second thought.

1. Buttered Bread Sprinkled With Sugar

For a lot of boomers, one of the simplest after-school snacks was a slice of white bread spread with butter or margarine and dusted with granulated sugar. Some families used brown sugar or a sprinkle of cinnamon, which turned it into a poor man’s cinnamon toast. It cost next to nothing, and it used ingredients every household had on hand.

Kids loved the crunch of the sugar against the soft bread, and it felt like dessert in the middle of the afternoon. Today, many children would wonder why anyone would eat plain bread with sugar on it when cookies, granola bars and snack cakes are everywhere. It’s a good example of how families once made a treat out of almost nothing.

2. Raw Rhubarb Stalks Dipped in Sugar

In many parts of the country, rhubarb grew in backyard gardens and along the edge of farm fields. Children would pull a stalk, rinse it off and dip the end into a small bowl or cup of sugar before every bite. The sour, puckering crunch balanced by the sweetness was a springtime ritual for plenty of boomers.

Only the stalks were ever eaten, because the leaves are not safe. The University of Illinois Extension warns that rhubarb leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid, and its guide to growing rhubarb explains that the stalks are the edible part. Most kids today have never seen a rhubarb plant, and one bite of that tart stalk would likely be their last.

3. Horehound Candy

Horehound candy is an old-fashioned hard candy made from the horehound plant, an herb in the mint family. It has a strong, bittersweet taste that some people compare to a cross between root beer and cough syrup. For generations, horehound was used in home remedies for coughs and sore throats, and the candy carried that same reputation.

Boomers often remember getting horehound drops from a grandparent’s candy dish or a general store jar. The flavor is earthy and slightly medicinal, which is exactly why many modern kids would spit it out. It’s still sold in some country stores and online, mostly to adults who remember it from childhood.

4. Black Licorice

Black licorice was a candy store staple for decades. Brands like Good & Plenty, with its pink and white candy coating, date back to the 1890s, and licorice ropes and twists were common at movie theaters and corner stores. For many boomers, black licorice was a favorite, and they could buy a handful for pocket change.

Today, black licorice is one of the most divisive candies around, and many kids can’t stand its strong anise-like flavor. It’s also worth enjoying in moderation as an adult. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that large amounts of licorice root can raise blood pressure and lower potassium levels, so it’s not something to eat by the bagful.

5. Mincemeat Pie

Mincemeat pie was once a holiday must-have in American homes. Early versions really did contain meat, usually minced beef along with suet, apples, raisins, spices and sometimes a splash of brandy or rum. NPR’s look at old-time Thanksgiving recipes explains that mince pie was a common way to use up leftover cooked beef in the 19th century.

By the time boomers were growing up, many mincemeat recipes and jarred fillings had cut back on the meat or left it out entirely. Even so, the dark, heavily spiced filling was considered a special holiday treat. Most kids today would take one look at a slice, hear the word “meat” and reach for the pumpkin pie instead.

6. Fruitcake

Fruitcake has been the punchline of holiday jokes for years, but for many boomers it was a genuine treat. A good fruitcake was dense with candied cherries, pineapple, citron, raisins and nuts, and some versions were soaked in rum or brandy to help them keep. Families often saved the tin it came in to store buttons or cookies afterward.

Some bakeries have been making fruitcake for well over a century. The Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, has been baking its famous fruitcakes since 1896, and it still ships them all over the world each holiday season. Ask a modern child to trade a cookie for a slice of fruitcake, though, and you’ll probably be eating the fruitcake yourself.

7. Circus Peanuts

Circus peanuts are soft, orange, peanut-shaped marshmallow candies with a flavor most people describe as banana. They have been around since at least the early 1900s, and they were a classic penny candy for boomers. Their spongy texture and bright color made them a fixture in candy bowls and at five-and-dime stores.

The Ohio-based Spangler Candy company, also known for Dum Dums lollipops, still makes circus peanuts today. But the candy has a famously mixed reputation, and many kids find the texture strange and the flavor confusing. If you put a bag next to a bag of gummy worms, it’s easy to guess which one would disappear first.

Why These Treats Felt So Special

Part of the reason these foods felt like treats was that sweets were not as common in everyday life. Families had smaller grocery budgets and fewer packaged snacks, so a slice of fruitcake or a few pieces of licorice really stood out. Many of these treats were also tied to grandparents, holidays and seasons, which made them more meaningful.

Taste buds also adapt to what we eat most often. Kids who grow up with very sweet, very bold flavors may find old-fashioned treats too bitter, too tart or too plain. On the other hand, boomers who grew up with them often still crave them, because those flavors are tied to happy memories of childhood.

Bringing Back the Old Favorites

Some of these treats are making a quiet comeback, especially among adults who want a taste of nostalgia. Specialty candy shops sell horehound drops, black licorice and circus peanuts, and many families still bake a fruitcake or mincemeat pie for the holidays. Rhubarb has also found its way back into farmers markets and home gardens.

If you love vintage food, it’s fun to look back at the old-fashioned foods many boomers still enjoy and the dishes most boomers loved with a passion growing up. Sharing these treats with grandchildren can also spark great conversations about how life used to be, even if they don’t ask for seconds. Which of these old-fashioned treats did you love as a kid, and would your grandkids eat it today?