Gelled, Molded, and Questionable: 1970s Christmas Desserts That Flopped.
The 1970s were a bold time for food—sometimes too bold. While disco fever swept the dance floors, holiday tables were filled with gelatinous, neon-colored, and downright puzzling desserts.
From oddly suspended ingredients to flavors that never should’ve met, these Christmas sweets are best left in the past.
Nothing screams holiday cheer like a standing banana topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Supposed to resemble a festive candle, this dessert instead earned snickers at the table for its, um, suggestive shape.
Lime gelatin was already questionable, but combining it with cottage cheese, pineapple chunks, and walnuts turned it into a curdled, lumpy nightmare. Somehow, this was considered sophisticated in the ’70s.
Yes, people mixed Coca-Cola with cherry Jell-O, canned fruit, and sometimes cream cheese. This bizarrely fizzy, jiggly concoction was more of a science experiment than a Christmas treat.
Avocados were trendy in the 1970s, but some things shouldn’t be turned into pie. This dessert mixed mashed avocado, condensed milk, and lime juice into a sweet-yet-savory green filling that confused taste buds everywhere.
Traditional fruitcake is already divisive, but the ’70s took it to the next level by suspending candied fruit and nuts in a wobbly gelatin mold instead of a dense cake. One slice, and guests quickly lost their appetite.
The 1970s may have been an era of culinary experimentation, but these holiday flops prove that not every idea deserved a place at the Christmas table!