This No-Bake Winter-Themed Dessert Was The Life Of The Party In The '50s

Flash back to the 1950s, and American sweets took on various fun forms not common today. Some forgotten desserts your grandparents ate included the stacked, colorful layers of baked Alaska and the wide-ranging shapes of Jell-O dishes. Plus, for an especially cool-looking 20th-century sweet, cooks firmed up ice cream snowballs. These white and fluffy spheres consist of vanilla ice cream rolled in shredded coconut, then topped with garnishes like a dash of mint, food coloring, or chocolate sauce.

The frozen food conveniently requires no baking and instead comes together via a nifty assembly technique. Ice cream is scooped into a ball onto a baking tray or mold, then firmed in the freezer. Next, the dessert is delicately rolled in coconut flakes, before the application of optional decorative elements, often with a dash of winter magic in mind.

In decades past, such ice cream snowballs appeared as a beloved party favor in celebratory contexts. On Reddit, users nostalgically recall the charming Flaming Ice Cream Snowballs brand, which came packaged with frosted leaves and a candle. "They were THE dessert of my childhood Christmas," noted a redditor. So enliven an old-school favorite, and enjoy a frozen treat from a different era.

The pairing of simple vanilla ice cream and coconut flakes has long comprised the snowball foundation. The medley of the two is an easy match — vanilla ice creamhad already been beloved for centuries, while utilizing coconut was especially trendy come the 1950s — a time when you could find it in multiple popular desserts. Although a tried-and-true combo, snowballs can be mixed up into other fun forms, too.

For instance, consider keeping the ice cream the same flavor but throwing some nuts into the mix. Slivered almonds add a gentle crunch (and still stick to the all-white theme), while chopped walnuts add a more rigid textural element. You could take Rocky Road ice cream for inspiration, and mix in a dash of roasted hazelnuts, plus shaved or chopped chocolate — either white or dark. Finish with mini marshmallows for pleasant fluffiness and a throwback to the decade of their invention (the 1950s, if that wasn't clear).

Plus, think of all the possible pairings of ice cream flavor and topping. You could go with peppermint ice cream for a dose of holiday magic or lemon sorbet for refreshing summer fun. Combine time-tested pairings like raspberry sorbet with chocolate, or personalize with your favorite ice cream flavor and candy garnish. Take part in the 1950s food revival with a batch of sweet snowballs — they look great and taste good, too.