15 Nostalgic Desserts That Took Over Illinois Back In The Day
Remember when desserts weren’t just treats but actual events that brought families together? Illinois has a rich history of sweet indulgences that defined generations of Midwestern childhoods.
From corner bakeries to grandma’s kitchen, these classic desserts weren’t just sugar and flour – they were memories in the making, connecting communities through shared sweetness.
1. Gooey Butter Cake
Originally a St. Louis mistake that migrated north, this happy accident became an Illinois staple faster than you could say “pass the powdered sugar.” The delightfully wrong-turned-right dessert features a cake bottom with a gooey, buttery layer that melts in your mouth.
Neighborhood bakeries across Springfield and Chicago suburbs kept display cases stocked with this treat. Families would pick one up for Sunday dinners, where arguments over corner pieces versus middle slices became part of the tradition.
2. Chicago-Style Popcorn Mix
Sweet meets savory in this iconic Chicago creation that had Illinois kids begging for more. Caramel corn and cheddar popcorn mingled in perfect harmony, creating a flavor combination that shouldn’t work but absolutely does.
Garrett Popcorn Shops made this mixture famous, with lines stretching down Michigan Avenue. The distinct striped tins became holiday gifts exchanged between neighbors, and no trip downtown was complete without bringing home this crunchy treasure.
3. Persimmon Pudding
Fall in Southern Illinois meant persimmon harvests and the spiced pudding that followed. Grandmas would send kids out with buckets to collect the orange fruits after the first frost, when they turned sweet enough for baking.
The dark, dense pudding-more like a moist cake than what most folks call pudding-came topped with fresh whipped cream. Family recipes were guarded secrets, passed down through generations on splattered recipe cards.
4. Fannie May Chocolates
Nothing said “special occasion” in an Illinois household like the gold-trimmed box of Fannie May chocolates. Founded in Chicago in 1920, these handcrafted treats became the go-to gift for everything from Valentine’s Day to report card celebrations.
The Pixies-caramel and pecan clusters draped in chocolate-achieved legendary status. Remember the panic when they briefly disappeared in the early 2000s? Illinois residents practically staged a revolt until production resumed!
5. Italian Lemon Ice
Summer evenings in Chicago’s Little Italy weren’t complete without a paper cup of frosty lemon ice. Mario’s Italian Lemonade and other neighborhood stands had lines wrapping around blocks during heatwaves, with kids clutching dollar bills in sweaty hands.
The perfect balance of tart and sweet, with real lemon bits you’d fish out with your wooden spoon-straw. No fancy ingredients or preservatives-just lemons, sugar, and water transformed into something magical that somehow tasted better when eaten on the sidewalk.
6. Frango Mints
Before Amazon deliveries and online shopping, getting Frango Mints meant a special trip to Marshall Field’s department store. These chocolate-mint delights were created in 1918 and became Chicago’s sophisticated sweet.
Mothers would treat daughters to lunch at the Walnut Room, then bring home the iconic green box as evidence of their downtown adventure. The thin squares melted instantly, leaving a cool mint finish.
7. Eli’s Cheesecake
Before becoming a nationwide phenomenon, Eli’s Cheesecake was Chicago’s best-kept secret. Born in Eli Schulman’s restaurant in 1980, this cheesecake broke all the rules with its crispy butter cookie crust and fluffy consistency that was neither New York-dense nor ricotta-light.
Birthdays in Illinois often featured these golden rounds instead of traditional cake. The Taste of Chicago festival cemented its legendary status when they created the world’s largest cheesecake in 1985-weighing over 2,000 pounds and feeding 11,000 dessert-crazed Illinoisans!
8. Frozen Custard At Jarling’s
Champaign-Urbana folks didn’t need fancy ice cream shops-they had Jarling’s Custard Cup. Since 1949, this institution has served egg-rich frozen custard so thick your plastic spoon could stand straight up in it.
Summer nights meant joining the line that snaked through the parking lot, debating between chocolate, vanilla, or the flavor of the day. The snowstorms-custard blended with toppings-arrived before Dairy Queen’s Blizzard, though locals would never dare make that comparison out loud.
9. Swedish Bakery’s Cardamom Coffee Cake
For nearly a century, Andersonville’s Swedish Bakery created coffee cakes that made Sunday mornings special across Chicagoland. Their cardamom-spiced masterpiece, swirled with cinnamon and topped with pearl sugar, became the centerpiece of family gatherings.
The distinct blue-and-yellow boxes traveled to holiday tables and new-neighbor welcome baskets. When the bakery closed in 2017, loyal customers stood in line for hours during the final week, hoping to taste this beloved treat one last time.
10. Horseshoes (Sweet Version)
Springfield’s famous horseshoe sandwich has a lesser-known sweet cousin that delighted Illinois kids with a sweet tooth. This dessert horseshoe featured pound cake instead of bread, ice cream instead of meat, strawberry topping instead of cheese sauce, and a crown of whipped cream with sprinkles.
Cozy Diner and other Springfield establishments would serve this sugar-bomb to wide-eyed children on special occasions. Parents would snap Polaroids of the inevitable ice cream mustaches and sticky fingers that followed.
11. Pumpkin Pie from Peoria
Long before Starbucks made pumpkin spice famous, Illinois was the pumpkin capital of the world thanks to the Libby’s canning facility in Morton. Peoria-area bakeries elevated pumpkin pie to an art form, with recipes claiming to be the “original” Illinois version.
Fall meant driving past golden pumpkin fields on the way to grandma’s house for Thanksgiving. The pie’s perfectly spiced, silky-smooth filling in a flaky crust became the standard against which all other pumpkin desserts were judged.
12. Paczki From Polish Bakeries
Fat Tuesday in Chicago meant one thing: the paczki rush. These Polish doughnuts-richer and denser than their American cousins-created lines around the block at bakeries in Avondale and Jefferson Park. Coworkers would arrive with grease-spotted boxes to share, the ultimate pre-Lenten indulgence.
The traditional rose-filled variety competed with modern flavors like custard and chocolate, but purists insisted on plum jam. Powdered sugar inevitably ended up on shirt fronts, the telltale sign you’d scored a fresh batch.
13. Green River Ice Cream Sodas
Lime-green and sweeter than sweet, Green River soda flowed through Illinois soda fountains long before Mountain Dew existed. When paired with vanilla ice cream in a tall glass, it created a frothy, emerald-colored masterpiece that kids would save allowance money to enjoy.
Old-school pharmacies and five-and-dimes across the state served vibrant treats with two straws (for sharing) and a long spoon for fishing out the melty ice cream. The distinctive color supposedly inspired the 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival song of the same name!
14. Frozen Bananas From Riverview Park
Before the famous amusement park closed in 1967, no Chicago kid’s summer was complete without a chocolate-dipped frozen banana rolled in peanuts from Riverview. These simple treats provided cool relief from hot days spent on rickety roller coasters.
The combination of creamy frozen banana, snappy chocolate shell, and crunchy nuts created textural magic that neighborhood ice cream trucks tried to replicate for years after. Parents who grew up with the original version would tell kids, “They just don’t make ’em like they used to at Riverview.”
15. Oberweis Ice Cream Sundaes
Before becoming a grocery store staple, Oberweis Dairy stores were special destinations where Illinois families celebrated little victories. Their signature glass bottles of milk found their way into refrigerators across the state, but the real magic happened in their ice cream parlors.
The hot fudge sundae came in a glass dish that showcased perfectly scooped vanilla ice cream drowning in thick, dark chocolate sauce. A dollop of real whipped cream and a cherry completed this classic that made piano recitals and baseball wins taste even sweeter.
