The Retro Candy You Can Turn Into A Surprisingly Tasty Old-School Dessert

Recipes for candy-based desserts are hardly a new idea, from cupcakes topped with M&M's to cheesecake stuffed with Snickers. But one candy you might be surprised to see in a cookbook is circus peanuts. These bright orange, retro treats could be described as America's most hated candy, especially since — despite the name — they don't taste like peanuts, and you're unlikely to find them at the circus. But these nostalgic, banana-flavored bites can be found in grocery stores and candy shops, as well as in the recipe for a tasty, old-fashioned dessert: circus peanut salad.

Of course, circus peanut salad doesn't taste like peanuts, would be very inconvenient to bring to a circus, and isn't a "salad" that bears any resemblance to a chopped, Caesar, or chef's salad mix. Jell-O changed the very definition of salads, making the cool, wiggly, refreshingly sweet treat a popular dish of the 20th century. Circus peanut salad is also the same signature shade of orange as the circus peanuts it includes, making it an extra fun summer treat that looks like sunshine.

To make circus peanut salad, you'll need circus peanuts, of course, as well as crushed pineapple, orange gelatin, and plenty of whipped topping to dollop on the finished dessert. Best of all, this treat isn't just for dessert; fruity, gelatin-based salads like this can make for a fun and unique side dish at a potluck or a barbecue, where the cool sweetness and fruity flavors can provide a nice contrast to burgers, hot dogs, or pasta salad.

Circus peanuts may seem retro at a glance, but their history is downright antique. One of the original "penny candies," sold at five-and-dime stores, the first circus peanuts were made in the 1800s as a seasonal snack, only sold in the spring. The invention of polyethylene film by the 1940s meant that keeping circus peanuts relatively fresh during the shipping and storage process was possible, and the orange candy became something that could be enjoyed year round.

But there is still some mystery in the origins of circus peanuts. Specifically, why is a banana-flavored marshmallow shaped like a peanut? Experts theorize that the banana flavor is thanks to banana oil being cheaper and more chemically stable than peanut oil — but if that were the case, then why is the candy peanut shaped? The truth is, nobody knows for sure. But with a history that spans more than a century, circus peanuts remain one of the longest-lived candies in America.

Even if you're not a fan of gelatin salads — with or without circus peanuts — you can still make delicious desserts using old-school candy favorites. Tootsie Rolls, the notoriously chewy chocolate-flavored taffy, are another one of America's oldest candies, with a history dating back to 1896, when candymaker Leo Hirschfield cooked up the first batch and named them after his daughter, Clara "Tootsie" Hirschfield. They're tasty on their own, or in the famous Tootsie Pop, but they also make a sweet and chewy addition to homemade fudge.

On the other hand, if you're craving a fusion of sweet and sour, Lemonheads, the retro lemon-flavored hard candy, make a surprisingly delicious addition to cookies. These sweet-and-sour suckers were invented in the early 1960s, and are still popular today. Adding crushed Lemonheads to classic lemon sugar cookies makes for a tangy, slightly caramelized treat that can be packed for lunch, stored for later, or enjoyed fresh from the oven.