An era filled with political movements, social evolution, and new music weaving into the mainstream, the 1960s were years of great change – and that's before you've even looked at what the nation was eating. From pre-packaged treats to the launch of fast food favorites we still adore today, we take a look at the 31 tastiest foods, snacks, and dishes loved by the US and Canada in the 1960s.
Click or scroll our gallery to discover the foods Canada and the US loved in the 1960s, counting down to the greatest launch of all.
We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each food item in its place of origin and beyond, and on the opinions of our well-traveled (and well-fed) team. This list is unavoidably subjective.
Who can remember enjoying a melty scoop of this? A Canadian summertime staple from the 1950s to 1970s, the ice cream came in a rich orange flavor, complete with swirls of black licorice. Notorious for its bright orange-and-black color, this flavor may have been an acquired taste, but it was hard not to be won over by its fun name and look.
This fun restaurant style, where meat, seafood, and veg are grilled on a flat, hot iron plate in front of customers, first gained traction in Japan in the post-war period. By 1964, Japanese chain Benihana opened its first location in New York, bringing this theatrical style of eating to the US. It remains a popular style of dining today, with customers still taken wowed by the performance.
Québec’s classic cheese curd and gravy-loaded fries may have been a restaurant favorite since the 1950s, but it wasn’t until rotisserie chicken restaurant St-Hubert launched its Original Poutine Gravy cans that the nation began enjoying this meal at home. Landing in Canadian supermarkets in 1965, they enabled fans of the dish to finally whip up their own version at home without having to spend hours making a rich gravy.
In the mid-1960s, the Quaker Oats Company launched its now legendary instant oatmeal, which transformed into ready-to-eat hot porridge by adding water. Nowadays, you can get the oats in a host of different flavors, from Apples and Cinnamon to Maple and Brown Sugar. The invention spawned a thousand imitations, with instant oatmeal becoming a regular on the breakfast table.
An imitation whipped cream, Cool Whip was introduced to American homes in 1966. Produced by Kraft Foods, it quickly became a leading brand, regularly appearing as the key ingredient in pies and gelatine-based puddings throughout the decade. These days, you can get the cream in a variety of styles, from Extra Creamy to Mix-Ins.
This flambéed favorite never goes out of fashion; it’s a French crêpe, doused in a sauce made with orange zest, sugar, butter, orange liqueur, and Cognac, and set alight so it becomes caramelized. Although it was invented in the 19th century, it was ubiquitous on 1960s restaurant menus.
Rich with a gooey caramel center, the Caramilk has always been a Canadian favorite. The bar was introduced in 1968, and despite being brought to life by the British Cadbury brand, it continues to be exclusively available in Canada only. Fans can’t get enough of the stuff, with the Caramilk continuing to be one of the country’s bestselling bars.
Cheese fondue may have been invented in Switzerland, but we have restaurateur Konrad Egli to thank for its 1960s chocolate incarnation. Created in New York as a promotion for Toblerone, the original was made with double cream, kirsch, and melted Toblerone, served with chunks of cake and fruit presented around it for dipping. These days, strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows dipped in regular milk chocolate are more common.
Do you remember when this candy bar landed on gas station shelves? Causing quite a scene, the 100 Grand choc launched in the 1960s as the $100,000 Bar – radio stations across the country began offering listeners ‘100 grand’ to answer quiz questions correctly. But after one listener found out she was receiving a candy bar instead of a cash prize, a Kentucky radio station was sued in 2005. Produced by Nestlé, the bar – complete with its chewy caramel and crispy center – has since been renamed.
This indulgent restaurant favorite combining seafood and red meat first became popular in the 1960s – and continues to be a menu staple in steakhouses over seven decades later. These days, you'll usually find lobster tail and beef tenderloin featured on menus as a luxurious option, or sometimes even a surf ’n' turf burger, boasting a beef patty topped with indulgent lobster meat.
In 1963, Kellogg’s released Froot Loops: brightly colored cereal rings with a fruity flavor. Initially the box only contained red, orange, and yellow pieces, but soon other colors such as blue and purple were added into the mix. However, controversially, it has been revealed that all the colors taste the same anyway; regardless, they are still firmly loved in the US and Canada.
Who can remember chomping on a strip of this flavorful gum? Beech-Nut's Fruit Stripe was an instant favorite with kids when it launched in 1960, defined best by its strong yet short-lived fruity flavors, brightly colored stripes, and Yipes the Zebra mascot. Sadly, fans of the gum can no longer get their hands on the stuff as it was discontinued in early 2024.
This cake inspired millions of bundt tin recipes (made in distinctive ring-shaped molds) when it won the long-running American Pillsbury Bake-Off contest in 1966. The butter, sugar, cocoa, and nuts in the mix form a 'tunnel' of oozing fudge through the cake as it bakes. It's still a nostalgic favorite enjoyed across the country today.
Sold by Hunt's, Snack Pack's original aluminum cans of pudding with a pull-tab top were notoriously hazardous when they came out in 1968, with many tales of people having hurt their fingers or tongues trying to get in. The desserts are still eaten today (in plastic pots) in a range of flavors that include Banana Cream Pie, Butterscotch, and Tapioca.
While the origins of this huge, gooey cake are hotly debated, there's no arguing that the Texas sheet cake was synonymous with the 1960s. Topped with frosting, pecans, and walnuts, this cake became a regular at Texan funerals as its enormous size and comforting qualities made it the perfect dessert to feed mourners; so much so that it also became known as Texas funeral cake.
Although a patent for Ruffles was granted in 1956, it was the 1960s when the brand was taken over by Frito Lay, with the crinkled chip quickly becoming a household name. Still around today, the chip's deep ridges make it the perfect accompaniment for scooping up creamy dips. The brand comes in a multitude of flavors, from Sour Cream & Onion to Jalapeño Ranch.
When Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by chef and author Julia Child, was published in 1961, it became a runaway bestseller. Americans embraced all things Gallic and dishes such as beef bourguignon – beef stew made with red wine, beef stock, carrots, onions, garlic, bouquet garni, pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon – were a hot topic.
Launched in the early 1960s in the UK as Opal Fruits, the individually wrapped candies came in lemon, lime, orange, and strawberry flavors. Following much success, the fruity chews crossed the Atlantic in 1967, renamed Starburst for the US market. These days, the candies come in a variety of styles, including Gummies, Swirlers, and Sours.
Once you pop, you can’t stop – never was a truer advertising slogan created. These addictive chips were first sold in the US in 1967, before becoming a global sensation in the early-1990s. The colorful tubes come in an array of flavors, from classics like Sour Cream & Onion to new favorites like Honey Mustard and Texas BBQ Brisket.
This cereal of toasted oat pieces and multi-colored marshmallow moons, stars, clovers, and hearts proved irresistible to kids when it was first launched in 1964. Six decades later, the brand's packaging still carries its leprechaun mascot Lucky. These days, kids enjoy endless bowls of the stuff or bake the cereal into Rice Krispie-inspired squares.
Complete with a breadcrumbed fish filet, tartare sauce, and American cheese, this controversial McDonald’s menu item landed on nationwide menus in 1965. It was invented by McDonald’s Cincinnati franchisee Lou Groen two years earlier to boost sales on Fridays, when Catholics usually abstain from consuming meat. Still on the menu today, it's a popular choice across the globe.
No, it’s not an urban myth – Doritos really were invented at a Mexican-style restaurant in Disneyland. The seasoned snacks, renowned for their triangular shape and crunchy texture, were such a hit with customers that they were produced commercially for the local market, before being rolled out nationwide in 1966. The snack brand has gone on to become a global sensation, available in an array of tasty (and sometimes unusual) flavors, including Nacho Cheese, Cool Ranch, and even Wasabi & Beef available in Japan.
A controversial dish since its invention, we have Sam Panopoulos to thank for the world-famous Hawaiian pizza. The Canadian cook first put pineapple on a ham pizza at his Ontario joint, Satellite Restaurant, in the early 1960s. Despite being a crowd divider, the dish quickly caught on, with restaurants, shops, and home cooks now adding the tropical fruit to ham pizzas all across the world.
This kid-friendly food was invented in 1965 when Donald Goerke, who worked for Campbell’s Franco-American brand, was challenged to create a pasta dish for children that could be eaten with a spoon. It took a number of ideas before finally settling on the O, but it's now a staple in cupboards across the country.
A Canadian staple since 1964, Tim Hortons has gone on to become a global chain renowned for its glazed donuts and coffee. The brand was originally set up by National Hockey League player Tim Horton in Hamilton, Ontario before rapidly expanding over the following decades. The chain's iconic mini Timbit’s didn’t launch until the mid-1970s, so in the 1960s fans only had the classic donut variety to choose from.
A classic restaurant appetizer, this tasty dish is made up of fresh cooked and chilled shrimp, cocktail sauce (usually mixing ketchup, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and lemon juice together), and served with a wedge of lemon. Its popularity really began to soar during the late 1950s, quickly becoming a must-try dish served at casinos and restaurants across Las Vegas. By the 1960s and 1970s, it was enjoyed across the US.
Famed for its loaded pan pies, Domino’s was founded in Michigan in 1960 – and has gone on to become the largest pizza delivery chain in the world. Thanks to the world’s insatiable appetite for a takeout slice, Domino’s and its long-running 'Two for Tuesday' marketing scheme are still going strong.
Easy, tasty, and handy when you're low on time, it's hard to imagine a time without this pantry favorite. Produced by Kellogg's, Pop Tarts first landed on supermarket shelves in 1964 and they've been a roaring success ever since. Nowadays, the breakfast food comes in a host of different flavors, from Banana Bread to S'mores.
The finer details of how this finger-licking chicken dish was invented are hotly disputed – but most people believe it was conceived at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, in 1964. It's still popular today, especially while watching a big game – in fact, the National Chicken Council released a study showing that on Super Bowl Sunday, the nation consumes a whopping 1.4 billion wings alone.
Taco Bell began serving its signature Mexican-influenced fast food to eager diners in the 1960s, launching with a simple menu filled with the likes of tostadas, burritos, and tacos. One dish that hasn’t stuck around despite its initial success was its hearty Chili Burgers. These were replaced in the 1970s with Bellburgers, which were packed with ground beef, lettuce, tomato, and Taco Bell’s signature sauce. Bellburgers were themselves replaced in the 1980s, eventually being removed altogether. Despite this, six decades later, the brand has become an international sensation.
McDonald's fast food restaurants had been popping up across the US since the mid-1950s, but its most iconic burger didn't start appearing on menus until 1967. The Big Mac is made up of two beef patties, special sauce, iceberg lettuce, American cheese, pickles, and onions, all sandwiched inside a three-part sesame seed bun. It continues to be a fan favorite all these years later.