MomSkoop
Indiana’s food heritage runs deeper than corn fields and racing traditions. Beyond the famous pork tenderloin sandwiches lies a treasure trove of snacks that transport Hoosiers back to simpler times. These forgotten treats might not make national headlines, but mention them to any Indiana native and watch their eyes light up with recognition and longing.
1. Sugar Cream Pie
Nothing says “I’m from Indiana” quite like defending sugar cream pie to out-of-staters. This velvety dessert earned its nickname “Hoosier Pie” honestly, dating back to pioneer days when resourceful settlers made do with pantry staples.
The simple magic happens when cream, sugar, flour, and vanilla transform into a custard-like filling inside a flaky crust. In 2009, Indiana officially crowned it the state pie, though locals needed no formal declaration.
Grandmothers across the state guard their recipes fiercely, each claiming the perfect balance of sweetness and that signature caramelized top that cracks just right under your fork.
2. Persimmon Pudding
Fall in southern Indiana means one thing to old-timers: persimmon hunting season. This dark, spiced pudding showcases the native fruit that transforms from mouth-puckeringly bitter to honey-sweet after the first frost.
Unlike its English counterpart, Indiana persimmon pudding has a dense, moist texture somewhere between cake and custard. The Mitchell Persimmon Festival celebrates this unique treat every September, where families compete with recipes passed down for generations.
Locals know the trick is patience—waiting for perfectly ripe persimmons that practically melt into pulp before baking with cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of bourbon for those in-the-know.
3. Red Hots Candied Apples
Memories of fall festivals across Indiana wouldn’t be complete without these fiery crimson treats. Unlike regular candied apples, the Hoosier version gets its distinctive flavor and vibrant color from melted Red Hot candies.
School fundraisers and county fairs made these spicy-sweet apples a seasonal tradition. The perfect Red Hot apple strikes a balance—the candy coating shatters between your teeth while the tart apple inside provides juicy relief from the cinnamon kick.
Family recipes often included secret additions like a splash of vanilla or butter for extra richness. Today, finding authentic Red Hot apples means knowing which church bazaars still make them the old-fashioned way.
4. Pork Brain Sandwiches
Before modern food sensibilities took hold, the pork brain sandwich reigned supreme in certain Indiana regions, particularly around Evansville. This oddity features thinly sliced pork brain fritters, battered and fried until crispy, then served on a standard hamburger bun with pickles and onion.
Health concerns have made this delicacy increasingly rare, but dedicated establishments like the Hilltop Inn still serve them to adventurous eaters. The texture resembles scrambled eggs while the flavor is surprisingly mild.
Old-timers recall when these sandwiches cost just pennies—utilizing every part of the animal wasn’t trendy, it was necessary. Today, ordering one earns you immediate respect from local culinary historians.
5. Horehound Candy
When Indiana grandparents reminisce about childhood treats, horehound candy inevitably enters the conversation. These dark brown, diamond-shaped lozenges derive from the horehound herb, delivering a distinctive woody, slightly bitter flavor that’s an acquired taste.
Early settlers valued horehound for medicinal properties, using it to soothe sore throats and coughs. The candy became a staple in general stores across rural Indiana, where children would spend their pennies on these hard candies wrapped in twisted wax paper.
Connor Prairie and other historical sites still produce small batches using traditional copper kettles and wooden molds, preserving this taste of Indiana’s pioneer past that commercial candy companies have largely abandoned.
6. Van Camp’s Pork and Beans
Before becoming a national brand, Van Camp’s began as an Indianapolis grocery store in 1861, where Gilbert Van Camp perfected his canned pork and beans recipe. For generations of Hoosiers, these beans weren’t just convenience food—they were a cultural touchstone.
Family picnics, church potlucks, and backyard barbecues weren’t complete without a casserole featuring these beans doctored up with brown sugar, mustard, and bacon. The distinctive blue and red label became synonymous with Indiana practicality.
Though production eventually moved out of state, older Indianans still claim the original Indianapolis-made version had a special flavor that modern varieties can’t replicate—perhaps seasoned with a dash of hometown pride.
7. Roselyn Bakery’s Coffee Cake
For decades, the pink Roselyn Bakery boxes tied with white string signaled something special in Indianapolis households. Until the chain closed in 1999, their cinnamon-swirled coffee cake reigned supreme at Sunday gatherings and office break rooms.
The dense, buttery cake featured a crackling sugar crust and that unmistakable ribbon of cinnamon running through each slice. When the bakeries suddenly shuttered, locals panicked, hoarding the last available cakes and swapping increasingly valuable recipe attempts.
Though some Roselyn recipes eventually became available in grocery freezer sections, devoted fans insist these mass-produced versions pale compared to the original. The coffee cake remains the most missed—a true taste of Indianapolis mornings that no imitation has matched.
8. Sechler’s Pickles
Hidden in St. Joe, Indiana, Sechler’s has been transforming cucumbers into pickle perfection since 1921. Their sweet pickle relish earned legendary status among Hoosiers who refuse to top hot dogs or deviled eggs with anything else.
Unlike mass-produced varieties, Sechler’s candied sweet pickles deliver that perfect crunch followed by a complex sweetness that comes from their secret 14-day brining process. The family-owned operation still hand-packs jars of their specialty varieties like Cinnamon Pickles—bright red spears that became Christmas dinner traditions.
Generations of Indiana children grew up drinking the tangy “pickle juice” straight from the jar, a practice out-of-staters find baffling. True aficionados make pilgrimages to the factory store for limited varieties not sold in supermarkets.
9. Popcorn Balls with Nonpareils
Long before fancy popcorn shops invaded malls, Indiana children anticipated homemade popcorn balls—especially the festive variety rolled in colorful nonpareils. These hand-formed treats connected to Indiana’s identity as the nation’s second-largest popcorn producer.
The best versions used freshly popped corn bound with a sticky mixture of butter, sugar, and corn syrup, sometimes with vanilla or almond flavoring. Crafting them required asbestos hands and perfect timing to form balls before the mixture hardened.
Halloween in small-town Indiana meant receiving individually wrapped popcorn balls from neighbors—a practice food safety concerns eventually ended. School fundraisers and church bazaars kept the tradition alive longest, with certain grandmothers becoming locally famous for their perfectly proportioned creations.
10. Schimpff’s Red Hots
Since 1891, Schimpff’s Confectionery in Jeffersonville has crafted cinnamon Red Hots that bear no resemblance to the mass-produced candy pellets. These hard cinnamon candies deliver an intense spicy-sweet flavor that’s become the standard by which Indiana candy lovers judge all others.
Watching the candy-making process through the store’s museum windows became a school field trip rite of passage. The fourth-generation family business still uses original copper kettles and marble cooling slabs to create these fiery gems.
Local lore claims eating Schimpff’s Red Hots during winter wards off colds, though most Hoosiers need no health excuse to indulge. Their distinctive tin boxes have become collectors’ items, often passed down through families as treasured memorabilia.
11. Wick’s Sugar Cream Pie
While homemade sugar cream pie reigns supreme, Wick’s bakery in Winchester democratized this Hoosier delicacy by making it available in grocery freezers statewide. For busy families or Hoosiers living out-of-state, these boxed pies provided an authentic taste of Indiana comfort.
Founded in 1944, Wick’s began as a small restaurant before focusing exclusively on pies. Their sugar cream version features the classic creamy filling with subtle vanilla notes and that characteristic slightly firm top layer.
Indiana college students returning home often transport frozen Wick’s pies back to campus in coolers, introducing roommates to this regional specialty. Though purists might prefer grandma’s recipe, even they admit Wick’s makes a respectable version that satisfies nostalgic cravings.
12. Frozen Custard from The Frozen Custard Stand
Summer evenings in Hammond meant joining the line at The Frozen Custard Stand, an institution since 1947. Unlike regular ice cream, this egg-enriched frozen dessert achieves a velvety texture that locals insist can’t be replicated by national chains.
The classic vanilla custard served in a cake cone represents Indiana summer simplicity at its finest. Regulars knew to request their cones with the distinctive “C” swirl on top—a flourish that took counter workers years to perfect.
Despite changing hands over decades, the recipe remains strictly guarded. Former residents make pilgrimages back just for a taste of nostalgia, often bringing coolers to transport pints back to their current homes, insisting no other frozen treat compares.
13. Square Donuts
Before fancy donut shops became trendy, Indiana had already revolutionized donut geometry with Square Donuts. Originating in Terre Haute in 1967, these distinctive four-cornered pastries solved the practical problem of donuts rolling off plates while creating an instantly recognizable Indiana food icon.
The classic glazed version features a perfect golden exterior giving way to a light, airy interior. Early risers know that arriving at 6 AM guarantees the freshest batch, still warm and practically melting on your tongue.
College students pull all-nighters fueled by boxes of these treats, while debates rage about which corner should be eaten first. The small chain has expanded to several Indiana locations, but each maintains the original recipe that makes these square pegs stand out in a round donut world.