12 Defunct Grocery Brands That Lived On In Family Recipes

Many grocery brands’ recipes are passed down, copied, and modified in kitchens even after they are removed from store shelves. The flavors of these now-defunct brands—whether they were biscuits, baked goods, dessert mixes, sauces, or frozen entrées—influenced family customs. Some were kept alive by family members, while others were revived by home cooks. Let’s examine 12 of these now-extinct grocery names and the dishes or recipes that people continue to prepare in their homes in honor of them.

1. Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakeries

Renowned for its baked goods and fish entrees, Van de Kamp’s was a popular bakery and frozen prepared dinner brand. The recipes for its signature baked goods are still used by family bakers even though the original chain and its entire product line went bankrupt in 1990. For instance, family handwritten recipe cards are still used to make homemade versions of Van de Kamp’s traditional apple pie or Dutch apple fritters. Through photocopies, old recipe cards, or memory, great-grandchildren recreate the flaky crusts and sweet fillings, preserving the flavor.

2. Mother’s Cookies (Original Recipes)

In the past, Mother’s Cookies was the place to go for iced “Circus Animal Cookies,” taffy sandwich cookies, peanut butter treats, and more. Many families still make their old favorites from scratch at home, especially those with childhood memories, even though the original company filed for bankruptcy in 2008. However, the brand name and some of the recipes were licensed and brought back to life. Using variations of the original recipe, parents share recipes for the delicate oatmeal-style cookies or the pink-and-white sugar frosting.

3. Private Label Bakery Bread Lines (Old Store Breads)

White sandwich loaves, sweet rolls, and dinner rolls were among the bakery bread lines that many regional supermarkets that closed had that were distinctive in taste or texture. Recipes for comparable varieties were frequently preserved by families who grew up purchasing those breads. These can mimic texture by using specific yeast or proofing times, or they can use a ratio of sugar to butter that is folded in to create a soft crumb or slightly sweet crust. The recipe survives in notebook margins despite the store brand being gone.

4. Discontinued Dessert Mix Brands

Dessert mix brands that have since vanished, such as brownies, cake, and pudding, frequently left behind boxed cookbook versions, family church cookbooks, or handwritten recipes that replicated them. These recipes endure during family get-togethers when grandmothers or aunts remember the brand name and modify it with contemporary ingredients. For many people, the mix’s flavor, spices, or texture become nostalgic touchstones.

5. Frozen Fish & Seafood Products

Families frequently used frozen dinners or seafood from brands like Van de Kamp’s. Recipes for flaking, breading, or cooking fish the way the brand did—whether baked, fried, or in sauces—were preserved or passed down by many households when the brand faded. These do-it-yourself techniques were frequently inspired by old packaging notes or instruction labels. One example that people still use is the method of lightly breading and baking fish fillets with breadcrumbs and butter or oil.

6. Traditional Holiday Cookies and Frosted Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies, whether frosted or shaped, were holiday mainstays from now-defunct bakery brands like Mother’s Cookies. Using the same sugar to flour ratios, mixing techniques to achieve the sugar sparkle or texture, and recreating frosting coloring (like pink and white icing on circus animal style cookies), families continue to make those cookies even after brands disappear or change hands. This is a typical way that food legacy endures.

7. Signature Pie Recipes

Some grocery-bakery brands had “signature pies” (fruit pies, cream pies) that were very popular. Family members protect the recipe, including the type of crust (plain, flaky, or lattice), the filling spices, the balance of sugar and acid, and the baking temperature, even if the brand is no longer in use. Often served during holidays and family get-togethers, these pies are described as “like the grocery store used to sell.” Cookbooks and memory attest to this tradition, though specific instances are less well-documented.

8. Sweet Rolls & Cinnamon Buns

Bakery brands, particularly private label or regional ones, frequently featured unique sweet rolls or buns, such as sticky buns or cinnamon-sugar glazed buns. People continue to make those using traditional bakery methods. Recipes may call for a specific glaze, a richer dough (milk, butter), or a unique cinnamon mixture. When sharing recipes, families occasionally mention the brand name (“just like ___ store used to make”). This keeps the sweetness of the past intact.

9. Old‑School Cookie Varieties (like “Malted Milk”, “Sandies”, etc.)

There were cookie lines from now-defunct brands, such as specific tea cakes, malted milk cookies, and sandies (shortbread with sugar). Families make variations using similar ingredients, such as brown butter, coarse sugar, and occasionally thickening or thinning cookies based on memory, even though branded versions are not made. The recipes can be found in old recipe cards or passed down through family. Tea, sharing, and nostalgia are all accompanied by these cookies.

10. Mix‑in Frostings or Icings

Some discontinued brands had frostings that were part of their dessert lines, or they were ready-to-use icing kits. For instance, many bake-at-home versions attempt to replicate Mother’s Cookies’ specific frostings (colored, flavored). There are still recipes for these that call for powdered sugar, butter or shortening, coloring, and flavor extracts. Families try to preserve the consistency and flavor while occasionally making changes for health (less sugar or non-dairy).

11. Store‑Brand Pancake or Waffle Mixes

Pancake and waffle mixes that are no longer manufactured were sold under house brands in some grocery stores. These mixtures frequently had distinctive flavors, such as a hint of sweetness, a specific flour blend, or even flavors of cornmeal or vanilla. In order to achieve a similar texture—tender centers and slightly crisp edges—home cooks who enjoyed those mixes now make pancakes or waffles from scratch using ratios they estimated or by consulting old mix boxes.

12. Regional Canned Goods / Sauces

Under regional grocery brand labels, there were canned goods (tomato, fruit, or sweet spreads), sauces, jellies, and chutneys that have since been discontinued. Families that used them frequently saved the recipes; occasionally, they would freeze or can their own versions based on the flavor they enjoyed, sometimes using similar sugar, acid, and seasoning, and occasionally copying label artwork or old jars. Particularly in households where the brand was used in meals during childhood, these sauces are passed down.