How Hoodsie Cups Became A New England Ice Cream Staple

For those who don't hail from New England, Hoodsie cups are small 3-ounce plastic containers with both chocolate and vanilla ice cream that come complete with a convenient mini spoon. The classic sweet treats are both nostalgic and traditional, perfect for hot summer nights and as an after school snack. A major allure of the cups is how the yin and yang flavors are neatly divided in half in the cup. Hood, the brand behind the cups, has solidified itself as a part of New England history for generations, as the shared experience of eating the ice cream with a wooden spoon made memories that last a lifetime. 

Seventy years after their debut, the cups are still so popular they are the official ice cream brand of the Boston Red Sox. Compared to other frozen desserts, Hoodsie cups only contain 100 calories per serving. The frozen concoction has also become so iconic that consumers have confused them with Dixie cups. The products were both small, single-serve ice cream that came in paper cups. However, Dixies were nationally distributed treats that only contained one flavor and are now largely discontinued.

Hoodsie cups came about in 1947 and were manufactured by popular ice cream brand H.P. Hood in Boston, Massachusetts. The dessert quickly gained traction with kids and adults alike, often adding celebrity faces to the lids of the cups. A-listers such as Bob Hope, Tony Curtis, and Jane Powell were once featured on the ice cream top. Each cup only cost a nickel at the time, and today, an 8-count pack costs $8. 

The wooden spoon that originally came with the treat was a main component of the packaging up until the 1990s. The flat utensil resembled a canoe paddle that added to the nostalgic factor of the treat. Eaters longed for the earthy taste of the wood hitting against their teeth alongside the ice cold sweetness. But in recent years, the spoons have made a comeback and Hood's official site states that some utensils are included in the packaging.