You Might Remember This Betty Crocker Party Frosting If You Grew Up In The '80s And '90s

Betty is a household name — Betty Crocker, that is. She's been sprinkling our lives with sweetness and joy since 1921. Her cake and cookie mixes are kitchen lifesavers in a pinch; and her ready-to-spread frosting? Iconic. Today, you'll find it in classic flavors like creamy white, Hershey's chocolate, cherry, and coconut pecan – for all those old-fashioned German chocolate cake lovers out there. But, if you grew up in the '80s or '90s, you might just remember a different kind of Betty Crocker frosting that really knew how to bring the party.

Party Frosting, the ultimate birthday cake topper, was introduced by Betty Crocker in 1989. It came in standard flavors like chocolate and vanilla, but what made it extra special were the animal candy bits that could be mixed in or sprinkled on top. Some jars featured an assortment of tiny teddy bears, and others contained mini dinosaurs, all in an array of pastel colors. It was perhaps the cutest frosting ever dreamed up. But, if you don't quite remember it, the sweet commercial that aired at the time might drum up some long-lost memories. 

As smooth frosting swirls across the screen and those sprinkle creatures make their debut, a sing-song jingle plays: "I think your dinosaurs are wild and I love your teddy bears. How could I resist you? You sweet talker, Betty Crocker." Sadly, Party Frosting eventually went the way of the dinosaurs — extinct. 

Not all Party Frosting jars came with tiny animals. There was another variant that featured colorful chocolate chips — a version that might actually be more familiar to many of us. It was very similar to the famed Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Frosting, which first appeared in the mid-1980s. If you tried searching for Party Frosting on Betty Crocker's website today, you'd almost think it never existed at all. But look up Rainbow Chip, and you'll find plenty of chatter. Chatter that may offer a clue as to why the dinosaurs and teddy bears were quietly exiled.

In a FAQ post on the Betty Crocker website, the brand explained that Rainbow Chip frosting was originally discontinued in 2013 because the brand "believed that consumers wanted the chips on top, not in the frosting." A similar reasoning could have led to the demise of the other Party Frosting flavors. Real-life Partiers give us a new perspective on Reddit. Many users admitted to having fond memories of the bear-spotted frosting, recalling it as a birthday staple. But they also noted that the bears were extra hard and not very tasty — one commenter referred to it as a "weird waxy taste." Perhaps another reason for its discontinuation.

It's important to note that Betty Crocker did end up bringing back Rainbow Chip frosting at the request of many,–including pop star Katy Perry, in 2017 – and jars of it can still be found at stores like Target today. So, while it isn't one of the Betty Crocker canned frostings that are dairy-free, it does offer the solace of knowing we can't completely rule out the return of the bears and dinos someday. Let's get Katy back on the case!