The 1960s Chocolate Dessert That's Still Popular Today

From shimmering Jell-O molds to the gravity-defying baked Alaskas and flaming cherries jubilee, these are only some of the treats that shaped dessert culture in the 1960s. Dessert wasn't just the signal of the end of the meal, but the entertainment, a full-on spectacle.

And no dessert was more of a showstopper during that era than chocolate fondue. The decadent yet easy, attention-grabbing treat melted its way into the scene and into everyone's hearts with its fun, shared experience. This communal pot of molten chocolate turned guests into participants, and it's just as popular today as it was back then, stealing the spotlight at cocktail parties.

The simplicity of making chocolate fondue was part of what drove its popularity. In only about five minutes of prep using dark chocolate, heavy cream, and vanilla, it turned an effortless dessert into a fancy, interactive conversation piece. Before it became a popular dinner party treat, it debuted in New York courtesy of a Swiss chef experimenting with a newly introduced chocolate bar.

The first fondue recipes were for cheese, originating in 18th-century cookbooks in Switzerland. It was a way for farmers to stretch their resources in the winter. It only makes sense that a Swiss native would bring the melted goodness to this country. Restaurateur Konrad Egli is credited with bringing chocolate fondue to the United States, along with fondue neuchateloise, melted Gruyère and Emmental cheeses, and fondue bourguignonne, beef strips dipped in oil. He worked as a chef for the New York-based Chalet Suisse in the late '40s and bought the establishment from the original owners sometime between the late '50s and early '60s.

In 1966, Egli was introduced to a woman representing the Swiss chocolate company, Toblerone, which lost the right to use its Swiss mountain logo, looking to stir up some buzz around its new chocolate-and-nougat bar coming to the U.S. Dipping into his Swiss roots, the chef concocted the first-ever chocolate fondue with the candy bar. The original recipe included Swiss dry, cherry brandy.

Since then, chefs and at-home entertainers have been serving up the molten chocolate confection with strawberries, angel food cake, graham crackers, marshmallows, and other fruits for dipping. Fondue sets became the must-have kitchen accessory in the late '60s and '70s. When the first Melting Pot opened in 1975, it carried on Egli's legacy with three simple dishes: Cheese, beef, and chocolate fondue. Today, the simple dessert is still a popular at-home date night treat, wedding dessert table offering, and served up in fountains at catered affairs.