17 Vintage Miracle Whip Recipes We Dare You to Try

If you read our deep dive into Kraft Miracle Whip history, you already know this tangy jar of tastiness didn’t just appear on the shelves. Instead, it was engineered, marketed, and molded (literally) into mid-century greatness.

But let’s turn our attention to seeing what great concoctions people were creating with Miracle Whip back in the day. We’ve rounded up 17 gloriously baffling vintage recipes that prove one thing: the 20th century had zero chill when it came to gelatin and “salad.”

Are you ready? Let’s dive headfirst into the retro madness: a parade of vintage Miracle Whip recipes so perfectly mid-century, you can practically hear the Tupperware burping.

1. Melon Circle Salad (1950)

All of these recipes are a little weird, but this one really puzzles me. “Serve with Miracle Whip?” It’s not topping the salad, so do you just spoon some beside it? Apparently, this recommendation was so controversial they couldn’t even show it in the ad.

2. Marshmallow Waldorf Salad (1960)

Here’s a classic example of “if you grew up with it, you love it.” I actually really love this Waldorf salad take because the Miracle Whip adds a nice bit of tang, and it isn’t as heavy as mayonnaise.

Here’s the recipe: Don’t peel apples. Dice them to make 3 cups, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and add 1 cup of Kraft’s fresh little recipe-size marshmallows. (Easy to add—you don’t have to cut ’em up!) Add 1 cup chopped celery, ½ cup chopped walnuts and Miracle Whip Salad Dressing to moisten. Toss lightly. Arrange thin unpeeled apple wedges on each salad, petal fashion. Top with Miracle Whip.

3. Sun Fest Salad (1960)

Bright, citrusy, and somehow still savory. A sunny name can’t hide the strangeness.

4. Jelly Roll Salad (1960)

This “salad” actually seems ok, except that you’re supposed to top it with Miracle Whip. (Once again, not shown. Why?) And, hey, don’t we all make salads in pineapple cans all the time?

I’m sure you’ll be happy to learn that the chunks in this picture are not chicken but very poorly photographed pineapple.

5. Miracle Whip Devilled Lettuce (1962)

Not to be confused (at all!) with deviled eggs, this delightful recipe features a rogue’s gallery of Mid-Century food crimes: cream cheese mixed with Miracle Whip (yum!), an entire head of lettuce, and deviled ham.

6. Velveeta and Miracle Whip Together! (1962)

Create a meal for you and your kids by combining cubes of Velveeta with Miracle Whip for a meal that’s both unhealthy and unappealing! This time, an ingredient is shown, but not mentioned for a change: I see some olives hanging out there, but I guess we don’t need to talk about them.

7. Strawberry Emerald Salad (1963)

What a lovely name for such a truly disgusting-looking salad. This is the earliest recipe I found that included Miracle Whip (or mayo) inside the salad rather than just on top.

It’s also the earliest ad I’ve seen for Kraft Miracle Sandwich spread, a product that still exists. It’s a thicker, spicier form of Miracle Whip. The more you know!

8. Meals in a Mold (1963)

Here’s a trio of entrees sure to delight any family! I especially like the olive eye on the fish.

9. Frozen Party Salad (1964)

Why no, that middle loaf isn’t some liver dish! It’s a frozen party salad, livened up with a few drops of red food color to add just a bit more artificial ingredients to the recipe.

10. Crown Jewel Salad (1964)

Miracle Whip is the crowning touch on this elegant salad, which, to be fair, looks beautiful. If you’re ok eating through the top layer, which is entirely Miracle Whip mixed with cream cheese, that is.

11. Patio Platters (1965)

Why serve your guests just one confusing “salad” when you can serve two? One is fruit-based, and the other has vegetables. Just let the guests figure out which one they’re eating! Serve both salads with meat, cheese, and lettuce, obviously.

12. Hot Cling Peaches (1966)

This is what happens when a corporation creates a committee and asks them to brainstorm “new ideas.” I can see it now: “How about if instead of telling people to put Miracle Whip on top of cold peaches, we make everything hot? And we’ll turn the Miracle Whip into a kind of meringue that goes on top of the sandwich!”

Applause, congratulations, everyone breaks for lunch. But they aren’t having hot peaches, I bet.

13. Mr. Bean Comes to Dinner (1968)

And this is what happens when you try to achieve “corporate synergy.” An unholy trinity of dishes featuring my least favorite vegetable, green beans. The centerpiece of the meal is, of course, the dinner ring featuring green beans suspended in a mix of Miracle Whip, cottage cheese, and gelatin.

14. Molded Waldorf Salad (1972)

One final example of design by committee: “What if we took a Waldorf salad … and turned it into a jello mold?” Mic drop, everyone’s heads explode.

15. Snowy Emerald Mold (1973)

I had a nightmare about this.

16. Miracle Whip Lime Mousse (1971)

Honestly, I don’t hate it. Don’t fully understand why it needs gelatin, though.

17. Merrymint Mold

This is the inoffensive and only slightly WTF type of Miracle Whip recipe I remember from childhood. Lime and lemon jello filled with just fruit, no scary veggies, and topped with marshmallows mixed with Miracle Whip.

I’d love for seasoned cooks to weigh in on adding Jelly to a Jello mold. Jelly is already set Jello, basically, right? Wouldn’t that just clump up and make everything fall apart? Let me know if the comments!

18. Yule Log

Here’s a bonus treat for the readers who’ve made it this far: a fun recipe that looks delightful and delicious (especially if you left out the Miracle Whip). Fruit and whipped cream molded into a frozen salad using that ever-present all-purpose tool we all had in our homes during the 1970s – an empty coffee can.

What did you think of our selection of Miracle Whip recipes? Which one was the weirdest? Which one would you actually try? Did we leave out your favorite? Let us know in the comments!