You could pick up a package of nostalgia-inducing Hostess desserts from the store, but we have a different approach: making our own! These re-creations of iconic bites like Sno Balls and Chocodiles look even better than the originals. And an added bonus? Those preservatives that will keep those Hostess treats (and possibly your gastrointestinal tract) fresh through the next nuclear event aren't a concern when the Twinkies and Ho Hos come from your oven.
— Additional reporting by Nicole Perry
The first commercially produced cupcake, the Hostess CupCake and its signature icing squiggles are now a cultural icon.
For some, breakfast wouldn't be the same without powdered or chocolate-dipped Donettes to dip into coffee. Thankfully, a homemade version is within your reach.
The original Twinkie had a banana-cream filling, but today most people know and love it for its vanilla-cream center. This recipe reflects the flavor invented in 1930.
Invented in 1920 in San Francisco, the Ho Ho is a classic: chocolate cake rolled around a cream filling and frosted in more chocolate.
To some, those handheld fruit pastries with the gooey apple or cherry filling were the closest thing they experienced to a home-baked pie. Here's a version that actually uses real fruit.
Essentially, a chocolate-covered Twinkie, fans of the Chocodile claim that it retains more moisture thanks to its chocolatey coating.
While they come in different colors at different times of the year (e.g., neon green for Halloween Glo Balls), Hostess Sno Balls are traditionally pink. This recipe captures everything from the cream filling to the spongy chocolate cake to the vibrant pink coconut-flake coating.
If you grew up snacking on Ring Dings, rest assured that Ding Dongs are the same delicious cream-filled, chocolate-covered treat since Hostess's parent company bought Drake's in 1998. Of course, you could just make your own.