What Happened To Jell-O Pudding Pops?

If I could guess what you typed into the search box to find this article, I’d say it was “Do they still make pudding pops,” or something along those lines. I am sorry to have to tell you that the answer is a definitive NO, they do not. I know, I’m as bummed as you are about it. You cannot buy Jell-O pudding pops anywhere, there are none left to buy.

Quick Summary: The Fate of Jell-O Pudding Po

• Can you still buy them? No. Jell-O brand Pudding Pops were officially discontinued by Kraft in 2004. A licensed version by Popsicle remained in stores for a few years but was pulled in 2011.
• Why were they discontinued? High production costs. Jell-O was primarily a “dry goods” company; maintaining a separate frozen supply chain was too expensive to remain profitable.
• Will they come back? There are currently no official plans for a revival. You can still make your own at home, though!

Recipe: How to Make Original-Style Jell-O Pudding Pops

If you miss the creamy texture of the 80s original, this “folding” method is the best way to recreate it at home.

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Freeze time: 4–6 hours
• Equipment: Silicone Popsicle Molds and a Gallon-size freezer bag.

Ingredients

• 1 package (3.9 oz) Jell-O Instant Pudding (Chocolate or Vanilla)
• 2 cups cold milk (as per package directions)
• 1 cup Cool Whip (thawed)  

Instructions

1. Mix: Prepare the instant pudding with the milk according to the package directions.
2. Fold: Gently fold in one cup of Cool Whip. This is the “secret” step that gives the pops their structure and creamy, non-icy texture.
3. Pipe: Transfer the mixture into a gallon-size plastic bag and snip off one corner. Squeeze the pudding into your molds—this is much cleaner than using a spoon!
4. Freeze: Insert the handles and freeze for at least 4 hours.
5. Unmold: Run the mold under warm water for a few seconds to release.  

Pro Tip: To avoid a “sticky” mess, eat these immediately after unmolding. If you must refreeze them, wrap each pop tightly in parchment paper first to prevent sticking.

The Rise of Jell-O Pudding Pops

During the 1980s, Jello pudding pops were featured as freezer treats in millions of American homes. Fudgsicles never really had anything on them, especially since Bill Cosby put as much Cosby into selling pudding pops as he did selling Jello Pudding. Even in into the 1990s, Jello pudding pops were still going strong. And then, poof, they’re gone.

General Foods decided to try putting Jello Pudding into the freezer in 1979. Even before that, however, in the 1960s, they had run ads featuring recipes for “Jell-O Pudding Frozen Fudge Pops” saying “Now, pudding is pop.”

Jell-O had a glorious history and had been pretty much a standby in our homes for decades. But that was part of the problem. Rice is a standby as well, but it’s not always the most exciting thing in your cupboard. Jell-O needed some new pop, so why not a pudding pop?

As ideas go, it was a great one. The company blitzed the airwaves with the Cos, and sales hit almost $100 million the first year. And they had all the “good stuff that moms approve.” Yeah.

Before long, the company launched Gelatin Pops and Fruit Bars. Now, General Foods was firmly established in the frozen desserts category, and pudding pops was the leader! Five years after they launched, they were selling $300 million a year in frozen goodness. All the myriad branded frozen desserts you see in the grocery store freezers today might not have been there if not for Jell-O Pudding Pops.

General Foods, by the way, was bought by Phillip Morris Companies, which is now called the Altria Group, in 1985. At the end of 1988, they also acquired Kraft, and then in 1990, they combined the two as Kraft General Foods.

🥓 Curious about more 80s icons? > Before turkey bacon took over, there was Sizzlean. It promised to be “leaner and meatier” than real bacon, but it eventually sizzled out of existence.

Read the full story of Sizzlean’s rise and fall here.

Why Were Jell-O Pudding Pops Discontinued?

Even into the 1990’s pudding pops were doing well. However, believe it or not, despite how many pudding pops some of us put away while growing up, they weren’t profitable.

Since the company was not in the frozen food business, it cost more money than could be reasonably returned. Even with all those sales, the company found it hard to make any money on them. It would have helped if they had been able to use all the equipment for many other successful frozen products, but the equipment was too specific and specialized.

Before frozen “bowls” took over the freezer aisle… There was Chun King. Founded by the same man who invented Pizza Rolls (Jeno Paulucci), Chun King once owned half the market for prepared Chinese food in the U.S. It survived for nearly 50 years before being phased out by the owners of La Choy.

Read the history of the brand that first brought “chow mein” to American dinner tables.

In 2004, the Jell-O name was licensed to Popsicle, the same people who make the inferior Fudgsicles, and they began marketing Popsicle brand Jell-O pudding pops. The formula wasn’t exactly the same.

The texture was different, and they were made in a Popsicle shape using existing Popsicle molds, instead of in the traditional pudding pop shape. The sales weren’t nearly as good, and they never really reached the levels of the original.

Think Jell-O pops were the only thing General Mills dropped? > They also owned Colombo Yogurt, the first commercial yogurt brand in America. Despite its massive history, General Mills discontinued it in 2010 to focus on Yoplait.

Find out what happened to the yogurt your parents remember.

When Did They Stop Making Pudding Pops?

Popsicle brand pudding pops did hang around for a while, but at some point, beginning around 2011, they started disappearing again, having been pulled from the market with no explanation that I have been able to find. Although there was no official word given on why Popsicle discontinued Jell-O brand pudding pops, a good guess is that it was simply because of declining sales.

Other Brands Of Pudding Pops

There are other brands of “pudding pops” such as Kemp’s and other regional brands, but nothing that can be purchased everywhere. Kemp’s are sometimes stocked in Target stores, although you may be disappointed if you expect them to be like good-old Jell-O pudding pops.

I suspect that there are several, if not many store brands of pudding pops out there as well. According to a gracious reader, Giant Food Stores have Giant brand Pudding Pops. In regard to these pops, said the commenter, “Pudding pops are back!” I’ll take that to mean they are definitely worth a try. I am not certain, but I think Giant operates stores in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Think “Healthy Soda” is a new trend? Long before Poppi or Olipop, there was Slice. Launched by Pepsi in 1984, it originally featured 10% real fruit juice—a massive selling point at the time. While the original sugary versions were pulled in the 2000s, the brand actually returned in 2025 as a prebiotic soda.

See why the classic Slice disappeared and what the new version looks like.