The chimes of an ice cream truck on a hot summer's day can make even grown adults want to grab their allowance and dash over to buy something cold, refreshing and fun. But alas, not all our childhood favourites are still on sale. Here are the summer treats from years gone by we'd like to see back on shelves.

Marketed by Jello-O, chocolate and vanilla frozen Pudding Pops had a huge following in America in the 1980s and 1990s, only for them to be discontinued. Perhaps even more tragic, the sweet treat resurfaced in the 2000s but tasted different. These days fans suffice with making their own.

A merchandising tie-in with the popular US TV show Howdy Doody, there were several different Frozen Treats. The Clarabell Banana Bar (chocolate and banana ice cream featuring a clown on the packet) may sound a bit dated, but surely the Fudge Bar is worth a comeback? But as the show ended in 1960, we're not too hopeful.

While Popsicles, Fudgsicles and Creamsicles have survived to this day, the Dreamsicle was left in the 1960s with Popsicle Pete, a mascot for the Popsicle brand. For those unfamiliar with the retro American treat, it was orange-flavoured with an ice milk centre – whereas the Creamsicle had an ice cream centre.

Making your own ice cream sounds great, but why go to the hassle of churning it when you can use an instant powder? Jell-O began selling the magical mix, which turned milk and cream into ice cream, at the start of the 20th century in the US.

Take a look at the most popular childhood snacks from years gone by

This frozen mousse with swirls of sauce was a freezer staple in British kitchens in the 1980s. It was sold in many flavours but chocolate and strawberry were the classics. Although there was a brief attempt to bring it back in 2009, for now it remains a fond piece of food nostalgia. Sticking a chocolate mousse in the freezer just isn't the same.

Viennetta hasn't been on sale in the USA or Canada for a while now, but that doesn't mean getting hold of it is a lost cause. The layered chocolate and ice cream dessert from Wall's is widely available in Europe – we’re just not sure how you'd transport it across the Atlantic.

Dairy Queen’s Blizzards, soft-serve and sundaes are perfect on a hot summer's day. But around the 1950s there was something much more ambitious on the American chain's menu: the Strato-Liner Sundae. A chocolate-coated frozen banana with wafers as wings and tail fins, nestled on a bed of ice cream clouds.

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A fruity drink and a snack of sorts, thanks to the floating gelatine balls, futuristic soft drink Orbitz was launched in the 1990s by Clearly Canadian Beverage Company. But it failed to take off. The so-called “lava lamp of soft drinks” is now regarded as a collector's item, although we’d love to see it back in production.

As bright and bombastic as the Batman cartoons – which were huge at the time – this 1960s American ice cream came in Slam Bang Vanilla flavour, with banana marshmallow added into the mix for a bit of extra punch. The packaging alone is a nostalgia trip, adorned with cartoon Batman and Robin characters.

One of the many old favourites in Ben & Jerry's 'Flavor Graveyard', Wavy Gravy was around from 1993 to 2001. It contained caramel, cashew and brazil nut ice cream, with a chocolate, hazelnut and fudge swirl, and roasted almonds. It could always make a comeback – Ben & Jerry's resurrects ice creams if there's enough demand.

Check out the retro ingredients we want to make a comeback

The iconic Hershey’s candy was turned into a frozen dessert manufactured by Good Humor in America in 2012. Capturing the Mounds experience, coconut-flavoured ice cream and coconut flakes were coated in dark chocolate. Sadly it's no longer available.

While Smarties in the US are pastel-hued tablet candies, in the UK Smarties are small chocolates coated in a colourful crisp sugar shell, produced by Nestlé. It was also a much-loved variety of a McDonald’s McFlurry up until 2015 when it was axed. Fans were so upset that hundreds signed a petition and one even wrote an emotional open letter to the chain.

Back in the 1960s when rocket-shaped Zoom lollies were launched in the UK by Lyons Maid, everyone wanted a piece of the action. It featured three flavoured segments including raspberry, strawberry and banana. However, it disappeared at the turn of the century, making a short comeback in 2019.

Blue and berry-flavoured, Pepsi Blue was a short-lived version of the classic cola, on sale from 2002 to 2004 in America and Canada (although it continues to be sold in parts of southeast Asia). The syrupy-sweet taste and vibrant colour make it quintessential of the early 2000s.

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Another Good Humor product fallen by the wayside, York Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream landed on US shelves in 2012. For those who don’t know, Peppermint Patties are dark chocolate discs with a minty fondant centre produced by Hershey's. The ice cream was similarly circular, peppermint-flavoured and coated in dark chocolate.

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Celebrity brand deals are nothing new. Way back in the 1950s, American singer Bing Crosby capitalised on his popularity with Bing Crosby Ice Cream which was available in the US. It's unlikely "the cream of the stars" (as it was marketed) will be returning any time soon but vintage pint-sized boxes are sold online as collectors’ items.

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