Round Top Find: The Ding Dong That Broke The Internet

Some Round Top finds are antiques.

Some are pieces of art.

And some come wrapped in chocolate.

With a recipe that's more than twenty years old, Melissa Newbould, owner of Local Roots & Bake Shoppe, has been making what has become a viral treat in Round Top: her Homemade Ding Dongs.

Inspired by the classic lunchbox favorite, Melissa’s version taps into something deeper than nostalgia.

“It’s an amazing childhood memory,” she says. “The greatest feeling at lunch was opening your lunch box and seeing that shiny foil-wrapped treat.”

For many visitors, that first bite brings them right back to childhood.

But nostalgia is only part of the story.

Melissa says her favorite part isn’t making the Ding Dongs.

It’s watching people open the box.

“It’s honestly my favorite thing to watch people open that box and see their reaction.”

Over the years, the Homemade Ding Dongs have appeared at weddings, been gifted to celebrities, and shipped to country music stars.

Just over the last few years the videos we've created have millions of views reaching all over the world. 

But one story stands above the rest.

Two friends sitting in an airport in Australia came across our viral video featuring the Ding Dongs while waiting for a flight.

When they landed in Houston, they rented a car and drove straight to Round Top.

Not for antiques.

Not for shopping.

For a Ding Dong.

They had never been to Round Top before.

They had never even heard of it.

They were on their way to a convention in Houston and made the detour simply to try the dessert they’d seen online.

“I think that story takes the cake,” Melissa laughs.

The Homemade Ding Dong isn’t just dessert.

It’s nostalgia.

It’s celebration.

It’s a little bit of childhood wrapped in chocolate.

And judging by the people willing to cross oceans, rent cars, and drive hours to get one, it’s become as much a part of the Round Top experience as the antiques themselves.

We personally have had the honor of having these since childhood, even on our wedding day, and there is just something so sweet about this viral dessert. Find the viral ding dongs on the lawn of Junk Gypsy during the Round Top show, or make the trip to Cypress, Texas to enjoy year round.