45 Classic American Desserts for the History Books

Chantal's New York Cheesecake

New York-style cheesecake is a lot like New Yorkers themselves — no nonsense, just the cake without any toppings or sauce (although you can always add them). It's hard to resist the smooth, extra-creamy texture of this classic dessert, like that of this top-rated recipe from recipe creator Taliesen: "Everyone that's tried it has said it tasted just like the ones in a deli!"

• Our 20 Best Cheesecake Recipes of All Time

Fresh Southern Peach Cobbler

What's more all-American than a classic Georgia peach cobbler? Don't forget the vanilla ice cream!

• What Is the Difference Between a Cobbler, Crisp, and Crumble?

Bananas Foster II

Bananas cooked in a warm, buttery rum sauce and served over vanilla ice cream, this dessert originated in New Orleans in the 1950s and has been a classic ever since.

Angel Food Cake I

Everyone loves the light and cloud-like texture of a classic angel food cake, a dessert that dates back to the late 19th century. Serve with fresh strawberries and whipped topping.

Pecan Pie

Pecans are plentiful in Southern states, so it's no wonder you'll find them in all sorts of Southern desserts, but none are more classic than a traditional pecan pie.

• 23 Best Pecan Dessert Recipes

Texas Sheet Cake V

Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the cake! This moist and delicious chocolate cake is baked in a rimmed baking sheet and yields a whopping 32 servings.

• 10 Texas Sheet Cake Recipes

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's hard to believe this iconic cookie's invention was actually an accident! In 1930, Ruth Graves Wakefield, who ran the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, substituted pieces of semi-sweet chocolate for baker's chocolate, thinking it would result in a solid chocolate cookie...and the rest is history.

• 28 Most Popular Types of Cookies

Old Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This iconic fruit-studded cake came out of a 1925 Hawaiian Pineapple Company (now called Dole Company) cooking contest calling for pineapple recipes.

• 20 Luscious Desserts That Start With Canned Pineapple

Buckeye Balls II

Named for their resemblance to the nut of the Ohio Buckeye tree, these chocolate-peanut butter confections are great for sharing.

Watergate Salad

Originally called "Pistachio Pineapple Delight," this iconic American "salad" features instant pistachio pudding mix, canned pineapple, marshmallows, walnuts, and whipped topping.

Baked Fresh Cherry Pie

Apple pie gets all the credit, but cherry pie is another fresh fruit pie that's just as American and just as classic. This recipe features fresh cherries for a truly homemade dessert.

Banana Pudding I

How banana pudding came to be a Southern staple is a bit of a mystery, considering bananas don't grow here. However, it's no wonder its popularity has only increased with time, because this trifle-like dessert is easy to serve to a crowd and doesn't have to be kept warm — perfect for all those summer potlucks and picnics!

The Best Lemon Bars

This classic bake sale dessert is the perfect blend of sweet and tart, all wrapped up in a buttery dessert bar.

Buttermilk Chess Pie

Buttermilk pie, along with vinegar pie and mock apple pie, are considered "desperation pies." Born out of the Great Depression and World War II, these pies were made using readily available, staple ingredients, as opposed to fresh fruits. But don't let that fool you — in the case of buttermilk pie, the result is an unexpectedly decadent pie, with a smooth, buttery filling.

• 11 Budget-Friendly Depression-Era Recipes That Are Still Delicious

Homemade Banana Split

This old-fashioned soda fountain treat is so easy to recreate at home. Reviewer and Allrecipes Allstar Jenny Aleman de Bolaños describes it as, "A classic dessert that never disappoints."

• 16 Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain Treats

Phoenician's Key Lime Pie

"When I moved from Lebanon to Florida spring of 1999, I brought with me my love for cooking and search for new recipes. The famous key lime pie was new to me," says recipe creator Arlette Therese Abdallah. "I kept playing with the recipe, and the right flavor was found."

Sunday's Apple Pie

Apple pie is so patriotic that it's not uncommon for folks to use the phrase "as American as apple pie" when looking to describe something that's quintessentially American. Try using a combination of apples such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples for a nice balance of sweet and tart flavors.

Funnel Cakes IV

Synonymous with county fairs and carnivals, funnel cakes are believed to be created by the Pennsylvania Dutch. Reviewer April suggests using a cleaned out ketchup bottle to dispense the batter.

• 15 Over-the-Top Carnival and Fair Foods You Can Make at Home

Pralines

American pralines were developed in New Orleans as a variation of French pralines. Pecans were substituted for almonds, and cream was added to the mix for a super smooth, fudge-like confection.

Boston Cream Pie I

Also known as a Boston Cream Cake, this classic Boston delicacy dates all the way back to the late 19th century. It features a smooth custard sandwiched between layers of sponge cake and topped with rich chocolate fondant.

Sugar Cream Pie I

Named the official state pie of Indiana in 2009, sugar cream pie is believed to have originated in Amish and Shaker communities. It's made with flour, butter, salt, vanilla, cream, and brown sugar, and can be served warm or chilled.

Whoopie Pies I

It is said that Amish husbands and children would shout "whoopie!" upon finding one of these handheld pies in their lunch, although many different places from Maine to Pennsylvania lay claim to this iconic American treat.

Black and White Cookies I

Born out of New York City bakeries, this eye-catching cookie features one half vanilla and one half chocolate frosting.

Hawaiian Wedding Cake II

A Hawaiian wedding cake is like a piña colada in cake form. The best part? It's made with tons of shortcut ingredients including boxed cake mix, canned pineapple, instant pudding mix, and frozen whipped topping.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

A whipped lemon pie filling is sandwiched between layers of light and airy lemon chiffon cake in this bright and luscious dessert.

Sweet Potato Pie I

Sweet potato pie, the Southern cousin to pumpkin pie, was developed by enslaved people, and continues to be tradition in the South and within Black communities. Reviewer SL says, "People who have eaten sweet potato pie all their lives say this recipe is the best they have ever tasted."

Harvey Wallbanger Cake

Inspired by the 1970s libation, this cake came onto the scene not long after its cocktail counterpart and features ingredients from the classic drink including Galliano liqueur, orange juice, and vodka.

Mississippi Mud Pie I

This fluffy, chocolaty dessert comes in countless variations, some with two layers, some with five. This version features a graham cracker crust with layers of fluffy cream cheese and chocolate pudding. "I've made this for two occasions now and it was always the first empty dish," says reviewer Mary.

Zebra Cake III

Recipe creator Joanne L. Hayes learned this easy-to-make icebox cake from her grandmother-in-law, who served it during World War II.

Copycat Berger Cookies

"Berger cookies are a product of Baltimore's DeBaufre Bakeries," says recipe creator thymeforpineapple. "They are similar to New York City's Black and Whites (a.k.a. Half-and-Halfs or Half Moons). They are cake-like cookies piled with thick, rich chocolate icing."

Baked Alaska

This unique and admittedly strange dessert consists of cake and ice cream enveloped in a toasted meringue. The meringue acts to insulate the ice cream from the heat, making this classic dessert quite the culinary feat.

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pretzel Salad

A strawberry pretzel salad is standard fare at potlucks (there's always at least one in the church cookbook!). It features a crust made of pretzels, topped with layers of cream cheese and strawberry jello.

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Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodles

The real key to an excellent snickerdoodle is cream of tartar: This humble ingredient gives the cookies its signature tang and chewy texture.

Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle

As legend has it, peanut brittle was apparently an accidental creation: In the late 19th century, a woman was making taffy when she added baking soda instead of cream of tartar. The result was a hard brittle rather than a soft, chewy taffy.

Southern Red Velvet Cake

Originally, red velvet cake got its hue from the reaction between raw cocoa powder and acidic ingredients such as buttermilk and vinegar. Today's cocoa powder has been alkalized, so in order to achieve the eye-catching red color you'll need to rely on red food coloring or plant-based alternatives like beets.

• Why Is Red Velvet Cake Red?

Grandma's Sour Cream Pound Cake

Sour cream imparts moisture, richness, and its signature tang to many types of baked goods, but few are more beloved than a classic sour cream pound cake.

• What Does Sour Cream Actually Do for My Baking?

Joe Froggers

These molasses-spice cookies date back to the Colonial era, and get their signature flavor from the rum: "An old-time American cookie from New England, attributed to the legendary Uncle Joe who made cookies as big as lily pads," says recipe creator Dawn.

Peaches and Cream

The name of this classic dessert is also used to describe any instance in which everything seems to be going well (ex: "Everything's been peaches and cream!"), which is pretty fitting for this easy-to-make dessert that always turns out delicious.

Minnesota Apple Crisp

An apple crisp is like apple pie's no frills but equally delicious cousin. What's the difference between a crisp and a crumble? A crisp topping usually incorporates oats, which gives it its signature crunch.

Ibby's Grasshopper Pie

This retro dessert was inspired by the 1950s cocktail. Grasshopper pie usually has a chocolate cookie crust with a creamy filling flavored with creme de menthe.

Fresh Coconut Cake

What's not to love about this classic Southern dessert? White cake is flavored with fresh coconut, frosted with white frosting, and sprinkled with grated coconut.

Shoofly Pie V

This Pennsylvania Dutch pie gets its name because the sweet molasses, brown sugar, and butter filling inevitably attracts pesky flies.

Holiday Ambrosia Salad

Synonymous with holiday celebrations in the South, ambrosia salad is prepared in advance and served cold, making it excellent for potlucks or any gathering.

Lady Baltimore Cake

Nope, this classic cake does not hail from Baltimore. It's actually named for the cake referenced in Owen Wister's 1903 romance novel titled "Lady Baltimore." The real life cake was served to Wister by Alicia Rhett Mayberry in Charleston, South Carolina, or so the story goes. It's no wonder this show-stopping cake made it in Wister's novel — layers of white cake alternate with a fluffy frosting and a fruit and nut filling.

Coco-Cola Cake II

In the South, there is no soda, only "Coke." So, it's only fitting that the famous drink would become the inspiration for this Southern dessert. It somewhat resembles a Texas sheet cake, but features cola soft drink and sometimes mini marshmallows in the batter. The resulting cake doesn't taste all that much like cola, but it does have an ultra-moist, rich texture thanks to the fizzy drink.

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