Our 20 Best Grandma-Approved Recipes of All Time

By Vanessa Greaves
January 17, 2020

At it's best, grandma's home cooking is the ultimate comfort food we all crave. Beloved family recipes passed along from generation to generation carry with them cultures and traditions we can savor in every nostalgic bite, even when the grandmas who created the recipes are not our own. Here are 20 of the most highly rated recipes of all time that the Allrecipes community has shared from their own grandmothers, grandmas, grannys, and nanas for us all to enjoy and pass along to the next generation of home cooks.

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Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread

Credit: DIZā™„
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If you like sweet cornbread, try this top-rated recipe shared by BETHANYWEATHERSBY.

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Grandma Johnson's Scones

Credit: S.Becker
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Rob shared this recipe, describing it as, "A basic scone recipe that really does the trick. Tried and tested through 3 generations of kids. Simply the best anywhere!"

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Grandma VanDoren's White Bread

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"What Grandma used to make!" says recipe submitter Marilyn VanDoren Sim. "Our family's favorite. The recipe was never written down (that I know of) until she shared it with me when she was in her 90's."

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Gramma's Apple Bread Pudding

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MESEL says, "This bread pudding is the ultimate in comfort food from Gramma's kitchen. It is great for using up bread and apples. Enjoy!"

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Nana's Apple Crisp

Credit: Allrecipes Magazine
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"Loved it," says reviewer Aubree Rose. "I used Granny Smith apples. Sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar and a splash of vanilla. Delish! Thank you!"

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Grandmother's Pound Cake II

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Community member WHOLEGRAINWOMAN shared this recipe with us and says, "This recipe is over 100 years old and is the original kind of pound cake: it contains 1 pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour and contains no salt, baking powder or flavoring (but flavoring such as vanilla extract or almond extract can be added if desired!)"

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Grandmother's Oatmeal Cookies

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This top-rated recipe actually came from someone else's grandmother. HAPPYGOLUCKY explains, "This is the best oatmeal cookie I have ever tasted and is my family's favorite. This is a recipe that I have had for years that a friend of mine gave me."

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Nana's Southern Coleslaw

Credit: Deb C
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Kristina says, "Just an old family recipe that I have been told is reminiscent of KFC coleslaw. You be the judge!"

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Grandma Jeanette's Amazing German Red Cabbage

Credit: Photo by lutzflcat
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Clara Carson gives this her thumbs-up, saying, "My grandparents own a traditional German restaurant in Germany, and this is the closest red cabbage I have ever had to their restaurant's 'Rotkohl (Red Cabbage)."

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Grandma's Green Bean Casserole

Credit: Cynthia Garcia
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This made-from-scratch green bean casserole has earned more than two thousand 5-star reviews.Ā 

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Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie

Credit: Dianne
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"This is a very fun recipe to follow, because Grandma makes it sweet and simple," says Emilie S. "This pie is thickened with cornstarch and flour in addition to egg yolks, and contains no milk."

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Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup

Credit: ladywarrior0505
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"This is a recipe that was given to me by my grandmother," says CORWYNN DARKHOLME. "It is a very savory and tasty soup and I believe that all will like it. If you would like to add even more flavor, try using smoked chicken." And it's ready in about 45 minutes!

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Grandma's Gingersnap Cookies

Credit: Kristina Florez
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"This melt-in-your-mouth ginger cookie recipe that I received from my grandmother has been enjoyed in my family since 1899," says recipe submitter Marie Ayers.

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Grandma's Corn Pudding

Credit: Debi Clark Bickmore
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"This is one of those trick recipes that makes people believe you are an old country cook who really knows your way around the kitchen," says reviewer KYCATHY. "I will make this again and again."

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Grandma's Iron Skillet Apple Pie

Credit: Allrecipes
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"This is such an outstanding recipe, thanks so much to the cook who shared it. Over the past 45 years I have probably made hundreds of apple pies but this one is just a treat! I made it as written," says reviewer Grandma Lizzy.

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Grandma's Polish Perogies

Credit: Ronjohn
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"My grandfather is Polish, and his mother taught my grandmother how to make these delicious perogies. The recipe has been in the family for generations, with a few alterations of course! Serve plain, or with butter, sour cream, bacon, etc. Perfecting the perogie technique takes time, and after a while, you will develop your own system," says STEPH577

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Grandma's Baking Powder Biscuits

Credit: Kennya Briones
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"This is my grandmother's biscuit recipe," says recipe submitter IMACOOKY1. "It is my all-time favorite and has a really good flavor to it. Be sure not to roll out too thin, you want high biscuits! I usually just pat out the dough to the desired thickness, usually 1/2 inch."

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Ruth's Grandma's Pie Crust

Credit: Meghan Managan
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"This recipe is over 100 years old. My sister-in-law's grandmother said it was a no-fail recipe. It's the best I ever had," says recipe submitter Barbara Castodio.

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Grandma Rita's Soft Butter Rolls

Credit: Mom2twin
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Recipe submitter Lela says, "Want a roll that stays soft for days? Try these fluffy, soft rolls made with butter and love. This is my Grandma's recipe. The rolls are quick to rise due to the two packages of yeast. A special thanks to Baking Nana for writing the directions that are clear and easy to follow."

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Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

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MOSHASMAMA says, "This was my grandmother's apple pie recipe. I have never seen another one quite like it." It will always be my favorite and has won me several first place prizes in local competitions.

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State of Home Cooking

We're serving up and celebrating the biggest home-cooking trends from the most enthusiastic cooks we know: our community. We crunched the data from 1.2 billion annualĀ Allrecipes.com visits and 2.5 billion annual page views. Then we dug even further, surveying Allrecipes cooks about what's in their carts and fridges, on their stovetops and tables, and on their minds. Grandma's Best Recipes is just one of the topics they're most curious about. See more of the "State of Home Cooking" special report.

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By Vanessa Greaves