Classic American Desserts That Are Always a Hit


Step into the delectable realm of American desserts, where sweetness isn’t just a treat but a cherished slice of tradition and comfort. In this land of apple pies cooling on windowsills and warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven, classic American desserts embody a culinary journey that traverses generations. From the crisp perfection of a freshly baked brownie’s edges to the indulgent layers of a southern-style banana pudding, these recipes carry the weight of cherished family legacies. Within this collection, we invite you to explore the heart of American kitchens, where we share simple yet irresistible dessert recipes that have endured the test of time.

Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Chocolate chip cookie bars on a white background.
Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. Photo credit: PinkWhen.

Thick peanut butter chocolate chip bars are made with creamy peanut butter and milk chocolate chips. It’s the perfect treat for an after-school snack!
Get the Recipe: Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Easy Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe

A lemon bundt cake with yellow icing.
Easy Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe. Photo credit: PinkWhen.

This lemon bundt cake recipe is one of the best light and sweet cakes. It’s festive and full of delicious lemon flavors.
Get the Recipe: Easy Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe

Ambrosia Salad

ambrosia salad in a cup.
Photo Credit: i Heart Eating

Ambrosia salad is a retro dessert recipe! This traditional ambrosia salad recipe takes just 7 ingredients and 5 minutes to make.

Get the Recipe: Ambrosia Salad

Fruit Cocktail Cake With a Cake Mix

fruit cocktail cake stacked up.
Photo Credit: Cooking with Carlee

Fruit cocktail cake with a cake mix remixes a vintage classic to make it even easier. The cake is light, moist, and delightfully fruity.

Get the Recipe: Fruit Cocktail Cake With a Cake Mix

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

ginger molasses cookies on parchment paper.
Photo Credit: i Heart Eating

Soft and chewy ginger molasses cookie recipe! This old-fashioned gingerbread cookie recipe doesn’t need to be chilled before baking, so you can make homemade molasses cookies in about half an hour!

Get the Recipe: Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Lime Jello Fudge

lime jello on a white plate.
Photo Credit: Cooking with Carlee

Lime Jello fudge is the vintage treat that we didn’t know we needed, but now we do. It has a rich buttery fudge texture with a pop of lime flavor.

Get the Recipe: Lime Jello Fudge

German Chocolate Sheet Cake

german chocolate sheet cake with lots of frosting.
Photo Credit: i Heart Eating

Best easy German chocolate sheet cake recipe! This simple recipe makes moist German chocolate cake and a sweet, caramel coconut pecan topping.

Get the Recipe: German Chocolate Sheet Cake

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Cake.
Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Cake. Photo credit: Seasonal Cravings.

Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Cake is a deliciously light and subtly sweet treat with juicy blueberries in every bite. Coated with sumptuous cream cheese frosting, this cake is moist, soft, and perfect for holidays, weekends, or just because.
Get the Recipe: Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Cake

Cinnamon Apple Cake

cinnamon apple cake with a slice out.
Photo Credit: i Heart Eating

Easy one-bowl cinnamon apple cake recipe! This moist apple cake is topped with a simple cinnamon sugar crumble. So easy, so good!

Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Apple Cake

Sweet And Delicious Graham Cracker Toffee Bars

Sweet And Delicious Graham Cracker Toffee Bars
Sweet And Delicious Graham Cracker Toffee Bars. Photo credit: XoxoBella.

Your family will go crazy for this Christmas crack recipe! These graham cracker toffee bars are a perfect quick and easy holiday treat!
Get the Recipe: Sweet And Delicious Graham Cracker Toffee Bars

Apple Pan Dowdy Recipe

Apple Pan Dowdy Recipe
Apple Pan Dowdy Recipe. Photo credit: Sugar And Soul.

This Apple Pandowdy Recipe is loaded with sweetly spiced tender apples and covered in a pie crust that’s been sprinkled with cinnamon sugar!
Get the Recipe: Apple Pan Dowdy Recipe

Best Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Best Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
Best Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe. Photo credit: Sugar And Soul.

Sticky Toffee Pudding is a rich and cozy date cake and soaked in a sticky toffee sauce. A decadent, sweet, and comforting dessert.
Get the Recipe: Best Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Granny Cake With Coconut

Granny Cake With Coconut.
Granny Cake With Coconut. Photo credit: State Of Dinner.

This old-fashioned Granny Cake recipe is a delicious pineapple cake with a sprinkling of brown sugar and a creamy, buttery sauce with chopped nuts and coconut poured over the top.
Get the Recipe: Granny Cake With Coconut

Pistachio Pudding Cake (Watergate Cake)

Pistachio Pudding Cake (Watergate Cake).
Pistachio Pudding Cake (Watergate Cake). Photo credit: On My Kid’s Plate.

Sweet pistachio pudding cake is a vintage recipe also known as Watergate cake that is sweet, nutty with a beautiful green color!
Get the Recipe: Pistachio Pudding Cake (Watergate Cake)

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies on a cooling rack for a potluck gathering.
Easy Peanut Butter Cookies. Photo credit: Healy Eats Real.

These three-ingredient peanut butter cookies are quick to make, sweet, and crunchy, with rich peanut butter flavor. A perfect snack or dessert for any day of the week!
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Fudge

A stack of chocolate fudge, perfect for Christmas candy recipes, on a white plate.
Creamy Chocolate Fudge. Photo credit: Healy Eats Real.

This simple three-ingredient chocolate fudge is an easy dessert recipe. It has a solid yet soft creamy texture and a rich, sweet, chocolatey flavor.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Fudge

Small Pumpkin Pie

A slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top.
Small Pumpkin Pie. Photo credit: Homemade In the Kitchen.

Bake Small Pumpkin Pie from scratch in a 6 inch pie pan! Recipe includes substitute for evaporated milk.
Get the Recipe: Small Pumpkin Pie

Creamy New York-Style Cheesecake

CREAMY NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE
Creamy New York-Style Cheesecake. Photo credit: Pastry Wishes.

This tall, crack-free, New York-style cheesecake is ultra rich and creamy! It’s sure to be a showstopper at any party or get-together.
Get the Recipe: Creamy New York-Style Cheesecake

Blueberry Pound Cake

A slice of blueberry pound cake on a cooling rack.
Blueberry Pound Cake. Photo credit: Simply Made ats.

This Blueberry Pound Cake with a vanilla glaze is moist, sweet and delicious! It’s the perfect Summer dessert or breakfast to whip up!
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Pound Cake

Great Grandma’s Apple Pie

A slice of apple pie on a plate next to apples.
Great Grandma’s Apple Pie. Photo credit: Cooking With Carlee.

If you love a good deep dish apple pie that is loaded with fresh apples, this family apple pie recipe is for you. It has the perfect balance of sweet fruit and cinnamon spice.
Get the Recipe: Great Grandma’s Apple Pie

Peanut Butter Pie

A slice of chocolate peanut butter pie on a plate.
Peanut Butter Pie. Photo credit: Desserts With Stephanie.

This Peanut Butter Pie with chocolate ganache is sinful! It includes a soft peanut crust, creamy peanut butter mousse and chocolate ganache.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Pie

Grandma’s Molasses Crinkle Cookies

Gingerbread cookies with icing on a white plate.
Grandma’s Molasses Crinkle Cookies. Photo credit: Sugar Yums.

Extra chewy, moist and soft molasses crinkle cookies made with warm spices. These chewy molasses cookies are just like grandma used to make!
Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Molasses Crinkle Cookies

Applesauce Cookies

A plate with two cookies with icing on it.
Applesauce Cookies. Photo credit: Sugar Yums.

Soft and moist applesauce cookies, perfect as a sweet snack. These cookies are sweet and tangy, with a cake-like texture.
Get the Recipe: Applesauce Cookies

Southern Banana Pudding

Banana pudding with whipped cream and banana slices.
Southern Banana Pudding. Photo credit: Strength And Sunshine.

A 100% homemade, from-scratch, Southern Banana Pudding! This wholesome twist on the old-fashioned recipe is a simple no-bake dessert!
Get the Recipe: Southern Banana Pudding

Neiman Marcus Bars

Lemon bars on a white plate.
Neiman Marcus Bars. Photo credit: Unique Cooks.

Rich, buttery and gooey, these Neiman Marcus bars are an easy and indulgent dessert that come together with just a few simple ingredients.
Get the Recipe: Neiman Marcus Bars

Tin Roof Sundae

An ice cream sundae with whipped cream and a cherry on top.
Tin Roof Sundae. Photo credit: What A Girl Eats.

A tin roof sundae is a simple, but delicious dessert. Vanilla bean ice cream, homemade hot fudge sauce, and salted skin-on peanuts.
Get the Recipe: Tin Roof Sundae

Eclair Cake

A slice of cheesecake on a plate with a fork.
Eclair Cake. Photo credit: The Cookin’ Chicks.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Eclair Cake is a no bake, scrumptious dessert that is packed with flavor and quite refreshing!
Get the Recipe: Eclair Cake

The Best Vanilla Cake

A white cake with a slice taken out of it.
The Best Vanilla Cake. Photo credit: Baked By Blair.

Light, fluffy, and perfectly moist, this vanilla cake recipe is your go-to classic vanilla cake recipe paired with Swiss meringue buttercream.
Get the Recipe: The Best Vanilla Cake

Carrot Cake

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and pecans.
Carrot Cake. Photo credit: Watch Learn Eat.

This homemade vegan carrot cake is soft, moist, fluffy, and flavorful! It is great for Easter, Christmas, birthdays, holidays, and more.
Get the Recipe: Carrot Cake

Mini Boston Cream Pie

A cake with chocolate icing on a plate.
Mini Boston Cream Pie. Photo credit: Scotch And Scones.

Mini Boston Cream Pie is a moist & tender vanilla cake filled with rich pastry cream & draped with a glossy chocolate ganache. Perfectly size for two!
Get the Recipe: Mini Boston Cream Pie

No Bake Cheesecake

A slice of strawberry cheesecake on a white plate.
No Bake Cheesecake. Photo credit: Baked By Blair.

Fluffy, light, and refreshing, learn exactly how to make this perfect, easy, no-bake cheesecake recipe.
Get the Recipe: No Bake Cheesecake

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

A pan with brownies and nuts on it.
Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake. Photo credit: Cooking With Wine.

The Texicali Chocolate Sheet Cake is a super easy and delicious chocolate cake with chocolate frosting based on the traditional Texas Sheet Cake recipe.
Get the Recipe: Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Chocolate Brownies

A stack of brownies with caramel on top.
Chocolate Brownies. Photo credit: Homan At Home.

This is a perfect go-to brownie recipe: classic American brownies made from simple ingredients and using easy techniques!
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Brownies

Butter Pecan Cake Recipe

A slice of cake is being taken out of a cake stand.
Butter Pecan Cake Recipe. Photo credit: Frugal Mom Eh.

Loaded with buttery pecans, this delicious and moist butter pecan cake is layered with a rich cream cheese frosting. This cake is the best!
Get the Recipe: Butter Pecan Cake Recipe

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