27 All-American Desserts That Celebrate the Country’s Sweetest Traditions Explore the pies, cakes, cookies, and other beloved sweets that showcase the diversity of American dessert traditions. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 12, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco These are the American desserts that have become part of our collective sweet tooth: the cakes found in bakery cases, the pies brought to family gatherings, the cookies shared at bake sales, and the treats we return to again and again. From rich chocolate desserts and fruit-filled pies to nostalgic cookies and regional specialties, these recipes celebrate the flavors that have shaped American baking. Rediscover beloved favorites alongside fresh interpretations of the sweets we know and love. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 27 Best-Ever Birthday Cake Greg DuPree Who can argue with a classic yellow cake, enriched by sour cream, dotted with sprinkles, and slathered in chocolate frosting? This confetti cake recipe is exactly that — no boxed mix required. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 27 Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Christina Daley / Prop Styling by Torie Cox Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman's chocolate chip cookies are oversized with crisp, rippled edges and a soft, gooey center, created by lifting and dropping the sheet pan a few times during baking. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 27 St. Louis–Style Cheesecake with Blueberries Johnny Autry Chef Andrae Bopp’s creamy no-fuss cheesecake gets a bright, sweet-tart finish from a sauce of blueberries or huckleberries — use whichever is freshest for a dessert that captures the best of the season. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 27 Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco For this super-classic pie, baker AJ Perry keeps things simple — after all, why mess with perfection? Three pounds of apples are spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, then piled inside a tender double crust for a fall dessert you'll want to make an annual tradition. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 27 Miss Myra’s Banana Pudding Food & Wine / Photo by Jacob Fox / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly/ Prop Styling by Natalie Ghazali An absolute Southern gem, this sweet treat comes from Miss Myra's Pit Bar-B-Q near Birmingham, Alabama, via Andrew Zimmern. Make the creamy custard and pour it over the vanilla wafers and banana slices while hot, then refrigerate overnight before finishing it off with the meringue topping. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 27 Texas State Fair Pecan Pie Carson Downing / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans This award-winning Texas pie features an all-butter crust and a gooey pecan filling, which has a custard-like body thanks to the inclusion of a whopping four whole eggs. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 27 Classic Carrot Cake with Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell Classic carrot cake is a crowd-pleaser that can work in traditional layers, as a loaf, or even as cupcakes. Pastry chef Jodi Elliot prepares the ultimate version of the 1970s favorite: moist and not too sweet. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 27 Outrageous Brownies Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel What makes these brownies from Ina Garten so outrageous, you might ask? Instant coffee, chopped walnuts, and an extra-fudgy texture. The batter bakes up in a half-sheet pan to yield 20 big brownies, plenty for the whole crew. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 27 Red Velvet Cake with Coconut Chris Simpson / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Thom Driver A Southern mashup of red velvet and coconut cake, this crimson beauty includes flavorful virgin coconut oil in both the batter and cream cheese frosting, then gets decorated with lacy toasted coconut flakes. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 27 Hummingbird Bundt Cake Morgan Hunt Ward / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Montiel Loaded with roasted banana, toasted pecans, and crushed pineapple, this easy spiced cake is set off by a tangy cream cheese frosting. Decorated with dried pineapple flowers and edible blooms, it's a dessert that doubles as a bouquet. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 27 Old-Fashioned Banana Split Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley The classic whiskey cocktail informs the flavors of this fruity frozen dessert. Orange, cherry, and malted chocolate shell toppings shatter over mounds of boozy whiskey ice cream. For a kid-friendly banana split, use chocolate or caramel ice cream instead. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 27 Cherry Pie Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This is the cherry pie of nostalgic dreams, completely made from scratch — no premade crust or canned pie filling here. Instead, our recipe features a tender buttermilk crust, with just a touch of tang to echo the tart cherries. The use of frozen fruit means this pie can be baked any time of year. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 27 Black and White Cookie Icebox Cake Food & Wine / Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Strategically cut and layer black and white cookies with your favorite ice cream flavors — we like the classic trio of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate — into a loaf pan and top with lightly sweetened whipped cream for an easy no-bake dessert sure to garner lots of ooohs and ahhhs. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 27 Lemon Bars Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco These sweet-tart lemon bars balance a silky citrus custard with a crisp, buttery crust. This recipe intensifies the lemon flavor by cooking the custard on the stove before baking it over the crust, which gets its extra crunch from a touch of white rice flour. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 27 Celebration Cake Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans Pastry chef Emily Luchetti's creative take on German chocolate cake features three layers of velvety yellow cake with a butterscotch-tinged coconut-pecan filling, frosted with buttered chocolate ganache. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 27 Chess Pie Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell You'll just need pantry staples for this classic Southern dessert, a simple yet lush custard pie made from ingredients like eggs, milk, butter, sugar, and vanilla. A small amount of fine yellow cornmeal provides a welcome bit of texture; just enough lemon zest and juice is added to cut the sweetness. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 27 Oatmeal Cream Pies Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Melissa Gray-Streett / Prop Styling by Shell Royster Chicago chef Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader's nostalgic, next-level recipe features tender, chewy cookies made with oats, dark brown sugar, molasses, and toffee bits; a light, creamy vanilla filling is the perfect complement. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 27 Salted Caramel S’mores Johnny Autry Upgrade the quintessential campfire treat with a drizzle of salted caramel and crisp homemade graham crackers. Sweetened with brown sugar, molasses, and honey, the homemade grahams bring deep flavor and make every rich, gooey bite feel extra special. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 27 Baked Alaska Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Classic and infinitely customizable, baked Alaska never fails to impress. Make your own buttery pound cake as the base, layer on a trio of store-bought ice creams and/or sorbets, then swirl meringue over the top and torch until golden. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 27 Angel Food Cake with Brown Sugar–Bourbon Cream Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer /Prop Styling by Thom Driver This towering old-fashioned tube cake is made from a sweet meringue folded with cake flour, giving it a light, spongy texture and delicate vanilla flavor. It’s a perfect canvas for all manner of toppings; here, we serve it with berries and a silky brown sugar custard with butterscotch notes. Get the Recipe Save 21 of 27 Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cookies Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Breanna Ghazali These soft, chewy peanut butter cookies get a boost of deep, toasted flavor from brown butter, while peanut butter chips amplify their rich, nutty character. Get the Recipe Save 22 of 27 Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Doughnuts Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley These homey doughnuts boast a craggy, crunchy crust that gives way to a tender interior, courtesy of tangy buttermilk. A hint of nutmeg in the batter is paired with a tart-sweet lemon glaze on top. Get the Recipe Save 23 of 27 Lemon Pound Cake Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle You'll need three lemons and a short list of pantry staples to make this moist, tender pound cake that's equally perfect for breakfast or dessert. The sweet-tart lemon glaze dresses the loaf up and intensifies the sunny citrus flavor. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 27 Snickerdoodles Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee Rolled in cinnamon sugar and slightly tangy from cream of tartar, these chewy cookies are a beloved American classic. Our version uses all butter instead of a butter-shortening blend for an especially rich flavor; a rest in the fridge helps the dough bake up with the perfect shape and texture. Get the Recipe Save 25 of 27 Strawberry Shortcake for a Crowd Jen Causey Strawberry shortcake is proof that the simplest dishes can often be the most delicious. For this mega-sized version, a buttery biscuit-like cake is sliced in half and loaded with fresh whipped cream and berries. Get the Recipe Save 26 of 27 Roasted Peach Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream and Balsamic Syrup © Fredrika Stjärne Andrew Zimmern’s cobbler gets an upgrade with syrupy aged balsamic and a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream. "I’m no pastry chef, but I bake a killer cobbler," he says. Get the Recipe Save 27 of 27 Tangy Key Lime Pie © Quentin Bacon This airy, fluffy version of Key lime pie is light rather than dense, and the filling feels more like a mousse than a rich custard. Decorate the pie with freshly whipped cream and lime zest strips for a delicate finish. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Recipes Desserts Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit