20 Sweet Southern Recipes That Turn Your Kitchen Into Grandma’s
There’s something magical about Southern desserts—the sweet smells, the warm flavors, and the memories they bring back. These 20 sweet Southern recipes capture that same homemade charm, turning your kitchen into a place that feels just like Grandma’s. From rich pies to soft, buttery cakes, each treat is designed to bring comfort, nostalgia, and a little indulgence to your table. Get ready to whip up desserts that taste like home and make every bite a trip down memory lane.
Kentucky Butter Cake
Break out your bundt pan for this Kentucky Butter Cake. The sweet, moist crumb of the cake is complimented by the crunchy sugar exterior formed by drenching the cake in a homemade butter glaze.
Orange Buttermilk Pie
Orange Buttermilk Pie is a delicious, sweet, Southern treat. The consistency of this pie reminds me of a cross between a custard pie and a lemon bar. But this pie is made even better with some orange flavor as well!
Old Fashioned Tea Cakes
TheseOld Fashioned Tea Cakes are the perfect dessert or snack for entertaining guests and are so easy to make with less than 10 ingredients. A classic Southern cookie-like treat with chewy edges and a tender, soft center.
Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix (Only 3 Ingredients)
Indulgent and comforting homemade apple cobbler with cake mix that’s super easy to make. This recipe requires only 3 ingredients and 5 minutes to prepare!
Coca Cola Cake
Moist chocolate Coca Cola Cake is a simple, old-fashioned Southern dessert that has experienced a resurgence in popularity thanks to Cracker Barrel restaurant and home bakers who love the nostalgia of vintage recipes. It’s rich and chocolatey with Coca-Cola in both the cake and the fudgy icing.
Perfect Southern Pecan Praline Cookies
These easy and sweet cookies bring me back to my mama’s holiday baking! Chewy Brown Sugar Pecan cookies topped with a praline icing drizzle (or dunk!) for a delicious cookie spin on the classic Southern candy. Make sure to hide some for yourself, they’re irresistible!
Blackberry Dumplings
These easy Blackberry Dumplings are the best summer dessert. Made with just 7-ingredients and only 15 minutes of prep time, you can have a dessert on the table in no time. It’s a tried and true Southern classic recipe, that’s simple enough for anyone to replicate.
Chess Chocolate Pie
This Chess Chocolate Pie is so decadent and delicious. Your family is sure to fall in love with this Southern inspired Chocolate Chess Pie. This dessert is always a crowd favorite dessert!
Sweet Potato Pie
This sweet potato pie is a creamy and comforting Southern classic dessert that makes a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving spread! The sweet potato filling is easy to prepare and has a smooth texture with a flavorful blend of spices. Bring this pie to your next holiday party, and everyone will be begging for another piece!
Paula Deen’s Southern Peach Cobbler
If you love ridiculously easy desserts like homemade cobblers, you’ll love this sweet Paula Deen’s Southern peach cobbler recipe. The Southern treat is easy to whip up with just a few ingredients for the batter and some sugar to mix with fresh or canned peaches. Either way, your family will rave and tell you this is the best peach cobbler ever!
Best Ever Carrot Cake with Easy Cream Cheese Icing
There aren’t too many desserts in this world more delicious than a carrot cake, full of carrots, pineapple, raisins, and because I’m a Southern girl, pecans. If that isn’t enough deliciousness, this Carrot Cake is then topped with a quick and easy but decadent, luscious, and velvety smooth cream cheese icing.
Southern Caramel Cake
This Southern Caramel Cake recipe is made with layers of homemade moist yellow cake with a luscious thick caramel icing made from scratch! It’s rich and delicious and perfect for any special occasion!
Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia salad is more than just a dish; it’s a delightful creation that has graced holiday tables and family gatherings for generations. This classic easy fruit salad, most popular in the Southern United States, is often referred to as “food of the gods”.
Blackberry Cobbler Recipe
Blackberry Cobbler is the ultimate summer dessert. Fresh juicy blackberries are baked into a luscious filling, then topped with a golden, sweet biscuit topping. This southern dessert is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
Homemade Banana Pudding
This Homemade Banana Pudding recipe is a classic Southern dessert made with layers of sliced fresh bananas, an easy homemade custard, Nilla wafers, and topped with a light and fluffy meringue! It’s the perfect way to finish any Southern meal!
Hummingbird Cupcakes
Hummingbird cake is a classic southern favorite! I’ve made them into perfectly moist cupcakes filled with bananas, pineapple, and toasted pecans and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. Try my fan favorite banana bread next!
Southern Pecan Pie
Ooey-gooey, crunchy, sticky and sweet, classic Southern Pecan Pie is one of my all-time favorite desserts! Perfect for Thanksgiving, BBQ’s, Pi Day, or any day in between!
Strawberry Peach Cobbler
This 6-ingredient Strawberry Peach Cobbleris simple to make and the ultimate summer dessert recipe. With just one bowl, it makes assembly a breeze. Made just like a Southern-style cobbler, it’s a classic that everyone will swoon over.
Hummingbird Cake Bar
Delightful, incredibly moist, and unmistakably Southern, this Hummingbird Cake Bar is packed full of banana and pineapple goodness! This easy bar cake version of the classic recipe is layered with a pineapple cream cheese frosting and topped with toasted pecans for a crowd-pleasing crunch.
Mississippi Mud Pie
Rich and dark as the muddy Mississippi itself, this Mississippi Mud Pie recipe is a chocolate lover’s dream dessert with an Oreo cookie crust, a fudgy brownie-like base, chocolate mousse and chocolate whipped cream with Oreo crumbles sprinkled on top! It’s decadent and over-the-top in the best possible way!
