13 Southern Grandma Desserts That Taste Like Home

top-down view of a golden brown crust of an apple pie in a cast iron skillet
Photo: Kim's Cooking Now

Recreate the memories of your grandmother's kitchen with these tried-and-true Southern desserts. Regional favorites like peaches, rhubarb, and Hubbard squash are baked up into pies, cobblers, coffee cake, and more. You'll find classic Southern desserts that every grandmother can make — apple pie, of course — but a few Southern grandmothers have shared some of their more unique recipes here, too. These Southern desserts are grandma-approved and sure to be family favorites for another generation or two.

01 of 14

Grandma's Chew Bread

Grandma's Chew Bread on a striped towel
Linda T

The name may be unusual, but one bite of these cookie bars will show why they're a Southern favorite. The chewy treats are sweetened with brown sugar and vanilla; each bite is studded with crunchy pecans. It's a bit like a pecan pie met a blondie, and it's every bit as delicious as you'd hope.

02 of 14

Great Grandma's Peach Cobbler

Great Grandma's Peach Cobbler
melissa

"This was my great grandma's recipe from the 40's and earlier. It's so easy to make," shares st1100pilot. "I remember this being my favorite dessert from when I was a child. This is delicious when hot and served with ice cream or I enjoy it cold by itself."

03 of 14

Grandma Moyer's Rhubarb and Strawberry Coffee Cake

slices of Grandma Moyer's Rhubarb and Strawberry Coffee Cake on a plate
Teresa T-Rex ecker

You'll never brunch the same way again once you slice into this decadent coffee cake. "This was my Grandma Moyer's recipe. It has been missing since at least the mid 80's. I found it stuck the middle of an old book I got after my mom passed away," says BobbieRocks. "Everyone in the family has been trying to recreate this delicious coffee cake for years. It is moist and very flavorful."

04 of 14

Grandmother's Old Fashioned Butter Roll

Grandmother's Old Fashioned Butter Roll in a cast iron skillet
Cindy

Everything is better with a little butter. These soft and sweet rolls are coated with butter, sugar, and nutmeg before getting rolled into wow-worthy treats.

05 of 14

Grandma's Blueberry Buckle

blueberry buckle on a white and blue plate
Deb C

Is it a cake? Or is it a crumble? Neither, it's a buckle! No matter how you classify it, you're guaranteed to love this grandmother-approved family recipe for blueberry buckle. It's perfect for using up fresh berries during the summer months.

06 of 14

Grandma's Sweet Hubbard Squash Custard Pie

Grandma's Sweet Hubbard Squash Custard Pie on a baking sheet
john sims

If sweet potatoes and pumpkins had a baby, that would be the Hubbard squash. This pie dresses up the creamy vegetable into a sweet pie with brown sugar, heavy cream, rich spices, and a pat of butter.

07 of 14

Grandma's Iron Skillet Apple Pie

top-down view of a golden brown crust of an apple pie in a cast iron skillet
Kim's Cooking Now

You weren't raised with a Southern grandmother unless you got in trouble at least once for using soap on her cast iron skillet. This ultra versatile cookware is used in this recipe to create a flaky, golden brown crust layered up with spiced Granny Smith apples.

08 of 14

Grandmother's Pound Cake

Grandmother's Pound Cake II
wannabe chefette

"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," says WholeGrainWoman. But she suggests adding a dash of vanilla or almond extracts for an extra layer of flavor.

09 of 14

Grandma Bev's Rhubarb Dessert (Rhubarb Crisp)

Grandma Bev's Rhubarb Dessert in a glass dish
Fiori

Topped with a buttery, sweet crust, this grandma-approved dessert is filled with a nutmeg-spiced rhubarb blend and baked until a crunchy crust forms. CookingComputerGreek describes this recipe from her grandma, "She always had this waiting for my mother when we visited."

10 of 14

Nana's Apple Crisp

apple crisp
GLORIA LEE

Apples, butter, and a handful of pantry staples whip up to create this irresistible crisp. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to offset the Southern summer heat. Grandmother wouldn't dare leave the ice cream off.

11 of 14

Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie

Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie
Dianne

Tangy and cool, lemon meringue pie is the ideal Southern treat. "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."

12 of 14

Grandma Ruth's Snickerdoodle Cookies

snickerdoodles on baking rack
tjump2014

Grandma's kitchen is always full of sugar and spice, and these snickerdoodles are no exception. Just the right balance of soft and chewy, each bite is brightened with plenty of heady cinnamon.

13 of 14

Grandma's Apple Dumplings

Grandma's Apple Dumplings
CHER

In this beloved grandmother recipe, sweet pieces of apple are wrapped in tender pastry dough and then served drizzled with an orange-vanilla sauce. Reviewer Jill says, "This was a very easy and tasty recipe. It turned out perfect."

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