Classic Southern Comfort Food Desserts You’ll Love
Pick up any locally produced Southern cookbook, whether published by a church or civic group, and compare the size of the dessert section to the rest of the book and you’ll pretty quickly figure out that Southerners love their desserts! Yes, we love it all, whether it’s pies, cakes, puddings, cookies, or homemade candies. Here are some of the very best.
4 Day Sour Cream Coconut Cake
Total time: 40 minutes (plus 4 days waiting time)
Level: Beginner – uses a cake mix!
Main ingredients: Cake mix, frozen topping, sour cream, coconut
Learn more and get the recipe: 4 Day Sour Cream Coconut Cake
Try this 4 Day Sour Cream Coconut Cake, a favorite among vintage cake mix recipes! Although you do have to be patient to get the reward, it’s so worth the wait!
Chocolate Little Layer Cake
Total time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Level: Advanced
Main ingredients: Unsweetened chocolate, evaporated milk, butter, sugar, vanilla extract
Learn more and get the recipe: Chocolate Little Layer Cake
Part cake and part confection, this heritage recipe for Chocolate Little Layer Cake is made by home cooks throughout southwest Georgia. The cake consists of tiny yellow layers baked individually, then filled and topped with old-fashioned boiled chocolate icing.
Old Fashioned Red Velvet Cake
Total time: 58 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Main ingredients: Cocoa powder, vanilla extract, buttermilk, cream cheese, pecans
Learn more and get the recipe: Old Fashioned Red Velvet Cake
Red Velvet Cake is a classic, much-loved recipe. The combination of rich cocoa layers and the luscious cream cheese frosting studded with pecans is a Southern favorite!
Southern Egg Custard Pie
Total time: 40 minutes
Level: Beginner
Main ingredients: Eggs, milk, vanilla extract, nutmeg
Learn more and get the recipe: Traditional Southern Egg Custard Pie
Egg Custard Pie is one of those traditional Southern heritage recipes that everyone loves so much. It may be made from plain, simple pantry ingredients, but it’s so worth getting out the fine china to serve it. Who would think that a few eggs, some sugar, vanilla, and milk could conjure up such strong childhood memories!
Lane Cake
Total time: 55 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Main ingredients: Eggs, pecans, coconut, raisins, milk, bourbon
Learn more and get the recipe: Lane Cake
Lane Cake is a classic Southern dessert that is an icon of hospitality and indulgence. It’s a rich, decadent cake filled with a boozy fruit mixture between delicate white cake layers.
Pig Pickin’ Cake
Total time: 45 minutes, plus 3 hours chill time
Level: Easy (uses a boxed cake mix!)
Main ingredients: Cake mix, canned mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, frozen whipped topping
Learn more and get the recipe: Pig Pickin’ Cake
Pig Pickin’ Cake is a classic Southern recipe. It’s an easy recipe using a fantastic combination of cake mix, mandarin oranges, pineapple, pudding, and whipped topping. Yum!
Mississippi Mud Cake
Total time: 40 minutes
Level: Easy
Main ingredients: Cocoa, pecans, marshmallows
Learn more and get the recipe: Vintage Mississippi Mud Cake
Learn to make my vintage recipe for Mississippi Mud Cake, a cross between brownies, cake, and s’mores! It’s a simple, family-friendly dessert that’s delicious, decadent, and suitable for any occasion!
Mama’s Ambrosia
Total time: 10 minutes
Level: Easy
Main ingredients: Navel oranges, coconut
Learn more and get the recipe: Mama’s Ambrosia
Mama’s Ambrosia is a cherished Christmas tradition in our family, showcasing a delicious, refreshing combination of Navel oranges and sweetened shredded coconut. Learn how to create this simple yet heavenly dessert that will brighten up your holiday table.
Southern Tea Cakes
Total time: 30 minutes
Level: Easy
Main ingredients: Butter, sugar, eggs, flour, buttermilk, vanilla
Learn more and get the recipe: Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes
Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes is a classic, vintage recipe. It’s a bit of a cross between a cookie and cake, not too sweet, and utterly delicious. Tea cakes are the perfect ending to any meal or a great mid-afternoon snack with coffee, tea, or milk.
Charlotte Russe
Total time: 35 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Main ingredients: Milk, cream, eggs, gelatin, bourbon, ladyfingers
Learn more and get the recipe: Charlotte Russe
Charlotte Russe is a creamy dessert combination of eggs, whipping cream, and whiskey. Traditionally served at Christmas and holidays.
Fruit Cocktail Cake
Total time: 50 minutes
Level: Beginner
Main ingredients: Fruit cocktail, brown sugar, eggs, pecans, coconut, evaporated milk
Learn more and get the recipe: Vintage Fruit Cocktail Cake
You’ll take a trip back in time with this delicious Vintage Fruit Cocktail Cake recipe. Its moist, flavorful cake layer and luscious coconut frosting make this dessert a real crowd-pleaser. Everyone will love this treat from the past!
Southern Blackberry Cobbler
Total time: 35 minutes
Level: Beginner
Main ingredients: Blackberries, flour, sugar, butter
Learn more and get the recipe: Easy Southern Blackberry Cobbler
My Southern Blackberry Cobbler recipe is the best of the best of southern summer desserts. You’ll love its warm, buttery dough and tart-sweet blackberries. Serve it with a drizzle of heavy cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or vanilla yogurt for a family-pleasing treat!
Southern Caramel Layer Cake
Total time: 45 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Main ingredients: Buttermilk, flour, vanilla, brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk
Learn more and get the recipe: Old Fashioned Southern Caramel Layer Cake
This Old Fashioned Southern Caramel Layer Cake with its moist yellow cake layers topped with an easy homemade caramel frosting is a long-time favorite of everyone in our family. It’s sure to be a hit with your family, too!
Texas Sheet Cake
Total time: 35 minutes
Level: Beginner
Main ingredients: Cocoa, flour, butter, milk, eggs, pecans
Learn more and get the recipe: Texas Sheet Cake
This chocolatey, rich, Texas Sheet Cake is a decadent combination of chocolate sheet cake topped with an irresistible chocolate and pecan icing. It is a southern treat that will become a regular bake on your dessert rotation.
Southern Pecan Pralines
Total time: 25 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Main ingredients: Sugar, buttermilk, corn syrup, pecans
Learn more and get the recipe: Homemade Southern Pecan Pralines
Enjoy a taste of the south with these Homemade Southern Pecan Pralines. They’re perfect little treats loaded with creamy, caramelized sugar and just the right amount of toasty pecan crunch.
Biscuit Pudding
Total time: 40 minutes
Level: Beginner
Main ingredients: Leftover biscuits, milk, eggs, sugar, butter
Learn more and get the recipe: Biscuit Pudding
Use the leftover breakfast biscuits to make a delicious Biscuit Pudding for the evening’s dessert. This is a delicious, economical, and very old-fashioned Southern recipe.
Real Banana Pudding
Total time: 40 minutes
Level: Beginner
Main ingredients: Bananas, vanilla wafers, milk, sugar, eggs
Learn more and get the recipe: The Real Deal Banana Pudding
The original and best Banana Pudding recipe. Layers of luscious vanilla custard, crunchy vanilla wafers, and sliced bananas topped with a golden meringue.