35 Southern Desserts Sweeter Than Peach Pie
One bite of any of these classic Southern desserts will have you saying "Bless your heart" in no time, guaranteed. If you've never had a slice of chess pie, hummingbird cake, or strawberry-pretzel tart, now is absolutely the perfect time to try these iconic treats. Bring a classic ambrosia salad, beignets, or pineapple upside-down cake to your next potluck or BBQ, and you'll bring all the Southern flavor (without all the humidity!).
What could be more Southern than a peachy keen selection of peach desserts? Our peach pie even has a kick of bourbon in it, which adds so much depth and richness and makes it go even better with vanilla ice cream. Speaking of things that go well with ice cream, our peach cobbler is the perfect mix of jammy, buttery, and crunchy. If you're more in the mood for peach cobbler in a Texas sheet cake form, you'll flip over how good our brown sugar peach cake is.
Here at Delish, we'll never get tired of making new banana pudding-inspired desserts. Banana pudding lasagna might be our new favorite iteration of the classic Southern treat, and bonus: It's an easy no-bake dessert too! Our banana pudding Bundt cake goes one step further and involves whisking instant pudding mix straight into cake mix. Or take those ripe bananas and whip up a mean bananas Foster. Either way, you can't lose.
Want even more Southern-inspired recipes? Try all our top Southern recipes, like fried okra, hush puppies, and jambalaya to go with all these incredible desserts.
Banana Pudding
Banana pudding is one of our all-time favorite desserts. It's a classic Southern recipe, and for good reason; luscious layers of pudding, whipped cream, ripe bananas, and wafer cookies are completely impossible to resist.
Get the Banana Pudding recipe.
Peach Cobbler
This fruit cobbler is juicy and sweet with just a hint of spice from ginger. The crackly top here is buttery with the perfect crunch from coarse sugar sprinkled on top.
Get the Peach Cobbler recipe.
Cracker Barrel Coca-Cola Cake
One bite of this Cracker Barrel Coca-Cola cake, and you'll be instantly transported to a rocking chair on a covered front porch playing with that triangle peg board game (IYKYK). Even if you're not familiar with the Southern comfort food stylings of Cracker Barrel, you can trust us that this chocolate cake is real good.
Get the Cracker Barrel Coca-Cola Cake recipe.
Bourbon Balls
If you’re looking for a boozy treat to get your party started, these little bites are calling your name. Made with finely chopped pecans, crushed vanilla wafer cookies, and of course, bourbon, these no-bake cookie truffles highlight the flavor of the bourbon while taming its typical burn.
Get the Bourbon Balls recipe.
Baked Key Lime Pie Pudding
The perfect dessert for end-of-summer, this dreamy, creamy, citrus-packed baked Key lime pudding will definitely elicit all the "oohs" and "aahs" at your next get-together. Served warm from the oven with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, this decadent lime-infused pudding is incredibly impressive yet deceptively simple (we won't tell!).
Get the Baked Key Lime Pie Pudding recipe.
Peanut Butter Cup Chess Pie
Here at Delish, we love a dessert mashup: some sweet things are just made to be together. Next up for us? This peanut butter-chocolate dream of a dessert takes two famous desserts—Reese’s peanut butter cups and the South’s chess pie—and makes something uniquely delicious.
Get the Peanut Butter Cup Chess Pie recipe.
Blackberry Pie
Pumpkin and pecan are classics in the fall, but come summer, fresh fruit pies become one of our favorite desserts. This blackberry pie is one of our go-to recipes, and makes for an ideal end to any warm-weather occasion, from your 4th of July celebration to a weekend summer cookout.
Get the Blackberry Pie recipe.
Texas Sheet Cake
This chocolate cake is rich, extra-fudgy, and topped with plenty of toasty pecans. It's a classic dessert for very good reason: it was made for chocolate lovers, and ready in under an hour.
Get the Texas Sheet Cake recipe.
Bourbon Peach Pie
Let this pie be the first thing you make to celebrate peach season. It has a flaky, buttery pie crust that is so easy and makes it worth making your own! The filling is rich with spices and hint of bourbon that really makes the pie stand out. Peaches too firm? Baking them into this pie makes them perfectly jammy.
Get the Bourbon Peach Pie recipe.
Bread Pudding
A classic dessert (and brunch star), bread pudding is nothing short of magic. It’s the best way to transform stale bread into a versatile and (most importantly) easy dessert.
Get the Bread Pudding recipe.
Pecan Pie
Is there anything more iconic to see on your Thanksgiving dessert spread than a beautiful pecan pie? The craggly top filled with nuts that you know gives way to that delicious, rich interior. This recipe is the easiest way to get it on your holiday table (or any table for that matter, make it in June for all we care!).
Get the Pecan Pie recipe.
Strawberry-Pretzel Tart
Also known as strawberry pretzel salad, this nostalgic dessert strikes the perfect balance between whimsical and classic, sweet and salty. It might sound a little strange, but trust us—it just works. The pretzel crust is a surprisingly ideal complement to the rich cream cheese layer and the sweet strawberries and Jell-O.
Get the Strawberry-Pretzel Tart recipe.
Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding
To give classic banana pudding his own spin, contributor Romel Bruno made his pudding from scratch for this recipe. Whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk make it extra rich, and the result is heavenly, almost ice cream-like. 😍
Get the Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding recipe.
Mississippi Mud Pie
This layered masterpiece is comprised of a graham-cracker base, brownie, and pudding, all crowned by whipped cream. You'll eat this up in one Mississippi.
Get the Mississippi Mud Pie recipe.
Brown Sugar Peach Cake
This is really a peach cobbler in soft and buttery cake form, with sweet peaches studded throughout. The frosting is a brown sugar boiled icing, much like you would find on a Texas sheet cake. Pour it on while the cake is still warm so it'll soak in, then harden into a delicious, sweet topping.
Get the Brown Sugar Peach Cake recipe.
Shoofly Pie
So, what exactly IS a Shoofly Pie? Well, it's a lot of things. Somewhere between cake, pie, crumble, and gingerbread, it's got a little something to please everyone. Molasses lovers, this one's for you.
Get the Shoofly Pie recipe.
Red Velvet Cake
Everyone should have a good red velvet cake recipe in their back pocket—and this is it. It has a decadent chocolate flavor and the creamiest cream cheese frosting. If you have leftover cake scraps, you should for sure make these red velvet cheesecake bites next.
Get the Red Velvet Cake recipe.
Chess Pie
Chess pie is a custard-y, Southern pie very reminiscent of buttermilk pie. For a fun upgrade, we add orange juice, coffee, or maple syrup to the filling.
Get the Chess Pie recipe.
Mardi Gras King Cake
King cakes are traditionally sweet pastry shaped into a ring (like a crown) and covered with icing and colored sprinkles (gold for power, green for faith, and purple for justice). Whoever finds the toy baby inside their slice is king for the year (and has to bring the cake next Mardi Gras!).
Get the Mardi Gras King Cake recipe.
Bananas Foster
Created in New Orleans in the 1950s and named for a friend of the chef, Richard Foster, bananas Foster uses the flambé technique to create flavor through fireworks. Bananas foster goes super well with ice cream and whipped cream: Its caramel intensity diffuses through the richness, and the fragrance of rum perfumes through each bite.
Get the Bananas Foster recipe.
German Ch
Despite it's name, this layer cake actually originated in Texas in the 50s. It's a sweet, not-too-chocolatey cake that is filled and frosted with rich, sticky coconut and pecan filling. The toasted coconut and pecans mixed with evaporated milk and butter to make a custardy, almost caramel-like filling that is dangerously delicious.
Get the German Chocolate Cake recipe.
Pumpkin Pie
Every Southern dessert table needs pumpkin pie. It's basically the law. We've got tons of tips and tricks for how to bake your best one ever. First up, make your own pumpkin spice blend.
Get the Pumpkin Pie recipe.
Beignets
Liberally dusted in confectioners’ sugar, these pillowy deep-fried doughnuts will make you feel like you're at the famous Cafe du Monde in just one bite.
Get the New Orleans-Style Beignets recipe.
Key Lime Pie
Do we sometimes freeze this Key lime pie on a stick and dip in chocolate for the authentic Key West experience? Maybe.
Get the Easy Key Lime Pie recipe.
Sour Cream Pound Cake
This easy pound cake is the perfect dessert for all occasions. Simple and moist, we can't speak highly enough of the pound cake. It's a classic for a reason.
Get the Sour Cream Pound Cake recipe.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
A retro dessert that's still perfect today. Flipping the cake may seem difficult, but as long as you do it while it's warm, you'll be golden. Want another chance to go visit the upside down? Try our Citrus Upside-Down Cake.
Get the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe.
Banana Pudding Bundt Cake
We can't get enough of banana pudding. It's inspired dozens of dessert ideas, from banana pudding cookies to banana pudding PUDDING SHOTS. For this recipe, we use one of our favorite baking hacks of all time—whisking instant pudding mix into cake mix. It makes for the fudgiest, moistest (sorry!) cake ever.
Get the Banana Pudding Bundt Cake recipe.
Lemon Bars
Pucker up—these babies are sweet and citrusy and are our favorite make-ahead dessert. Want something similiar, but with booze? Check out our Margarita Bars.
Get the Easy Lemon Bars recipe.
Sweet Potato Pie
This recipe is an amazing way top off a Thanksgiving dinner or a nice treat after a long week in October, but we won't stop you from making it year round. We included a recipe for the pie crust, but to make it even easier, feel free to use store-bought!
Get the Sweet Potato Pie recipe.
Banana Pudding Lasagna
Bananas? All about 'em. Pudding? Love it. Lasagna… wait, what? Stay with us! It’s true that this isn’t a true Italian lasagna. Here we've swapped out pasta, sauce, and cheese with Nilla wafers, cheesecake filling, and bananas for the perfect no-bake dessert to make for a crowd.
Get the Banana Pudding Lasagna recipe.
Pecan Pralines
Pralines are a delicious Southern caramel-like candy made with sugar, butter, vanilla, and some form of dairy (like heavy cream or evaporated milk, which is our choice). You can make them with any nut, but pecan is classic.
Get the Pecan Pralines recipe.
Buttermilk Pie
You truly can't beat a classic, and nothing proves that more than sweet buttermilk pie. This pie recipe may only require a few simple ingredients, but delivers a flaky crust and sweet custard filling that rivals even the fanciest of desserts. Think of crème brûlée, but so much easier.
Get the Buttermilk Pie recipe.
Ambrosia Salad
We love bringing this kitschy, retro fruit salad to all our summer barbecues. This is not your grandma's ambrosia!
Get the Ambrosia Salad recipe.
Hummingbird Cake
This classic Southern-inspired dessert is filled with bananas, pineapple, and shredded coconut and frosted with a creamy buttercream. The moist cake is reminiscent of both carrot cake and banana bread. In other words: EVERYONE will love it.
Get the Hummingbird Cake recipe.
Ultimate Coconut Cake
This cake gets its amazing flavor from vanilla and almond extracts and, of course, shredded coconut. Also in the batter: 5 eggs and buttermilk. Both contribute to an extremely rich and tender crumb. Adding coconut milk to cream cheese frosting is a GAME CHANGER.
Get the Coconut Cake recipe.
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