23 Iconic Vintage Desserts from Across the United States

The Northeast: Sweet Brown Sugar Candy

Brown Sugar Candy, also known as penuche, is a fudge-like treat made with brown sugar, butter, and milk, all gently flavored with vanilla. This classic candy is most commonly found in New England and is often compared to the taste of caramel. For added crunch, walnuts or pecans can be mixed into the candy.

The Northeast: Molasses-Filled Hermit Bar Cookies

A beloved New England classic, hermit cookies are soft, chewy bars infused with the rich flavor of molasses. These spiced treats were a staple in the early 20th century but have since become less common. Reviewer Julie recalls, "This recipe took me back to my hometown of New Bedford, MA, where people even KNEW what hermits were. This is a great recipe. This is what I grew up with."

The Northeast: Classic Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies, sometimes called gobs in certain regions, are delightful cake-like cookies filled with a creamy center. The traditional version features chocolate cake paired with sweet vanilla frosting, but variations like chocolate peanut butter, double chocolate, and pumpkin have also become popular. While the true origin of whoopie pies remains debated, with New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania all claiming to be the birthplace of the treat, it’s widely accepted that the first commercially made whoopie pies were produced in Maine.

The Mid-Atlantic: Sweet Concord Grape Pie

Grape pie originated in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York during the 1960s. The town of Naples, where the dessert was first created, hosts an annual grape festival, selling thousands of these pies each year. While making grape pie can be a bit labor-intensive, the rich, fruity flavor makes it a rewarding treat to prepare.

The Mid-Atlantic: My Grandma's Traditional Shoo-Fly Pie

Legend has it that this iconic Pennsylvania Dutch pie was named after the flies it supposedly attracted due to its irresistible aroma and appearance. Shoofly pie is made with a sweet combination of brown sugar and molasses, topped with a crumbly layer, giving it a texture similar to that of a crumb cake.

The Mid-Atlantic: Crisp Honeycomb Toffee

A local delicacy from Buffalo, New York, Honeycomb Toffee is a crunchy candy filled with tiny bubbles encased in sugary syrup. Its airy texture has earned it several nicknames, including cinder toffee, sponge candy, and hokey pokey. In New York, it's often coated in a rich layer of chocolate, making it an irresistible treat.

The Midwest: Classic Watergate Salad

Though the true origin of its name remains a mystery, Watergate Salad became widely popular during the infamous presidential scandal and has since become a staple dessert in the Midwest. This fluffy, five-ingredient salad is made from pistachio pudding mix, crushed pineapple, marshmallows, walnuts, and whipped cream, creating a sweet, creamy delight.

The Midwest: Freda's Cherry Supreme Salad

Cherry Supreme Salad has been a beloved dessert in the Midwest for generations. Despite the unexpected ingredient of mayo in the lemon topping, this Jell-O salad is surprisingly delicious — reviewers often describe its flavor as reminiscent of cheesecake. "I was a bit unsure about adding mayo, but it turned out fantastic. My husband wasn't convinced until he tried it and ended up loving it," shares home cook Kristy Bryson Loneske.

The Midwest: Rich Fudgy Chocolate Cream Pie

Thanks to Midwestern dairy farms, we can enjoy this decadent chocolate cream pie. Featuring a flaky crust, a velvety chocolate custard filling, and topped with a generous layer of whipped cream, it’s a dessert made for chocolate lovers. For those who prefer a meringue topping, recipe creator Nancy Sabatino suggests using this Unbaked Meringue recipe.

The Southeast: Buttery Biscuit Peach Cobbler

Cobblers were introduced to America by English settlers who, in their travels, combined canned fruits, leavened dough, and an open flame to create a makeshift pie. The fruit was placed in a Dutch oven, topped with biscuit dough, and baked until golden brown, resulting in what we now call a cobbler. The peach cobbler, with its similar origins, has become a beloved Southern tradition, often served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The Southeast: Decadent Fourteen Layer Chocolate Cake

This petite layered chocolate cake is all about towering height. A favorite at many Southern gatherings, the number of layers in the cake often reflects the occasion—whether it's a birthday or simply how many layers you can stack without the cake toppling over. Each layer is baked separately, and the cake is assembled while the layers and icing are still warm, allowing the icing to drip down the sides for a delicious effect.

The Southeast: Timeless Pudding Pops

If you recall Jell-O Pudding Pops from the 1980s, this recipe will take you back. These simple, four-ingredient pudding pops are made by combining pudding mix, milk, evaporated milk, and sugar, then freezing the mixture in popsicle molds. While this version is for chocolate pudding pops, feel free to experiment with any flavor of pudding mix you prefer.

The South: Classic Banana Pudding

Banana pudding is a quintessential no-bake dessert. While variations of this comforting treat began emerging in the late 1800s, the version we recognize today—featuring vanilla wafer cookies—was created in 1921. Though banana pudding originally hails from Illinois, it has since become a cherished Southern staple, made with layers of pudding, bananas, and vanilla wafers.

The South: Creamy Coconut Ambrosia Salad

Ambrosia salad is a beloved Southern holiday dessert, typically made with mandarin oranges, pineapple, coconut, maraschino cherries, and sometimes topped with whipped cream and marshmallows. The ingredients vary greatly as families each have their own version of the dish. The first recorded ambrosia salad appeared in a cookbook in 1867 and consisted only of grated coconut, a bit of sugar, and pulped oranges, but the recipe has since evolved into the dish we know today.

The South: Lush Hummingbird Cake

This banana-pineapple spice cake, which originated in Jamaica, has become a beloved Southern treat since it made its way to the United States in the 1970s. The cake typically features two or three layers filled with banana, pineapple, and walnut spice, all smothered in a rich cream cheese frosting.

The Southwest: Indulgent Tunnel of Fudge Cake

The iconic Tunnel of Fudge Cake was first baked in the 1960s at the Pillsbury Bake-Off in Houston. The original recipe called for Pillsbury’s Double Dutch Frosting Mix, but when the company discontinued this product, bakers were upset, prompting Pillsbury to adjust the recipe using cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar for the glaze. As the cake bakes, the fudgy glaze forms a tunnel in the center, but make sure to use enough nuts to get the perfect result.

The Southwest: Biscochitos, New Mexico's Traditional Cookies

Biscochitos are New Mexico's official state cookie and are a must-have during festive occasions, especially Christmas, often served alongside a steaming mug of hot chocolate. These buttery cookies are flavored with sugar, cinnamon, and anise, and are usually cut into shapes like fleur-de-lis, crosses, stars, and moons, although any cookie cutter shape will do.

The Southwest: Classic Texas Sheet Cake

Texas sheet cake has been a beloved dessert since the early 20th century. Although its exact origins are debated, this indulgent chocolate cake with a fudgy texture has earned its reputation. The cake is thought to have originated in Texas, partly due to the inclusion of pecans, a nut native to the region.

The West: Refreshing Lemon Chiffon Pie

The Lemon Chiffon Pie, first created in Los Angeles in 1926, is famous for its light, airy filling. The key ingredient that gives the pie its fluffiness is unflavored gelatin. While there are many variations, the classic version features a tangy lemon flavor and is set in a graham cracker crust.

The West: Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream

Created in Oakland, California, and named after the hardships of the Great Depression, this iconic ice cream flavor is loaded with chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts. It marked a major breakthrough in the world of commercial ice creams, which were primarily limited to just vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry at the time.

The West: Classic Hot Fudge Sundae

Clarence Clifton Brown, a restaurateur from Los Angeles, was the first to drizzle hot fudge sauce over an ice cream sundae in the late 1920s. The dessert quickly became a sensation, allowing him to move his business to a more prominent location in Hollywood.

The Northwest: Marionberry Pie

The marionberry, a hybrid of two blackberry species, was developed in Oregon's Marion County in the 1950s. Since then, marionberry pie has become a beloved dessert in the Pacific Northwest. The berries themselves are a delightful mix of sweet and tart, making them an ideal filling for this classic summer pie.

The Northwest: Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo bars were first created in Nanaimo, British Columbia, in the 1950s, but it wasn't until they were introduced by Starbucks in the U.S. that they gained widespread attention. Starbucks offers these Canadian treats as a holiday special. A Nanaimo bar is made up of a graham cracker and nut base, a creamy pudding or buttercream filling, and a smooth layer of chocolate on top.

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