13 Forgotten Southern Desserts From Grandma’s Kitchen That Deserve a Second Chance

Before boxed mixes and bakery counters, Southern grandmothers made magic with butter, sugar, eggs and whatever fruit was in season. Many of those recipes now live only on stained index cards. These forgotten Southern desserts each come with a little story, and every one is worth a spot on your holiday table this year. Let us bring them back..

Sonker, the Forgotten Southern Desserts Star From North Carolina

Sonker is a deep dish fruit dessert from Surry County, North Carolina, and most people outside the region have never heard of it. It sits somewhere between a cobbler and a pie, with juicy fruit under a rustic crust. Locals pour a sweet milk sauce called a dip over the top. The area even has a Sonker Trail. Have you ever tried sonker, or is this your first time hearing the name?

You will need: 6 cups berries or sliced peaches, 1 cup sugar (divided), 3 tablespoons flour, 1/2 cup butter (melted), 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 cup milk. Dip: 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375F. 2. Toss the fruit with 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons flour and spread in a deep 9×13 dish. 3. Whisk the butter, flour, baking powder, milk and remaining sugar into a thin batter and pour over. 4. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until golden and bubbly. 5. Simmer the dip ingredients until thick and spoon over warm servings.

Forgotten Southern Desserts: Chess Pie and Its Funny Name

Chess pie is pure Southern pantry baking: butter, sugar, eggs, a spoon of cornmeal and a splash of vinegar. Nobody knows for sure where the name came from. One sweet family story says a cook was asked what kind of pie it was and answered, it is just pie. The filling bakes into a silky custard with a crackly sugar top. Have you ever heard a better pie name story?

You will need: 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, 1/2 cup butter (melted), 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon cornmeal, 1 tablespoon flour, 4 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Whisk the butter, sugar, cornmeal and flour. 3. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. 4. Stir in the milk, vinegar and vanilla and pour into the crust. 5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until set with a slight jiggle, then cool completely.

Amalgamation Cake, a Celebration Cake From the Deep South

The name sounds like a science class, but amalgamation cake is one of the grandest forgotten Southern desserts. Soft spice cake layers get stacked with a rich cooked filling of pecans, raisins and coconut. It was a cake for holidays and big family dinners, back when every layer was a labor of love. Each slice is chewy, nutty and warm with spice. Would your family want this at Christmas?

You will need: 1 box or homemade spice cake (2 layers, baked and cooled). Filling: 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 4 egg yolks, 1 cup milk, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup shredded coconut, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Cook the sugar, butter, yolks and milk in a saucepan over medium low heat, stirring, until thick. 2. Stir in the pecans, raisins, coconut and vanilla. 3. Cool the filling 20 minutes. 4. Spread it between the layers and over the top. 5. Let the cake sit a few hours before slicing.

Appalachian Apple Stack Cake

Mountain families made this cake with thin, cookie like layers sweetened with molasses or sorghum, stacked with spiced dried apple filling. Family lore says wedding guests each brought a layer, and the tallest cake showed how loved the couple was. The magic happens after a day or two, when the apple filling softens the layers into one moist cake. Have you ever made a dessert that has to wait?

You will need: 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup molasses or sorghum, 1 egg, 1/2 cup buttermilk. Filling: 3 cups dried apples, water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

How to make it: 1. Simmer the apples in water to cover until soft, then mash with the sugar and cinnamon. 2. Cream the butter and sugar, beat in the molasses and egg, then add the dry ingredients and buttermilk. 3. Pat the dough into six 9 inch rounds on parchment. 4. Bake each at 375F for 8 to 10 minutes. 5. Stack with filling between layers and wrap for 1 to 2 days.

Transparent Pie From Maysville, Kentucky

Transparent pie is a cousin of chess pie, and its home is the river town of Maysville, Kentucky. The filling is a simple mix of butter, sugar, cream and eggs that bakes into a smooth, glossy custard you can almost see through. Small hand pie versions are still loved in the area. It is sweet and buttery, a little like the gooey part of a pecan pie without the nuts.

You will need: 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, 1/2 cup butter (melted), 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, a pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Whisk the butter and sugar until smooth. 3. Whisk in the eggs, cream, vanilla and salt. 4. Pour into the crust. 5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until just set, then cool before slicing.

Blackberry Jam Cake With Caramel Icing

In Kentucky and Tennessee, jam cake was the cake for Christmas. A spoonful or two of homemade blackberry jam goes right into a spiced batter, which turns the cake dark, moist and full of flavor. A thick caramel icing finishes it off. Many families baked it weeks ahead so the flavors could settle. Quick poll: A) blackberry jam cake, B) chocolate cake, C) carrot cake, D) give me all three.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 eggs, 1 cup blackberry jam, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup chopped pecans. Icing: 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 2 cups powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 pan. 2. Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs and jam. 3. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk, then fold in pecans. 4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes and cool. 5. Boil the butter, brown sugar and milk for 2 minutes, beat in powdered sugar and spread.

Japanese Fruitcake, a Southern Layer Cake

Here is a fun surprise among forgotten Southern desserts: Japanese fruitcake is a Southern layer cake, and it is not a heavy fruitcake at all. Spiced layers with raisins and nuts alternate with plain layers, then the whole cake gets a bright lemon and coconut filling. Nobody is sure how it got its name. It showed up in old Southern church cookbooks and on holiday tables for generations. Have you ever seen one in person?

You will need: 2 baked 9 inch yellow cake layers and 1 baked spice cake layer with raisins and pecans. Filling: 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, juice and zest of 2 lemons, 1 cup water, 2 cups shredded coconut.

How to make it: 1. Cook the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, zest and water over medium heat, stirring, until thick and clear. 2. Stir in the coconut. 3. Cool 15 minutes. 4. Stack the layers, alternating plain and spice, with filling between. 5. Spread the rest over the top and let it set.

Forgotten Southern Desserts: Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk pie was a thrifty farm dessert. When there was buttermilk left over from churning, it went into a pie. The tangy buttermilk balances the sugar, so the custard tastes bright, creamy and not too sweet. A little nutmeg on top makes it smell like Grandma’s kitchen. It is one of the easiest pies you will ever make. Will you bring this to Thanksgiving instead of the usual pie?

You will need: 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, 1/2 cup butter (melted), 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 3 eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, nutmeg.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Whisk the butter, sugar and flour. 3. Whisk in the eggs, then the buttermilk, vanilla and lemon juice. 4. Pour into the crust and dust with nutmeg. 5. Bake 50 to 55 minutes until set and lightly golden, then cool.

Sweet Potato Pone, One of the Oldest Forgotten Southern Desserts

Long before sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, there was sweet potato pone. Raw sweet potatoes are grated, mixed with molasses, butter and warm spices, then baked until the edges caramelize and the middle turns soft and fudgy. It is an old Deep South dish that can be a side or a dessert. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it tastes like fall in every bite.

You will need: 4 cups grated raw sweet potato, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup molasses, 1/2 cup butter (melted), 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, zest of 1 orange.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and butter an 8×8 dish. 2. Whisk the sugar, molasses, butter, eggs and milk. 3. Stir in the spices, zest and grated sweet potato. 4. Spread in the dish. 5. Bake 60 to 70 minutes until set and dark golden at the edges.

Persimmon Pudding

Wild American persimmons ripen in fall, and old timers know to wait until they are soft and wrinkly, often after the first frost. That pulp goes into a dense, moist baked pudding that tastes like a cross between pumpkin bread and gingerbread. From the Carolinas up to Indiana, families still guard this and other forgotten Southern desserts like treasure. Have you ever eaten a persimmon right off the tree?

You will need: 2 cups ripe persimmon pulp, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 cup butter (melted).

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 325F and grease a 9×13 pan. 2. Whisk the pulp, sugar and eggs. 3. Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk, then add it to the pulp. 4. Mix in the flour, spices and butter. 5. Bake 55 to 60 minutes until set and dark, then serve warm with whipped cream.

Ozark Pudding

Ozark pudding comes from the hills of Arkansas and Missouri, and it is a cozy, rustic dessert that is half cake and half pudding. Chopped apples and nuts get stirred into a simple batter that bakes up with a crackly, meringue like top and a soft middle. It takes about 10 minutes to mix. Serve it warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on a chilly fall night.

You will need: 1 egg, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup chopped apple, 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease an 8 inch pie plate. 2. Beat the egg and sugar until pale and thick. 3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla. 4. Fold in the apple and nuts and spread in the plate. 5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until golden and crackly.

Moravian Sugar Cake From Winston-Salem

Moravian settlers brought this sweet breakfast cake to Salem, North Carolina, now Winston-Salem, and it is still a Christmas tradition there. The soft yeast dough uses mashed potato, which keeps it tender. Before baking, you poke deep holes and fill them with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. They melt into little pools of caramel. Want more holiday baking ideas? Our classic Southern cakes are a great next stop.

You will need: 1 packet instant yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup mashed potato, 1/4 cup butter (soft), 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 3/4 cups flour. Topping: 1/2 cup cold butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon.

How to make it: 1. Mix the yeast, water, sugar, potato, butter, egg and salt, then add flour to make a soft dough. 2. Spread in a greased 9×13 pan and let rise 1 hour. 3. Poke deep holes all over with your finger. 4. Fill the holes with butter pieces and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. 5. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes until golden.

Tea Cakes, the Coziest of All Forgotten Southern Desserts

Tea cakes are the soft, simple sugar cookies that Southern grandmothers always seemed to have in a tin on the counter. They are not too sweet, a little cakey, and lightly scented with vanilla and sometimes nutmeg. Kids ate them after school with a glass of milk. Which of these forgotten Southern desserts would you bring back first? Tell us your family’s favorite old recipe.

You will need: 1/2 cup butter (soft), 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup milk.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg and vanilla. 2. Mix in the dry ingredients and milk to make a soft dough. 3. Chill 30 minutes, then roll 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds. 4. Bake at 350F for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges are barely golden. 5. Cool on a rack and store in a tin.