When you say a dessert is Southern, it somehow makes it more delicious. It’s easy to see why people make such a quick assumption. Tall elegant cakes, piled with butter-filled frostings, pies dense with fillings, and cookies with a hearty conviction of texture and mix-ins are some of the standard elements of a Southern dessert. These sweet treats are elegant but strong, light but heavy, and special but frugal — it’s an interesting balance that you don’t see in every region of the US. Here, we’ve compiled some of our favorite Southern desserts that are truly unique to the South.
Southern Bourbon Cake
The South is known for its bourbon so it’s easy to see how it crept into many of its regional desserts. A Southern Bourbon Cake fits the bill. This pecan-studded bourbon-fortified pound cake is lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg for a warm and satisfying scent and flavor. Once the cake is out of the oven, you soak it with another serving of bourbon, this time in the form of a sweet icing glaze. Get the full recipe over here.
Southern Peach Cobbler
Peaches are probably one of the most emblematic fruits of the South, and the love isn’t just contained to the borders of Georgia. Here, this Southern Peach Cobbler gives you an easy way to use up your bounty of peaches. Sliced peaches bake with sugar, creating a jammy quality that deepens the flavor of the fruit. A doughy cobbler topping is balanced with a bit of sugar and salt for the perfect taste each and every time you dig in. After baking, the hot juices from the peaches absorb up into the cobbler dough making for one great bite! The only thing missing? A scoop of ice cream! Get the recipe here.
Southern-Style Caramel Cake
Southern Caramel Cake is the gold gem of Southern desserts. A butter-based moist cake crumb is encased in a smooth caramel frosting. The frosting has always been a barrier to making this cake, who wants to spend that much time stirring a caramel sauce over a stove? Luckily we found a way to make this frosting come together in a flash. Thanks to a special ingredient, you have a luscious caramel sauce in fifteen minutes flat. To find out how to make this delectable cake click the link!
Southern Fried Apples
Southern Fried Apples may sound like a dessert, but they are more versatile than you think! Served with some savory thick-cut pork chops or piled high on top of waffles, you have a recipe that can enter the sweet and savory realms. A caramel-like sauce is melted in a skillet. Once it’s smooth, add in freshly sliced apples and keep stirring until softened. Get the exact recipe by clicking the link here.
Southern Peanut Pie
Considered the poor man’s pecan pie, Southern Peanut Pie utilized the readily available peanut crops. This tiny legume had a mighty impact of the Southern market as it became a big crop during the 18th-century triangle trade. By the 1940s, peanut pie was commercially advertised on a national scale, introducing all parts of the US to this dessert (which was otherwise unknown outside of Virginia and the Carolinas). This recipe for Southern Peanut Pie will put other pies to shame. Brown sugar and dark corn syrup give the filling a robust caramel flavor, while the eggs give the filling a great texture. The salted peanuts counter any sweetness and the vanilla rounds out all of the flavors. If you’re intrigued and want the recipe, click here.