South Carolina
Benne Wafers
Benne wafers are a thin and crispy sesame cookie. They were brought to the United States by slaves, but the Olde Colony Bakery in Charleston has been serving them up for over a decade.
South Dakota
Kuchen
Though in Germany, “kuchen” just means cake, in South Dakota it refers to a sweet cake made with yeasted dough, and filled with custard and fruit, such as apples.
Tennessee
Mountain Stack Cake
This cake is made up of thin, firm layers with a sweet dried apple filling in between. It was traditionally a wedding cake in the Appalachian mountains, where each guest would bring one layer of the cake, and they’d assemble and fill the cake right there at the wedding. The more layers of cake a bride had, the more popular she was!
Texas
Pecan Pie
Though this pie is popular throughout the United States, Texans don’t wait for a certain holiday to indulge in this treat. The official state tree is the pecan tree, so it’s no wonder that this is Texas’ favorite pie.
Utah
Jello Pretzel Salad
It’s said that Salt Lake City consumes more Jello per capita than any other place in the U.S., and Jello happens to be the official state snack of Utah. In Utah, whether it’s a jiggly snack, salad, or creamy dessert, Jello fits the bill.
Vermont
Apple Pie
Vermont is the original home of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and also a whole lot of delicious maple candy… but if someone gets to lay claim to the most quintessential American dessert, Vermont is it! The apple is their state fruit, and you sure can’t have apple pie without apples.
Virginia
Chess Pie
Chess Pie is a southern classic, and it’s what is known as a pantry pie, because it uses simple pantry ingredients. It’s made up of just sugar, cornmeal, flour, and milk, but it makes for one incredibly tasty custardy pie.
Washington
Nanaimo Bars
Though they originally come from British Columbia, Washington state is known for Nanaimo bars too. They’re a layered bar that consists of a graham cracker crust, vanilla pudding, and chocolate.
West Virginia
Molasses Cookies
Chewy, sweet Molasses Cookies are the official state cookie of West Virginia.
Wisconsin
Kringle
This large circular pastry is originally a Danish dessert, but Wisconsin has made it its own. Flaky, and filled with custard and fruit, don’t even think of passing this one up if you’re in The Cheese State.
Wyoming
Cowboy Cookies
It’s hard to improve upon a chocolate chip cookie, but Wyoming has managed it. Packed with pecans and oatmeal, Cowboy Cookies have it all: they’re chewy, soft, crunchy, and oh-so-chocolatey.