Desserts are found just about everywhere – restaurants, bars, parties, convenience stores, and more – which speaks to the affinity that Americans have for all things sweet. From cookies, cakes, cupcakes, brownies, pies, and pastries, if they can be made into a tasty treat, then it will be created. Over the years, there have even been many hybrid dessert creations – the combining of two independent sweets into one, like the cronut (croissant/donut) or the brookie (brownie/cookie). To see which sugary snack you might like to try, see what the top dessert in every state is.
It’s nothing new for Americans to be enthusiastic about a sweet treat. According to a survey conducted by OnePoll for Crumble Cookies, one in six Americans consumes dessert daily. There is even scientific evidence sugar from sweet treats increases serotonin levels in our brains, which improves mood and alleviates anxiety. Many regional specialties are popular in certain areas while some have spread beyond their borders.
24/7 Tempo compiled a list of the top dessert in every state by drawing on a variety of culinary websites, regional sites, and cookbooks. Many of these are culinary traditions that have been passed down through generations locally and are little-known in other parts of the country – while others have gained nationwide and even international popularity. (If you prefer donuts, check out the best donut shop in every state.)
Alabama: Lane cake
First appearing in the 1890s, when Emma Rylander Lane won a county fair baking competition with her original recipe for what was later termed “prize cake,” Lane cake is the official state dessert of Alabama. These cakes typically include three layers of white sponge with a filling of pecans, bourbon-soaked raisins, and coconut, often with white icing on the top and/or sides.
Alaska: Agutuk (“Eskimo ice cream”)
A Yupik word meaning “mix them together,” agutuk is a native Alaskan food that is made a little differently in each household depending on seasonal ingredients. Traditionally composed of whipped animal tallow (caribou, moose, or walrus,) or seal oil mixed with snow, fresh berries, and sometimes dried fish or meat, agutuk is now often made with vegetable shortening instead of tallow and sometimes contains added sugar.
Arizona: Sopapillas
These pillowy soft, deep-fried dough squares are a Southwestern staple. They can be served sweet or savory, with the dessert version usually covered in powdered sugar or honey (or both). A relic of Spanish influence in the Americas, sopapillas are comparable to the Navajo fry bread also common in Arizona.
Arkansas: Possum pie
California: Hot fudge sundae
Clarence Clifton Brown, a Los Angeles candymaker in the early 20th century, is credited with inventing the hot fudge sundae, which became popular in his son’s Hollywood Boulevard ice cream parlor. Although C.C. Brown’s ice cream shop closed in 1996, their original recipe hot fudge sundae is still sold at Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills.
Colorado: Trail mix
You would expect a healthy state to have a healthy dish as its favorite dessert. The Centennial State is in love with trail mix which is a combination of nuts, dried fruits, chocolate, and much more. It tastes great and is easy to carry around when you are mountain biking, hiking, and skiing and need a quick energy boost.
Connecticut: Snickerdoodles
These crackle-topped cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar are the state cookie of Connecticut. The name snickerdoodle may have been passed down by German immigrants, as a derivation of “schneckennudeln” (a type of cinnamon roll), but other sources claim the name comes from a New England tradition of whimsical cookie names. Although their etymology is debatable, they have been a New England favorite for over a century.
Delaware: Strawberry shortcake
Strawberries are an important crop in Delaware which has a thriving agricultural industry. The state even hosts several strawberry festivals and the sweet berry was named the official state fruit of Delaware in 2010. This is why strawberries feature in the state’s favorite dessert – strawberry shortcake.
Florida: Key lime pie
Native to tropical Southeast Asia, the key lime — a smaller, seedier lime with more acidity and flavor than the common Persian lime variety — is a hybrid citrus fruit named for the Florida Keys. Most of the key limes in the U.S. are grown in Mexico or Central or South America, but they’re cultivated in the Keys, too. Wherever they come from, they are used to flavor the official state pie of Florida.
Key lime pie often comes with a graham crust and has a creamy filling made of sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and key lime juice. Whether it should be topped with meringue or whipped cream (or neither) is a debate we won’t get into.
Georgia: Peach pie
Georgia has an ideal climate for growing peaches – there are thousands of acres of land dedicated to nurturing this delicate crop. The peach is Georgia’s official state fruit. Peach pie made with flaky pastry is a popular local treat, especially in July and August when the fruits ripen.
Hawaii: Shave ice
This refreshing dessert, brought to the Hawaiian islands by Japanese immigrants, is made of thinly shaved ice and fruit-flavored syrup, sometimes accompanied by adzuki beans, mochi, or sweetened condensed milk. At Matsumoto’s, one of the oldest shave ice shops in the state, flavors like bubblegum and fruit punch are served alongside local flavors including ube (purple yam,) lilikoi (passion fruit,) and papaya.
Idaho: Idaho Spud bar
Idaho Spud bars contain no potato but are roughly the same shape. They are made from marshmallow and coated in chocolate and coconut flakes. According to the Idaho Candy Company, they have been popular with Idaho residents since 1918.
Illinois: Brownies
Brownies come in many forms; sometimes chewy or fudgy, occasionally cakey, delicately crispy on top, and often covered in walnuts. Although they weren’t called brownies then, these baked chocolate squares were created at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago as a portable dessert for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and are still a mainstay in the Windy City.
Indiana: Hoosier pie (sugar cream pie)
Even though sugar cream pie was probably introduced to Indiana by Quaker settlers in the early 1800s, it was not referred to as the state pie of Indiana until 2009. It is also called Hoosier Pie and is made from cream, flour, sugar, and butter dusted with nutmeg.
Iowa: Scotcheroos
This recipe first appeared on Rice Krispies boxes in the 1960s, and ever since then, these no-bake dessert bars have been an Iowa favorite. Scotcheroos resemble a peanut butter Rice Krispies Treat and get their name from their chocolate butterscotch topping.
Kansas: Peppernuts
European Mennonites brought these small, anise-flavored spice cookies to Kansas. Similar to German pfeffernüsse, Dutch pepernoten, and Danish pebernødder, peppernuts are a holiday tradition in many Kansas homes and are made by rolling cookie dough into thin ropes and cutting it into bite-size pieces. Although recipes often vary, spices including anise, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and white pepper are traditionally used to flavor the cookies.
Kentucky
This chocolate walnut pie, especially popular around Kentucky Derby time, was invented in the 1950s by the Kern Family, who decided on the name by pooling options and pulling one from a hat. Kern’s Kitchen pie company bakes over 100,000 of these pies every year and although the recipe is a well-guarded secret, the iconic pies are available at restaurants and retail stores across the state.
Louisiana: Bananas Foster
Designed in the 1950s to make use of one of the city’s biggest imports, this traditional New Orleans dessert consists of bananas sautéed in sugar and butter, bathed in rum, and set alight, then served over vanilla ice cream with the pan sauce. The dish is named after Richard Foster, a local civic leader and friend of restaurateur Owen Brennan, in whose kitchen the dessert was invented.
Maine: Blueberry pie
Blueberry bushes thrive in Maine’s rocky soil and climate. With such bumper crops of these delicious berries, it’s no wonder that the state national dessert is blueberry pie. The fruit is topped with a lattice pattern of pastry. The best time to eat this delicious pie is from July to September when the fresh berries are ripe and are being harvested.
Maryland: Smith Island cake
An isolated Chesapeake Bay island only accessible by boat, Smith Island is home to a unique cultural heritage and a culinary tradition that created Maryland’s official state dessert. Smith Island cake is composed of at least seven layers of yellow cake separated by a boiled milk chocolate frosting. The original recipe is likely older than its first appearance in print (in “Mrs. Kitching’s Smith Island Cookbook,” published in 1981) and modern variations include a wide range of cake and frosting flavors.
Massachusetts: Boston cream pie
Created at Boston’s famous Parker House hotel in the latter 19th century, Boston cream pie is not quite a pie, but rather two layers of sponge cake filled with a thick vanilla custard and topped with chocolate sauce. This classic cake not only inspired a popular doughnut flavor, it was also named the official state dessert of Massachusetts in 1996.
Michigan: Mackinac Island fudge
Mackinac Island in Michigan has been dubbed the fudge capital of the world. This is because there are so many fudge and candy shops located there. In peak season, thousands of pounds of fudge are produced in the area every day to supply the tourists who flock there. This explains why Mackinac Island fudge (made from boiled milk, butter, and sugar) is the state dessert of Michigan.
Minnesota: Bundt cake
Modeled after a European cake of a similar shape called a Gugelhupf, Bundt cakes can be any flavor as long as they are ring-shaped and baked in a tall decorative pan. The St. Louis Park, Minnesota, company Nordic Ware began making bundt pans in 1950, and bundt cakes gained popularity in the ’60s. Still popular in Minnesota, bundt cakes now have their own national holiday — November 15.
Mississippi: Mississippi mud pie
The name of this decadent chocolate pie is a clear reference to the dark, muddy banks of the Mississippi River, although its origins are murky. Mississippi mud pie comes in many varieties, usually with a chocolate cookie crust holding various fillings including chocolate pudding, whipped cream, marshmallow, ice cream, liqueur, and pecans.
Missouri: Gooey butter cake
With origins in Depression-era St. Louis, gooey butter cake was a regional Missouri treat until celebrity chef Paula Deen introduced a variation of the recipe to a national audience. Although purists insist that the cake be made from scratch with a yeasted dough, recipes involving boxed yellow cake mix and cream cheese have become the norm. Whatever the recipe, this dense, sticky cake bar is always made with loads of butter.
Montana: S’mores
Life in Montana is all about enjoying an outdoor lifestyle. That includes cooking on a campfire – and making s’mores is a local tradition. There are many variations but the basic recipe is two graham crackers with fire-toasted marshmallows in between them. You can add chocolate or caramel squares, candy bars, or even bacon. You will see them often in ice cream parlors in the state.
Nebraska: Kolache
These lightly sweet pastries have origins in central Europe and were brought to the U.S. by Czech immigrants. Kolache is made from a yeasted dough which can be filled with any number of fruit, cheese, or poppy seed fillings. Verdigre, Kansas claims to be the kolache capital of the world, celebrating Czech culture with a yearly kolache festival.
Nevada: Gateau Basque (Basque cake)
Basque immigrants who moved to Nevada during the mining rushes of the mid-19th century brought extensive culinary traditions to the area, including gateau Basque. This buttery cake is made from a dough rather than a batter. It resembles a pie and is often filled with cherry jam or pastry cream.
New Hampshire: Whoopie pies
A whoopie pie is essentially a cookie sandwich. If you want to stick to the traditional state dessert, you would have a vanilla filling sandwiched between chocolate cake layers. However, there are many variations including cream cheese and peanut butter. They are available in other states but New Hampshire has claimed them as its state dessert.
New Jersey: Saltwater tаffy
According to a local legend in Atlantic City, the Garden State became the birthplace of saltwater tаffy after a boardwalk candy shop flooded in a storm, and its owner jokingly called his confections “saltwater tаffy.” The name stuck. These confections are now ubiquitous on the Jersey Shore, and tаffy shops boast large display windows where customers can watch the tаffy being made in numerous flavors. Saltwater is not one of the ingredients.
New Mexico: Biscochitos
Biscochitos have been a favorite in New Mexico for centuries but they were named the state dessert in 1989. They are made from lard and flavored with cinnamon and anise and are most often eaten during religious holidays and at weddings and graduations. The biscuits can be made in several shapes including crosses and stars.
New York: New York-style cheesecake
Compared to everyday cheesecakes, New York-style cheesecake is taller, richer, denser, and ultra-creamy. The addition of heavy cream or sour cream and extra egg yolks helps this New York specialty stand out above the rest. While many New York restaurants tout their cheesecake as the best in the city, Junior’s in Downtown Brooklyn has long been the destination for an authentic slice.
North Carolina: Sweet potato pie
The leading producer of sweet potatoes in the United States is North Carolina and in 1995 the sweet potato became its official state vegetable. The quintessential dessert made from this tuberous root is sweet potato pie, which has long been a Southern tradition with roots in West African cuisine. With a flaky single crust and a custard filling, sweet potato pie not only replaces pumpkin pie during holidays in many North Carolina homes but is also enjoyed year-round.
North Dakota: Chippers
Chocolate-covered potato chips, known as Chippers in North Dakota, are one of those versatile snacks that satisfy both salty and sweet cravings. Although they’ve become mainstream around the country over the last two decades, they are especially well-loved in the Peace Garden State — mostly thanks to Widman’s Candy shop, which has been making them for years in numerous variations.
Ohio: Buckeyes
These peanut butter fudge balls are partially dipped in chocolate so they look like the buckeye nut that grows on Ohio’s state tree. These are a classic Ohio dessert and are made in homes all over the state. You are most likely to come across them at celebrations and football games but you can also buy them at candy stores and bakeries.
Oklahoma: Fried pies
Hand-held, deep-fried fruit pies have long been a favored Southern dessert, and Oklahoma is home to numerous fried pie shops that utilize recipes handed down for generations. Bakeries often keep their recipe for tender, flaky crust under wraps. Oklahoma fried pies come with many kinds of fruit or custard fillings, but apple, apricot, and peach are some of the most popular flavors.
Oregon: Marionberry pie
Developed at Oregon State University and grown exclusively in the Pacific Northwest, the marionberry is a cultivar of blackberry that is particularly sweet, with a well-balanced acidity that makes it perfect for preserving and baking. Oregon is famous for its marionberry pies, which are widely available at pie shops and diners in mid-summer when the berries are in season.
Pennsylvania: Shoofly pie
A molasses pie with a crumb topping, shoofly pie has been around since the late 19th century, when it was crustless and eaten for breakfast as a coffee cake. It is a staple of Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, and its modern name is likely taken from the Shoofly Molasses brand from Philadelphia. Shoofly pies come in two varieties: wet-bottom, which is par-baked and custard-like, and dry-bottom, which is cake-like.
Rhode Island: Del’s frozen lemonade
The Ocean State is a summer seaside destination that has nearly 400 miles of coastline where locals and tourists can enjoy sightseeing, sailing, swimming, and more. All summer long, Del’s frozen lemonade stands serve refreshing lemonade slushies to beachgoers, in classic lemon as well as blueberry, watermelon, and other fruity flavors. This family-run business has been offering its famous spoonless slushies since 1948.
South Carolina: Lady Baltimore cake
The Southern white layer cake known as Lady Baltimore cake is filled with boozy dried fruits and nuts and covered with a fluffy seven-minute frosting made of boiled sugar syrup and whipped egg whites. It was likely invented in Charleston, and although several conflicting stories exist as to the cake’s creator, its fame can be attributed to author Owen Wister, whose 1906 novel “Lady Baltimore” featured the dessert.
South Dakota: Kuchen
The German word for cake is Kuchen and this can apply to a wide range of desserts. In South Dakota, where German immigrants passed down their family recipes, a kuchen is a custard filled with fresh fruit and baked into a sweet, yeasted dough crust. The official state dessert of South Dakota, kuchen is available in bakeries as well as many home kitchens, and the recipe variations are limitless.
Tennessee: MoonPies
Prepared at Chattanooga Bakery since 1917, MoonPies are composed of two graham cookies around a soft marshmallow filling, all dipped in a chocolate coating. These affordable treats are popular as Mardi Gras throws and in children’s and workers’ lunch boxes. Aside from the original chocolate MoonPie, flavors including vanilla, banana, lemon, and salted caramel are also made at the bakery, which produces about one million pies every day.
Texas: Pecan pie
In a state with 70,000 acres of pecan trees, the pecan pie is a must-have dessert on Texas tables. The first pecan dessert recipes appeared in Texas in the late 19th century, and the first printed pecan pie recipe appeared in Harper’s Bazaar in 1886. With a gooey corn syrup-based filling and a flaky crust, this sweeter-than-sweet pie became the official state pie of Texas in 2013.
Utah: Jell-O
The official state snack of Utah is Jell-O, where more of this wiggly dessert is consumed per capita than in any other state. The quick and easy gelatin-based dessert is popular at church functions and extended family gatherings in the largely Mormon locale. A throw-back to the Jell-O salad days of the ’50s, add-ins are still popular in Mormon cuisine; canned pineapple, cottage cheese, maraschino cherries, and nuts can frequently be found floating in molded Jello-O rings on Utah tables.
Vermont: Maple creemee
In a land of dairy farms and maple producers, maple-flavored soft-serve ice cream is bound to be a hit. A creemee, as soft serve is called in Vermont, can be made with locally produced maple syrup for a uniquely Vermont flavor experience. Creemee stands all over the state serve maple creemees, and maple syrup producers often serve creemees on their farms as well.
Virginia: Chess pie
There is not much consensus on its composition or the origin of its name, but chess pie is a classic Virginia dessert. The first chess pie recipe (under the name “transparent pudding”) came from an 1824 cookbook called “The Virginia Housewife.” The pie is characterized by a thick custard filling often containing cornmeal, buttermilk, eggs, and butter. The vanilla flavor is customary, but lemon, chocolate, and coconut chess pies are also common.
Washington: Apple pie
The apple is the official state fruit of Washington, which is the largest apple-producing state in the U.S. Numerous bakeries in Washington are famous for their apple pies, which are made in numerous variations. Some only use pink lady apples, while others prefer fuji or gala. Some peel the apples and slice them thinly, while others leave the peels and cut the apples into thick chunks. However it is made, apple pie is a Washington favorite.
West Virginia: Molasses cookies
A derivation of European gingerbread, molasses cookies have a long history and gained popularity in the Americas when the price of molasses was much lower than the price of sugar. Spiced with ginger, cloves, and cinnamon, these soft, chewy cookies are still a beloved dessert in West Virginia.
Wisconsin: Kringle
The only state with an official pastry, Wisconsin is known for its pastry called kringle. With roots in Denmark, this Wisconsin specialty is most popular in Racine County, where many Danish immigrants settled in the mid to late 19th century. Kringle traditionally has 32 flaky layers of Danish pastry dough that are shaped into a large oval, filled with fruits or nuts, and frosted.
Wyoming: Huckleberry ice cream
Native to the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest, huckleberries are widespread throughout western Wyoming including Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Huckleberry ice cream has become a summer delicacy in the state, especially during August and September when the wild berries ripen.