Best Homemade Dessert Recipes

Browse Grandma's best homemade Dessert Recipes and discover the world of vintage desserts. You'll find this food blog refreshingly and deliciously different.

The warmth of family gatherings, shared laughter, and mouthwatering treats are tied to our past, and this site celebrates those classic ways of creating fond memories.

Enjoy a heart warming trip down memory lane where you get to enjoy the irresistible comfort foods and treats you remember so fondly from childhood — true nostalgia!

Explore Grandma's Best Old Fashioned Dessert Recipes

Vintage Homemade Rhubarb Pie Illustration from 1918You Can Make Delicious Old Fashioned Desserts
(Crisco® by Smucker's)

There's a good reason why this recipe site has proven itself popular over two decades. Grandma's delicious desserts will satisfy your sweet tooth and bring to mind fond memories of wonderful times spent with family and friends.

Let me take you on a nostalgic heartwarming journey complete with stories of cherished family moments and historical details making each dessert and its treasured recipe extra special.

Grandma's Legacy

Don Bell With His Mother's Vintage Recipe ScrapbooksWelcome to Grandma's World of Homemade Desserts
(Source: ©Don Bell)

I grew up in the 1950s enjoying family gatherings with all sorts of homemade desserts. There was seasonal fruit pies encased in flaky pastry, crumbly cookie bars, apple crisps baked to perfection, melt-in-your-mouth icebox cookies, rich chocolate layer cakes, and cupcakes topped with swirls of buttercream frosting.

Everything was lovingly prepared by Mom and her sisters. Can you imagine the loaded dessert table? It was a dessert lover's dream!

I still have Mom's old recipe cards, her handmade recipe scrapbooks, plus her collection of vintage cookbooks, and I can hardly wait to share her prized recipes with you. Expect to tempt your taste buds with delicious homemade desserts you'll never forget.

This website is dedicated to Mom and to dessert lovers like yourself who can appreciate the best homemade dessert recipes able to deliver those wholesome country-kitchen flavors that always delight. Enjoy your visit and prepare to relish every spoonful!

Sincerely,

don-bell-sig

Explore 30 Dessert Categories

Grandma's collection includes a range of 30 Dessert Categories including pies, cakes, puddings, cookies, pastries, ice creams, and more. Each category reminds us of delights from our childhood. Over 2,000 dessert recipes!

Homemade Devil's Food CakeMake an Old Fashioned Devil's Food Cake
(Source: ©asimojet/Depositphotos.com)

Old Fashioned Cake Recipes — Step into the delicious world of Old Fashioned Cakes and allow each bite to transport you back to the cosy comfort of Grandma's kitchen.

Whether Chocolate Layer, Pineapple, Angel Food, or a family favorite, these treasured cakes, timeless in flavor and texture, will kindle a sense of nostalgia as you recall fond childhood memories of family gatherings.

Homemade Old Fashioned DonutsEnjoy Old Fashioned Donuts While Still Warm
(Source: ©jentara/Depositphotos.com)

Traditional Donut Recipes — Welcome to the world of Traditional Donuts, those golden-hued, sugary treats that fill our homes with their irresistible aroma.

From crispy Donuts Without Yeast and old time Crullers to homemade Funnel Cakes and Chocolate Eclairs, these are the recipes we've loved from our childhood.

Learn the art of making your own homemade donuts, and create fond memories with your family and friends.

A Piece of Homemade Chocolate FudgeEnjoy Grandma's Homemade Chocolate Fudge
(Source: ©bhofack2/Depositphotos.com)

Homemade Candy Recipes — From creamy Chocolate Fudge to chewy Toffee Treats, let's dive into the fun of making Homemade Candy. It was always exciting to watch Grandma cook those sweet delights on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Explore your ability to recreate those cherished family recipes that have brought joy to generations by making your own candies from scratch.

A Variety of Homemade CookiesMake and Enjoy Grandma's Homemade Cookies
(Source: ©Dukell/Depositphotos.com)

Homemade Cookie Recipes — Uncover the secret to baking perfect Homemade Cookies, just like Grandma's! The tantalizing aroma, the warm bites of perfection — they're not just cookies; they're expressions of joy connecting generations.

Recreate those timeless after-school treats while leaving your home smelling of baking like a cozy farmhouse kitchen.

Chocolate Candy Cane FudgeChocolate Candy Cane Fudge for Christmas
(Source: ©TeriVirbickis/Depositphotos.com)

Christmas Dessert Recipes — Christmas, the season of joy, family, and indulgent desserts! Old fashioned Gingerbread Houses, velvety Plum Puddings, Shortbread, and crispy Sugar Cookies — these Christmas Treats and Desserts are as central to the holiday season as decorations and carols.

Reminisce those treasured Christmases from your childhood as you whip up these delightful recipes, making your home the center of festive cheer.

Homemade Italian CastagnoleMake Authentic Italian Castagnole
(Source: ©fiorellamacor/Depositphotos.com)

International Dessert Recipes — Expand your taste horizons with delightful International Desserts. From the sugary indulgence of Italian Castagnole to the flaky, buttery charm of French Crepes and Pastries, these classic recipes explore the culinary map of the world.

Break the monotony of your dessert choices, as you step into foreign lands and experience their heavenly comfort foods.

Renaissance Apple TartEnjoy an Authentic Renaissance Apple Tart
(Source: ©studioM/Depositphotos.com)

Renaissance Dessert Recipes — Travel back to the time of Queen Henrietta Maria of England and William Shakespeare. Experience authentic Renaissance Desserts, including Sweetmeats, Marchpane, Gingerbread, Cakes, Tarts, and more. The allure of these delicacies is unmatched.

Prepare the desserts that once graced the banquet tables of royalty and the high and mighty of the land. Here's your chance to taste the sweetness of history and bring the Renaissance Era to your very own table.

Young Woman Tying Her Kitchen ApronImagine Tying Your New Homemade Apron
(Source: ©artursfoto1/Depositphotos.com)

Old Fashioned Fun and Nostalgia — Take a delightful stroll down memory lane while experiencing Old Fashioned Fun and Nostalgia. Enjoy Victorian Crafts, Apron Sewing, Fancy Napkin Folding, Old Time Radio Shows, Aeolian Harp Building, Kitchen Poems, and more.

These timeless activities remind us of simpler times and are guaranteed to pull at the heartstrings while providing fun for the whole family and preserving cherished traditions.

View Categories in the Top Navigation Menu

The above is just a small sampling of over 2,000 old fashioned dessert recipes and other features published on this site!

What's New

  1. Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Desserts: Grandma's Favorite Recipes

    recipes-for-thanksgiving
    Get Grandma's recipes for old fashioned Thanksgiving desserts recipes and make pies, cakes, and unique vegetable desserts to serve for Thanksgiving meals.

    Read More

  2. How to Sew an Apron: Get a Free Vintage Basket Apron Pattern

    tying-on-apron
    Learn how to sew an apron with free instructions and a vintage pattern download. Lack the time? Get beautiful handmade aprons from Cindy Best's Studio.

    Read More

  3. Old Fashioned Seafoam Candy Recipe: Foamy and Fun to Make at Home

    homemade-seafoam-candy
    Get Grandma's old fashioned Seafoam candy recipes and make a plateful of delicious sponge candy tonight. Try the Seafoam dipped in chocolate for special treat.

    Read More

  4. Grandma's Sweet Quick Bread Recipes: From Biscuits to Banana Breads

    homemade-biscuits
    Discover Grandma's favorite sweet quick bread recipes and bake old fashioned biscuits, mouthwatering scones, hot cross buns, moist banana bread, and more.

    Read More

Take pride in serving wholesome desserts so unlike the typical recipes found on most food blogs. Your friends will be begging to know how you made something so unique and delicious!

Many of the recipes featured were invented by the famous celebrity chefs of Grandma's day, while others evolved from humble farmhouse kitchens. You are sure to find a delicious dessert to make for that special occasion.

Get Grandma's Cooking Tips

Grandmas not only left us her recipes but also her collection of practical tips and techniques. Gain confidence in dessert preparations from using the correct weights and measures, oven temperatures, and ingredient substitutions. Even novice bakers will whip up a tasteful dessert! 

kitchen-cooking-tips

Grandma's Simple Cooking Tips — Explore the heartwarming simplicity of Grandma's Cooking Tips. Discover the secret sauce that turned her ordinary desserts into a sweet perfection.

From how to measure ingredients to proper oven temperatures, these invaluable tips will enhance your kitchen skills and give you ideas for easier cleanup too. So, let's look to Grandma and master cooking, the old fashioned way!

Don't fall into the trap of ignoring vintage recipes simply because they might be written in paragraph form without step-by-step photos. Recipes from Grandma's day have easy-to-follow directions, so you can expect to have good results.

Plateful of Delicious Homemade Chocolate Nut FudgeFreshly Made Chocolate Nut Fudge
(Source: ©Don Bell)

Many old fashioned dessert recipes were written for home kitchens lacking the electric mixers and modern appliances we enjoy today, so you can expect to make mouth-watering desserts in half the time that Grandma did!

Join Others in Celebrating Grandma's Best Homemade Dessert Recipes

Grandma's Recipe Box and Cookbooks

Let's browse through Grandma's recipe box with its cherished recipe cards and clippings. I've chosen her best homemade dessert recipes, and have published them EXACTLY as they were written; that way, you can have the fun of reading and preparing them just as she did.

What Others Are Saying

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Thanks for providing the world with a nice dessert website that looks as nice as the desserts themselves! —Rick, U.S.A.


I absolutely adore your recipe site. I had to say thank you for sharing your Grandma's wonderful recipes and I can't wait to try them.

I love how everything is set up. It's so easy to move around in, not like other sites that are cluttered and unorganized.

I also enjoy the articles about the recipes and their history. Just had to let you know I will be returning here again and again! —Maggie, U.S.A.


I love this website. So nostalgic and cosy! —Judy, USA


Thank you so much for these wonderful dessert recipes. They always bring back such cherished memories. —Sharon, USA

Homemade Angel Cake Topped with Fresh Raspberries and Whipped CreamHomemade Cake with Berries and Whipped Cream
(Source: ©Don Bell)

Pour a cup of your favorite beverage, get comfy in your chair, and browse this collection of Grandma's best homemade dessert recipes. But, don't hurry! Take time to enjoy the heartwarming nostalgia too.

Let's Keep in Touch

Grandma's legacy was all about sharing love through her cooking, and that's what this site aims to emulate. Let's keep the tradition of these delicious, homemade dessert recipes alive in our hearts and kitchens, as we experience the joy of sharing that slice of homemade pie or chocolate layer cake with our family and friends.

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Grandma McIlmoyle's Little Dessert BookGrandma McIlmoyle's Little Dessert Book
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