Classic American Desserts for Summer

Peanut Butter Pie

A Southern American dessert that’s taken the country by storm. This creamy dreamy (nearly) no bake pie is an American tradition!

Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies

These adorable cookies look just like our favorite frozen treat. It takes good old American ingenuity to make a great mash-up dessert!

Strawberry Jam Bars

Strawberries might just be our national fruit, every one of us consumes over 8 pounds a year!

Apple Skillet Cake

Early Americans brought their prized cast iron skillets with them from England and cooks have been proudly using them ever since to bake up classic American desserts like this skillet cake.

Blackberry Slab Pie Bars

Fresh blackberry flavor explodes in these picnic friendly pie bars.

Indian Pudding

The OG American dessert, Indian Pudding was first made by colonists who were inspired by Native American cooking techniques and ingredients.

Peach Cobbler

Cobbler goes all the way back to Colonial times…so this dessert has some serious Mayflower cred. It’s the most searched for American dessert every summer.

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cake

This good old Southern peanut butter cake is irresistibly good ~ and what’s more American than peanuts?

Blueberry Buckle

Buckles are so easy to throw together that the American pioneers baked them along the trail ~ and what better to make them with than the native-to-America blueberry?

Rhubarb Crumble Tart

Rhubarb may have originally come from across the pond, but I think it’s as American as apple pie.

Cherry Crumble Pie

The first cherry tree in America was planted by colonists in the 1600s and we’ve been crushing on these juicy berries ever since.

S’mores Cookie Pie

Sitting around the campfire is a beloved American tradition, and so is cooking up some s’mores.

Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I’m not sure any other culture has embraced zucchini’s sweet side more than we have, and every summer we gleefully bake up our garden glut.

DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie

Giant chocolate chip cookies are as American as apple pie!

Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

We Americans are fiercely loyal to our humble desserts, and there’s nothing more homey than an icebox cake.

Peach Short Cake

The iconic strawberry short cake might just be the premiere American dessert, but come midsummer we’re swapping out the strawberries for seasonal peaches.

Raspberry Crisp

The easiest of all classic summer desserts, the crisp is an American institution. We bake them up with every kind of fruit we can get our hands on, all summer long.

Lemon Cookies

The word “cookie” might have come from the Dutch, but Americans have taken the concept and run with it eve since!

Hummingbird Cake Bars

The classic southern American dessert baked up in a homey snack cake format!

Chocolate Frozen Custard Recipe

Invented on Coney Island in 1919 frozen custard is a classic American dessert ~ it’s smoother and creamier than regular ice cream and a delicious summer tradition!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

It doesn’t get any more American than a Rice Krispie treat!

Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

Sure the broad concept of cheesecake has European roots, but from Martha Washington to Junior’s, the cheesecake has embedded itself in American dessert culture. This lemon version is my go-to summertime recipe.

Funfetti Cookie Bars

Funfetti was introduced by Pillsbury in 1989 as a cake mix with colorful sprinkles. The name Funfetti combines fun and confetti, and the concept of festive be-sprinkled desserts has been an American favorite ever since.

Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding

Cornstarch thickened puddings have been a grandma-approved American dessert tradition for generations. This butterscotch pudding is served chilled with a dollop of whipped cream for summer.

Homemade Magic Shell

One of the hallmarks of American desserts is that they don’t have to be fussy or complicated, just delicious. This 2-ingredient ice cream sauce is the perfect example.

Cherry Almond Crisp Dump Cake

America is the birthplace of the infamous dump cake. And while it might have a checkered reputation, I’m here to tell you that when it’s done right, it’s an awesome summer dessert!

Brownie Bites

The first printed recipe for brownies appeared in the 1896 edition of the “Boston Cooking-School Cook Book,” written by Fannie Merritt Farmer. These individual ‘bites’ are perfect for summer entertaining.

Lemon Butter Pie

An example of a modern classic American dessert, my pie is inspired by inspired by the Lemon Butta Pie from the small Detroit based company Lush Yummies Pie Co. Their pies have caught the eye of both Oprah and Martha and as far as I can tell they are always sold out!