20 Old-Fashioned Desserts Grandma Used To Make and Love

Each of these 20 recipes holds a blast from the past in every nostalgic bite. If you’re looking for sweet comfort, just like grandma used to provide, these recipes are there to hold your hand. From cakes and no-bake pies to sweet salads and brownies, take a walk down memory lane with one of these retro desserts, and don’t forget to read through the helpful tips and tricks from our editors, readers, and contributors along the way.

“Sad cake in its truest form is a 3-ingredient recipe, but it welcomes tinkering. Add nuts or chocolate chips or omit the coconut, it’s your call.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Senior Editor

“Many old-fashioned versions call for a solid top crust that is cracked after baking (or “dowdied”), allowing some of the juice to seep to the top. This slightly more modern version is topped with pieces of store-bought pie crust, creating a patchwork top that’s an ideal topping for the saucy filling.” —Nicole Hopper, Simply Recipes Recipe Developer

“Fantastic and very refreshing dessert that requires almost no effort and no baking time. The hardest part is to wait for the cake to set in the fridge, so it’s best if you make it the night before the planned gathering.” —Mihaela, Simply Recipes Reader

“Set a timer when boiling the frosting. If you boil it for longer than 1 minute, it can become brittle. Less, and it sticks to your teeth instead of melting in your mouth.” —Rachel Knecht, Simply Recipes Contributor

“The original recipe from Susan Buckalew (as well as most other recipes online) calls for corn syrup. I use honey because it adds more flavor, but if you prefer, use corn syrup. The texture will be the same either way.” —Sara

“Pouring hot liquid over the top of the prepared cake batter helps to form the pudding sauce. I chose to use hot coffee because it enhances chocolate, producing a richer flavor. However, you can choose to use an equal amount of hot water instead. Just make sure the coffee or water is very hot (but not boiling) before pouring it over the batter.” —Molly Allen, Simply Recipes Contributor

“Ambrosia salad doesn’t have a great shelf life. If you think about it, it’s fruit and whipped cream. Make it a few hours before you plan to serve it. But I wouldn’t make it the night before, especially if you’re planning to serve it for a special meal.” —Nick Evans, Simply Recipes Contributor

“In a typical pound cake recipe, you use a pound each of flour, sugar, and butter. Here, you swap out half of the butter for cream cheese, which gives the cake a velvety texture and slightly tighter crumb.” —Stephanie A. Ganz, Simply Recipes Contributor

“I’ve been making this dish for over 40 years and I had no idea there was a name for it. I thought I’d just made it up myself. I love to make this dish to go with chicken casserole. Delicious!!!!” —Joy, Simply Recipes Reader

“Any blueberries will do, whether they’re fresh or frozen. If you’re using frozen, don’t let the berries thaw—add the frozen fruit straight to the batter.” —Molly

“Instead of layering sweetened cream cheese into my pie (as is done in the original salad inspiration), I prefer to add a light and tangy whipped cream cheese topping. The topping is simple to make and has the bonus of being more stable than classic whipped cream.” —Brianne Ross, Simply Recipes Contributor

“For some easy swaps, you can substitute some or all of the water or coffee for another liquid such as milk, buttermilk, orange juice, or even red wine for an adults-only cake. You can bloom cocoa powder in almost any hot liquid, but skip that step if you use buttermilk since it can curdle when heated.” —Mark Beahm, Simply Recipes Contributor

“This is a lovely recipe that happens to be a great way to use up fresh berries, so use fresh if you have it. However, frozen berries will work as well if you’re craving this dessert in the off-season. If using frozen berries, do not thaw. Use them straight from the freezer and fold in at the end when making the batter.” —Stephanie Loo, Simply Recipes Contributor

“For a mix of flavors and textures, I like to pair a sweet variety (Honeycrisp, Gala, Braeburn, or Jonagold) with a tart one (Pink Lady, Winesap, or Granny Smith). I also prefer to bake with medium to large apples, simply because they’re less tedious to peel.” —Grace Elkus, Simply Recipes Contributor

“The dough is covered with the topping, which makes it difficult to know when it is done baking. Luckily, you can tell from the top edges—they should be golden brown and slightly pull away from the dish. The center will be jiggly when you move the dish back and forth.” —Emily Weinberger, Simply Recipes Contributor

“My grandma used shortening (Crisco), not butter, which makes a more tender, chewier cookie in my opinion, but you can also make this recipe with butter.” —Elise

“If you like the sticky-sweet, coconut-webbed frosting on a German chocolate cake, then lazy daisy cake is totally up your alley. While the cake bakes, you mix up brown sugar, cream, coconut, and melted butter. Then you spread it on the hot cake and slip it under the broiler to melt the sugar and get the coconut a little toasty. When the cake cools, you have a brittle layer on top that’s almost like candy.” —Sara

“If you don’t have saltines, sometimes grandma would be fancy and use Ritz Crackers or Club Crackers. Grandma used a full sleeve of any cracker, but you can use as few as 20 and still get a good result.” —Cynthia Christensen, Simply Recipes Contributor

“To tell if these brownies are done, you want the end of the skewer or toothpick to come out a little moist, but not dripping with batter. When you take the pan out of the oven, make sure the brownies cool completely before slicing. They need time to set up, or they’ll fall apart when you cut them.” —Simply Recipes Editors

“I highly recommend giving the batter a 30-minute or overnight chill in the fridge before scooping and baking. This lets the dough have time to hydrate and firm up. If you’re in a rush, it’s fine to bake them right away, but they will spread out more and have a thinner, more delicate structure.” —Emma