1/20
From the Recipe Creator:
A friend gave me a quick version of this gooey butter cake recipe using a cake mix, but I prefer baking from scratch, so I came up with my own. My family can’t get enough! The middle will sink a little; this is normal. This dessert is delicious served warm or cold. —Cheri Foster, Vail, Arizona
If you ask a Missourian, gooey butter cake is at the top of the list of great Midwest desserts. This cake is unfussy and unfrosted but has seriously rich flavor. For optimal results, use the best butter you can find.
2/20
From the Recipe Creator:
These chocolate peanut butter balls (no bake!) are always popular at my church’s annual Christmas fundraiser. They resemble chestnuts or buckeyes—hence the name. —Merry Kay Opitz, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
3/20
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe was given to me by a student at my school. It has become one of my family’s favorites and is so easy to make. —Lois Mays, Covington, Pennsylvania
4/20
From the Recipe Creator:
Also known as Ohio lemon pie, this Shaker lemon pie is a Midwestern favorite. Its thrifty use of whole lemons is unique and gives the pie a lovely combination of sweet and tart. It’s also a great way to make use of your cast-iron skillet.
5/20
From the Recipe Creator:
My mom used to serve this yummy dessert, and I just loved it. It’s so fun to eat and a snap to make. Add some gummy worms on top for the kids if you’d like. —Kristi Linton, Bay City, Michigan
6/20
From the Recipe Creator:
Need to bring a dish to pass this weekend? This make-ahead strawberry pretzel salad will disappear quickly at any potluck. —Aldene Belch, Flint, Michigan
7/20
This funny-sounding cake has been pleasing Michiganders for more than 100 years. Back in 1913, the folks at Sanders Chocolates created this cake: essentially a chocolate cake with buttercream and a chocolate glaze. The buttercream bumps have been part of the formula since the start and soon what was once called “Sanders Devil’s Food Buttercream Cake” became known as “Bumpy Cake.”
You can still get bumpy cakes straight from Sanders, but why not try our version of the recipe right in your own kitchen?
8/20
From the Recipe Creator:
Although my coffee cake makes a large pan, it never lasts very long! It’s great for a Sunday brunch after church and nice to bring to family reunions, too. —Dorothy Morehouse, Massena, New York
9/20
From the Recipe Creator:
These rich bar cookies will melt in your mouth! They’re ideal to have on hand for a snack. —Pauline Schrag, Theresa, New York
10/20
From the Recipe Creator:
Our chocolate Bundt cake recipe calls for melted chocolate, baking cocoa and espresso powder in the batter to ensure each slice is rich and decadent. Make this cake for guests who are chocolate lovers—it will be a hit! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
11/20
From the Recipe Creator:
In the Midwest, particularly in Wisconsin, kringle is serious business. This treat is made of buttery, laminated Viennese pastry dough, filled with fruit or nuts and then topped with a simple sugar glaze. It’s a great Midwest dessert, and it can also easily serve as breakfast with a cup of coffee.
12/20
From the Recipe Creator:
I absolutely love Indiana sugar cream pie; especially the one that my grandma made for me. Here, we serve it warm or chilled and call it ‘Hoosier’ sugar cream pie. —Laura Kipper, Westfield, Indiana
13/20
From the Recipe Creator:
Here’s an easy apple crisp! This is a delicious dessert perfect for young cooks to prepare. It’s super simple to make since there’s no crust—just a crumbly topping. Plus, with apples and oats, it’s a wholesome treat. —Sheri Hatten, Devil’s Lake, North Dakota
14/20
From the Recipe Creator:
This creamy, sweet salad with crisp apple crunch is a real people-pleaser. It makes a lot, which is good, because it will go fast! —Cyndi Fynaardt, Oskaloosa, Iowa
15/20
From the Recipe Creator:
My mom used to make these when I was growing up. She filled them with raspberry or apricot jam, but prune filling is pretty traditional in Polish and Czech households. —Lisa Kaminski, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
16/20
From the Recipe Creator:
There’s nothing better than a sweet, from-scratch delight like traditional cherry pie. These precious little hand pies always go fast when I sell them at my pie bakery! —Allison Cebulla, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
17/20
Taste Of Home
This recipe comes from the queen of Midwest desserts and author of Midwest Made, Shauna Sever. These treats have all the flavors of your go-to chocolate chip cookie but don’t require any fuss. Just stir them up with a wooden spoon and bake them in a sheet pan. Once baked, just break the goodies into shards to share and enjoy.
18/20
From the Recipe Creator:
This ice cream is technically a custard since it contains eggs. After lots of testing (and tasting), I’ve found that eggs are the key to making a smooth and creamy treat that rivals what you can get at a premium ice cream shop. -Peggy Woodward, Shullsburg, Wisconsin
19/20
From the Recipe Creator:
Did you know that brownies were invented in Illinois? They were created for the Columbian Exposition back in 1893. More than a hundred years later, there are plenty of brownie recipes to experiment with, though this fudgy brownie from Taste of Home‘s Executive Culinary Director Sarah Famer’s kitchen is one of the best!
20/20
From the Recipe Creator:
German immigrants brought kuchen recipes with them when they immigrated to the region. Now, kuchens of all kinds are some of the most beloved Midwest desserts. This one made with fresh plums is delicious, though you can swap in any stone fruit.
Dining and Cooking