America is a nation of dessert lovers, so it's no surprise that its sweet treats are among the world's most delicious. There's an abundance of tempting dishes to try, from homegrown pies and cakes to decadent creations influenced by cultures and cuisines from around the globe. With so many to choose from, it’s tough to pick a favorite. So, to make things easier, we’ve sought out the finest desserts in the land – and ranked them up to the most beloved of all.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the nation’s most tempting desserts, from traditional apple pie to nostalgic s’mores.
Our selections and ranking are based on thorough research and the enduring popularity of each dessert. The list is unavoidably subjective.
Sometimes, old-school desserts are the best. Jell-O may not be the most sophisticated of foodstuffs, but it’s guaranteed to conjure memories of your childhood. Easy to make (or buy ready to eat) and available in a variety of colors and flavors, it’s a family staple that’s been loved for well over a century. Today, you can get sugar-free versions – and, for all the wobble without any added animal products, you can even buy vegan ‘gelatin’ desserts from other brands.
Everybody’s favorite way to use up overripe bananas, banana bread is halfway between a type of bread and a cake. Recipes for the sweet and sticky dessert hybrid started appearing after baking powder became available to the public in the 1930s, meaning home bakers could add a quick raising agent to their bakes (and avoid waste by using up bananas that had seen better days). Modern recipes may incorporate everything from chocolate chips to orange peel.
Cheesecakes have been around for thousands of years; they were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, among many others. But America has made the cheesecake its own with a trio of distinct (and delicious) styles that really stand out. New York–style cheesecake should be on everyone’s dessert bucket list, with its deceptively simple baked cream cheese and vanilla filling and Graham cracker base. Fluffy Chicago-style cheesecake, featuring a shortbread base, is a must-try too – and no-bake cheesecakes are an easy, consistently smooth egg-free option.
We usually think of donuts as fried pastries, but a classic apple cider donut is more akin to a cake. It’s baked instead of fried, and comes flavored with apple cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg, creating a dessert that just screams fall. The seasonal nature is part of what makes apple cider donuts so great – when the temperature drops, and leaves start to turn a rainbow of colors, apple harvesting season begins, and these amazing treats can be found all over the northeast.
What could be better on a hot Hawaiian day than shave ice? Shaved from a big block, this ice is flavored with sweet syrups, including local Hawaiian fruit flavors such as guava, coconut, and lychee, which soak in for maximum impact. Ordering your shave ice is all part of the experience – it’s delivered in a paper cup or cone, and it might also come with extra treats like ice cream, condensed milk, or red mung beans.
This hugely popular chocolate cake doesn’t come from Germany – in fact, it’s entirely American. It’s named after German's Sweet Chocolate, a type of baking chocolate that was used in the original recipe, which was first published in 1957 in The Dallas Morning News. As well as chocolate (these days, any semi-sweet chocolate or even cocoa powder goes), the cake also features sticky pecan and coconut frosting, and it's sometimes garnished with cherries for a fun final touch.
Getting the right limes is key to the success of this delicious dessert. Key limes are smaller and more aromatic than their Persian cousins, making them a sought-after ingredient. Their juice is mixed with egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk to make a citrus filling that’s typically spread on a Graham cracker crust and topped with meringue. Modern twists on the traditional dessert do exist, but devotees say there’s no point in messing with perfection.
Bananas Foster isn’t just a dessert – it often comes with a show, too. Order it at Brennan’s in New Orleans, where it was invented in 1951, and your server will flambé the bananas at your table, igniting a dark rum and banana liqueur sauce to beautifully caramelize the fruit in butter and sugar. The whole lot is poured over ice cream (and sometimes crêpes, pancakes, or waffles) and topped with nuts and whipped cream. It’s a real showstopper.
These sweet, airy pillows of joy are among Louisiana’s most famous desserts. Though they originated in France, the American version is generally square or rectangular – and it's made from a leavened dough, rather than a choux pastry. Once they’ve been deep fried, they’re dusted with powdered sugar, and served hot and crispy. Cafe du Monde is the go-to spot for beignets in New Orleans, but it's worth seeking out quieter spots loved by locals, too.
This chocolate lover’s dream is a celebration of all the things chocolate can do. Layering a chocolate crust with a sticky sauce, brownie, and finally chocolate custard, it’s sweet, rich, and completely irresistible. Like many great American desserts, it’s served with a scoop (or two) of ice cream, or sometimes whipped cream, and it can also contain other fun ingredients like marshmallows or nuts. It might feel like this delicious dessert has been around forever, but it only dates back to the 1970s.
Peaches look pretty and taste delicious in lots of desserts, but none are more loved than the humble peach cobbler. Everyone has their own idea of what this treat should be like; it can be topped with batter, dumplings, or biscuit dough, and it can be made with either fresh or canned peaches. Either way, it’s easy to make and requires minimal equipment, so anyone can have one ready to dig a spoon into whenever they want.
Packed full of pecans and a gooey filling of butter, eggs, and sugar, classic pecan pie has earned its place on the Thanksgiving table. It’s sweet, nutty, and often rich, thanks to dark brown sugar or molasses (although corn syrup is a popular choice), and it has a buttery pie crust. It's been loved since around the 1930s or 1940s, and there's a range of ways to make the classic version. There are a few new variations to look out for, too, from butterscotch to chocolate brownie.
It’s a cake rather than a pie, but this dessert is from Boston – and it’s filled with cream, too. Probably invented at the Parker House Hotel by French Armenian chef Augustine François Anezin, it dates to the 1850s, and has been a favorite cake in Massachusetts (and beyond) ever since. Two layers of sponge cake, thick and creamy custard (or pastry cream), and toasted sliced almonds come together to create a delightful range of tastes and textures, all topped with silky chocolate fondant.
Is it a cookie, cake, or pie? Whatever the whoopie pie really is, it’s definitely delicious, and beloved across the country. To construct one, two mounded pieces of cake are sandwiched together with a sweet and creamy filling. These soft, cakey treats go by many names, including black moons, black-and-whites, gobs (in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), and BFOs – which stands for big fat Oreos. No matter what you choose to call them, you’ll find them everywhere from restaurant menus to gas station shelves.
When you need a cake for a gathering, you can’t beat a Texas sheet cake – sometimes called a funeral cake, because it’s often made for funerals and wakes. Baked in a sheet pan or jelly roll pan, it’s thinner than many other cakes, making it the ideal treat for people who love a higher ratio of frosting to cake. A warm, fudgy chocolate frosting is poured over the top and sprinkled with pecans, walnuts, or other nuts to give it a crunchy finish.
This hot and cold dessert seems like magic, with its frozen center and warm exterior. To make it, ice cream is set on a cake base and covered in meringue, which is then browned – without melting the ice cream in the middle – for a crispy, chewy exterior. Supposedly invented to celebrate Alaska joining the United States, this dessert has another curious name, omelette à la norvégienne (or 'Norwegian omelet'), given to it by a chef at the Paris World’s Fair in 1857.
The ultimate campfire dessert, s’mores are sticky, chocolatey, and crumbly delights that are full of nostalgia. They're made with just three simple ingredients, starting with a marshmallow that's toasted over a fire until gooey – making it perfect for sandwiching between two Graham crackers, along with a piece of chocolate that melts under the heat of the candy. While you can make them indoors, and even in a microwave, they’re best enjoyed in the great outdoors after a long day in the sun.
Pumpkin pie is so beloved that its signature flavors and aromas find their way into everything from lattes to candles. But for true pumpkin spice enthusiasts, nothing compares to enjoying it the traditional way – baked into a perfectly spiced pie. A staple of the Thanksgiving table and a favorite throughout the fall, pumpkin pie is a seasonal icon. Thanks to canned pumpkin and ready-made pie crusts, it’s an easy treat for bakers of all levels. Just add a generous dollop of whipped cream, and it’s ready to steal the show.
Are they a dessert or just a sweet snack? Who cares, when they taste so good – plus, they’re unquestionably, iconically American. Invented by Ruth Wakeman at the Toll House Restaurant in the 1930s, chocolate chip cookies were originally designed to go with ice cream – and we’d still recommend trying them that way when they’re fresh from the oven. The recipe was given to Nestlé along with permission to use the restaurant’s name in 1939, and Toll House chocolate chips are still a bestseller.
Fudgy, chocolatey brownies are among the first things new home bakers learn how to make. Their simple batter – and the option to add in flavors you love – makes them a wonderful bake to try yourself. However, avoiding overbaking is key. The invention of these sweet squares is attributed to a pastry chef at Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel. Although we no longer know the name of the chef, we do know that the hotel’s owner, Bertha Palmer, asked for them to be made.
The concept of apple pie was brought to the US from Europe; countries including France, the UK, and the Netherlands have their own versions. But, as ever, America does things its own way when it comes to this crowd-pleasing dessert. Deeply filled, with a golden flaky pastry crust, American apple pie is typically flavored with spices including cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, enhancing the taste of the caramelized apples. Serve it alongside a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate experience.