69 Rustic Farmhouse-Inspired Desserts

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

I’ve baked this cake every spring for many years, and my family loves it! Use your own fresh rhubarb, hit up a farmers market or find a neighbor who will trade stalks for the recipe! —Helen Breman, Mattydale, New York

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Mincemeat Cookie Bars

My daughter won the grand champion title at the Alaska State Fair with these bars when she was 10. The topping is delicious but a bit crumbly; for neatly edged cookies, freeze before cutting. —Mary Bohanan, Sparks, Nevada

Heavenly Blueberry Tart

Mmm—this tart is bursting with the fresh flavor of blueberries! Not only do I bake berries with the crust, but I also top the tart with more just-picked fruit after I take it out of the oven. —Lyin Schramm, Berwick, Maine

Psst! If you’re enjoying these, you’ll definitely love these farmhouse-inspired breakfast recipes, too.

Behr Track Cookie Bars

The holidays are the perfect time to indulge in these ooey-gooey, salty-sweet peanut butter bars. A lot of people comment that the pretzels in the filling are a pleasant surprise. Just make sure to cut cookie bars small—they're super rich. —Megan Behr, Marion, Iowa

Tillie's Ginger Crumb Cake

This recipe goes back at least as far as my grandmother, who was born in the early 1900s. Our sons and I enjoy eating it in a bowl with milk poured on it—much to the dismay of my husband, who prefers it plain! —Kathy Nienow Clark, Byron, Michigan

Cherry Pecan Dreams

Packed with fruit, nuts and vanilla chips, these are always a treat. To vary the flavor, swap in dried cranberries or apricots for the cherries, and pistachios for the pecans. —Mary Ann Mariotti, Plainfield, Illinois

Snickerdoodle Cheesecake

My maternal grandmother preferred sewing and quilting to cooking and baking, but there were some things that she cooked and baked really well. She was the only person I knew who made snickerdoodles, simple but yummy cookies that I've always enjoyed. Since cheesecake is my very favorite dessert, I couldn't resist coming up with one that re-creates those flavors. I think of my grandmother each time I make it! Sometimes I'll drizzle the slices with maple syrup. —Lisa Varner, El Paso, Texas

Cool Strawberry Cream

This fruity, luscious dessert makes a wonderful ending to a special dinner. When fresh strawberries are not available, substitute two packages frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed and drained, for the fresh. —Joyce Cooper, Mount Forest, Ontario

Hazelnut Cake Squares

When one of my daughters is asked to bring a dish to a church function, a birthday party or any special occasion, she asks me for this recipe. It is so easy to prepare because it starts with a cake mix. It doesn't need icing, so it's perfect for bake sales too. —Brenda Melancon, McComb, Mississippi

Black Forest Panettone Pudding

My chocolate-cherry bread pudding uses Panettone, the holiday bread people often receive but aren't sure how to use. I make a glorious sauce for it using ice cream. —Devon Delaney, Westport, Connecticut

Skillet Blueberry Slump

My mother-in-law made a slump of wild blueberries with dumplings and served it warm with a pitcher of farm cream. We’ve been enjoying slump desserts for 60 years. —Eleanore Ebeling, Brewster, Minnesota

No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints

Years ago, a friend gave me a recipe for chocolate peanut treats that didn't require baking. I thought it was a quick and clever way to whip up a batch of sweet snacks without heating up the kitchen, and I started making different variations. This one includes luscious Nutella and crunchy hazelnuts. Yum! —Lisa Speer, Palm Beach, Florida

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

Cheesecake lovers will savor every bite of this light and pretty pie, even if they don't have to watch their diets. Our whole family enjoys it. —Kim Van Rheenen, Mendota, Illinois

Lemon Blueberry Biscuits

Lemon and blueberries make such a fresh and flavorful combination in all kinds of baked goods, especially these biscuits. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Aunt Murna's Jam Cake

I remember Aunt Murna telling me that she created her jam cake recipe as a young girl. She made improvements over the years, such as soaking the raisins in crushed pineapple. This cake is a favorite at our annual family reunions. —Mrs. Eddie Robinson, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky

Almond-Coconut Lemon Bars

Give traditional lemon bars a tasty twist with the addition of almonds and coconut. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Whole Wheat Strawberry Shortcakes

Nothing says spring better than a fresh strawberry shortcake. It is heavenly. My mother and I usually make this with strawberries we picked ourselves. —Sarah Hatter, Brodhead, Wisconsin

Spicy Applesauce Cake

This picnic-perfect cake travels and slices very well. With chocolate chips, walnuts and raisins, it's a real crowd pleaser. —Marian Platt, Sequim, Washington

Strawberry-Banana Pudding Cake

This luscious pink pudding cake is so easy to put together. Top it with ice cream and fresh fruit, and you have one very happy family. —Nadine Mesch, Mount Healthy, Ohio

Carrot Fruitcake

Even those who don't care for fruitcake love this special holiday dessert. It's a fun way to dress up that old favorite, carrot cake. Try it—your friends and family will agree. —Ann Parden, Chunchula, Alabama

Chocolate Gingersnaps

When my daughter Jennifer was 15 years old, she created this recipe as a way to combine two of her favorite flavors. They're perfect with a glass of milk. —Paula Zsiray, Logan, Utah

Rhubarb Mandarin Crisp

An attractive dessert, this crisp is also a popular breakfast dish at our house, served with a glass of milk rather than topped with ice cream. Because it calls for lots of rhubarb, it's a great use for the bounty you harvest. —Rachael Vandendool, Barry's Bay, Ontario

Green Tomato Pie

When frost nips our garden, I quickly gather all the green tomatoes still on the vine and make this old family favorite. It's been handed down from my grandmother, and now my granddaughters are asking for the recipe.—Violet Thompson, Port Ludlow, Washington

Caramel Peanut Bars

Rich chocolate, crunchy peanuts and gooey caramel peek out from between golden oat and crumb layers. Delicious!—Ardyce Piehl, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

Huckleberry Cheese Pie

To us Idahoans, huckleberries are a treasure. My family enjoys this recipe a lot, and I serve it as a special treat when we have guests. —Pat Kuper, McCall, Idaho

Chocolate Pound Cake

You'll find that this cake goes well with ice cream, but it's also delicate enough to serve in small pieces with tea. —Ann Perry, Sierra Vista, Arizona

Cashew Cookies

Some merry dairy snacking is guaranteed when you pass out these cashew-packed goodies! I found the recipe years ago in a flier promoting dairy products. It's been this farm wife's standby ever since. —June Lindquist, Hammond, Wisconsin

Easy Pistachio Tube Cake

Mixes make this light cake easy, and a fluted tube pan gets it holiday party-ready. Go for the pistachios on top—the extra crunch is worth it. —Dina Crowell, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Plum Crisp with Crunchy Oat Topping

Made with fresh plums and a crunchy oat topping, this crisp is a lighter alternative to classic fruit pie. It goes over well with the women in my church group.—Deidre Kobel, Boulder, Colorado

Behr Track Cookie Bars

The holidays are the perfect time to indulge in these ooey-gooey, salty-sweet peanut butter bars. A lot of people comment that the pretzels in the filling are a pleasant surprise. Just make sure to cut cookie bars small—they're super rich. —Megan Behr, Marion, Iowa

Blackberry Peekaboo Cookies

My grandmother bakes this recipe every year for the holidays. She uses homemade blackberry jam that she makes fresh every summer. These cookies are so delicious! —Jacquie Franklin, Hot Springs, Montana

Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

I lightened up this quick and easy dessert by making a few substitutions. Because the treat is so sweet, no one will know it's healthy, too.—Roxanne Chan, Albany, California.

Hazelnut Almond Biscotti

Pour a cup of coffee and indulge! Crisp, crunchy biscotti cookies are perfect for dunking. Hazelnuts and almonds make my favorite version even better. —Johnna Johnson, Scottsdale, Arizona

Homemade Cherry Crisp

Our family loves this pretty, tasty dessert. It uses convenient pie filling, so you can make it in no time—and it takes mere minutes to heat in the microwave. —Laurie Todd, Columbus, Mississippi

Blueberry Zucchini Squares

I saw a bar recipe using apple and lemon zest on a muffin mix. I tried it from scratch with shredded zucchini and fresh blueberries instead. It’s a nifty combo. —Shelly Bevington, Hermiston, Oregon

Chocolate Almond Drops

So much rich, chocolaty flavor, so little time! My trufflelike cookies are deceptively easy to make and look so elegant on a party tray. —Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota

Butter Pecan Ice Cream Torte

A simple, nutty crust and smooth caramel sauce are all the preparation required for this impressive dessert. It will keep in the freezer for one month—just be sure to wrap tightly. —Judy Wilson, Sun City West, Arizona

Almond Blondies

These make a nice change from the typical chocolate brownie. When I bake up a batch, they disappear quickly at my house. —Cindy Pruitt, Grove, Oklahoma

Fruit & Almond Bites

With big handfuls of dried apricots and cherries, almonds and pistachios, we make dozens of no-bake treats you can take anywhere. —Donna Pochoday-Stelmach, Morristown, New Jersey

Chunky Monkey Cupcakes

Peanut butter is a favorite of ours, and it brings a fun element to these cupcakes. They're good with or without garnishes. —Holly Jones, Kennesaw, Georgia

Cranberry Pecan Upside-Down Cake

At our house, cranberries are a favorite. I made this dessert for the first time in the 1990s. It started out as a pineapple upside down cake—I just changed a few things around! It keeps and travels well, so it’s perfect for taking to church dinners. And we love to share it with our son and grandchildren. —Doris Heath, Franklin, North Carolina

Chocolate-Glazed Brownies

These moist and fudgy squares are bursting with such rich chocolate flavor, you'd never know they're low in fat. They're ideal for taking to bake sales and family gatherings. For holidays, I like to dress them up with colorful candy sprinkles. —Deb Anderson, Joplin, Missouri

Pineapple Pie with Coconut Cream

You’ll find pineapples and coconuts everywhere in the South Pacific, so we play them up in this creamy cool pineapple pie, dolloped with coconut cream. Divine! —Karen Naihe, Kamuela, Hawaii

Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

My mother insisted that my grandmother write down one recipe for her when Mom got married in 1942: the how to make peanut butter cookies from scratch recipe. That was a real effort because Grandma was a traditional pioneer-type cook who used a little of this or that until it felt right. This treasured recipe is the only one she ever wrote down! —Janet Hall, Clinton, Wisconsin

Best Red Velvet Cake

It's just not Christmas at our house until this festive cake appears. This is different from other red velvet cake recipes I’ve had; the icing is as light as snow. —Kathryn Davison, Charlotte, North Carolina

Skillet Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

For a change of pace, you can substitute fresh or frozen peach slices for the pineapple in this old-fashioned recipe. —Bernardine Melton, Paola, Kansas

Blueberry Ice Cream

The wild blueberries on our property spark recipe ideas. When my daughter and I made this ice cream at a Girl Guide meeting, it was well received. Even today, our 10 children, 19 grandkids and 4 great-grandchildren think it tastes great. —Alma Mosher, Mohannes, New Brunswick

First-Place Coconut Macaroons

These coconut macaroon cookies earned me a first-place ribbon at the county fair. They remain my husband's favorites—whenever I make them to give away, he always asks me where his batch is! I especially like the fact that this recipe makes a small enough batch for the two of us to nibble on. —Penny Ann Habeck, Shawano, Wisconsin

Streuseled Zucchini Bundt Cake

Inspired by an abundance of zucchini, I found a new way to use it up in this spiced and lightly sweet cake. It even won a blue ribbon at our county fair! —Regina Stock, Topeka, Kansas

Sour Cherry Pie

Whenever my mom is invited to a party or potluck, everyone requests her homemade double-crust fruit pies. In the summer, she uses fresh tart cherries for this recipe. I love a slice topped with vanilla ice cream. —Pamela Eaton, Monclova, Ohio

Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake

With a tart kick from fresh spring rhubarb, this coffee cake is an irresistible way to start the day—or end it! —Roberta Schauer, Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Citrus Cornmeal Cake

Cornmeal adds a rustic quality to this delicate dessert flavored with citrus and almond. It makes a great holiday party hostess gift and is sure to be a staple in your recipe collection. —Roxanne Chan, Albany, California

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These rich, fudgy cookies are chewy and studded with tangy dried cherries. It’s a good thing the recipe makes only a small batch, because we eat them all in one night! —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho

Sour Cream and Cranberry Bars

I turned sour cream raisin pie into a cookie bar with a crunchy oatmeal crust, custard-style filling and crisp topping. —Shelly Bevington, Hermiston, Oregon

Easy Apple Strudel

My family always loves it when I make this wonderful dessert. Old-fashioned strudel was too fattening and time-consuming, so I changed it up a bit. This revised classic is just as good as the original. It's best served warm from the oven. —Joanie Fuson, Indianapolis, Indiana

Macaroon-Topped Rhubarb Cobbler

Crumbled macaroons are a surprising addition to this cobbler’s topping. We love that you can make the sweet treat in a baking dish or a cast-iron skillet. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Old-World Ricotta Cheesecake

I reconstructed this dessert based on an old recipe that had been in the family for years but was never written down. The subtle cinnamon flavor of the zwieback crust and the dense texture of the ricotta cheese are reminiscent of the cheesecake I enjoyed as a child. —Mary Beth Jung, Hendersonville, North Carolina

Peach Cobbler Dump Cake

This is one of the best peach dump cake recipes in the world. It's sweet, tender cake with a beautifully crisp cobbler topping. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, and dessert's golden. —Keri Sparks, Little Elm, Texas

Double Delights

You get the best of both worlds with these chocolate and vanilla cookies. They're an appealing addition to any cookie tray. I usually serve them at the holidays, when they're often the first cookies to disappear, but you can have them any time of year. —Ruth Ann Stelfox, Raymond, Alberta

Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A pleasingly moist cake, this treat is the one I requested that my mom make each year for my birthday. It's dotted with sweet carrots and a hint of cinnamon. The fluffy buttery frosting is scrumptious with chopped walnuts stirred in. One piece of this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is never enough—it's better than all the other carrot cakes I've tried! —Kim Orr, West Grove, Pennsylvania

Cherry No-Bake Cookies

I always loved my no-bake cookie recipe, but I was never able to place at the fair with it. So I mixed in some maraschino cherries, added almond extract and voila! I won a blue ribbon at the county fair in 2010. —Denise Wheeler, Newaygo, Michigan

Graham Streusel Coffee Cake

I use this sweet coffee cake recipe often. It's quick and easy to make. —Blanche Whytsell, Arnoldsburg, West Virginia

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Hawaiian nuts and melty morsels make a fantastic combination in these buttery white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. —Cathy Lennon, Newport, Tennessee

Winning Apricot Bars

This recipe is down-home baking at its best, and it really represents all regions of the country. It's won blue ribbons at county fairs and cookie contests in several states! Easy to make, it's perfect for potluck suppers, bake sales, lunchboxes or just plain snacking.—Jill Moritz, Irvine, California

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

These nicely spiced, big soft ginger cookies are perfect for folks who like the flavor of ginger but don't care for crunchy gingersnaps. —Barbara Gray, Boise, Idaho

Chocolate Marshmallow Peanut Butter Squares

I combined a couple of recipes to create these crunchy, chocolaty bars that burst with peanut butter flavor, marshmallows and pretzel pieces. The bars could also pass for fudge! —Dawn Lowenstein, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

7UP Pound Cake

My grandmother gave me my first cake recipe—a pound cake using 7UP—which her grandmother had given to her. On top of being delicious, this cake represents family tradition, connection and love. —Marsha Davis, Desert Hot Springs, California

Down East Blueberry Buckle

This buckle won a contest at my daughter’s college. The prize was four lobsters, but the real reward was the smile on our daughter’s face. —Dianne van der Veen, Plymouth, Massachusetts