When we say the best desserts, we mean it! These recipes got the highest ratings and the most visitors this year. Add them to your to-bake list for the year ahead.
Our Very Best Desserts of 2024
1
/
50
Cream Puff Dessert
I took this rich dessert to a fellowship meeting at our church. Everyone loved it! In fact, so many people asked for the recipe that the church secretary printed it in our monthly newsletter. —Lisa Nash, Blaine, Minnesota
2
/
50
Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
Our vanilla ice cream recipe is perfect for those who have never made ice cream in their life, as well as ice cream aficionados looking for a go-to, tried-and-true recipe to keep in their back pocket.
3
/
50
Apple Pie
Baking apple pie from scratch is a fall baking tradition we treasure. Perfect your technique with our apple pie recipe, full of all the tips and tricks you'll need.
4
/
50
Frozen Key Lime Delight
In the middle of summer, nothing hits the spot quite like this sublime Key lime dessert. Cold, creamy and tart, it tastes like sunshine. —Melissa Millwood, Lyman, South Carolina
5
/
50
Strawberry Pie
Our strawberry pie celebrates the harvest with a beautiful display of sliced fresh berries in a bouncy, sweet filling.
6
/
50
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
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
/
50
Lemon Oatmeal Cookies
This is an especially fun recipe to make with kids because they can roll the dough into balls and flatten them on the baking sheets. The lemon and oatmeal add a nice twist to traditional sugar cookies. —Susan Marshall, Colorado Springs, Colorado
8
/
50
Cowboy Cookies
Cowboy cookies are packed with hearty mix-ins: chocolate chips, oats, pecans and shredded coconut. Our cowboy cookie recipe also includes a unique step—toasting the coconut and pecans—to add a layer of complexity.
9
/
50
Dirt Cake
A dirt cake is a memory-making recipe and tasty dessert all in one. Enjoy decorating the dirt pudding with our fun topping ideas.
10
/
50
Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing are a delicious (and surprisingly easy) festive fall treat. Flavorful, moist and oh, so simple, you'll be making these on repeat!
11
/
50
Rhubarb Custard Bars
Once I tried these rich, gooey bars, I just had to have the recipe so I could make them for my family and friends. The shortbread-like crust and the rhubarb and custard layers inspire people to find rhubarb that they can use to fix a batch for themselves. —Shari Roach, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin
12
/
50
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
13
/
50
Broadway Brownie Bars
I named these dessert bars for Broadway because they're a hit every time I serve them. I especially like to make them as a gift for anyone with a sweet tooth! —Anne Frederick, New Hartford, New York
14
/
50
Possum Pie
We found this Possum Pie recipe in a recipe box from the previous cafe owner. It's been on our menu ever since. —David Heilemann, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
15
/
50
Lemon Cheesecake Recipe
Fit for a crowd and beloved by all ages, this lemon cheesecake recipe bakes up a dessert so sunshiny it tastes as though you’re eating spring itself.
16
/
50
Amish Sugar Cookies
The Amish seem to be master bakers, and they did not skimp on Amish sugar cookies.
17
/
50
Chocolate Pudding
Bring your favorite childhood lunchbox treat to life with this rich and decadent homemade chocolate pudding recipe.
18
/
50
Shortbread Cookie
This shortbread cookie recipe is an easy one to memorize and yields simple, buttery treats to enjoy with coffee, alongside tea or after a big dinner that didn't leave much room for dessert.
19
/
50
Strawberry Shortcake
Our strawberry shortcake is a classic recipe that can be ready by lunchtime. Use those farmers market strawberries for something special.
20
/
50
Pecan Pie Bars
Come for the pecan pie-like flavors, stay for the milk chocolate toffee bits. Our pecan pie bars might be tastier than their pie inspiration!
21
/
50
Peanut Butter Cookies
We cream shortening instead of butter for this dough, resulting in an ultra-rich-tasting version of traditional peanut butter cookies. Also nice? They take less than 30 minutes to prepare.
22
/
50
Rice Pudding
Rice pudding, which uses leftover rice, makes the sweetest comfort dessert. Here's how to make rice pudding just as Grandma used to years ago.
23
/
50
Lemon Meringue Pie
Our lemon meringue pie has a balanced, sweet-tart filling and a fluffy toasted meringue topping.
24
/
50
Big Soft Ginger Cookies
These ginger cookies are soft, easy to make and loaded with the flavors of fall.
25
/
50
Rhubarb Crisp
Make rhubarb crisp with strawberries in spring and apples in fall to enjoy a simple, year-round dessert.
26
/
50
Rice Pudding with Leftover Rice
Delicious rice pudding with leftover rice turns yesterday's unfinished food into today's dessert. It's super easy to make, with ingredients you likely have on hand.
27
/
50
Whipped Shortbread Cookies
These whipped shortbread cookies melt in your mouth. Mostly I make them for the holidays, but I'll also prepare them year-round for wedding showers and afternoon teas. —Jane Ficiur, Bow Island, Alberta
28
/
50
Easy Four-Layer Chocolate Dessert
Out of all the easy chocolate desserts I make, these nutty, chocolaty layered treats have become my family's favorite. I make sure to whip up my mom her very own batch, since she loves this chocolate delight so much! —Kristen Stecklein, Waukesha, Wisconsin
29
/
50
Italian Cream Cake
A moist coconut-scented layer cake enveloped in a luscious coating of cream cheese frosting makes this a sweet, tangy dessert that complements any meal.
30
/
50
Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie is a southern classic dessert that is popular both at the holiday table and any time you want a slice of sweet, lightly spiced pie. Here’s how to make it.
31
/
50
Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight
This is a simple chocolate dessert recipe for any type of potluck occasion, and the pan always comes home empty. —Diane Windley, Grace, Idaho
32
/
50
Peach Pie
Our peach pie recipe features a spiced peach filling nestled inside two buttery, flaky crusts. It’s a delicious and traditional summer treat that stands beautifully in its simplicity, because why change perfection?
33
/
50
Angel Food Cake
This top-rated angel food cake recipe is a light and airy dessert everyone loves. It's heavenly served with berries or other fresh fruit and a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
34
/
50
Divinity Candy
Every Christmas my grandmother and I made divinity candy, just the two of us. I still make it every year. —Anne Clayborne, Walland, Tennessee
35
/
50
German Chocolate Dump Cake
We make this for Sunday lunches when the whole family gets together. The cream cheese topping is so good that it doesn't need frosting. —Donna Holdbrooks, Waco, Georgia
36
/
50
Banana Pudding
This banana pudding layered with vanilla wafers tastes just like Grandma's: creamy, simple, comforting and filled with sweet banana flavor.
37
/
50
Honey Cinnamon Roll-Ups
This cinnamon treat reminds me of baklava, but with only a few easy ingredients, it's a fraction of the work. It's my aunt's recipe, and I think of her when I make it. —Sue Falk, Sterling Heights, Michigan
38
/
50
Easy Tres Leches Cake
When we come across a cake recipe described as “easy” that's also a contest-winner, you know we'll be running out to get the ingredients! Thankfully, this easy tres leches cake cuts down on a few ingredients by starting with a simple box of cake mix.
39
/
50
Cherry Pie Bars
Whip up a pan of these festive bars in just 20 minutes with staple ingredients and cherry pie filling. Between the easy preparation and the pretty colors, they're destined to become a holiday classic. —Jane Kamp, Grand Rapids, Michigan
40
/
50
Frosted Banana Bars
These bars are always a hit at potlucks in the small rural farming community where my husband and I live. I also like to provide them for coffee hour after church. They're so moist and delicious that wherever I take them, they don't last long. —Karen Dryak, Niobrara, Nebraska
41
/
50
Lemon Snowflakes
You’ll need just four ingredients to make these delightful lemon snowflake cookies. Confectioners’ sugar highlights the cracked tops to give them their snowflake appearance. —Linda Barry, Dianna, Texas
42
/
50
Easy Apple Cake
Break out this easy apple cake recipe the next time you’re craving a no-fuss fall dessert. With tart apples, warm cinnamon and some walnuts thrown in for good measure, it’s a quintessential fall bake.
43
/
50
Cookie Crust Deep-Dish Apple Pie
One of my favorite make-and-take desserts, this deep-dish pie is based on an old Hungarian recipe that's popular in this part of Ohio. The easy cookie crust is the best part. —Diane Shipley, Mentor, Ohio
44
/
50
Peach Cobbler Dump Cake
Homemade peach cobbler dump cake uses shortcut ingredients—canned peaches and a cake mix—to deliver a cozy, tender cake that's impossible to serve without a scoop of ice cream.
45
/
50
Classic Chocolate Cake
If you need to learn how to make chocolate cake from scratch, this easy homemade chocolate cake recipe is a perfect place to start. It appeared on a can of Hershey's cocoa way back in 1943. I tried it, my boys liked it, and I've been making it ever since. —Betty Follas, Morgan Hill, California
46
/
50
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
These gluten-free peanut butter cookies are chewy, salty and sweet. You wouldn’t believe you only need three ingredients to make them.
47
/
50
Hot Milk Cake
Travel back in time with this easy, old-fashioned hot milk cake recipe. Moist and tender, like a sponge cake and pound cake hybrid, it's the perfect snacking cake!
48
/
50
Chocolate Chip Blondies
These chocolate chip blondies are a comforting treat that's ready in just 30 minutes. Meet your new go-to potluck dessert!
49
/
50
Pumpkin Dump Cake
Enjoy a warm, gently spiced dump cake featuring pumpkin puree and simple cake mix.
50
/
50
