When Friendsgiving rolls around with promises of crowd-pleasing appetizers and popular casseroles, it’s important to make sure dessert doesn’t fall by the wayside. And what better way to impress than by pulling out all the stops with a Grandma-approved dish? These sweets and confections have emerged from deep within the recipe boxes of our readers, their mothers, and their grandmothers. From spiced cookies to elaborate layer cakes, each recipe walks you through every step from beginning to end—just like Grandma would. Scroll through, pick one, and you just might find yourself the MVP of the Thanksgiving potluck.
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Grandma’s Chew Bread
fabeveryday
“Have been making this recipe as is for 20 plus years. It is over 100 years old. Someone always wants the recipe.” —marytpt70
Southern Possum Pie
ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTURGA
“This possum pie is such a wonderful summer dessert as it’s light but decadent in flavor. This is an old recipe passed down by my grandmother from Tennessee.” —tawns
Grandma Ruth’s Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies
Dotdash-Meredith Food Studios
“This easy snickerdoodle recipe that everyone loves is from my great-grandma! The cookies are soft and full of cinnamon flavor.” —DavidBeveridge
Willard Family Chocolate Cake
Allrecipes / Julia Hartbeck
“This German chocolate cake recipe has been in my family for a very long time. My great-grandma knew this recipe by heart! My father was born on her birthday so she made this cake for him every year.” —Kelly MaDonald
Grandma’s Gingersnap Cookies
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This recipe for gingersnaps makes gingersnap cookies that melt in your mouth! I received this ginger cookie recipe from my grandmother; it’s been enjoyed in my family since 1899. Store cookies in an airtight container.” —Marie Ayers
Grandma’s Iron Skillet Apple Pie
“This is such an outstanding recipe, thanks so much to the cook who shared it. Over the past 45 years I have probably made hundreds of apple pies but this one is just a treat! I made it as written. The process and the iron Skillet is the key to the finished product being so good. I like cooking with Iron cookware so I was delighted to find this recipe.” —Grandma Lizzy
Grandma’s Lace Cookies
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“These lace cookies are one of my favorite recipes passed down to me by my grandmother. Friends and family love them — they are irresistible!” —Dustin Poh
Grandma Minnie’s Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Photographer: Brie Goldman / Food Styling: Annie Probst / Prop Styling: Breanna Ghazali
“This is my great-grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe. They bake up soft, buttery, and easy to roll and cut. Perfect for holiday baking.” —Jessica McDonald
Grandma Snyder’s Oatmeal Cake
Photographer: Jason Donnelly / Food Styling: Sammy Mila / Prop Styling: Gabe Greco
“Just like my mom used to make when I was a kid. Followed the directions as written. Mmmm…it’s like a taste of childhood, even if my seven year old palate preferred chocolate then.” —Ronda Dalton Gibson
Grandma Carol’s Pumpkin Roll
KGora
“My mom’s pumpkin roll recipe is a holiday favorite. She always makes this around Thanksgiving and takes it to work—everyone wants the recipe. It is, without a doubt, the best pumpkin roll I’ve ever had!” —SusieQ
Grandma Bowen’s ‘Girdle Buster’ Pie
Allrecipes/Karen Hibbard
“This is now a family favorite! We love a good pudding parfait but the cream cheese layer in this recipe adds extra richness, and takes it up a few notches! Easy and fast to make. Highly recommend!” —CozyCurd4915
Grandma Leach’s Fruitcake
Allrecipes/Qi Ai
“I’m experiencing with a lot of fruitcake recipes and this is such a delicious one. It came out super moist, tender and the flavors were spot on, not too sweet at all. I had it with some milk coffee and it was a great pairing. It also makes a lot of cake so it’s perfect for when you want to entertain a crowd.” —LovesCooking
Grandma Ruby’s Prune Cake
Allrecipes
“Delicious recipe! Prunes gets such a bad rap but when they’re baked in a cake, they become this gooey, melted deliciousness. This cake is comfort food at its best. My boyfriend and I gobbled it up!” —GingerSnapz
Grandma Myrna’s Honey-Walnut Brittle
Allrecipes
“After several failed attempts at making homemade brittle, I finally got some sense and called my Grandma Myrna! She gave me this recipe for brittle made in the microwave, and I had instant success! The best tips she gave were to ‘work quickly, have everything pre-measured out, and for goodness’ sake, don’t burn yourself!'” —Kim
Apple Pie by Grandma Ople
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This amazing apple pie recipe belonged to my grandmother. I have never seen another one quite like it! It will always be my favorite and has won several first place prizes in local competitions. It makes the perfect dessert for family dinners or during the holidays.” —MOSHASMAMA
