This treat began its life in Canada, but it was popularized thanks to the coffee chain Starbucks, which has its headquarters in Seattle. The company started selling the treat all over the United States (and the world), and thus the Nanaimo bar was spread. This dessert doesn’t require an oven.
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And they can be made with nothing more than a bottom layer of butter, cocoa powder, sugar, egg, coconuts, and nuts. Following that, there’s a middle layer of butter, cream, and custard powder, followed by some confectioner’s sugar. The top layer is melted chocolate and butter and spread over the top. Okay, so it’s a little more complicated than some things on this list, but hey, you don’t have to bake it. You do have to chill it, though.
Alabama – Lane Cake
The official state dessert of Alabama was named the Lane cake in 2016, and it’s clear why. It’s a moist white cake filled with a mixture of thick, cooked whiskey-laced custard. You can also commonly find pecans, coconut, golden raisins, and bourbon or brandy. The dough itself is made out of two full cups of sugar, two sticks of butter, eight large egg whites, and a whole lot more.
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If you want a rich cake to serve at your next dinner party, this should be on the menu. The name comes from its creator, one Emma Rylander Lane, who entered the cake into a county fair baking competition in Columbus, Georgia. She at first called it “Prize Cake,” but added her name once it was made the state dessert of her home.
Alaska – Akutaq
This one is a strange one. It’s pronounced “A-goo-duc,” and looking at the ingredients, you might not even think it’s a dessert at first. It’s sometimes known as Alaskan ice cream, and the traditional recipe includes things like a cup of reindeer, caribou, or moose fat, a cup of animal oil, two cups of loose snow, and anywhere from half a gallon to a full gallon of whatever berries you can find.
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There are also recipes that include fish that you prepare yourself. More modern versions of this classic dish use solid vegetable shortening instead of fat and add a cup of sugar. The snow is replaced with water or berry juice (though some still use snow), and the berries are, of course, included. The types of fat change the taste of the dish, so some experimentation is in order.
Arizona – Sopaipilla
Also known as cachanga, sopaipilla is a fried pastry and quick bread that has a Spanish heritage. It’s also the dessert that comes to us from Arizona. They’re sweet, and as long as you don’t mind heating up some oil, then they’re pretty easy to make. All they take is a little flour, baking powder, salt, shortening, and warm water, and you start frying them up.
![Arizona – Sopaipilla Arizona – Sopaipilla | Instagram/@statesweet](/wp-content/uploads/cmg_images/707826/rid_2a98e14352b5f1102899d15149254379/Sopaipilla-TheBestDessertsfromEveryStateofAmericaandSomeStrangeOnesToo.jpg.pro-cmg.jpg)
They’re often topped with confectioner’s sugar or stuffed with honey. They seem simple as long as you don’t mind working with the oil, but most importantly they seem all kinds of delicious. Try a dessert with a south-of-the-border flair the next time you have taco night, just don’t forget the toppings.
Arkansas – Possum Pie
Of course, the dessert from Arkansas would be something called possum pie – the name might be a little off-putting, but there’s nothing wrong with this fun treat. It’s a pie with a layer of chopped pecan crust at the bottom, a mixture of cream cheese and powdered sugar over the crust, and a chocolate-pudding-esque layer on top of that.
![Arkansas – Possum Pie Arkansas – Possum Pie | Instagram/@durandurantulsa](/wp-content/uploads/cmg_images/707826/rid_7c3674f673b22019d84d58076ad2c2fe/PossumPie-TheBestDessertsfromEveryStateofAmericaandSomeStrangeOnesToo.jpg.pro-cmg.jpg)
And then a whole lot of cream cheese topped with chopped pecans and shaved chocolate as desired. The name comes from the idea that the pie is hiding what it really is, as possums will pretend to be dead to avoid danger. Underneath the whipped cream is chocolate pudding, but under THAT is cream cheese. It’s a surprise to be sure, but a much better one than the name would suggest.
California – Doughnuts
Yes, apparently the favored dessert from California is doughnuts, something that is so well known you can practically find them all over the world. But, it seems that California goes hard when it comes to these well-known fried treats. You can get them topped with your favorite cereal, filled to bursting with your favorite fruit, or almost any other way you could possibly want them.
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In fact, there’s even a specific type of doughnut that is called the “California donut,” and it sounds pretty good: A big donut, super soft and fluffy, that has crazy, wild toppings. California became known for its doughnuts when Ted Ngoy immigrated to Los Angeles from Cambodia, setting up a pastry shop and helping other immigrants do the same thing, creating a small, connected empire.
Colorado – Duffeyroll
Though they may appear to be cinnamon rolls on the outside, the dessert from Colorado isn’t exactly what it seems to be. A duffeyroll is lighter and flakier than your traditional cinnamon bun. There also appears to only be a single place where you can pick them up – a place that is appropriately called Duffeyroll. They’re also called “Denver Cinnamon Rolls."
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And they can be constructed by using a rising dough with plenty of flour and other traditional bread ingredients. The dough filling, however, is a little different: brown sugar, unsalted butter, cinnamon powder, and cocoa powder all work together to give it an extra excellent taste. Add a not-so-healthy dollop of frosted topping to the roof of the rolls, and you have a special cinnamon roll that you’re going to love.
Connecticut – Snickerdoodle
While this cookie might be a regular one at your holiday gatherings no matter which state you find yourself in, it originally came from Connecticut, so that’s where we’re headed next. As far as making goes, it’s hard to get much simpler than this recipe. The most complicated thing you’ll need is a little bit of cream of tartar.
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That's something that you’ll be able to find in almost any grocery store. You’ll have to refrigerate the dough for a little while (the recipe we found says overnight is best, roll little balls of dough into a sugar and cinnamon mixture, stick them on a baking tray, and bake. Simple, elegant, and, best of all, oh-so-delicious. These are a cookie for any baker’s repertoire.
Delaware – Peach Pie
Peach pie has been the official Delaware dessert since 2009, which surprised us a little bit. We thought peach was the Georgia thing, right? It is, but apparently, Delaware has a long history of peach production – it was even the leading producer for most of the nineteenth century before Georgia took over. The peach flower is part of the Delaware flag, and, let’s be real, who doesn’t love a peach pie?
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As long as you can make some pie dough (or, you know, buy it from a store) and get some peaches, you’ll have no trouble making this easy addition to a picnic or dinner party. A proper Delaware peach pie also contains some things like brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and rolled oats, but any recipe that you want to try will probably fit the bill.
Florida – Key Lime Pie
Quick history lesson: “rickets” is a disease that you can contract when you lack the proper amount of Vitamin D in your diet. Sailors at sea would often contract this disease, and to combat it, they would carry barrels of citrus fruits like limes to keep their crew in tip-top shape. Back in the day, Florida revolved around the trade lines, which meant that limes were always in high demand.
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Thus, they became a cash crop, and people quickly realized you can make some swell pies out of them, too. The difference between a key lime pie and a true Florida lime pie is the extra-tart fresh lime juice instead of store-bought lime extract. It gives these pies a good bit of zing when you finally chow down.
Georgia – Peach Cobbler
How is a pie different from a cobbler? Well, good news for you peach fans – the cobbler variety is even easier to make. Georgia has long been known for its peaches, and that means if you’re ever in the state, pick up some cobbler and enjoy yourself. Pies are made from pastry dough, while cobbler is a biscuit batter.
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In addition, pies are fully around the filling, while cobblers are usually only a top layer. Really, this dessert is VERY easy to make, as long as you’re accustomed to making batters and slicing up peaches. And who isn’t these days? Peaches with bigger pits like Freestone peaches are the best option since it’s easier to remove the pits – they also tend to be sweeter and have a stronger flavor.
Hawaii – Shave Ice
Talk about keeping things simple. When you live in a laid-back place like Hawaii, you don’t even want to work too hard for your sweet treats. To make some shave ice (no, not “shaved” ice), you shave a chunk of ice down into tiny little pieces and top it with flavorful syrup and other sweet pieces. It came to the small island state from Japanese immigrants, who called it Kakigori, originating at some point between the eighth and twelfth centuries.
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These immigrants went to Hawaii to find work, also discovering a ready market for what became known as shave ice. It soon became a common sight all over the state and featured prominently when it came to trade agreements with the United States before Hawaii became an official part of the country.
Idaho – Ice Cream Potato
This is a strange one. Found from a couple of specific drive-ins, if you travel to Idaho you can get something called an “ice cream potato.” Before you recoil in disgust, let it be known that there are no actual potatoes in this recipe. It’s made by taking some vanilla ice cream in the shape of a potato, splitting it down the middle like a baked potato usually is, and dusting it with cocoa powder.
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Once you add things like whipped cream and chocolate shavings (as well as almost anything else you could want) you have a treat that looks just like something that might grow in the ground but certainly doesn’t taste like it. All you really need is ice cream, cocoa powder, and your favorite toppings, so this is the kind of treat you might be able to make right now.
Illinois – Popcorn
If you’ve ever been to Chicago and wanted something sweet, you might have been surprised to find that the go-to isn’t ice cream or cookies, but popcorn. Of course, popcorn is beloved all over the world, but Illinois has been doing some fun stuff with it for a while now. You can get your classic buttery popcorn or something fun like caramel corn.
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But if you really want to get the real Chicago taste during your movie time, then you’ll need a mixture of caramel popcorn and cheese popcorn. This, along with the addition of traditional season popcorn, was actually trademarked as something called “Chicago Mix” in 1988 by Candyland, Inc. The most famous place to get this treat is The Garrett Popcorn Shops which have been making popped corn since the '40s.
Indiana – Sugar Cream Pie
Indiana became famous for something called sugar cream pie because of one reason and one reason only – they were desperate. It was actually originally known as “Desperation pie,” because they wanted something sweet to eat but had little to make a dessert with. It doesn’t require fresh fruit or fancy ingredients. There are some more complicated versions of the dish out there.
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But simple recipes will have you bake the pie crust, and then make a mixture of sugar, cornstarch, milk, butter, and vanilla extract. You’ve probably got all that stuff in your pantry right now! Heat all of that good stuff together until it’s in a boil, then reduce heat and stir until it’s thickened. Pour it into the baked crust, sprinkle with cinnamon, bake until it’s golden brown, and then refrigerate. Boom. Done.
Iowa – Ice Cream
Why yes, Iowa is saying what we’re all thinking: ice cream is great. It’s great! It really is. Unless you’re lactose intolerant, which means you can’t eat it without risking some bad time, but you probably still think it’s pretty great. The state of Iowa loves this frozen goody so much that it’s the ice cream capital of the world.
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Specifically, it’s Le Mars which is the ice cream capital, since it contains the Blue Bunny ice cream parlor and ice cream museum. If you look hard enough, you might be able to find the fifty different ice cream sculptures that are scattered throughout the city. You can also, of course, get any kind of ice cream you might want to try, with any kind of mix-ins that you’re after.
Kansas – Frozen Custard
Frozen custard is really similar to ice cream, but the mixture isn’t exactly the same. With the addition of pasteurized egg yolks, you’re going to get a heavy, richer taste and a smoother texture. One of the best places to pick up some of this treat is Sheridan’s Frozen Custard in Kansas City.
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There are tons of flavors you can try, as well as all the possible mix-ins you could want. It’s smooth, it’s creamy, and eggs have protein, right? Compared to other desserts, this option is practically a health food. For the ultimate treat, you can have it in a waffle cone. It’s bound to make your day better.
Kentucky – Bourbon Ball
There’s no doubt that Kentucky’s dessert would include another potent potable that it is famous for – bourbon. Grab a smooth, drinkable, not-too-expensive bottle of bourbon, some chopped nuts of your choice, confectioner’s sugar, butter, and chocolate – nothing else is needed. You just have to soak the nuts in bourbon overnight, mix the sugar and butter before folding in the already-soaked nuts, form them into balls.
![Kentucky – Bourbon Ball Kentucky – Bourbon Ball | Shutterstock](/wp-content/uploads/cmg_images/707826/rid_d595037a884927913b98c8abb3c2bea4/shutterstock_22771690-TheBestDessertsfromEveryStateofAmericaandSomeStrangeOnesToo-BourbonBall.jpg.pro-cmg.jpg)
And...refrigerate them overnight, and roll the balls in melted chocolate. Top with full nuts if you feel like it. So this is a simple dessert, but it apparently takes a couple of days. Just give yourself enough time, and you’ll have a powerful treat that adults and not kids should enjoy responsibly. They can be frozen for a long time, which means surprise guests will still get something tasty.
Louisiana – Beignets
Boy, those sure sound French, don’t they? Of course they do, they’re the traditional dessert of Louisiana. They’re a form of fried doughnut that are soft to the touch and oh-so-tasty to the tongue. They aren’t all that fancy – just square pieces of dough that are deep-fried and then generously sprinkled (some might say buried) in confectioner’s sugar.
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You use a little bit of yeast to puff up the dough, but all in all, things aren’t that complicated. Using oil to fry something is always a little step above what we normally do during the day, but you can handle it. I believe in you. As soon as these little guys are out of the oil, cover them in powdered sugar and serve before they get cool. They’re by far better warm than reheated.
Maine – Blueberry Pie
Maine isn’t where most of the world’s blueberries come from, but it is one of the world’s top suppliers of wild blueberries. Those are different from cultivated blueberries – the difference is that wild blueberries are smaller, sweeter, and tarter. Yes, somehow they are both sweeter AND tarter.
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Because of this fact, the most well-known dessert from Maine is blueberry pie, a dessert that is enjoyed all over the United States...but have you ever had it made from wild blueberries? That’s the real draw. Making blueberry pie is so easy that a monkey could make it – even if you aren’t interested in getting a pie crust from the store, homemade pie crust really isn’t that hard. It’s, like, four things: sugar, vegetable shortening, flour, and ice water. Pretty simple.
Maryland – Smith Island Cake
Beginning in 2008, Smith Island Cake became the official dessert of the state of Maryland, and rightly so. Smith Island, reachable only by boat, was the state’s last inhabited island, approximately ninety-five miles south of Baltimore. The cake is simple: Eight to ten layers of yellow cake, with each layer boasting a layer of chocolate frosting betwixt.
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In addition, the entire thing is covered in even more chocolate frosting. Simple, yes, but it really does not sound like it would be fun to make. There are a number of variations, such as red velvet Smith Island cake or chocolate Smith Island cake, but the general formation of the dessert remains the same. Yellow cake and chocolate frosting isn’t hard, but it still seems like it would take up some man hours.
Massachusetts – Boston Cream Pie
This one’s a gimme. There’s no way anything other than the Boston Cream Pie would end up as the choice for Massachusetts. Also, for some reason, it’s called a pie even though it’s obviously a cake. Like, clearly it’s a cake. It doesn’t have a crust! But we digress.
![Massachusetts – Boston Cream Pie Massachusetts – Boston Cream Pie | Shutterstock](/wp-content/uploads/cmg_images/707826/rid_244ff698d9030e60c81c3091f8c8cd70/shutterstock_1158397153-TheBestDessertsfromEveryStateofAmericaandSomeStrangeOnesToo-BostonCreamPie.jpg.pro-cmg.jpg)
The pieces of the traditional Boston cream pie are threefold: start with a soft, tender vanilla sponge cake, and pump it full of vanilla pastry cream. Once that task is complete, you then top it with a shiny chocolate ganache. Sure, it’s a little more complicated than some of the other options on this list, but it’s not too bad. Each step has a few fiddle bits, but overall it’s nothing that we can’t handle.
Michigan – Mackinac Island Fudge
For the record, it’s pronounced: “Mackinaw.” Mackinac Island is a big tourist trap in Michigan, which we learned from a real-life Michiganian, and they’re most well-known for the very good-looking fudge that they produce. It became famous for its sweets during its time as a fur-trading post. Murdick’s Candy Kitchen was the first store to open that offered some fudge, but right now the most well-known is probably Ryba’s Mackinac Island Fudge Shop.
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Seriously, this looks like some amazing fudge. Is it any different from fudge that you might find elsewhere? Murdick's proudly says that they don’t use additives in their fudge, but if you want to make it at home, we don’t see why you can’t. Fudge is fun to make, it’s better to eat, and it’s best to share with friends.
Minnesota – Blueberry Muffin
What? Why in the heck is the dessert from Minnesota the blueberry muffin? Why not something like the seven-layer bar? Well, whatever. We’re told that the reason this treat was chosen is that wheat was an extremely important crop, and wild blueberries were a common find in northern Minnesota.
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It’s the official muffin of the state, but is it really the most well-known dessert? We’re going to say no, and we do indeed challenge any of our fellow Minnesotans to try to argue with us on this one. Then again, blueberry muffins are pretty great, even if they aren’t a common dessert option. They’ve got some fruit, some sugar, and go great with a little butter. You know, for breakfast.
Mississippi – Mississippi Mud Pie
Don’t be alarmed – this dessert is going to taste great, and there’s no dirt or mud involved at all. It starts with a chocolate crust that uses flour, sugars, cocoa powder, and a few other things to form the base. After that, most recipes vary as far as what you can do, but most of them have somewhere from one to three different layers of chocolate inside the crust.
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You can make this in a pan like brownies and top it with marshmallows, use a springform pan and top it with whipped cream and chocolate dust, or do your own thing. Try some pecans, add some fruit on top, or melt even more chocolate and drizzle it on top of whatever toppings you find to be the most palatable.
Missouri – Gooey Butter Cake
This St. Louis original combines a rich, buttery cake crust and a cream cheese layer that is baked together in a couple of simple steps. You just need a cake mix (preferably yellow) mixed with butter, a couple of eggs, and some vanilla until it’s all combined, and pat the mixture into a baking dish.
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Then, combine cream cheese, two more eggs, and another teaspoon of vanilla with some confectioner’s sugar, and you’ll have an easy, gooey dessert that is making Missouri famous. Top with a little bit more confectioner’s sugar if it isn’t sweet enough for you yet (which might be hard – the recipe already has four cups of sugar in it). Simplicity goes a long way, and this recipe is hard to mess up.
Montana – Huckleberry Pie
Nothing too crazy to talk about here, but a huckleberry pie still sounds pretty darn good. Montana has a lot of wild huckleberries, which are similar to the blueberry, but they have a color that trends closer to red when they’re subjected to heat. A pie of these things doesn’t take much more than a blueberry pie to make this dish.
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A few cups of berries, some lemon juice and zest, a little bit of heavy cream and white sugar, and some butter. Honestly, if you know how to make a blueberry pie, you can probably just substitute the blueberries for huckleberries and call it good, but there are plenty of recipes developed for the things that will bring out their naturally wild and tart profile.
Nebraska – Kolache
Popular in areas of the Midwest and Texas, the kolache (ko-lah-chee) is a pastry that originated from Czechoslovakia, made of yeast dough and usually filled with fruit, though sometimes a cheese mixture finds its way inside, too. They commonly use traditional flavors, such as poppy seed, apricot, or even prune. There’s an area of Texas known as the Texas Czech Belt, which has a ton of immigrants from Czechoslovakia that settled there during the 1880s.
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One of the immigrants, Wendel Montgomery, opened a bakery to sell these treats and a few other things. Despite everybody in the community being familiar with them, they took off with people traveling through the area. There’s even a version that is filled with sausage, cheese, and jalapenos, which are called “klobasniki.” From there, the popularity continued to grow.
Nevada – Chocolate
Wow, Nevada likes chocolate. Stop the presses. Sure, everybody likes chocolate, but it turns out that Nevada REALLY likes chocolate. Las Vegas is not only packed with plenty of chocolate shops, but it also features the world’s largest chocolate fountain in the famous Bellagio.
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It’s a place that is most well-known for its fountains, and the chocolate one it has is more than twenty feet tall. There are all-you-can-eat chocolate buffets in the state, which is an idea that we didn’t know we needed to try. The state dessert even seems to be something called Chocolate Sin Pie, which is probably the right choice for a state that includes Las Vegas and also loves its chocolate.
New Hampshire – Cider Doughnuts
Not content to just enjoy doughnuts, New Hampshire had to kick things up a notch and bring us something called cider doughnuts. They’re a favorite in much of New England, which is fairly bursting with apple orchards. New Hampshire has plenty of its own, including the oldest one in the state, Applecrest Farms.
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Cider doughnuts are flavored with sweet apple cider, though we assume that any kind of cider would do as long as it's sweet enough. You have to boil the cider down until it’s almost a syrup before adding it to the mixture, and then you coat the doughnuts in cinnamon sugar. They’re packed with fall flavor and are only difficult because you have to worry about frying them in oil. They also work well with glaze.
New Jersey – Saltwater Taffy
Made by mixing corn syrup, butter, sugar, and vegetable oil, saltwater taffy is a consistent and favorite sight when it comes to the Atlantic City boardwalk. Getting to watch it being stretched and manipulated is a ton of fun, and it’s easy to add any flavor that you want to it. Why is it called saltwater taffy?
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Well, because after a candy shop had been flooded, a proprietor started calling it that when asked for taffy. No, really, that’s why it’s called that. There’s no difference between saltwater taffy and “regular” taffy. Taffy isn’t too complicated to make, but candy is always a little harder thanks to having to boil it off. That stuff gets hot, and if it gets on you it will burn your skin.
New Mexico – Biscochito
As New Mexico’s State Cookie, biscochitos bring a savory taste to balance out the natural sweetness. They’re similar to shortbread or butter cookies, but they have a couple of twists to keep them from being too common. These include things such as cinnamon, orange zest, lard, and one of the main ingredients, anise seed.
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It’s more like a pie crust while you’re working the dough, but make them properly and you’ll have an amazing cookie that is a hit at all sorts of formal events, or during the holiday season. These very well might be the first cookie to be given the title of an official state cookie, so try out a little bit of history the next time you’re trying to figure out what dessert to make for an event.
New York – Cheesecake
Lots of people around the world love cheesecake, but New York is crazy for the stuff. This state has given their cheesecake a bump by adding a ton of cream cheese and extra eggs – for a normal recipe that calls itself New York cheesecake, you’ll be using something like thirty-two ounces (that’s two pounds!) of cream cheese.
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You’ll also need six, count them SIX large eggs. There are also going to be a couple of cups of sugar, some sour cream, and more. No wonder New York likes it so much. Sure, the stuff is great on its own, but it will be even better if you top it with something like blueberries or strawberries. Plus, if you do that, you can at least pretend it’s a little bit healthy. Fruit is healthy, right?
North Carolina – Sweet Potato Pie
As odd as it is to have a dessert that heavily features a vegetable, here we are. Sweet potato pie is a classic dish from this Southern state that shouldn’t be ignored when it comes to its flavor, since it features plenty of butter, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, and more. Not only that, but you get a little bit of a healthy bonus when you indulge in this dessert, since sweet potatoes have a lot of fiber and vitamin A.
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Even better, this recipe is a cinch to make, since you more or less just have to throw all the ingredients together into an unbaked pie shell and then toss it in the oven for a little while. Some recipes require some tricky oven temperature lowering, but that’s not too hard, is it?
North Dakota – Krumkake
If it’s coming out of North Dakota, you know that it’s going to originate in the Scandinavian area of the world, and krumkake is no exception. It’s a crispy wafer cookie that is rolled into a cone while it’s still hot. Once they cool, you can fill them with whipped cream or dip them in chocolate, or anything else you can think of.
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The name means “curved cake” in Norwegian, and they’re usually made with the help of a decorative griddle. This kind of treat will take a little bit of experimenting to get right, but thankfully a normal batch of batter can make something like fifty krumkakes. That gives you plenty of chances to work on mixing, cooking, and rolling them until you get something that you like.
Ohio – Buckeye
Of course, buckeyes are the best dessert from Ohio – it is the buckeye state, after all! But people from every state should be able to enjoy this simple and delicious dessert. If you’re a fan of chocolate and peanut butter, then these are something you should add to your recipe book. Blend creamy peanut butter, regular butter, and vanilla with confectioner’s sugar until you achieve a stiff mixture.
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Then shape the mixture into balls and refrigerate for about an hour, or until the balls are firm. Place chocolate and shortening in a double boiler until it’s a smooth mix. Use a toothpick to pick up the peanut butter balls and dip them in the chocolate, and you’re done. They’re a killer recipe when it comes time for Christmas, but they’re also a great choice any time of the year.
Oklahoma – Fried Pie
Since 1954, Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies has been serving their titular snack to people that live in Oklahoma, or those who are just traveling through the state. This store has several locations, so try to stop in if you happen to be on a long trip. They’re a sweet pickup if you happen to be driving, since they’re so easy to eat.
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You can pick from over a dozen flavors, including classics like apple and cherry, but there are also some fun options like chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, and there are even savory pies for a meal on the road, such as bacon, egg, and cheese, broccoli and chicken, and pizza style. Those might not count as desserts, but they DO count as super delicious.
Oregon – Marionberry Pie
Never heard of marionberry? You’re not alone. It’s actually a version of the blackberry that was developed by the Oregon State University, breeding together the Chehalem variation and the Olallie variation. It’s the most common form of blackberry cultivated, accounting for more than half of the blackberries that are gathered in the state of Oregon.
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Thus, a marionberry pie is, we guess, a blackberry pie that has to use a specific kind of blackberry. Hey, we don’t mind. The filling not only uses these special berries, but also a package of cream cheese, almond extract, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and, unexpectedly, almost three tablespoons of quick-cooking tapioca. That might just be the recipe we found, though. If you want to up your blackberry pie game – and who doesn’t – give this a try.
Pennsylvania – Whoopie Pie
The Amish of Pennsylvania came up with the whoopie pie, a great name for a great dessert that isn’t actually a pie. What is it with New England and doing that? Anyway, a whoopie pie is traditionally either buttercream or marshmallow fluff sandwiched between a pair of soft, almost cake-like cookies.
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The cookies are more or less a regular cake mix, though some recipes will use things like buttermilk, and the chocolate look is achieved using cocoa powder. People have been spending plenty of time experimenting with different fillings, coming up with options like classic vanilla buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream. Really, any flavor of frosting will probably work out, as long as it isn’t, like, lunchmeat or something like that.
Rhode Island – Doughboy
Need to know more about what, exactly, a doughboy is? That’s why we’re here: a doughboy begins with flattened pizza dough, and then it’s tossed into the deep friar and topped with a healthy portion of powdered sugar. That’s really all it is, but they must be served as warm as possible. Apparently, the melting sugar and warm, chewy dough can create an almost addictive flavor.
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At least, that’s what people who have had them tell us. This is a favorite item for carnivals or fairs in Rhode Island and the surrounding area. Other than making the pizza dough, they seem like incredibly simple treats to prepare, but you have to eat them while they’re warm. Hard to beat a nice, warm treat.
South Carolina – Coconut Cake
Believe it or not, coconut cake has been a big part of the Southern diet for more than a hundred years. The three main sections to this dessert are a coconut cake, a generous layer of coconut frosting, and plenty of coconut flakes, so...we hope you like coconut. There’s nothing too tough about making this classic example of Southern spring cuisine.
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But it can be a hit at the right time of the year, such as the warmer months. There’s no reason why you can’t serve it during the fall or winter, but coconut just has such a wonderful summery feel that it can be strange to serve it if it isn’t warm out. Maybe that’s why it’s so popular in the South – it’s always warm there.
South Dakota – Kuchen
We have German immigrants to thank for bringing kuchen (which more or less translates to cake from German) to the states, and a whole lot of those immigrants settled in South Dakota. Kuchen takes a light, buttery pastry crust that also features almond extract and fills it with a mixture of custard and cream filling, sometimes adding things like fruit or nuts to the mix.
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They can also be topped with the same things, so there are a good number of options for people who want some taste of the European old world. As long as you have all the pieces assembled, it should only take you about an hour to put together this excellent treat. A traditional topping brings even more flavor with brown sugar, cloves, and cinnamon.
Tennessee – Banana Pudding
Incorporating layers of vanilla wafers, pudding and bananas, this dish somehow became one of the favored desserts of Tennessee – it’s even the state dessert! The town of Centerville hosts an annual banana pudding festival, and we’d love to see what kinds of rides are there. The reason this became such an iconic dessert is for a couple of reasons – trading turned once-exotic foods like bananas into much more common fare in the South.
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A big turn came in the 1920s, when Vanilla wafers came into common use, making it even easier to make a dish that once featured sponge cake. Nabisco created the “Nilla Wafer” product, which also had the recipe for the classic treat on the box, and the popularity of the banana pudding was off and running.
Texas – Pecan Pie
Pecan pie is such a beloved treat in Texas that they made it the official state pie. Not only is this treat a relatively easy one to make, but it’s delicious, too. Plus, nuts are kind of healthy, aren’t they? A little bit. There is one obvious reason that this pie has flourished in that Southern state.
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It's because about twenty percent of all the pecans in the United States are grown in Texas. A pie crust, a whole lot of chopped pecans, some corn syrup, and a couple of other things let you throw this easy treat together in just a few minutes. If you want to give the taste an extra pop, you can add a little bit of rum for an adult version of this pie.
Utah – Jell-O
The heavily Mormon population of this state loves Jell-O so much that it was named the state’s official snack back in 2001. One theory as to why it’s such a hit in Utah is that the Mormons of the state had nothing left to “rebel” with after abstaining from alcohol, coffee, and tea, so they turned to gelatin.
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This likely isn’t true, as Jell-O has always been seen as an acceptable option for people of all ages. Top it with a little bit of whipped cream for a dessert that’s even better, or try “Mormon Jell-O,” which incorporates lime Jell-O, crushed pineapple, cottage cheese, evaporated milk, and chopped nuts. Another reason for its popularity in Utah is its relative low cost. Big families mean big grocery store budgets.
Vermont – Apple Pie
It’s one of the most classic American treats out there, but Vermont is the place to go if you’re after the perfect piece of apple pie. Vermont has a ton of apple orchards, so they decided to take the best of those fruits and turn them into some delicious pies. Add on a traditional lattice crust and you have a dessert that will have people from all over coming to the table for a slice.
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Oh, but Vermont doesn’t just like its apple pie, it LOVES it – so much that there is actually something called the “apple pie law” that requires a good-faith effort for a store serving apple pie to also provide a glass of milk, a scoop of ice cream, and a slice of cheddar cheese weighing at least half an ounce. Yes, that’s right. Cheese.
Virginia – Chess Pie
Combining butter, sugar, flour, and eggs, a chess pie can also on occasion feature an acid like vinegar, lemon juice, or buttermilk. It’s a sweet and custardy creation that Virginia loves, naming it the state dessert, appearing in cookbooks as far back as two hundred years ago. The name has a few possible origins.
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One is that, since you could make it out of anything that you find in your food chest, it was first called “chest pie,” but Southern accents slowly morphed it into “chess pie.” Another option is that it was originally called “just pie,” and then the same method of speaking turned it into chess pie. If made improperly, this pie can result in cooked egg pieces, but they can be strained out.
Washington – Nanaimo Bars
This treat began its life in Canada, but it was popularized thanks to the coffee chain Starbucks, which has its headquarters in Seattle. The company started selling the treat all over the United States (and the world), and thus the Nanaimo bar was spread. This dessert doesn’t require an oven.
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And they can be made with nothing more than a bottom layer of butter, cocoa powder, sugar, egg, coconuts, and nuts. Following that, there’s a middle layer of butter, cream, and custard powder, followed by some confectioner’s sugar. The top layer is melted chocolate and butter and spread over the top. Okay, so it’s a little more complicated than some things on this list, but hey, you don’t have to bake it. You do have to chill it, though.
West Virginia – Shoofly Pie
The Pennsylvania Dutch invented Shoofly Pie, but it’s become a hit all over West Virginia. It’s a big mess of molasses, but will also often have flour, brown sugar, water, spices, and even egg. Add in a crumbly, textured topping and a flaky pie crust, and you have something that sounds pretty darn tasty. Even better, it seems like this option isn’t a very hard task.
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You have to have a pie, mix the filling (molasses, water, and baking soda), and then pour the crumbly topping over it. The name comes from the fact that sticky, sweet molasses would form on the surface of the pie, obviously attracting insects as well as lots of other kinds of pests. Thus, people who made the pie had to constantly wave those little bugs away.
Wisconsin – Cream Puffs
If you visit the Wisconsin state fair, there’s one treat that you have to try by the time you leave – the cream puff. Ever had one? The “Original Cream Puff,” as they are called, involves a sandwich of puff pastry, and between the top and bottom is a huge amount of cream. After a dusting of powdered sugar, they’re a hard choice to beat.
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Fluffy, air, and fun, it’s no wonder that the Wisconsin State Fair sells around four hundred thousand of these things every year. The recipe came from all the way back in 1922 when a family bakery started making them. Due to the connection the bakery had to the state fair’s committee (Phil Kremer, who ran the bakery, was the son of the state fair’s association’s president) it was an easy addition that people still love.
Wyoming – Cowboy Cookies
Even the desserts from this famously tough state are less sweet than most of the other options you’ll find around the country. Just like the ranch hands that work in the least-populated state in the country, these treats can last a long time and are a lot tougher than they look. It is made of a recipe that contains chocolate chips, pecans, coconut, oats, and cinnamon.
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There are plenty of different textures and flavors to keep your mouth busy as you snack on the trail. As for the name, some claim that the recipe originally came from Texas – a place that is heavy with cowboys – while others think it’s because they’re a good option for keeping in your saddlebag while you’re watching the herd, since they last so long without going bad.
Washington D.C. – Cupcakes
Though not a state, the District of Columbia has its own little culture to show off, and the dessert of choice from this small area is the humble, versatile, and delicious cupcake. But, why is Washington D.C. so swept up in cupcake fever? That's a great question, and despite wearing out the soles of our shoes trying to discover the answer, there’s no clear result.
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However, nowadays the store known as Georgetown Cupcake has been sending out wonderful treats for a couple of decades, while a slightly older store called Baked and Wired has plenty of fans to call its own. Maybe the treats are so well-liked because they’re so easy to carry with you during your busy day in Washington D.C. Maybe it’s because they’re easy to decorate, and each one can be a little different.
Puerto Rico – Flan
Like so many out there, you might have heard of flan, but don’t really know what it actually is. Well, allow us to elucidate. Flan – Spanish flan, at least, which is what we’re talking about here – is similar to the French dessert crème caramel. You’ll have to melt a little bit of sugar in a pan, beat together eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and some vanilla, mix that stuff with the sugar, and pour into a pan.
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It’s simple as long as you have a couple of odd milk options. It results in a smooth texture with a rich – but not too heavy – taste. Most people accept that the dish came to Puerto Rico via Spanish colonists, and it’s still a treat that is often enjoyed in this U.S. territory.
New Jersey’s Worst – Candied Apples
Apples: good! Candy: great! Candied apples...not the sum of its parts. Also known as jelly apples, these were invented in New Jersey in 1908 when a Newark candy maker named William Kolb came up with a syrup consisting of melted sugar, red food coloring, and cinnamon. He decided to dip some apples into it and sell them for a nickel apiece, thus dooming us all.
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We love fruit, but an entire, whole apple tipped in syrup and sold on a stick? Times were tough back in the early nineteen hundreds. This easy treat soon spread to the Jersey Shore, where it was an easy snack for people walking the boardwalk and didn’t know any better. Well, at least it’s kinda sort of healthy almost. Maybe.
The Midwest’s Worst – Watergate Salad
This crazy concoction is known as pistachio delight, green goddess, shut the gate salad, green goop, green fluff, and green stuff, but there are plenty of people out there who simply know it as gross. It’s made from mini marshmallows, pecans, and a lot of pineapple chunks in a bowl of pistachio pudding.
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It got its start from a recipe on the back of a Jell-O Pistachio Flavor Pudding box in the middle of the eighties. For some reason, another name was added during the nineties, one that has stuck with the odd dish: Watergate Salad. It doesn’t taste very good, and it’s not very fun to eat, but at least it’s quick! You just throw a whole bunch of stuff into a bowl and serve it. Nobody will notice it doesn’t taste right.
Vermont’s Worst – Sugar on Snow
Vermont is famous for its delicious maple syrup, but even they sometimes make critical missteps when it comes to this format of sugar. Consider the classic treat known as sugar on snow, which is literally just that. It has a mere two ingredients: maple syrup, and snow. No, we aren’t kidding. Preferably, the snow is fresh and clean, because we should darn well hope it is!
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You fill a pan with the snow, boil some maple syrup, and drizzle it over the snow. Once the syrup cools and hardens, it’s easy to eat. This option is often served alongside doughnuts, black coffee, and pickles, which is presumably so you can get the taste of syrup snow out of your mouth. If you have to serve doughnuts with something, we don’t know if it’s a great option.
The South’s Worst – Ambrosia Salad
How often can you point to something that is called both a salad and a dessert? Too many times, especially since one of the times is ambrosia salad. It’s practically a Christmas tradition in a number of Southern states to supply this...part of the meal. It uses mandarin oranges, pineapples, coconut, and mini marshmallows.
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But there are lots of recipes that throw in things like strawberries, bananas, cherries, pecans, whipped cream, yogurt, or cottage cheese. That is quite a lot of stuff, and it all kinda mashes into a big mess when you try to eat it. It came about thanks to the trade routes in the South making citrus fruits so much more readily available. Even better, you can serve it in any dish that will allow a spoon.
California’s Worst – Fortune Cookie
Opening up a fortune cookie after a meal of takeout Chinese is so ingrained in most of us that not having a fortune cookie seems like a crime. You get to crack them open and laugh at the “fortune” that is inside, and then maybe eat the cookie, too. They were invented in California, which just goes to show you most of the bad stuff comes from California.
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The cookies are dry, hard, and almost tasteless. While the fortunes might not be tasteless, they are best adjusted by adding something like “in the bathroom” or “in the bedroom” to the end of them, which will be far funnier than the confusing ice cream koans that they usually have. Have you ever seriously gotten a real fortune from one of these?
Iowa’s Worst – Snickers Salad
It says salad, but it’s more like a dessert if you can even call it that. It certainly isn’t a salad – any salad that has a literal candy bar in it doesn’t belong at the table. But what else is inside this dish? It has things like whipped cream, Granny Smith apples (specifically that kind, for some weird reason), and pudding.
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You’ll also find nuts of varying amounts or varieties, caramel, coconut, and more. How do you make it? It’s simple: chop all the stuff and put it in a bowl. That’s all it takes. It will probably take you longer to buy the stuff and get it home from the store. You’ll also have to chop up Snickers, even though it seems better just to serve those as the dessert.
Louisiana’s Worst – Bread Pudding
Bread is great. It’s for sandwiches, toast, and lots of other great stuff. Pudding is...it’s fine, we guess. A lot of people like it. Bread pudding, on the other hand, is something that we’re surprised people still eat. The first ingredient is stale bread, and it just barely gets better from there. You soak that bread in a bath of milk, sugar, eggs, nuts, and fruits.
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And then you take that whole mess and bake it until it seems good enough to eat. You can eat it either hot like a pudding or cold like a cake. Notice we said “eat” and not “enjoy,” because we’re fairly certain nobody has actually enjoyed bread pudding. It’s just a way to make stale bread something you can eat again.
Minnesota’s Worst – Strawberry Delight
Yes, delight, that’s definitely the word we’d use on something that uses cream cheese, graham crackers, milk, strawberries, strawberry gelatin, canned pineapple, walnuts, and marshmallows. The way to make this dessert, if you have a burning desire for such dark knowledge, is to pretty much just throw all of it into a pan and put it in the fridge to set.
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It’s a staple of potlucks both in the state where it originated, as well as in the South for some reason. Cooler treats probably do well there, even if they’re whatever this is pretending to be. On their own, all of those things are fine, but for some reason together they make a dish that simply shouldn’t be. It also looks like some people put chives on top, which is just plain weird.
North Dakota’s Worst – Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips
It just doesn’t make sense. Why would chocolate-covered potato chips not work out? Why would so many people find them distasteful? Chocolate is probably the king as far as sweet treats are concerned, and potato chips aren’t a slouch in the snack department either, but put them together and it just doesn’t work.
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Maybe it’s the fact that plain potato chips don’t really have much of their own flavor. Maybe the chocolate is too sweet, or not sweet enough. But you can change the kind of chocolate. Maybe it’s the ridges that the potato chips have – which allow them to hold on to more chocolate. But no, we can’t figure out why. Another name for this odd snack is “Chippers,” which isn’t too hard to figure out.
The Midwest’s Worst – Blue Moon
The Midwest loves ice cream, but one of the flavors that has come out of the area remains a mystery to almost everyone that tries it. It’s called Blue Moon, and the sensation is different to everybody who takes a bite. Some possible examples of flavors include vanilla, lemon, pistachio, marshmallow, bubblegum, blue curacao, licorice, coconut, or even the sugary cereal “Froot Loops.”
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There’s even more of a mystery here than you might think – more than one person has come forward to claim to be the inventor of the flavor. One of them is from Milwaukee, while the other is from Michigan, so what’s the deal? The deal is, maybe it’s time to pick a different flavor, preferably one that doesn’t look like it’s made out of Smurf.
Texas’s Worst – Fruitcake
We’re cheating a little bit. Fruitcake is all over the world, and it certainly didn’t come from Texas, but in the early nineteen hundreds a company called Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, which started the tradition of mail-order fruitcakes that were solid and strong enough to resist a nuclear winter.
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Even if you received one, how likely were you to eat it? Did you even enjoy it? Is it still there, waiting for you to plunge into the freezer and finish it off? It’s not like it’s going to get any staler. If you want, you can go to the Manitou Springs, Colorado Great Fruitcake Toss and try your hand at getting some fame trying to send a recycled fruitcake as far as possible.
Tennessee’s Worst – MoonPie
The big problem with the moon pie is that it’s just not as good as expected. With graham cracker edges, a marshmallow filling, and a full coating of milk chocolate, it seems like it should be a big hit. And yet it isn’t! Some people like it, of course, but how many out there find it to be their favorite? We always expect more when we bite into one of these.
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The Chattanooga Baking Company, in Tennessee, is the first one to come up with this idea all the way back in 1917. They became popular, and during World War II, the company sent out hundreds of thousands of the treats to soldiers abroad, probably so they would end the war sooner, which meant they didn’t have to eat any more MoonPies.
Kentucky’s Worst – Maple-Bacon Doughnut
Bacon makes everything better. Or does it? The consensus on these doughnuts is...sometimes. A maple-bacon doughnut sounds pretty good when your brain gets the idea. Doughnuts are good, and so is bacon, and maple isn’t too bad, but how will they taste when they’re all thrown together? Doughnuts are made with a lot of sugar, so they’re a sweet option, while maple and bacon are both savory.
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Do they simply overpower the sweet? There are plenty of savory doughnut options out there, but they aren’t for everybody. Plus, adding a crunchy piece of bacon to a soft doughnut can create a texture mishmash. If it were up to us, we’d just pick the bacon off of it and eat it separately, then go in on the doughnut. Call us Philistines if you want.
New York’s Worst – Golden Opulence Sundae
We’re sure this dessert tastes fine, but we aren’t ever going to find out. Want to know why? Because this cool treat costs a cool one thousand dollars (at least) to become part of your meal. You can only get it at the restaurant Serendipity 3 in New York City. It comes in a crystal glass and has Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate that is imported from Paris, and passion fruit caviar.
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There are twenty-four-karat gold flakes on the top, which are edible. It’s quite the fancy way to end a meal. And hey, you get to keep the glass, too, so you can prove to your friends that you ate a sundae that cost a thousand dollars. We hope it tastes good because if it doesn’t it’s gonna feel like a let-down.
North Carolina’s Worst – “The Doughnut”
There are doughnuts, and then there is “The Doughnut,” something that you can only pick up if you happen to be at Stoke in North Carolina. Just what is “The Doughnut,” that mythical dessert of legend? It’s a big, huge doughnut, as in it literally weighs an entire pound. A pound of something isn’t a whole lot, but have you ever eaten a doughnut that is an entire pound?
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We bet you haven’t. You’d remember the entire process from start to finish. Not only will you get a doughnut you could use for a workout, but it will come topped with thick pastry cream, bits of crumbled-up Heath bar, and plenty of powdered sugar. It’s basically a meal. We wonder why they picked Heath bar in particular.
Texas’s Worst – Three-Pound Cinnamon Roll
There’s nothing inherently wrong with a cinnamon roll that is this big, but you have to admit there are some logistical issues when it comes to this big dessert/breakfast food. A three-pound cinnamon roll Would not only take a certain amount of time to consume, but it would also mean that you’ll have to deal with a whole lot of icing.
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The reason this is in the bad category isn’t that we think it would taste bad – we think it would taste great. However, it would also probably give you nightmares. At the very least you would have to deal with something known in the biz as “cinnamon roll sweats.” If you want this massive treat, you’ll have to go to Lulu’s Bakery in San Antonio. It’s open all day in case you want one at three in the morning.
Alabama’s Worst – Cotton Candy Milkshake
If you take a look at this ridiculous creation, you might think you’ve died and gone to Heaven. Or Hell, if you’re the kind of person that can’t stomach too much sweet stuff. Pick up a cotton candy milkshake from K&J’s Elegant Pastries in Alabaster, Alabama, and you’re going to get a whole lot of sugar.
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Not only is it a milkshake, but you’ll get an entire cupcake, a fresh cloud of cotton candy, a generous amount of whipped cream, a dash of all kinds of sprinkles from every direction, and even a lollipop. You’re going to get a sugar rush that lasts for days or even weeks if you manage to consume this entire thing in one sitting. After just a few bites, we wonder if you’ll even be able to taste anything.
New Jersey Again – Dessert Pizza
A little bit of dessert pizza isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes people can go pretty crazy with them. Have you ever wanted to have pizza dough with Oreo crumbles, sprinkles, chunks of brownie, cookie dough, cannoli pieces, or other treats on top of it? Some people just might not be able to wrap their heads around the idea of having pizza for dessert – and why not?
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You get a section that is easy to hold, and a sweetness that might be a little unexpected – the best kind of sweetness. For some reason, the dough works just as well when you put sweet stuff on it as it does with savory stuff. Still, eating sweet pizza can be a bridge too far for some people.
Alaska – Baked Alaska
It might not have actually come from Alaska, but this incredibly fancy dessert was both an homage to the state, and something that the largest part of our union accepted as its own. A scientist named Sir Benjamin Thomas discovered a great treat while he was experimenting with meringue. The dish is a cake that is made out of, or filled with, delicious ice cream.
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It’s then covered with a meringue that is “baked,” though only for a small amount of time. The meringue gets crispy, crunchy, and has the burned bits on top, while the ice cream within is safe – insulated by the meringue. You get the wonderfully crunchy meringue on top, but then you get to the soft, flavorful ice cream underneath.
Iowa – Scotcheroos
You might be able to make this quintessentially American treat right now – the base is mostly Rice Krispies cereal, though there are several other options, such as Special K cereal. You also have to use a sugar-filled peanut butter mixture, which is melted, and then used to cover the cereal. It’s a no-bake option, too, since you just spread the Rice Krispie treat base in a pan and then pour the rest of the dessert on top.
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After it cools you cut it into bars and serve. They taste great, but don’t let anyone tell you they’re healthy – especially since you’re going to end up eating quite a couple of these before you’re done. They’re a mainstay of potlucks and picnics all over the Midwest, and there’s a big debate about the name.
Minnesota – Seven Layer Bars
How many ways do I love thee? Seven, just like your seven delicious layers. This classic Minnesota dessert is a regular sight at potlucks and parties in the north. Let’s dive into those layers, shall we? Traditionally, the layers are a graham cracker base, chocolate chips, pecans, butterscotch pieces, coconut, and condensed milk. Wait a minute! That’s only six things! What is this?
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We guess that the butter used to solidify the cracker base counts as one of the layers, but you’re on thin ice, Minnesota. We’re already upset about that whole blueberry muffin business, so you’d better be on your best behavior. These bars are easy to make, have an intricate, chewy texture, and taste great. We’ll let that whole weak seventh layer thing pass for now, as long as you pass a few more over.
Wisconsin – Kringle
Originating in Denmark, this unique dessert came to the States thanks to immigrants, who ended up congregating in Racine, Wisconsin, during the nineteenth century. The Danish shared the recipe with the locals, and everybody decided it was the best. This one is a bit more complicated than some other options on this list, as it’s a pastry that is shaped into a ring.
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Inside there is a filling – with options like fruits, cream cheese, or nuts – and then there is an icing placed on top. Every once in a while you’ll see a version that has a layer of caramel glaze added to the top, along with some nuts for extra texture. You can find these treats at plenty of stores in the Midwest, but nothing beats a homemade kringle.
California – Chiffon Cake
This fancy cake was once called the “toast of Hollywood,” and not just because you’d make it late at night and cover it in peanut butter and chocolate chips. It continues to be a favorite of the west coast, and it’s versatile enough for a lot of different events, from fancy parties to a simple dessert at home.
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There are some fiddly steps – such as separating the yolks and whites of a ridiculous seven eggs, and washing the pan as carefully as you can in hot, soapy water to make sure there isn’t any grease on it. Still, a little bit of practice and you can make this delicious treat perfectly. If you want to take it up a notch, add fruit and whipped cream on top.
Hawaii – Haupia
One of my friends described this Hawaiian treat as a non-newtonian sugar cookie, and nobody could really argue that much. Often found at luaus, this treat is not only a new kind of experience for the uninitiated, but it’s incredibly easy to make. A simple recipe is cornstarch, sugar, salt, and coconut milk.
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But there are also some options that include rice flour as an option instead. You just toss all of it together into a bowl, heat it until it comes to a simmer, and then pour it into a pan to refrigerate. You can also make little haupia muffins by pouring the mixture in tins and then baking in the oven. This might not sound like much, but don’t sleep on these simple treats. They’re a surprisingly interesting dessert.
Idaho – Mashed Potato Doughnuts
We aren’t sure what to think of this one, honestly. While the rich soil of Idaho makes it a great place for growing crops like potatoes, should those same crops be used in doughnuts? There are plenty of people who say yes, but we’ve never tried them. These doughnuts are apparently light and flavorful.
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And while you can eat them plain, most recipes recommend covering them with powdered sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon, or add a glaze. They’re also best served warm with a cup of coffee...just like every other doughnut, we guess. You don’t even need fresh potatoes for this – you can just use your favorite instant mashed potatoes in a bag. Be sure to get the right kind of mash, though, or it might not work out right.
Illinois – Pumpkin Pie
Just like sweet potato pie in the South, there are plenty of places around the United States that love turning pumpkins into a paste and then using it to fill a pie. It’s a classic item from Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations around the world, and Illinois has one of the largest pumpkin industries in the country.
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So large, in fact, that the state named the pumpkin pie its official dessert in 2015. That doesn’t mean that you can’t get this savory dessert anywhere else – it just means that the best ones are probably going to come from Illinois. It’s not just pumpkin, of course. The recipe also includes sweetened and condensed milk, cinnamon, eggs, ginger, nutmeg, and more. You’d be remiss not to top it with some whipped cream, too.
Montana – S’mores
If you want to have fun in Montana, then you’re almost certainly going to have to step into the great outdoors. There are mountains, streams, and lakes a plenty, as well as quiet, peaceful forests to explore. At night, after you’ve made a campfire, why not enjoy the treat that has kept campers happy for decades? A s’more is simple.
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You toast a marshmallow over a flame, stick it between a pair of Graham crackers, and then introduce a piece of chocolate at the place where you think it fits best. You can also do something like a Reese’s cup for an extra-sweet treat. There are all kinds of changes you can make to create a treat that is uniquely you, or you can stick with the original for something simple and fun.
Nevada – Basque Cheesecake
The Basque community has resided in Nevada for a long time, and they’ve found some fun ways to adjust common foods in new and exciting ways. For instance, the basque cheesecake is mostly a normal cheesecake, but it’s placed in a really, really hot oven in order to create a “burnt” exterior – it’s not really burnt.
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It’s just the wonderful way that cheese caramelizes when it’s subject to high temperatures for long enough. You have to line the pan with parchment paper, or the entire thing will get stuck to the pan while it’s in the oven, but if you do it right, you’ll have a crunchy, flaky exterior with a traditional creamy, cheesy interior. Your guests might be surprised at just how good it is, even if it looks like you left it in the oven too long.