The Most Iconic Dessert In Every State

Every U.S. state has its own flag, motto, and bird, but what about food? There might not be an official food adopted by each state, but if there's one thing Americans hold near and dear to our hearts, it's dessert. The after-dinner sweet treat gives us something to look forward to even on the toughest of days, and if there's any cultural or family recipe you hold near and dear to your heart, chances are it's likely a dessert recipe.

To that end, it only makes sense that each state would be known for an iconic dessert, even unofficially. Who could keep from associating Kentucky with its iconic Derby-Pie, or not be reminded of the cannoli when thinking of New Jersey? Some desserts are central to the state's heritage, while others are more recent inventions that immediately spread across the state. Regardless, each of the 50 U.S. states does indeed have an iconic dessert, and we've rounded them up in a list based on public opinion (largely gathered from forums and blogs). Of course, if a state happened to have an official dessert, we took that into account as well. 

It's okay if you've never heard of Alabama Lane Cake — that's why we're here. The state's most notable dessert was named after its inventor, Emma Rylander Lane, whose cake took first prize at a Georgia county fair. Traditionally, it's a four-layer sponge cake with layers of filling made from egg yolks, butter, sugar, raisins, and whiskey. The cake gained notoriety with several mentions in the 1960 publication of "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. Today, variations on the dessert (which incorporate coconut, nuts, and dried fruit, to name a few) are abundant. 

You may have thought baked Alaska was a surefire pick for Alaska's iconic dessert, and we understand why. However, though that dessert was created to commemorate the purchase of Alaska, it really isn't closely associated with the state. That's why our choice for Alaska's most iconic dessert is going to fireweed donuts. This treat is mostly just a typical donut — except it's coated with a glaze made from fireweed, a wildflower typical for the state. The result? A hot pink donut whose sweetness is cut by a delectable tang.

If you've never heard of sopapillas before, it's a downright shame. This fry bread/puff pastry combo offers everything you could want in a sweet treat — it has a crisp outer shell, soft interior, and the versatility to be complemented by any number of flavor pairings. But how did this popular dessert become an Arizona favorite? The state's cultural history is to blame — namely, the occupation by Spanish immigrants, who brought a whole slew of foodie traditions along with them. If you don't live near Arizona, you can whip up the easy sopapilla recipe to try it at home.

Never heard of possum pie? Don't worry — it doesn't actually contain rodents. On the contrary, the most iconic dessert in Arkansas will give the word possum a whole new meaning. This layered dessert is complex without being difficult with various recipes being in circulation since 1983. It typically includes layers of cream cheese, chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding, and whipped cream or cool whip, all nestled in a nutty crumb crust. Some variations swap chocolate pudding for coconut, and sometimes you'll even see fruit used instead of pudding.

Chiffon cake won the battle for California's most iconic dessert, partially because it was invented in the state by local insurance salesman Harry Baker. The inclusion of vegetable oil made it an instant hit, as consumers enjoyed the rich flavor of the hybrid angel food/butter cake typically flavored with lemon. Actually, given that chiffon cake looks so similar to angel food cake, you may be wondering how they're different. The main difference between chiffon and angel food cake is in the yolks. While angel food cake only uses egg whites, chiffon cake also uses egg yolks. 

The first of several peach-based state desserts is Colorado's Palisade peach pie. If you're wondering whether this isn't just a standard peach pie, the answer is yes...and no. Palisade peaches are typical for Colorado's Western Slope, making this treat a natural contender for the role of Colorado's most iconic dessert. What's so special about the Palisade peach? Colorado's unique climate (with long, warm days and cool nights in the summer) promotes the natural development of sugar in the fruit. The results is an incredibly sweet, perfectly juicy peach — ideal for pie baking.

Connecticut is the only state on this list that will get two dessert shout-outs, and that's purely because the state has both an official dessert and an official cookie, and opinions on which should reign supreme yielded no clear winner. Plus, given that ice cream and warm snickerdoodles would be a delightful pairing, why not list them together? The cinnamon-sugar-coated cookie is given a slight twist from other cookies with the addition of cream of tartar, which gives the cookies is signature subtle tang.

Peach pie was named Delaware's official state dessert in 2009, and we certainly won't interrupt the long-standing tradition. The peach has been an integral part of the state as a mainstay of its agricultural economy for centuries, so it's only fitting the fruit would also be central to the state's iconic dessert. In fact, Delaware was home to the country's first commercial peach orchard. Next time you bake a peach pie, take the opportunity to dive into the richly intertwined history of Delaware and peaches. 

Choosing Florida's most iconic dessert was a bit of a headache. In fact, Floridians themselves seem pretty divided in terms of deciding what the state's official dessert should be — and the debate has been heated. There are two contenders: Key lime as Florida's official pie and strawberry shortcake, which was named the states's official dessert in 2022. However, we're siding with the Key lime pie team on this one. Strawberry shortcake simply has very little state history attached to it, whereas Key lime pie is an integral part of the history of the Florida Keys. 

You guessed it — more peaches! Peach cobbler is the expected choice for Georgia's most iconic dessert; after all, they don't call it the Peach State for nothing. The state is incredibly fond of its peaches and the peach cobbler. In fact, the yearly Fort Valley Peach Festival sees Georgia residents baking what's considered the world's biggest peach cobbler, which is made from 75 pounds of peaches — resulting in thousands of servings. Fortunately, it's easy to indulge in this sweet Georgian tradition; you can just make your own peach cobbler at home. 

It's totally fine if you have no frame of reference for Haupia, Hawaii's most iconic dessert. However, if you've ever been to the tropical paradise, chances are you've run into it at least once. The cubed coconut custard is just as decadent as it is gorgeous, and unless you want to be hungering for it constantly, we don't recommend making this one at home. If you want to, though, it's remarkably simple and only calls for coconut milk, water, cornstarch, and sugar. This traditional dessert is commonly served during special occasions like luaus, making it a can't-miss Hawaiian delicacy.

Yep, you read that right — Idaho's can't-miss dessert is none other than its absolutely iconic, out-of-this-world ice cream potato. The dessert is made with a scoop of ice cream that is formed into a potato shape, dusted with cocoa powder, sliced in half, and given substituted baked potato fixings — namely, whipped cream, nuts, and chocolate sauce. Honestly, if it weren't for the chocolate sauce and nut toppings, we'd be hard-pressed to believe that wasn't just your average, everyday baked potato. The clever dessert is a mainstay at many state fairs.

The most iconic dessert in Illinois is a classic pumpkin pie. This dessert is familiar to anyone who's ever attended Thanksgiving dinner, and it might be one of the most famous American sweets. Pumpkin pie goes all the way back to colonial times, when Native Americans introduced the gourd to settlers, while the recipes date as far back as the 1670s. This iconic dessert happens to be the official pie in Illinois, but you don't have to go to there for a slice; just remember the state the next time you indulge.

It makes sense that Indiana's most iconic dessert would have Hoosier in its name, which brings us to the state's acclaimed Hoosier sugar cream pie. There's a good reason this pie is a staple in the state. First, its long historical record (dating back to the 1800s) has ensured it's safely embedded in the state's culture. Secondly, the pie is deceptively easy to make. The filling is quickly assembled with butter, sugar, cream, cornstarch, salt, and vanilla. Just cook the ingredients together, pour into a par-baked pie crust, bake, and enjoy.

Sugar cream raisin pie is far from being one of the most familiar American recipes. In fact, Iowa's most iconic dessert is not known to many outside Iowa. Nevertheless, it holds a special place in the heart of Iowans, where you'll commonly find it at the State Fair. Though traditionally a funeral pie, it can be enjoyed at any time of year, and will have Midwesterners feeling instantly nostalgic. The pie consists of a layer of raisin-filled sour cream custard topped with a lofty meringue and is worth recreating at home.

Though we have to call peppernuts the most iconic dessert in Kansas, the state wasn't the birthplace of its highly acclaimed treat. Rather, peppernuts were brought into the state by Mennonites who immigrated to Kansas from Russia in the mid-1800s. This bite-sized delicacy is too cute to resist, but beware — they pack a lot of flavor. The star ingredient of peppernuts is anise, which is complemented by a slew of other warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and sometimes white pepper. Peppernuts keep for quite a while, so don't be afraid to bake a huge batch at once. 

Trying Kentucky's most iconic dessert for yourself may prove difficult if you don't live close to the state. Derby-Pie, invented by the Kern family at Kern's Kitchen in the 1950s, is a trademarked term that can only be used by Kern's Kitchen (and yes, the family has filed lawsuits over it). In terms of what the pie contains, it's a chocolate and walnut pie in a delightfully flaky crust. Can't make it to Kern's Kitchen to try some? Find a recipe for Kentucky Bourbon Pie, which is similar to Derby-Pie except that it includes bourbon. 

It was somewhat difficult to choose Louisiana's state dessert. Though bananas Foster is undoubtedly iconic in the state (which happens to be its birthplace), in the end, we settled on beignets as the best representative. Despite being borrowed from French tradition, beignets have been a mainstay in the legendary French Quarter for a while now — in fact, it's probably impossible to visit the state without trying at least one version. The fried dough and powdered sugar combo was even declared the official state donut back in 1986, forever cementing it into Louisiana's history. 

To be honest, many New England states shared the same contenders for their most iconic dessert, and sorting our options was a bit of a hassle. Though blueberry pie is designated as Maine's official dessert, we ended up deciding on whoopie pies. Though their official origin is somewhat unknown, these sandwiched cookies have long been popular in the New England region, and many consider Maine to be the unofficial capital of the whoopie pie. All this is supported by legislation that declared it as the official state treat. 

The most impressive thing about Maryland's most iconic dessert has to be the number of layers. Smith Island cake is Maryland's official state dessert, and we don't blame them — how could you not stake a claim to such a gorgeous creation? Despite being visually attractive, the basic version of the dessert is relatively simple and consists of at least eight layers of vanilla cake, each coated with a thin layer of chocolate. The simplicity has caused bakers to make countless variations, and nowadays, it's not uncommon to find versions that include candy, cream, or fudge. 

Can you guess what our Massachusetts dessert pick is? Despite not actually being a pie, we had to go with the state's iconic Boston cream pie — a delicious confectionary marvel. This dessert was indeed invented in the state at Omni Parker House all the way back in 1856, and has been named Massachusetts official state dessert. It's become a widely popular dessert outside the state as well. Though it's not the easiest to make and will require you to become proficient with pastry cream, the flavor will make up for the effort.

Did you know that the state of Michigan is somewhat famous for its fudge-making? Admittedly, fudge is not ancient — the first written record dates back to the 1880s – but Michigan has been seriously intertwined with the dessert ever since it was invented. It all started in 1887 when the Murdick family moved to Michigan's Mackinac Island and started operating a fudge business. By the mid-20th century, fudge making was closely associated with the island, and tourists still flock to visit the stores to get a bite of this signature treat.

Minnesota is one of the few states that has its official muffin. The blueberry muffin became a state icon due to schoolchildren's lobbying campaign in 1988. The state even has its own blueberry muffin recipe. Minnesota plays host to plentiful native blueberries, which is no doubt part of the reason for the choice. Unlike many other state desserts, blueberry muffins don't seem to be heavily rooted in Minnesotan history. However, the sweet story of how it became an official muffin, combined with Minnesota's abundant blueberry economy, easily earned it a spot on our list.

The most iconic dessert for Mississippi has to be the Mississippi mud pie. Luckily, for the home baker who wants to try their hand at it, this pie doesn't have a hard-and-fast recipe you have to adhere to. It's also delightfully easy to whip up should you need a last-minute dessert as long as you have a chocolate pudding mix, cream cheese, whipped topping, and chopped pecans on hand. Though nobody knows the exact origins of the dessert, a reasonable guess suggests it dates back to the 1970s, but it's possible that it appeared before the first written recipes.

Missouri's most iconic dessert is perhaps one of the most widely consumed on this list, and we bet you didn't even know that it has a Midwest origin story. The ice cream cone, though now a ubiquitous summer treat, is said to have been invented in 1904 at a World's Fair, where waffles were shaped into cones before being filled with ice cream. The rest, as they say, is history. Obviously, Missouri isn't the only place you can get this treat; however, the next time you take yourself out for ice cream, it's worth thanking the state for the contribution.

It comes as no surprise that one of the coldest U.S. states would stake an unofficial claim to s'mores as one of the coziest American treats. Though it's not named as the official dessert, the land that's ideal for outdoor activities certainly deserves a close association with the famed campfire snack. We have the Girl Scouts to thank for the invention of s'mores, and we certainly have terrain like Montana to thank for keeping the camping tradition alive. If you can't visit Montana to taste local gourmet versions, you can easily upgrade classic s'mores at home.

Ask any Nebraska native to name a dessert that's commonly identified with their state, and you'll almost certainly get the tin roof sundae as an answer. This ice cream dessert was invented in the state's panhandle back in the early 1900s. In fact, you can still visit the iconic location that's credited with its invention. None of the sundae's ingredients are mind-blowing. It just consists of vanilla, marshmallow creme, chocolate, and peanuts. Nevertheless, it's an astoundingly delightful combination that made the treat an instant hit among locals.

Gateau Basque — our dessert pick for Nevada — may have you wondering how an obviously French dessert gained such a foothold in the Southwest. The history of the sweet treat in the state goes all the way back to gold rush times, when immigrants from the Basque region moved to the state in hopes of making a fortune. Of course, they also brought many culinary traditions, including gateau Basque. The dessert is more pie than cake, and consists of cherry jam and/or pastry cream inside a pie dough.

Though apple cider donuts weren't invented in New Hampshire, they've become a local mainstay, which easily justifies their position as the state's most iconic dessert. Plus, they're an easy choice considering the state's official beverage is apple cider. A visit to New Hampshire will give you multiple opportunities to taste different versions of this classic donut. Best of all, you can often find it year-round, so you don't have to wait for your local fall festival to feast on this comforting treat. 

Of course traditional Italian treat would be the most popular dessert in New Jersey, so it wasn't surprising that the eye-catching cannoli are the state's most iconic dessert. This ultimate classic consists of a fried shell (traditionally made with wine to attain a crispy texture) filled with a mixture of ricotta, sugar, flavorings (like vanilla, citrus zest, or even cinnamon), and, on occasion, mascarpone. Given that New Jersey's immigrant history mostly relates to Italian heritage, it would be wrong not to have this local favorite the next time you visit New Jersey. 

Since biscochitos are New Mexico's official state cookie, we're automatically declaring them as the state's most iconic dessert. This is another holiday treat that capitalizes on anise and cinnamon as the star ingredients. Spanish culinary tradition introduced the recipe to New Mexico, where the cookies can be found during holidays, various important events, celebrations, and funerals. Traditionally, the cookie is cut into shapes — you may see it presented as a flower, star, or as the traditional fleur-de-lis sign that's typically associated with France, allegedly representing a stylized flower.

This one probably comes as no surprise — given that New York and cheesecake are almost synonymous with one another, this popular dessert was a shoo-in for New York's most iconic dessert. The version of cheesecake we know today came into being via Arnold Reuben, an NYC restauranteur, in the 1920s. Though cheesecake is possibly another dessert brought into the country by European immigrants, Arnold Reuben gave it a twist by incorporating cream cheese to the recipe. This became the ultimate standard, and the New York cheesecake was born.

If we asked you to guess which state produces the most sweet potatoes, which would you guess? If your answer is North Carolina, you'd be right, which is why the state's most iconic dessert is obviously sweet potato pie. While the state didn't invent the pie — that honor belongs to Europeans — it quickly adopted it upon the dessert's introduction to the South, partially because residents found it way easier to grow sweet potatoes than pumpkins. If you've never had sweet potato pie, try making it instead of pumpkin pie for your next Thanksgiving feast. 

If you ever find yourself desiring some North Dakotan hospitality around the Christmas season, don't be surprised if you come across these intricate cookie-like treats. The reason why krumkake became central to North Dakota and its culinary tradition can be found in history. As North Dakota's been largely populated by Scandinavian immigrants, it only makes sense that this Scandinavian treat would become a local staple. If you're thinking that krumkake looks remarkably similar to pizzelles, you're right; the main difference is that krumkake is rolled into a cone shape.

It goes without saying that the most iconic dessert in the Buckeye State is, well, the buckeye. Though you may not have had the opportunity to try it if you don't live in the Midwest, we urge you to consider the buckeye candy trail with 37 different stops next time you're passing through. This iconic treat capitalizes on one of the most popular sweet treat combinations — peanut butter and chocolate. A ball of peanut butter fudge is dipped almost completely in chocolate, with enough peanut butter showing at the top to give the candy its signature buckeye appearance. 

Pecan pie is going to two different states on the list, the first being Oklahoma. Pecan pie is listed as the dessert component of the state's official meal (which is long enough to be more of a menu than a meal) along with fresh strawberries. Given that the state is one of the largest producers of pecans, it's easy to understand why they hold the dessert in such high regard. Moreover, Oklahoma holds the record for the largest pecan pie ever made. 

If you didn't already know that berries are prolific in the Northwest, now you do. In fact, the Northwest (and Oregon in particular) is home to many varieties of berries you may not have heard of before; among them are marionberries. The marionberry was bred in 1948 as a dark, rich, sweet, and tart berry — perfect for pie making. The dessert isn't well-known across the country because the central ingredient doesn't often make it far from the state. Marionberry season is incredibly short, and Oregonians are so fond of the berry that they run through the supply rather quickly. 

Though the exact origins of shoofly pie are unknown, it's believed to have been invented sometime in the 1870s. Since then, the pie has been such a central part of Pennsylvania Dutch food history that it was easy to name it as the most iconic dessert in Pennsylvania. Part of the reason for the popularity of this molasses-laden dessert comes from the traditionally short ingredient list and a long shelf life. The most popular theory about its name says that bakers would have to shoo the flies away as the pie was cooling.

If a visit to Rhode Island doesn't have you hunting down the best doughboys in the state, you're doing it wrong. At first glance, you might be thinking that the state's most iconic dessert looks similar to beignets. Sure, both are fried treats dusted with powdered sugar, but the version from Rhode Island uses a slightly different, pizza-like dough. It's known to be an irresistible treat, so be prepared to want more than one once you've tried it. There are several shops that claim to have the best version, so it's worth trying if you're nearby. 

Our South Carolina dessert pick, the Huguenot torte, is neither made by Huguenots nor is it a torte. In fact, it was originally created in 1950 as a twist on the then-popular Ozark pudding. The dessert typically contains apples and nuts (either pecans or walnuts) and is of a thick, moist, pudding-like consistency. Its creator, the South Carolina resident Evelyn Anderson Florance, said she named it after her former workplace, Huguenot Tavern. It's not difficult to make and is the ideal choice the next time you whip up a sweet autumnal treat. 

South Dakota's most iconic dessert is closely connected to German immigrants who most likely brought kuchen sometime in the 1880s. Despite not being super well-known across the country, it's not hard to find this dessert in local bakeries, and the state even has an annual festival devoted to this treat. Though simple in appearance, it's bursting with flavor — the thin tart is typically filled with either a custard or fruit filling, and it's not uncommon to find numerous creative variations of this classic dessert.

Though not exclusive to Tennessee, the state can claim the honorable title as the birthplace of the popular MoonPie. The dessert was born in 1917 when, allegedly, a salesman was asked to create a snack whose size would compare to the size of the moon. Chattanooga Bakery soon delivered, and the treats were an instant hit among coal miners, veterans, and, eventually, mothers who needed a filling snack for their children. Unlike most other desserts on this list, the MoonPie is now a packaged treat, though you could absolutely try your hand at making them at home if you wanted to.

Our second (and final) pecan pie state shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Pecan pie is about as synonymous with Texas as cheesecake is with New York. In fact, pecan pie has been the official Texas pie since 2013, and the humble pecan is the state's official health nut. Texas is one of the top producers of pecans, and the nut is deeply intertwined with the state's history. Besides providing nuts, the tree was also valuable as it ensured much-needed lumber and firewood.

If you've ever wondered why Jell-O is so popular in Utah, the answer likely lies in the religious roots of much of the state's population. Many Mormons, Lutherans, and Methodists have found cultural meaning in this family-friendly snack and have adopted it partially as a symbol of their own identities. Besides being labeled as the official state snack in 2002, the locals showed how much they love this treat by making sure that Salt Lake City is the place that sells the most Jell-O per capita.

In our opinion, Vermont has absolutely earned the right to stake a claim to the legendary apple pie as its most iconic dessert. In addition to declaring apple pie as its official state pie, Vermont has also named apples as its official fruit, and it takes consumption of the dessert pretty seriously. Enough so to legislate how one can eat it. That's right; it's written into Vermont law that when enjoying apple pie, a person should try to pair it with at least one of the following: a glass of milk, a slice of cheddar, or vanilla ice cream.

There are several theories debating how chess pie got its name. Some believe it was a misinterpretation of the word "just", while others claim the name appeared because the pie was stored in a chest. Regardless of its name, the recipe for this pie appears in "The Virginia Housewife" which was published in 1824 by Mary Randolph (though here it had been given the name transparent pudding). The pie is made from simple household ingredients (with a base similar to pecan pie) and has inspired a wealth of flavor variations, including the chocolate-based chess pie.

It's okay if you don't know what Nanaimo bars are — after all, the dessert has a distinctly northern origin. The bars hail from Nanaimo, Canada, and though they are enjoyed in the States, they are not well-known. Washington gets the honor of calling these bars its most iconic dessert, mainly due to Starbucks. The Washington-founded brand was quick to adopt Canada's Nanaimo bars and distribute them across the country. You don't need to visit Starbucks to try one as making your own would be easy enough. 

West Virginians are bound to be familiar with what's likely the state's most iconic fruit — the pawpaw. Being custardy and sweet, the so-called West Virginia banana is a natural contender for a yummy pie filling, which is exactly how many locals choose to consume it. In terms of flavor profile, pawpaw is often compared to bananas and mangoes, so if you're a fan, this pie is the ideal choice. If you're ever in the state during pawpaw seasons, it's worth picking up a few of the fruit and making a pie of your own.

Kringle has long been a staple treat in Wisconsin, even before it was named the state's official pastry in 2013. Wisconsin has deep Danish roots — in fact, it was home to one of the oldest Danish settlements established in 1846 – and, as with many other iconic desserts, the Danes brought along their delightful pastry tradition. Kringle is made with butter-laden layers of dough and various sweet fillings, like nuts or fruit. It is usually made into a ring shape.

Last but not least, we're naming cowboy cookies as the most iconic dessert of the Cowboy State. This loaded cookie was a filling snack for trail-riding cowboys and was even known as the first power bar. The cookie was popularized by Laura Bush in 2000 when her cowboy cookie recipe won a contest in which the wives of each presidential candidate submitted a cookie recipe, and home bakers voted on the best one. In addition to your typical cookie ingredients, the former First Lady adds cinnamon, oats, pecans, chocolate chips, and coconut flakes.

Most of these desserts were pretty easy finds. For a fair number of states, the iconic dessert was somewhat of a no-brainer, such as Kentucky Derby-Pie, Ohio buckeyes, or Indiana Hoosier pie. However, some were difficult to determine; for example, strawberry shortcake came very close to the Key lime pie when considering Florida's iconic dessert, and bananas Foster almost beat out beignets in Louisiana. To determine the best representative, we considered several things. First, we investigated which dessert had more historical ties to the state, and if a dessert had a longer history in the location, we went with that one. We also looked at how unique is the dessert. If the same dessert was considered iconic in multiple states, we were more likely to go with something different and unique to the location (except in the case of pecan pie). Each peach dessert on the list was different enough to justify being mentioned in its own right.