18 Nostalgic Holiday Desserts You’ll Want to Make Again and Again

I have a soft spot for community cookbooks as well as old-school Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Gardens recipe collections. My collection includes dozens of these. Just for kicks, I’ll grab one off the shelf and flip through it to find either a long-lost treasure or a bizarre dish—ones so intriguing I have to try making them myself.

These recipes can whisk some of us back to the days of our youth, before the era of fax machines and remote controls. Perhaps they’re recipes that your mom, grandma, or a special relative used to make. While some of these old recipes have stood the test of time, others have nearly been forgotten.

Below, you’ll find a selection of recipes that the team at Simply Recipes holds dear and is excited to share with you. We hope they evoke fond memories or surprise you with their quirky charm.

1. Lazy Daisy Cake

This quick and simple snack cake is delightful on its own, but the real star is the broiled coconut topping. It’s a one-bowl recipe for both the hot milk sponge cake and its topping, making preparation a breeze.

2. Million Dollar Pie

This refreshing Southern icebox pie combines condensed milk, coconut, pecans, and pineapple, all lightened with whipped cream. It’s dubbed the million dollar pie because its rich taste is pretty much priceless!

3. Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Long a staple, mayonnaise cakes replace butter or oil with mayo to create a moist, tender crumb. This chocolate version is topped with a rich frosting that truly makes it a decadent treat.

4. Date-Nut Chews

Previously known as Chinese chews, despite their lacking any actual Chinese ingredients, these date and walnut bar cookies are irresistibly sweet and chewy.

5. Pudding Mix Cookies

With a base of Bisquick, an egg, a splash of milk, and your chosen pudding mix, these drop cookies are incredibly easy to make. Toss in some chips, and in just 35 minutes, you can enjoy possibly the best cookies you’ve tried.

6. Grasshopper Pie

Inspired by the 1970s cocktail, this pie’s filling of crème de menthe and cream is thickened with melted marshmallows. For a non-alcoholic version, just use mint extract. It all goes into a chocolate crumb crust topped with whipped cream.

7. Sad Cake

Despite its name, there’s nothing sad about this cake, which resembles super-chewy blondies with added coconut. It starts with a mix of Bisquick and brown sugar, rises as it bakes, and then collapses to form a delightfully crumpled appearance.

8. Hummingbird Cake

This Southern classic was first introduced by the Jamaican tourism board. It’s sweet as nectar, featuring bananas and pineapple between layers of moist cake and cream cheese frosting.

9. Lime Cracker Pie

This no-bake icebox cake uses a tangy lime and condensed milk filling layered between salty Ritz crackers, mirroring the flavors of key lime pie. The hardest part is waiting for it to set in the fridge!

10. Bisquick Apple Coffee Cake

A family favorite, this recipe was a staple of Sunday mornings, according to Simply Recipes founder Elise Bauer. It’s a simple treat that her father would make, often doubling the recipe to satisfy his six eager children.

11. Seven-Layer Magic Bars

Also known as Hello Dolly bars, these feature layers of graham crackers, coconut, chocolate and butterscotch chips, chopped pecans, and condensed milk, making them a staple in many cookie collections, especially during the holidays.

12. Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Originating from Ohio, these chocolate-coated peanut butter treats were created by a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. They have since become beloved far beyond football tailgates.

13. Candy Cane Cookies

If you were captivated by the 1963 edition of Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book, you might recall the vivid red-and-white candy cane cookies. Our version adds peppermint extract to achieve that authentic candy cane flavor.

14. Texas Sheet Cake

A staple at church functions and community gatherings, this rich, slightly spiced chocolate cake is known for its thin, glaze-like frosting. Whether to include nuts is still up for debate.

15. Ritz Torte

An Eastern Appalachian specialty, this dessert combines toasted crushed Ritz crackers and nuts folded into meringue, baked and topped with whipped cream. It’s a buttery yet surprisingly light treat.

16. Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

For a lighter take on traditional pumpkin pie, try this chiffon version. It’s made airy with whipped egg whites and sits in a spicy gingersnap crust.

17. Gooey Butter Cake

A St. Louis classic, this cake features a yeasted bottom layer topped with a rich, buttery topping. Our recipe follows the traditional method, ensuring a deliciously memorable dessert.

18. Grandma’s Zucchini Cake

This recipe comes from the grandmother of Elise Bauer, founder of Simply Recipes, who taught her to bake. It’s a richer, more delicious take on traditional zucchini bread.