20 Grandma-Approved Dessert Recipes That Taste Like Pure Nostalgia

From the frugal ingredient list to the quick, easy assembly, there’s just something unquestionably “grandma-core” about icebox cakes. This one combines convenience foods like instant pudding with freshly whipped cream for a low-lift, no-bake dessert that both you and your grandmother can be proud of.

Get the Cinnamon-Scented Icebox Cake recipe.

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Nothing quite says Southern hospitality like a slice of pecan pie — especially when it's made from scratch by a Southern grandma. A combo of bourbon, maple syrup and brown sugar make for an ultra rich, toasty filling.

Get the Brown Sugar Pecan Pie recipe.

If you’ve never eaten ambrosia salad — a slightly confounding, scandalously retro concoction made from canned fruit, marshmallows and occasionally even mayonnaise — this is probably the least offensive version to start with. With pineapple, maraschino cherries and fresh whipped cream, it might even become your new potluck staple!

Get the Ambrosia Salad recipe.

What's a Southern dessert spread without a towering coconut cake? This three-layer stunner features generous swirls of homemade cream cheese frosting and a flurry of coconut flakes.

Get the Coconut Layer Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.

These tender, shortbread-like cookies taste like pure nostalgia, whether you serve them on their own or as part of a larger cookie assortment. All that’s missing is nana's iconic blue tin.

Get the Danish Butter Cookies recipe.

Simple enough to whip up on the fly, yet elegant enough to serve guests, this citrus-scented Bundt cake recipe feels exactly like something our grandmothers would have in their repertoires.

Get the Lemon Pound Cake recipe.

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You don’t need to have grown up with a bubbe to appreciate the sweet, flaky, jam-filled wonder that is rugelach — and with this recipe, you can throw together a batch any time you like.

Get the Jammy Walnut Rugelach recipe.

We can’t say for sure whether your grandmother would have used a stencil for her pie crust, but we're pretty sure she'd approve of this buttery double-crust apple pie.

Get the Apple Pie With Stenciled Crust recipe.

RELATED: Easy Pie Recipes Perfect for Every Celebration

This icebox cake relies on store-bought cookies, which soften to cake-like perfection in the fridge overnight. Finish with a layer of fresh whipped cream for an outrageously rich — but shockingly easy — no-bake treat.

Get the Banana Pudding recipe.

Dust these rustic, golden-brown apple fritters in granulated sugar for a touch of extra sweetness and crunch.

Get the Apple Fritters recipe.

This perfectly crisp, biscuit-topped cobbler is a fantastic way to use up juicy summer berries. That said, frozen fruit will also work during the off season.

Get the Mixed Berry Cobbler recipe.

These cake-like sandwich cookies are rich, fluffy and just as nostalgic as they are delicious. But, we've given them a grown-up twist by adding a splash of Guinness to the batter.

Get the Chocolate Whoopie Pies recipe.

Chewy coconut macaroons are a Passover staple (and even better when dipped in chocolate), but there’s no reason not to make them year-round.

Get the Coconut Macaroons recipe.

Your grandma may not have sandwiched her peanut butter cookies with coffee-infused dark chocolate buttercream, but we're betting she'd be impressed if you did.

Get the Old-School Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches recipe.

Melted white chocolate chips stand in for butter (gasp) in this slightly tweaked version of the classic lemon bar recipe, giving it an extra-silky texture perfect for tea time.

Get the Lemon Curd Bars recipe.

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If a box of Entenmann's coffee cake was a staple in your family's kitchen, you'll want to try this homemade version that's studded with walnuts and topped with cinnamon streusel. Paired with a cup of coffee, it's the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

Get the Raisin-Walnut Coffee Cake recipe.

Fragrant, buttery and totally grandma-chic, these shortbread wedges are infused with lavender for a floral, elegant touch.

Get the Lavender Shortbread Wedges recipe.

While oatmeal cookies are perfect as-is, we experimented with introducing freeze-dried strawberries to the mix, which stand in for raisins, adding a pop of color and fruity flavor.

Get the Strawberry-Oatmeal Cookies recipe from Woman’s Day.

This creamy rice pudding gets an upgrade with a crunchy brûléed sugar topping and slices of honeyed citrus. Grandma’s version, elevated.

Get the Brûléed Rice Pudding with Honeyed Citrus recipe.

All the tangy, cocoa-rich flavor of red velvet cake — now in cookie form. A decadent cream cheese center seals the deal.

Get the Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies recipe.