After the Holidays, These 20 Familiar Desserts Just Work

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January isn’t about overdoing dessert, it’s about comfort, familiarity, and easing back into routine. These are the desserts people turn to when the holidays are over but the craving for something sweet hasn’t gone away. Simple, reliable, and always satisfying, these familiar desserts feel especially right for the first month of the year, the kind you make because you know everyone will enjoy them.

Coconut Custard Pie

A slice of coconut custard pie being removed form a pie plate.
Coconut Custard Pie: A Southern Classic. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Creamy coconut custard pie made with coconut milk, egg yolks, and a golden crust. Baked and topped with toasted coconut for a perfect finish.
Get the Recipe: Coconut Custard Pie: A Southern Classic

Strawberry Icebox Pie With A Crisp Pretzel Crust

slice of strawberry icebox pie on a plate.
Strawberry Icebox Pie With A Crisp Pretzel Crust. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Strawberry Icebox Pie made with real strawberries, lemon juice, gelatin, and a pretzel crust for a nostalgic spring or summer dessert.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Icebox Pie With A Crisp Pretzel Crust

Sweet Potato Pie

A sweet potato pie next to a bowl of whipped cream.
A Foolproof Sweet Potato Pie Recipe Made With Condensed Milk. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Sweet Potato Pie with condensed milk, orange zest, and cinnamon makes for a creamy, flavorful dessert. Perfect for holidays or any time of year.
Get the Recipe: A Foolproof Sweet Potato Pie Recipe Made With Condensed Milk

Turtle Pie

A single slice of turtle pie next to caramel sauce.
Turtle Pie with Oreo Crust. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Turtle Pie features a delicious Oreo crust, creamy peanut butter filling, and homemade caramel sauce with pecans, making it the ultimate indulgence.
Get the Recipe: No-Bake Turtle Pie With A Chocolate Caramel Sauce

Hummingbird Sheet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

A hummingbird sheet cake cut into squares.
Vintage Banana Split Cake With Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Hummingbird Sheet Cake combines ripe bananas, pineapple, and cinnamon with a rich cream cheese frosting and crunchy pecans.
Get the Recipe: Hummingbird Sheet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Incredibly Moist Sweet Potato Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

A slice of sweet potato cake being removed.
Incredibly Moist Sweet Potato Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

One of the South’s most beloved cakes is this Fluffy Sweet Potato Cake with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a silky cream cheese frosting. A soft, bakery-style treat perfect for any occasion!
Get the Recipe: Incredibly Moist Sweet Potato Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple Custard Pie

Apple custard pie slice on a white plate.
Old Fashioned Apple Custard Pie Recipe. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Buttery crust, tart apples, and a creamy custard filling make this Apple Custard Pie the perfect not-too-sweet comfort dessert.
Get the Recipe: Old Fashioned Apple Custard Pie Recipe

Lemon Curd Pie

a lemon cream pie topped with swirls of whipped cream.
No Bake Lemon Curd Pie With Cream Cheese Filling. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

A tangy lemon curd pie with a creamy filling and vanilla wafer crust. Bright, zesty, and perfect for any lemon lover.
Get the Recipe: No Bake Lemon Curd Pie With Cream Cheese Filling

Pecan Pie

A piece of pecan pie being removed from a pie dish.
Bourbon Chocolate Ganache Pecan Pie. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Chocolate Pecan Pie is a fun twist on a beloved classic, made with a flaky pie crust, a chocolate ganache base, and a toasty pecan filling.
Get the Recipe: Bourbon Chocolate Ganache Pecan Pie

Blackberry Pie

A lattice topped blackberry pie.
Classic Lemon Icebox Pie With Condensed Milk. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Enjoy a delicious Blackberry Pie with a buttery crust and a sweet-tart filling. Perfect for gatherings or a cozy dessert.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Blackberry Pie With Double Crust

Butter Pecan Pound Cake Like Grandma Made

Moist Butter Pecan Pound Cake With Glaze. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Rich, nutty, and buttery, this pecan pound cake drizzled with glaze is the kind of old-fashioned comfort every Southern grandma swore by.
Get the Recipe: Butter Pecan Pound Cake Like Grandma Made

Grandma’s Angel Food Cake

Old-Fashioned Angel Food Cake With Lemon Curd. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Light as air and kissed with lemon, this heavenly cake is just the kind of simple, elegant dessert Grandma loved to serve after Sunday supper.
Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Angel Food Cake

Old-Time Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemon Bundt Cake. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Tangy, bright, and topped with lemon glaze, this classic Bundt brings back the sunny sweetness of Grandma’s kitchen in every bite.
Get the Recipe: Old-Time Lemon Bundt Cake

No-Bake Strawberry Angel Cake

A slice of strawberry icebox cake sits on a decorative white plate. The cake features layers of whipped cream, pink strawberry filling, fresh strawberries, and a biscuit crust. In the background, the rest of the cake is in a glass dish with more strawberries scattered around.
Dreamy No-Bake Strawberry Angel Food Cake. Photo credit: Intentional Hospitality.

Layered with whipped cream, jello, and soft cake, this chilled pink dessert is straight from Grandma’s recipe box—and every bit as dreamy.
Get the Recipe: No-Bake Strawberry Angel Cake

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake from Grandma’s Table

A slice of cke pulled out on a tray.
Cream Cheese Filled Coffee Cake With Almond Streusel. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Rich cream cheese and sweet almond streusel make this tender cake feel like mornings at Grandma’s—cozy, comforting, and impossible to resist.
Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Coffee Cake from Grandma’s Table

Banana Split Cake from the Old Days

A banana split cake covered in toppings.
Vintage Banana Split Cake With Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

This vintage banana cake loaded with pineapple, cherries, and cream cheese frosting brings back every sweet memory of Grandma’s summer desserts.
Get the Recipe: Banana Split Cake from the Old Days

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Like Grandma’s

lemon blueberry bundt cake top view.
Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Bursting with blueberries and draped in cream cheese frosting, this tangy Bundt cake tastes just like Grandma’s summer favorite.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Bundt Like Grandma’s

Old-Fashioned Apple Cinnamon Cake

Cinnamon apple cake on a platter with a slice being removed.
Simple Apple Cinnamon Cake. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Warm cinnamon, tender apples, and a moist crumb make this timeless dessert feel like it came straight from Grandma’s oven.
Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned Apple Cinnamon Cake

No-Bake Millionaire Pie

Millionaire Pie Recipe (Easy No-Bake). Photo credit: Intentional Hospitality.

Creamy, fruity, and delightfully old-school, this no-bake pie packed with pineapple and pecans is a true Grandma classic from the fridge to the table.
Get the Recipe: No-Bake Millionaire Pie

Grandma’s Texas Sheet Cake

A spatula removing a piece of chocolate cake.
Moist Texas Sheet Cake With Pecans. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Moist, fudgy, and topped with crunchy pecans, this old-school chocolate sheet cake is everything Grandma loved to bake for a crowd.
Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Texas Sheet Cake

21 Recipes Your Grandparents Knew Like the Back of Their Hand—But You’ve Never Made

21 Recipes Your Grandparents Knew Like the Back of Their Hand—But You’ve Never Made. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Those handwritten cards in worn recipe boxes hold some of the warmest kitchen memories. They’re the dishes our grandparents could whip up effortlessly, uncomplicated, hearty, and made with love. Somewhere along the way, many of these classics faded from our everyday menus, but the craving for that nostalgic taste never really went away. This collection is a sweet reminder of just how timeless they are.
Grab it Here: 21 Recipes Your Grandparents Knew Like the Back of Their Hand—But You’ve Never Made

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