15 Old Fashioned Desserts That Will Take You Back in Time

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It’s time to take a delicious trip down memory lane with these old-fashioned desserts that never go out of style. You can’t go wrong with a classic Easy Apple Pie Recipe or indulge in the creamy goodness of Old Fashioned Custard Pie. Feeling extra sweet? Whip up some Bananas Foster Bread Pudding for a dessert that’ll have everyone begging for the recipe. For those who love a little spice, Spiced Orange Ginger Carrot Cake is the perfect mix of cozy and zesty. And don’t forget the timeless Old-Fashioned Homemade Banana Pudding—a treat that’s always a crowd-pleaser. Whether it’s Vintage Watergate Cake Recipe or Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, these desserts will bring back all the best memories!

Easy Apple Pie Recipe

A slice of apple pie, showing layered apples and a golden crust, with fresh green apples in the background.
Image Credit: Tessie’s Table

Easy Apple Pie Recipe turns your kitchen into a bakery with minimal effort—perfectly spiced apples wrapped in a flaky crust that’ll make you look like a pastry pro. Sweet, simple, and totally irresistible.

To learn more: Easy Apple Pie Recipe

Old Fashioned Custard Pie

A golden-crusted custard pie rests in a glass baking dish; one slice is cut and set slightly apart from the main pie
Image Credit: Flavor Mosaic

Old Fashioned Custard Pie brings timeless, creamy sweetness to the table with every smooth, velvety bite. It’s the classic dessert that never goes out of style.

To learn more: Old Fashioned Custard Pie

Bread Pudding

A slice of warm, creamy bread pudding drizzled with sweet glaze and topped with raisins, served on a delicate white plate.
Image Credit: Cheerful Cook

Bread Pudding is the cozy, cinnamon-sweet dessert that turns leftover bread into pure magic. Warm, comforting, and just a little bit indulgent—what’s not to love?

To learn more: Bread Pudding

Spiced Orange Ginger Carrot Cake

A slice of two-layer carrot cake with white frosting on a white plate; in the background, a whole cake and flowers appear blurred.
Image Credit: Living Sweet Moments

Spiced Orange Ginger Carrot Cake is a zesty twist on the classic—bursting with orange, ginger, and just the right amount of spice. It’s like a flavor-packed hug in every slice.

To learn more: Spiced Orange Ginger Carrot Cake

Grape Salad Recipe

A creamy salad of green and red grapes topped with chopped pecans and brown sugar, served in a white bowl on a wooden board.
Image Credit: Trop Rockin

Grape Salad Recipe is the refreshing, sweet-and-creamy treat that makes fruit feel fancy. It’s light, luscious, and perfect for any occasion.

To learn more: Grape Salad Recipe

Old Fashioned Chess Pie

A slice of golden pie rests on a white plate, surrounded by autumn leaves and a green cloth, with the whole pie in the background.
Image Credit: Flavor Mosaic

Old Fashioned Chess Pie is a sweet Southern gem—rich, buttery, and delightfully simple, with a sugary top that practically sparkles. It’s vintage dessert magic in every slice.

To learn more: Old Fashioned Chess Pie

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

A close-up of golden-brown oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips, scattered on a white marble surface.
Image Credit: Cheerful Cook

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies bring that chewy, cinnamon-kissed nostalgia with every bite—like grandma baked them just for you, but you didn’t have to share. Raisins never had it so good.

To learn more: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

A slice of banana bread pudding topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, served on a white plate, with a cinnamon sprinkle.
Image Credit: Chicken Fried Kitchen

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding takes classic comfort and gives it a boozy, caramel-drizzled upgrade—rich, gooey, and totally over-the-top in the best way. Dessert just got dramatic.

To learn more: Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

Peaches and Cream Jello Cake

A slice of dessert featuring a creamy white base topped with an orange gelatin layer and pieces of fruit, placed on a white plate. A fork with a piece of the dessert rests nearby.
Image Credit: Jello Joy

Peaches and Cream Jello Cake is a retro delight that’s fruity, fluffy, and fabulously jiggly—like summer in a slice with a creamy little wink. It’s fun, flirty, and totally fridge-worthy.

To learn more: Peaches and Cream Jello Cake

Old-Fashioned Homemade Banana Pudding

A slice of banana pudding dessert layered with vanilla custard, banana slices, and crushed cookies on a gray plate.
Image Credit: The Cookin’ Chicks

Old-Fashioned Homemade Banana Pudding layers up the love with creamy custard, soft bananas, and those iconic vanilla wafers. It’s Southern charm by the spoonful.

To learn more: Old-Fashioned Homemade Banana Pudding

Banana Bread Crumb Cake

A slice of banana cake drizzled with icing, served with banana slices on a decorative plate, against a blurred background.
Image Credit: Xoxo Bella

Banana Bread Crumb Cake is what happens when cozy banana bread meets a buttery, cinnamon-streusel crown. Breakfast? Dessert? Doesn’t matter—it’s crave-worthy any time.

To learn more: Banana Bread Crumb Cake

Vintage Watergate Cake Recipe

a close up picture of the side of a pistachio flavored watergate layer cake with nuts
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Vintage Watergate Cake Recipe is a pistachio-laced blast from the past, frosted with fluffy nostalgia and just enough sass. It’s retro, it’s green, and it totally steals the show.

To learn more: Vintage Watergate Cake Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake Roll

A sliced strawberry cream roll cake dusted with powdered sugar, surrounded by fresh strawberries and mint leaves on a wooden board.
Image Credit: Cheerful Cook

Strawberry Shortcake Roll wraps up sweet berries and whipped cream in a soft sponge hug—like the classic dessert took a stylish little spin. Cute, creamy, and ready to impress.

To learn more: Strawberry Shortcake Roll

Pumpkin Roll

A plate of sliced pumpkin roll cake with cream cheese filling, dusted with powdered sugar, and wrapped in a white cloth.
Image Credit: Lil’ Luna

Pumpkin Roll swirls spiced pumpkin cake around rich cream cheese filling like it’s showing off—and honestly, it is. Fall vibes wrapped up in one dreamy dessert.

To learn more: Pumpkin Roll

Hummingbird Loaf Cake

A sliced loaf of banana bread topped with creamy frosting and chopped pecans sits on a wooden board, with plates, forks, and a bowl of pecans in the background.
Image Credit: Xoxo Bella

Hummingbird Loaf Cake by Xoxo Bella packs tropical flavor into every moist, nutty bite—pineapple, banana, and a hint of spice all hanging out in perfect harmony. It’s Southern charm in loaf form.

To learn more: Hummingbird Loaf Cake

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About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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