15 Vintage Dessert Recipes That’ll Transport You to a Simpler Time

These vintage dessert recipes include creamy pudding pies, dessert salads, and unique cakes.

You may have grown up eating some of these, while others you might have never tried before (or were even born when they were popular). Some of these retro desserts are still often served, while others are forgotten desserts from the past.

So whether these desserts bring up nostalgic memories or are entirely new to you, try one of these recipes the next time you want something timeless and delicious.

Watergate Salad

This green dessert salad has been popular since the 1970s for its sweet pistachio flavor, tangy pieces of pineapple, and sweet marshmallows, all tossed in a creamy whipped topping.

It’s extremely simple to make, and we love that Amanda includes some variations to make it low-sugar or low-fat, depending on your dietary needs.

Get the Recipe: Watergate Salad

Wacky Cake

What’s so wacky about this fluffy chocolate cake? Well, this recipe came to us from the Great Depression when eggs were in short supply.

This recipe is actually mixed in the pan – no mixing bowls needed – and uses vinegar, vegetable oil, and cold water for just the right texture and a great rise.

Get the Recipe: Wacky Cake

Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler

With a tender base of fresh peaches and a sweet, buttery biscuit topping, this old-fashioned peach cobbler needs nothing more than a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

(P.S. It works just as well with frozen peaches, so you can make it any time of the year.)

Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler

Banana Pudding

Banana pudding may be an old-fashioned dessert, but it’s still incredibly popular. This version starts with homemade vanilla pudding, which is layered with Nilla Wafers and slices of fresh banana.

Pro Tip: Let it rest overnight for the best texture and flavor.

Get the Recipe: Banana Pudding

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Sour cream is the secret to dense, moist, delicious pound cakes, and this recipe is no exception. The sweet, buttery flavor of pound cake is a match made in heaven with fresh berries and a little whipped cream.

Get the Recipe: Sour Cream Pound Cake

Grandma’s Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Mayonnaise in a cake? Similar to the pound cake and sour cream, mayonnaise adds moisture, richness, and a subtle tanginess that makes this cake extra delicious.

We promise – it definitely does not taste as strange as it may sound.

Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Million Dollar Pie

If this is a new one for you, it won’t be for long. It’s made by combining cream cheese, pineapple, and pecans, then serving it in a graham cracker crust. Super simple, but so good!

Get the Recipe: Million Dollar Pie

7UP Pound Cake

7UP cakes have been popular since the 1950s and rely on fizzy lemon-lime soda for a light, fluffy texture instead of traditional baking soda.

To keep that lemon-lime flavor, this recipe uses soda in the glaze, too.

Get the Recipe: 7UP Pound Cake

Florentine Cookies

Florentines may be called “cookies,” but they’re more like a crunchy caramel candy. They’re made by baking a small amount of homemade caramel, which spreads into a thin sheet and bubbles up.

Brush them with a little melted chocolate for an utterly decadent holiday (or anytime) treat.

Get the Recipe: Florentine Cookies

Classic Ambrosia Salad

There are many different ways to make ambrosia salad, and this version will take you right back to the potlucks and parties of days gone by. It’s easy, too.

You just need some canned fruit, marshmallows, coconut, and pecans in Cool Whip, and the flavors come together the longer it sits.

Get the Recipe: Classic Ambrosia Salad

Grandma’s Caramel Sticky Buns

Cinnamon rolls are still all the rage, but what about pecan rolls? These caramel sticky buns start with a sweetened yeast dough, which is rolled out and topped with a cinnamon sugar mixture.

Then, they’re rolled and baked with a sticky caramel pecan topping that is the actual definition of finger-licking good. 

Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Caramel Sticky Buns

Old-Fashioned Caramel Cake

This caramel cake is buttery and moist in all the right ways and has a decadent caramel frosting that will remind you more of fudge than traditional buttercream. It’s exceptional with a cup of coffee after a big meal.

Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned Caramel Cake

Molasses Cookies

The flavor of molasses instantly transports many of us back to the past, and these cookies taste like you’re sitting around grandma’s table.

They’re made with molasses, sour cream, brown sugar, raisins, and lots of spices for a deeply soulful flavor.

Get the Recipe: Molasses Cookies

Southern Buttermilk Pie

Have you heard of buttermilk pie before? It’s basically the most delightful custard pie with a subtle lemon flavor to lighten it up. It’s a timeless classic that deserves much more love and attention.

Get the Recipe: Southern Buttermilk Pie

Ice Cream Bread

Ice cream bread is a retro dessert made by using melted ice cream for sweetness and flavor.

This version plays up the classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter, using Nutty Butter bars and Nutty Bars ice cream for the flavor. You can adapt it with any type of ice cream you prefer, though.

Get the Recipe: Ice Cream Bread