25+ Grandma-Approved Pies and Cobblers
When it comes to summertime desserts, it's hard to beat a juicy fruit cobbler, decadent chocolate or chess pie, or a cool and creamy Key lime or lemon meringue pie. To make sure you've got the best desserts on the block, turn to these vintage, time-tested recipes that even Grandma is sure to love. Whether you're looking for new ways to enjoy your farmers' market fruit haul, or just want a sure-fire pie or cobbler recipe that the whole family can enjoy, check out this collection of dessert recipes that inspire all the nostalgic feels.
Classic Chess Pie
If you've got baking staples in your kitchen, then you probably have everything you need for a classic chess pie. This old-fashioned pie typically has two distinctive ingredients, cornmeal and vinegar, plus other on-hand ingredients such as sugar, flour, eggs, milk and vanilla. This version is made easy with the use of refrigerated pie crusts.
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Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie
Bake a sweet memory with Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie. One bite of this creamy pie will take you back in time.
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Few desserts satisfy quite like a fresh peach pie in the summer, and this recipe is one of the best out there. Serve this juicy double-crust peach pie with vanilla ice cream sprinkled with candied or toasted pecans. The brown sugar and the cinnamon complement the natural sweetness of the fresh peaches.
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Pretzel Pie
Remember that strawberry-pretzel salad that showed up at every church supper? We've turned it into your new favorite pie with a salty-sweet pretzel crust and added zip from rhubarb. We all love our classic desserts, but sometimes it is fun to change them up a bit and create something new. The frozen strawberries used in the traditional recipe are fine if it is the middle of winter, but with plump, fresh berries available at the Farmers' Market, we thought they would make a delicious change to this pie.
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Cherry Cobbler
Fresh pitted cherries are the star of the show in this luscious cobbler. When cooking down cherries for a pie filling, the fruit can take on a brownish color, so we've called for an optional 1/2 teaspoon of red food coloring to help preserve a desirable red hue. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summertime treat.
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Key Lime Pie is a classic for a reason - it's got an unrivaled flavor that nobody can resist. Whip up this Foolproof Key Lime Pie for an easy dessert your guests are sure to enjoy. In a pinch, you can use regular limes, but when it comes to fresh juice versus bottled, the real thing always triumphs.
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Nothing says "summer"-or shows off summertime's best produce-like a classic tomato pie. Old-fashioned Tomato Pie is summer perfection thanks to garden fresh tomatoes and chopped herbs such as basil, thyme, parsley, or chives. When you serve Old-fashioned Tomato Pie, this plate of goodness is always a home run.
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Butterscotch Pie
The smooth, creamy filling for this pie recipe is a true butterscotch-meaning that the brown sugar is cooked with butter to coax out the caramel flavors. Make the pie a day ahead; the filling needs an overnight stint in the refrigerator to set properly.
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Showcase two of the South's most beloved products-peaches and pecans-in this old-fashioned peach cobbler recipe.
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Classic Strawberry Pie
What's delicious, easy to make, and the perfect summertime dessert? Classic Strawberry Pie, of course! You're going to want to make two.
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With a rich, creamy filling and melt-in-your-mouth crust, this is quite possibly the best chocolate pie ever.
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All you need are fresh berries plus 5 more ingredients to whip up this Easy Blackberry Cobbler recipe. To make it special, top with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, and a mint garnish. If you are not serving it immediately, keep the cobbler and any desired toppings separate as to avoid getting them soggy. Simple as it may be, this quick and easy recipe is an exceptional entertaining dessert, especially for your next summer cookout.
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Lemon Chess Pie
This lemon-flavored version of a traditional chess pie with its filling of butter, sugar and eggs has the added convenience of a ready-made shortbread pie crust.
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Buxton Hall Ultimate Apple Pie
Ashley Capps, the pastry chef behind the in-house bakery at Buxton Hall Barbecue in Asheville, North Carolina, crowns the long table's vintage stands with flavors like Caramel Walnut Chess and her sell-out hit, Banana Pudding Pie. Capps developed the Ultimate Apple Pie to include fresh and dried fruit along with apple butter for a deep flavor and engaging texture.
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Easy Peach Cobbler
What could be a more perfect ending to a summertime meal than easy peach cobbler? Savor the flavors of summer with sliced fresh peaches cooking away with butter and spices. The topping can made from pantry ingredients you have on hand and peaches can easily be substituted with any fruit you have depending on the time of year. The tang of the lemon juice paired with the sweetness of the peaches perfectly balances the crisp topping. Want to make dessert even better? A dollop of fresh whipped cream or cold vanilla ice cream makes this cobbler the perfect way to end a summer night.
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This ultra-decadent chocolate pie recipe features a rich homemade chocolate pie filling topped with whipped cream and chopped chocolate candy bar pieces.
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Country Blueberry Crisp
This simple fruit crisp features a topping made from flour, old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, and some butter or margarine. It's a wonderful way to use up your haul from a u-pick farm, but frozen berries work just as well.
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Savory Tomato Cobbler
Stone-ground cornmeal adds texture to the biscuit-like crust, but you can use plain cornmeal or your favorite biscuit recipe.
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Lemon Meringue Pie
Sweet waves of meringue cover a tart lemon pie filling. One online reviwer claims, "This recipe is so easy and turns out a perfect pie. My pies looked just like the photograph! I took two to a family gathering and they received rave reviews for looks and taste! I would highly recommend this recipe."
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German Chocolate-Pecan Pie
Surprisingly, pecan pie is a relative latecomer to the Southern table. Recipes for milk-custard-based pecan pies can be found as early as 1886, but it wasn't until the 1930s when promotional recipes for a syrup-based pecan pie appeared on the labels of Karo syrup bottles that its popularity soared. Twenty years later, Marion Brown's landmark Southern cookbook proclaimed it "the South's most popular pie." Our latest twist? A stellar riff on the flavors of German chocolate cake, for which the Lone Star State also claims bragging rights.
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Peach-Raspberry Cobbler
Serve this colorful fruit cobbler with your favorite vanilla ice cream or a large dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
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Old Glory Cherry-Blueberry Pie
Top a juicy cherry and blueberry pie with a pastry crust cut into stars and stripes for a festive 4th of July dessert.
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Peach, Plum, and Apricot Crisp
Savor the summer's best produce with this simple, family-favorite crisp. Freshly grated nutmeg accents the flavors of the fruit while the crispy brown sugar and oat topping offers a crispy texture contrast.
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This classic dessert is a crowd favorite. Served warm with a scoop or two of ice cream, this favored baking recipe is perfect for any holiday. Add semi-sweet chocolate chips or bits of baking chocolate for a chocolaty take on this pie recipe. Some like it with a slice of cheese on top. This will definitely be a hit at any of your upcoming family gatherings-especially in the colder months.
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Peach-and-Blueberry Crispy Crumble
This luscious fruit dessert combines the best features of crisps and crumbles for a treat that's sure to satisfy those who prefer topping to fruit filling. Bake the crumble on a parchment paper- or foil-lined baking sheet to catch any fruit that may bubble over.
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When life gives you lemons, use it to make this pie! The filling is pure heaven, not too sweet, and full of tartness from lemon juice and zest. If you like, you can speed things up with a pre-made graham cracker crust, but don't compromise when it comes to using fresh lemons.
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Blueberry-Peach Skillet Pie
Cookbook author and baking expert Julie Hasson loves using her cast iron skillet to bake pie-there's something satisfyingly old-fashioned about it. This pie has no bottom crust, which makes it quick to prepare, perfect for a last-minute dessert. Try it topped with a scoop of ice cream.
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Classic Blueberry Cobbler
If the peak of summer had a flavor, we're willing to bet it'd taste a lot like this classic blueberry cobbler. Using ripe, juicy blueberries gives this summertime favorite the perfect level of sweetness, while vanilla extract contributes a floral depth, and a little bit of aromatic lemon zest lends a lovely balance of brightness. Be sure to let the lattice crust hang a little over the sides of your baking dish and press the dough firmly into the sides to adhere. The baking dish will be very full, but the volume of the berries will shrink as the cobbler cooks, so slightly overfilling will leave you with a flat top instead of a sunken one.