25 Classic Fall Desserts from Grandma’s Cookbook

Published: Sep 17, 2025 by Jessica @ TMG · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

There’s just something magical about fall desserts. The warm spices, the scent of apples baking, and the cozy traditions that take us right back to grandma’s kitchen. Growing up in the 1970s, I remember church potlucks, holiday bake sales, and after-dinner treats that always seemed to appear just as the leaves started turning. These recipes aren’t just sweets - they’re a piece of family history, passed down through generations.

Today, I’m sharing 25 classic fall desserts from grandma’s cookbook - the kind you might remember from Thanksgiving tables, school carnivals, or those little recipe cards tucked in your mom’s old tin.

25 Classic Fall Desserts from Grandma’s Cookbook

1

slice of delicious old fashioned pumpkin pie

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie Recipe with Heavy Whipping Cream

Creamy pumpkin custard spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a flaky crust. Popularized in the 1800s, pumpkin pie became a mid-20th-century Thanksgiving must-have, often made with Libby’s canned pumpkin starting in the 1950s.

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2

Old Fashioned Easy Apple Crisp

Old Fashioned Easy Apple Crisp

Tender baked apples with a buttery oat and brown sugar topping. A Depression-era favorite, this simple dessert made apple-picking season feel extra special.

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3

That Old-School Pecan Pie

That Old-School Pecan Pie

A sweet, gooey filling of pecans, eggs, and corn syrup in a flaky crust. This Southern classic took the spotlight nationwide in the 1950s and quickly became a Thanksgiving icon.

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4

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Mashed sweet potatoes blended with sugar and warm spices in a pie shell. Rooted in African-American cooking traditions, it became a beloved holiday staple in the mid-20th century.

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5

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Apple Pie

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Apple Pie

Classic double-crust pie filled with spiced apples. While it’s been around for centuries, apple pie truly became the symbol of Americana after WWII, often baked for Sunday suppers and fall gatherings.

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6

Easy Cranberry Cobbler Recipe

Easy Cranberry Cobbler Recipe

Tart cranberries baked with a sweet biscuit-like topping. Cranberries became a holiday must-have by the mid-century years, and cobblers offered a cozy, festive twist.

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7

Apple Brown Betty

Apple Brown Betty

Layers of spiced apples and bread crumbs baked until golden. This colonial dessert stayed popular through the 1950s as a thrifty, comforting apple bake.

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8

Old Fashioned Spice Cake (Granny’s Recipe)

Old Fashioned Spice Cake (Granny’s Recipe)

Moist cake filled with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. A Depression-era treat that reappeared in the 1960s–70s, often topped with cream cheese frosting at potlucks.

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9

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

Dark, rich cake flavored with molasses and warm spices. Though it dates back to colonial days, it became a cozy fall tradition in grandma’s kitchen during the 40s–60s.

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10

Classic Pumpkin Roll

Classic Pumpkin Roll

Spiced pumpkin cake rolled with cream cheese filling. By the 1960s–70s, it was a holiday bake sale favorite tucked into every church cookbook.

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11

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake

Grated carrots, pineapple, and nuts folded into moist spice cake with cream cheese frosting. This dessert became wildly popular in the 1970s as part of the natural foods movement.

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12

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

Moist quick bread flavored with pumpkin and spices. Thanks to the rise of canned pumpkin in the 1960s–70s, it became a bake sale and holiday favorite.

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13

Maple Walnut Pound Cake

Maple Walnut Pound Cake

Light cake flavored with maple syrup and topped with walnut frosting. A New England classic that spread to fall dessert tables nationwide by mid-century.

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14

Cranberry Bread

Cranberry Bread

Quick bread studded with cranberries and orange zest. By the 1950s–70s, it was a holiday staple, often given as a gift wrapped in wax paper.

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15

Homemade Caramel Apples

Homemade Caramel Apples

Crisp apples dipped in sticky caramel and sometimes rolled in nuts. A Halloween and fall fair staple since the 1950s, often made at home for trick-or-treaters.

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16

Candy Corn Fudge

Candy Corn Fudge

Layers of fudge tinted orange, yellow, and white to mimic candy corn. A whimsical mid-century party treat that appeared in glossy holiday magazines.

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17

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Chewy cookies flavored with oats, raisins, and a touch of cinnamon. A cookie jar classic since the early 1900s, especially welcome in fall.

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18

Apple Dumplings

Apple Dumplings

Whole apples wrapped in pastry and baked in cinnamon syrup. A Pennsylvania Dutch recipe that became a Midwest fall favorite in the 1950s–70s.

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19

Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding

Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding

Creamy pudding with brown sugar and butter for a caramel-like flavor. Popular both from scratch and Jell-O mixes in the 1950s–60s.

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20

Old Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies

Old Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies

Soft, chewy cookies flavored with ginger, cloves, and molasses. A Depression-era recipe that stuck around in 50s–70s kitchens as a cozy fall cookie.

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21

The Best Pumpkin Cheesecake

The Best Pumpkin Cheesecake

Creamy cheesecake with pumpkin puree and warm spices. Cheesecake boomed in the 60s–70s, and pumpkin versions became a holiday star.

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22

Dry Bottom Shoofly Pie (Molasses Pie)

Dry Bottom Shoofly Pie (Molasses Pie)

Sticky molasses pie with a crumb topping. A Pennsylvania Dutch classic that showed up in mid-century cookbooks and fall gatherings.

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23

Old Fashioned Popcorn Balls

Old Fashioned Popcorn Balls

Popcorn coated in sticky syrup and shaped into balls. A Halloween and harvest festival treat especially beloved in the 1950s–70s.

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24

Pear Crisp

Pear Crisp

Juicy fall pears baked under a buttery oat crumble topping. Pear crisps often appeared in grandma’s kitchen during the 1950s–70s, especially when pears were in season and needed to be used up quickly.

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25

Old Fashioned Chess Pie

Old Fashioned Chess Pie

A simple custard-style pie made with sugar, eggs, butter, and a hint of cornmeal. This old-fashioned Southern pie was a thrifty favorite that showed up on holiday tables all through the mid-20th century.

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Wrap-Up

These desserts aren’t just recipes - they’re memories of potlucks, bake sales, and family dinners where everyone gathered around grandma’s table. Whether you’re baking pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, making popcorn balls for Halloween, or whipping up a quick cranberry bread for neighbors, these classics bring back that cozy, old-fashioned feeling of fall.

FAQs About Classic Fall Desserts

What desserts are most popular for fall?

Pumpkin pie, apple crisp, pecan pie, and spice cake are some of the most beloved fall desserts, often appearing at Thanksgiving and family gatherings.

Why were so many fall desserts made with pumpkin, apples, and molasses?

These ingredients were seasonal, affordable, and easy to store -making them staples in grandma’s kitchen during the cooler months.

Can I make these recipes with modern shortcuts?

Absolutely. Many vintage recipes adapt perfectly with boxed mixes, canned pumpkin, or frozen pie crusts without losing that homemade flavor.

Which fall dessert travels best for potlucks?

Pumpkin bread, cranberry bread, and spice cake slices hold up well for sharing, while pies and cobblers are best for family dinners at home.

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