12 Classic American Desserts, Ranked Worst To Best

It’s not secret that the American culinary scene has heavy influences from countless other cultures, and dessert is included in this. It’s easy to find sweet treats from around the world in the best bakeries nationwide, but while treats like macarons, eclairs, cannolis, and baklava have certainly made our lives more delicious, there’s something to be said about classic American desserts, too. The ones that were either born and bred right here on our own turf, or that have otherwise carved a name for themselves as a symbolic sweet of our nation.

We can all agree that there are no shortage of delicious desserts that represent America, from the iconic American apple pie that continues to show up at every Thanksgiving and 4th of July spread, to the quintessential New York cheesecake that’s traveled in popularity far beyond its birthplace. What’s harder to agree on, however, is the definitive ranking of these classics.

Everyone’s got their own opinions when it comes to dessert foods, and we’re all entitled to them (myself included). This is just one list from one food lover with a seasoned sweet tooth, so take it with a grain of salt (or sugar). And let me preface by saying that while some sweets are no doubt better than others, nothing on this list is inherently bad; we’re talking about dessert, after all. So grab a spoon and dig in to the rankings: here are some of the most classic American desserts, ranked from worst to best.

The banana split has graced ice cream shop and diner menus everywhere since it was invented in Pennsylvania in 1904. It seems a little wrong to put such a long-standing, iconic American dessert at the bottom, but we had to start somewhere … and as much as I’m a die-hard fan of good old-fashioned ice cream itself, something about a banana split just rubs me the wrong way.

I love bananas as much as the next girl — eaten on the go, thrown into my cereal, baked into a bread, and even crafted into an ice cream flavor. But a sliced banana, as is, plopped next to either side of your scoop? The banana just ends up getting a little colder and less flavorful with each bite, not doing much at all to enrich its namesake sundae. It’s almost cheating the humble banana of its great potential.

As for the other toppings, there are too many sauces and flavors involved in this one sundae. I just don’t need pineapple, strawberry, caramel or any other sweet and sticky syrups poured all over my already-sweet dessert, especially when I’ve already got chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream flavors competing with each other. And the cherry on top … well, it’s the fact that the sundae comes with a literal maraschino cherry on top. Maraschi-no thank you.

I know, I know … pumpkin pie is the dessert at Thanksgiving, and there’s no denying that it’s quintessentially American with centuries-old roots that date back to the start of the New World. I can recognize and respect that this pie is a holiday favorite for most people, but truthfully, pumpkin pie has never been the first thing I’ve reached for when it’s time to top off the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes with a little something sweet.

I think this largely comes down to the flavor profile itself; you’re either a pumpkin spice person or you aren’t. Don’t get me wrong — pumpkin itself, I love. But when you add spices like ginger, cloves, and allspice to the party, they feel like uninvited guests. These spices are delicious in stews and curries and warm, savory dishes … but not in my dessert. And while I can definitely appreciate a little pumpkin spice in certain baked goods when done subtly, it’s not the flavor profile that I seek out as the star of the show. 

My other qualm with this particular pie is the crust. I find that with most pumpkin pies, the crust tends to be underbaked — which is one of the many ways to ruin pie crust, in my opinion, because you miss out on that signature flakiness that you want from a good crust. 

I’m aware that cupcakes are generally a crowdpleaser, and the classic vanilla cupcake probably earns a much higher place on this list for many people. But I make no apologies … they are simply not my favorite. And I think that has a lot to do with the fact that I find frosting to be a bit too much, too sweet, or in many cases, almost unnecessary.

In general, I prefer a traditional slice of cake to a cupcake not only because you can do more with a cake (layers, flavors, and textures just seem to work better in cake form), but also because I think a slice of cake naturally offers a much better frosting-to-cake ratio than a cupcake does.

A conservatively frosted, well-crafted cupcake certainly has its place, and I’ve obviously had some good ones. But they are few and far between, and mostly I find that any vanilla cupcake I bite into is over-frosted and underwhelming, and its flavor isn’t exactly special enough to make up for any shortcomings. Some people love a mouthful of sweet, sugary, creamy frosting — and I do not judge those people — but I am definitely not one of them.

This dessert technically borrows some of its original components from across the pond, but strawberry shortcake became a true American-made classic in the 19th century when Americans eventually added leavening to the British “shortcakes”, creating more of a biscuit. The strawberry shortcake recipe as we know it — layered cream and strawberries with a biscuit base — first appeared in a New York periodical in 1862. Since then, it’s taken on different forms, and today you’ll find many versions made with spongecake, angel cake, or pound cake. 

Whatever the variation, strawberry shortcake is undoubtedly an American classic, especially when it comes to summer sweets. It sits near the lower end of the list only because it doesn’t quite have the “wow” factor that the desserts above it tend to have … but there is something to be said about the strawberry shortcake’s simplicity. Fresh, sweet, strawberries obviously pair wonderfully with light and airy whipped cream, and a not-so-sweet biscuit or spongey cake is the perfect base to balance it out. Strawberry shortcake is objectively a nicely constructed sweet that makes for a great summer bite, if a bit on the boring side.

Let’s be honest, there’s nothing more American than apple pie. But the ironic thing is that this quintessential American dessert doesn’t actually come from America. The first known recipe was written in 14th century England in a cookbook called A Cook’s Tales, which was an early form of the pie made with various additional fruits like pears and raisins (and without sugar). Dutch, German, and French influences led to the creation of the flaky, latticed pie crust that we recognize today, and it wasn’t until 1796 that the first American apple pie recipe was printed in American Cookery.

Regardless of its European origins, the good old fashioned apple pie has become somewhat of a symbol of America. From Thanksgiving and 4th of July celebrations to summer party spreads and diner menus, you’ll find it all over the country pretty much any time of the year. Apple pie (or even better, apple pie a la mode) is an undisputed American favorite. 

So you might be surprised to see it rounding out the lower-middle section of the ranking. While I can definitely appreciate a well-made, warm slice of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it has to be extremely well executed to hit right. And unfortunately, too many slices of apple pie deliver a soupy filling, a dense or soggy crust, or worst of all, both.

Ah, the s’more. If you grew up in America, chances are you’ve stood around a campfire and made one of these bad boys at some point in your life. It’s hard not to feel fondly about them, and hard to find fault with a creation that consists of crispy graham cracker, melty chocolate, and a toasted, gooey marshmallow to tie it all together. We are now smack in the middle of the pack, and the s’more deserves a solid middle spot not just for its delectable combination of ingredients, but also for its nostalgia factor.

The s’more has a very American origin: the Girl Scouts. A recipe for this 3-ingredient treat first appeared in a Girl Scout guidebook that was published in 1927. In it, the dessert is called “Some More”; in the instructions, the recipe states, “The heat of the marshmallow between the halves of chocolate bar will melt the chocolate a bit. Though it tastes like ‘some more’ one is really enough.” 

I’d argue that one is not really enough, but that’s just me. And personally, I think the tastiness of the s’more all hinges on the skill of your marshmallow toasting and the type of chocolate bar used (dark is the correct choice). 

Now this is a dessert where bananas are used in a way that fulfills their potential, working harmoniously with the other ingredients and adding something special to the dish. With true American origins, this dessert has a distinctly Southern identity, and the earliest written recipe was found in a Good Housekeeping magazine back in 1888. 

Essentially a play on the English trifle, the early versions of the dessert typically included a chilled custard layered with sliced bananas, sponge cake or ladyfingers, and whipped cream or meringue. Different iterations have been developed over the years, like the classic version made with vanilla wafers (or later more specifically, Nabisco’s Nilla Wafers) which you may know well. 

But whatever specific combination of ingredients you find in your banana pudding, whether you make the layered dessert yourself or buy some from Magnolia Bakery (which offers a viral modern version), it’s pretty much guaranteed to be delicious. Something about the way the sweet and creamy vanilla pudding softens the accompanying cake or wafers, along with the added touch of the soft, naturally sweet bananas, creates something very special, and it’s easy to see why this is an old-fashioned Southern dessert staple.

Now that we’ve reached the upper half of the list, everything from here on out is pretty much elite — starting with classic New York cheesecake. While the earliest forms of cheese-based cakes and desserts can be traced back to ancient Greece, New York cheesecake is obviously a more modern dessert with American roots. This dessert sits in its own category (is it a pie, a cake, or something else?), and while we may not fully understand it, no one’s mad about it.

This specific version of cheesecake is credited to Arnold Reuben — owner of Reuben’s Restaurant and Delicatessen and The Turf Restaurant — who invented it in the 1920s. The dessert promptly took off in New York and beyond. New York cheesecake is known for being a somewhat “purist” version of the dessert, with a particularly dense texture and rich flavor. It’s typically made with just cream cheese, eggs, heavy cream or sour cream, vanilla, and a little lemon and sugar in a graham cracker crust. This type of cheesecake is a heavy, rich, almost tangy cake that usually doesn’t need any extra ingredients, mix-ins, or sauces to elevate it. It speaks for itself.

New York cheesecake is one of those desserts that you may not have all the time, but every so often when you find yourself with a slice in front of you, you take a bite, remember how much you love it, and wonder why you don’t eat it more often.

You may be wondering why there hasn’t been much chocolate on this list yet. It’s because they’re all reserved for high rankings. (I’m a chocolate lover through and through; I can’t help it). The first one to kick off the incoming chocolatey desserts is the classic chocolate cake. Because when you bite into a really good, really decadent slice of chocolate cake, there’s not too much out there that’s more delicious.

While the concept of cake is obviously not strictly American, we were the first on record to add chocolate directly to the batter, putting a spin on the classic dessert. America’s first chocolate cake was actually called “mahogany cake,” named after the reddish-brown hue the dessert took on after natural cocoa powder or chocolate squares were mixed into a velvety cake recipe.

Now, it’s important to note that not all chocolate cakes are created equal, and there are way too many recipes and versions out there to identify one as the most classic or most superior. But just know that when I say chocolate cake, I mean the darker the color, the more chocolate included, and the richer the flavor, the better. Think the layered, fudgy, midnight-colored chocolate cake from that iconic scene in Matilda. That’s what I like to see.

The chocolate chip cookie. It’s hard to mess up, and even harder not to like, and it’s an American classic that’s frankly hard to beat. To be honest, it pains me a little to place this near-perfect creation at spot number 3, but that just speaks to how truly great some of our American desserts are. And I must follow my heart. 

Invented in Massachusetts in the 1930s by Ruth Graves Wakefield (owner of none other than the Toll House Restaurant), the first chocolate chip cookie began as a complimentary addition to ice cream at the restaurant, and gained so much love that it transformed Toll House from a small restaurant to the iconic brand it is today.

The perfect chocolate chip cookie is a widely debated topic, and there are several schools of thought around what actually makes it perfect. Is it a chewy chocolate chip cookie with some height to it, or thin and crispy? Is the chocolate melted throughout in large chunks, or mixed in as small chips? What’s the right chocolate-to-cookie ratio? Any salt on top? There are so many factors that go into making the chocolate chip cookie what it is, and this in case, it’s so delicious any which way that I’ve learned not to discriminate. Whatever your version of “perfect” is, sign me up.

The humble, unassuming brownie. When I said I was a chocolate lover, I meant it. And there are not many other desserts out there that satisfy a chocolate lover quite like the brownie. It’s almost too simple, but it’s got everything you could need: It’s fudgy, gooey, chewy, chocolatey, and it’s got that divine bit of crinkled outer crust to really bring the texture home. 

The brownie was actually invented at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago back in 1893 when the pastry chef of Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel was asked to craft a small lunchbox-friendly confection that could be given to the fair attendees and eaten on the go. The original Palmer House recipe included semi-sweet chocolate, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, walnuts, and an apricot glaze. 

Today, there are endless iterations out there, whether you’re looking for fun flavor varieties, secret ingredient brownie additions, or specific textures and densities. I’m somewhat of a purist, and I think less is more when it comes to this perfect chocolatey treat. But at the end of the day, pretty much any brownie will make me happy. Especially if it’s served warm. And especially if it’s the corner piece. 

The only thing I possibly love more than chocolate is ice cream (naturally, I combine the two whenever possible). And while ice cream itself is pretty much impossible to pin down in terms of its origin, one thing we can credit America with is the invention of soft serve ice cream. Which is arguably the best version.

What makes soft serve different from traditional hard ice cream, and why is it so special and insanely delicious? It basically comes down to the invention of a machine that introduced air into the freezing process, producing a final product that’s softer, lighter, and creamier. It’s essentially hard ice cream, just served before before it’s frozen solid, which results in an irresistible, cloud-like texture that fills up every inch of a cone and perfectly clings to any tasty toppings you roll it in. When it comes to flavors, I’m going with a classic chocolate-and-vanilla twist … because why not get the best of both worlds?

If you grew up on the East Coast or in the Midwest, you probably know this dessert well. Whether you call it soft serve or custard, and whether your go-to is Mister Softee, Dairy Queen, or your favorite boardwalk ice cream shop, this is one of the most delicious forms of ice cream that exists. And it’s something America should be extremely proud of. 

This ranking of American desserts is based solely on my personal opinion, as someone who’s a passionate food-lover, an avid sweets-eater, and an experienced cook. To be considered a “classic American dessert,” the dish had to have either originated here in America or created such strong roots in America that it’s become an iconic or symbolic national dessert.