In the South, we don’t play around when it comes to dessert. Our layer cakes are the tallest, our pies are the flakiest, and our portions are the largest. That’s why so many iconic sweets were either born here, or made famous in our region, like this list of famous desserts from Southern restaurants. All of these places are notable—many have won national and local awards—but their desserts are what draw people from around the country, and even the world. Customers know they’ll be ordering these dishes, whether it’s Key lime pie in Key West or the best peach cobbler in Atlanta, before they even walk through the door. And believe us, these legends truly live up to the hype.
Coconut Cake, Bottega
Birmingham, Alabama
There are many famous coconut cakes throughout the South (in fact, there is another one on this very list) but few are as celebrated as the one served at Bottega and its sister restaurant Chez Fonfon. Don’t expect the traditional white-on-white layers and frosting. Created by James Beard Award winner and Bottega’s former pastry chef, Dolester Miles, the cake itself is speckled with ground pecans, which add texture and sweetness, which are brushed with simple syrup. In between the layers is a rich filling made with shredded coconut, cream of coconut, and sweetened condensed milk. Then the whole thing is covered in a light coconut frosting and topped with more shredded coconut. If that wasn’t enough, each slice is served with a pool of creme anglaise. It’s the kind of dessert that makes your eyes roll back with pleasure, or evokes tears when it’s sold out for the night.
World Famous Peanut Pie, Virginia Diner
Wakefield, Virginia
Imagine the sticky sweetness and crunch of a pecan pie, only with peanuts. But not just any old peanuts—this pie is made with Virginia peanuts, the super-sized, extra flavorful kind. That’s the not-so-secret ingredient in Virginia Diner’s most beloved dessert. The roadside restaurant, which opened in 1929, is now known for its locally-sourced nuts (which it sells in a variety of flavors, plus in brittles and mail-order pies ) as much as its menu of comfort food classics, like meatloaf and country-fried steak. Each slice is packed with toasty nuts, adding a pleasantly savory, salty note that balances out the syrupy filling.
Bananas Foster, Brennan’s
New Orleans…