Local culinary traditions and regional produce determine each state's iconic dessert, often showcasing fruits like apples and peaches, or distinct cultural sweets. The compilation identifies one signature sweet for every state plus DC and Puerto Rico, spanning berry-stuffed pastries, buttery cakes, pies made from available harvests, and frozen confections. These desserts connect communities, reflect histories, and guide what people bring to gatherings. The selection resulted from outreach to sources nationwide and a process of narrowing responses. The list offers destinations and dishes that encapsulate regional flavors and communal foodways across the United States.
Even if what that constitutes varies from coast to coast, state to state, or home to home, there is some common ground to be found. If you're amid the apple groves in Washington State, or the peach trees of Georgia, you can usually put your money on a few desserts that will be a hit at a potluck; in Hawaii, or New York, locals know exactly what to bring as a gift to out-of-state friends.
What results below, after months of reaching out to sources around the country and whittling the answers down, is a list of the most iconic desserts from every US state - and Puerto Rico and DC. From berry-stuffed pastries and buttery cakes to use-what-you've-got pies and sugary frozen treats, they tell our stories and bring us together. Read on for the best dessert to try in every single US state.
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