12 Michigan Retro Desserts That Taste Like Pure Childhood
Remember the thrill of dessert stealing the spotlight in your day? Michigan holds a collection of sweet treats that have delighted taste buds for decades.
These beloved confections weave together generations with memories of laughter, family gatherings, and flavors that evoke a warm, comforting sensation.
Creamy ice cream creations, bakery masterpieces, and nostalgic sweets alike have a magical way of whisking you back to simpler, sweeter times.
1. Sanders Bumpy Cake
The iconic devil’s food cake with those distinctive buttercream ridges has been making Michiganders smile since the early 1900s.
Fred Sanders Schmidt created this Detroit original when buttercream wasn’t spreading evenly on his cakes. Instead of starting over, he covered the bumps with chocolate fudge, accidentally inventing a masterpiece.
Today, you can find this nostalgic treat at Sanders Chocolate & Ice Cream Shoppes throughout Michigan, either by the slice or as a whole cake.
2. Mackinac Island Fudge
Walking down Main Street on Mackinac Island, the sweet aroma of Original Murdick’s hand-paddled fudge pulls you in like a sugary siren song.
The Murdick family brought their candy-making talents to the island in the late 1800s, establishing a tradition that continues today. Watching the fudge masters fold and paddle the warm mixture on marble slabs is as much a treat as eating it.
No Michigan childhood is complete without at least one box of this creamy island souvenir.
3. The Boston Cooler
Despite its confusing name, this fizzy float belongs to Detroit through and through. The magical combination of Vernors ginger ale and vanilla ice cream creates a creamy, spicy concoction that no other soda can duplicate.
I remember my grandpa making these on hot summer nights, carefully pouring the ginger ale down the side of the glass to preserve the fizz. He’d wink and say, “This is how medicine should taste.”
The name’s origin is debated, but the drink was popular in Detroit by the early 1900s, and Vernors later trademarked “Boston Cooler” in 1967.
4. Cherry Pie from Grand Traverse Pie Company
Nothing says Michigan summer like a slice of ruby-red cherry pie from Grand Traverse Pie Company.
Founded in Traverse City in 1996, this bakery celebrates Michigan’s most famous fruit with buttery, flaky crusts and perfectly sweetened Montmorency cherries from local orchards. The slight tartness balanced with sweetness creates that perfect cherry pie experience.
With eleven locations across Michigan and Indiana, these pies have become a modern classic for family gatherings and holiday celebrations.
5. Superman Ice Cream
Blue, red, and yellow swirls of ice cream create the most magical scoop in Michigan’s dessert universe. House of Flavors in Ludington serves up this childhood favorite that has kids begging for the colorful treat.
The flavor combination varies by maker – usually some mix of blue moon, cherry, and lemon or vanilla. The best part? Your tongue turns a mysterious purple-green color while eating it.
No one outside Michigan seems to understand our obsession with this Technicolor treat, making it a true state treasure.
6. Pączki Day Pączki
Fat Tuesday transforms into Pączki Day in Hamtramck, where people line up before dawn outside New Palace Bakery for these Polish jelly doughnuts.
Denser than regular doughnuts and filled with fruit preserves like raspberry, strawberry, or prune, these rich pastries mark the last indulgence before Lent.
My Polish grandmother would wake at 4 a.m. to secure our family’s dozen, returning with a powdered-sugar-dusted box of heaven.
The tradition connects Michigan to its Polish heritage through the universal language of sugar and fried dough.
7. Sanders Hot Fudge Cream Puff
Time stops when you dig into a Sanders Hot Fudge Cream Puff. The warm, airy pastry shell cradles cool vanilla ice cream while rivers of Sanders signature hot fudge cascade over the edges.
This soda fountain classic remains unchanged since its creation, proving that perfection needs no updating. The contrast between temperatures and textures creates a dessert experience that’s both nostalgic and exciting.
Listed as a “Sanders Classic” on current menus, this dessert continues to delight multiple generations of Michigan sweet tooths.
8. Erma’s Original Frozen Custard
Since 1942, Erma’s roadside custard stand has been the summer destination for Macomb County families seeking the creamiest frozen treats around.
The eggy, dense frozen custard spins slowly in vintage machines, creating a silky texture that regular ice cream can’t match. Weekly flavor rotations keep regulars coming back to the Auburn Road stand, now a designated local landmark.
Generations of Michigan kids have celebrated baseball victories and soothed skinned knees with Erma’s distinctive waffle cones, making it a rite of passage in metro Detroit summers.
9. Shatila’s Baklava and Kashta Ice Cream
Dearborn’s sweetest treasure since 1979, Shatila Bakery transforms ordinary days into celebrations with its honey-soaked baklava layered with crushed pistachios.
The bakery’s kashta ice cream offers a unique texture experience – stretchy, creamy, and perfumed with delicate rosewater and mastic. Growing up in metro Detroit, my friends and I would pool our allowance money to buy a mixed box of baklava to share at the park.
Late-night hours make Shatila the perfect destination for dessert after evening activities, drawing families from across the region.
10. MSU Dairy Store Cones
Spartans have been lining up for scoops of house-made ice cream at Michigan State University’s Dairy Store since 1958.
The student-run operation transforms milk from the university’s own dairy program into creamy delights with flavors like Sesquicentennial Swirl and Izzo’s Malted Madness.
Football Saturdays see fans in green and white forming lines out the door, ice cream becoming as much a game day tradition as tailgating.
The Dairy Store at Anthony Hall continues educating future dairy scientists while satisfying sweet cravings.
11. Bavarian Inn Restaurant Apple Strudel
Frankenmuth’s Bavarian Inn serves warm apple strudel that transports you to Michigan’s Little Bavaria with every flaky bite.
Paper-thin pastry wraps around tender Michigan apples spiced with cinnamon and studded with raisins. Families who’ve devoured the restaurant’s famous all-you-can-eat chicken dinners somehow always find room for this traditional German dessert.
The Zehnder family has been perfecting this recipe since the mid-20th century, making it a cornerstone of Michigan’s food heritage and the perfect ending to a day of Christmas shopping at Bronner’s.
12. Guernsey Farms Dairy Sundaes
The vintage soda fountain at Northville’s Guernsey Farms Dairy feels frozen in time, serving up handcrafted sundaes since 1940. Third-generation ice cream makers churn small batches of velvety goodness in over 48 rotating flavors.
The hot fudge sundae remains the crown jewel – rich vanilla ice cream smothered in house-made chocolate sauce that hardens slightly on contact, creating that satisfying crack when your spoon breaks through.
Families celebrate little league victories and dance recitals at the red counter stools, continuing traditions started by their grandparents.