18 Beloved Desserts That Started In Maryland Kitchens
Maryland’s culinary story isn’t just about crab cakes and Old Bay – it also has a sweet side worth celebrating. Tucked into family cookbooks and bakery showcases are desserts that generations have cherished, each one carrying a taste of local tradition.
Across the Eastern Shore and in the heart of Baltimore, these homegrown treats reflect immigrant influences, regional ingredients, and the creativity of bakers who shaped Maryland’s dessert heritage.
1. Smith Island Cake: Maryland’s Official State Dessert
Yellow cake layers stacked impossibly thin – sometimes up to 15 of them – with rich chocolate fudge frosting between each one. That’s the magic of Smith Island Cake.
Born in the isolated Chesapeake Bay community, where watermen’s wives created sturdy desserts that could survive the journey to their husbands’ workboats.
The Maryland legislature made it official in 2008, crowning this layered masterpiece as the state dessert.
2. Berger Cookies: Baltimore’s Chocolate-Topped Treasure
Vanilla shortbread cookies smothered with a thick layer of fudge frosting that’s practically as thick as the cookie itself. German immigrant Henry Berger brought this recipe to East Baltimore in the 1830s, creating an instant classic.
Locals know true Berger Cookies by their distinctive hand-dipped appearance. Each bite delivers the perfect balance of crunchy cookie base and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate topping that’s been Baltimore’s guilty pleasure for nearly two centuries.
3. Baltimore Peach Cake: Summer’s Sweetest Tradition
When peach season hits Maryland, bakery windows fill with golden-hued yeasted cakes topped with glistening local peach slices. This German-inspired treat features a pillowy base that’s somewhere between bread and cake.
Growing up, my grandmother would wake at dawn on summer Saturdays to secure her place in line at Fenwick Bakery. The warm, syrupy aroma would fill our car on the drive home, and we’d rarely make it without sneaking at least one slice.
Nothing says Maryland summer quite like this simple, fruit-topped delight.
4. Baltimore Snowballs: Egg Custard and Marshmallow Magic
Unlike ordinary snow cones, authentic Baltimore snowballs feature finely shaved ice that absorbs the sweet syrup rather than letting it sink to the bottom. The quintessential flavor? Egg custard topped with marshmallow cream.
Dating back to the Industrial Revolution, when ice houses would give neighborhood kids ice shavings topped with flavored syrups, this summer treat has cooled Baltimoreans for generations.
The distinctive paper flower cup makes it instantly recognizable to locals.
5. The Lemon Stick: FlowerMart’s Signature Sweet
Simple yet ingenious—a soft peppermint stick jammed into half a fresh lemon. As you suck through the candy straw, the minty-tart combination creates a uniquely refreshing flavor.
For over a century, this treat has been the hallmark of Baltimore’s annual FlowerMart festival in Mount Vernon.
Children and adults alike can be spotted throughout the event, faces puckered in delight as they slowly extract the lemon’s juice through nature’s candy straw.
6. White Potato Pie: Eastern Shore’s Sweet Secret
Don’t let the name fool you – this isn’t a savory dish. Eastern Shore families have long transformed humble white potatoes into silky, sweet pies that rival pumpkin or sweet potato versions.
Mashed potatoes blend with sugar, eggs, vanilla, and warm spices to create a velvety custard filling. The result is a creamy, cinnamon-scented slice that rarely reveals its potato foundation to unsuspecting guests.
Many Shore families guard their recipes jealously, passing them down through generations.
7. Smearcase: Baltimore’s German Cheesecake
Long before New York-style cheesecake dominated American dessert menus, Baltimore’s German community was enjoying smearcase. The name comes from the German “schmierkas,” referring to the soft, spreadable cheese used in the filling.
I remember my great-aunt slicing squares of this lightly sweet, vanilla-scented treat at family gatherings. She’d serve it straight from the refrigerator, the crumbly sweet dough base contrasting beautifully with the delicate cheese layer above.
No graham cracker crust or fancy toppings – just pure, simple comfort.
8. Baltimore Bomb Pie: Berger Cookie Explosion
Imagine taking Baltimore’s beloved Berger cookies and transforming them into a pie. That’s exactly what Dangerously Delicious Pies created with their infamous Baltimore Bomb.
Chunks of chocolate-topped Berger cookies are suspended in a sweet vanilla chess pie filling, creating a dessert that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
As the pie bakes, the cookies soften and meld with the custard, creating pockets of fudgy goodness throughout the slice.
9. Goetze’s Caramel Creams: Baltimore’s Chewy Treasure
Distinctive bulls-eye candies with chewy caramel wrapped around a creamy vanilla center. Goetze’s has been a Baltimore candy maker since 1895; Caramel Creams (Bulls-Eyes) were introduced in the early 1900s, becoming a regional icon.
The longer, stick-shaped version called “Cow Tales” came later but uses the same beloved recipe.
Generations of Maryland children have grown up unwrapping these penny candies, carefully biting through the layers to experience the perfect caramel-to-cream ratio that’s remained unchanged for over a century.
10. Fisher’s Popcorn: Ocean City’s Caramel-Coated Classic
The intoxicating scent of caramelizing sugar has wafted down Ocean City’s boardwalk since 1937. Fisher’s copper kettles produce batch after batch of perfectly coated kernels that strike the ideal balance between sweet and salty.
The original caramel recipe remains the signature, though they’ve added flavors over the decades.
Generations of Maryland vacationers have carried those iconic buckets home, attempting to make them last beyond the summer – a nearly impossible feat once the lid comes off.
11. Kinklings: Frederick County’s Shrove Tuesday Donuts
For just one day each year, Frederick County bakeries produce thousands of these rectangular fried pastries. Also called “fasnachts,” these treats mark Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins.
The tradition came with German settlers who used up butter, sugar, and lard before the Lenten fast. Modern versions are typically raised donuts dusted with granulated sugar or glazed.
Locals line up before dawn to secure their annual fix of these pillowy delights that connect them to generations past.
12. Baltimore Ribbon Cake: Colorful Layer Celebration
Three distinct layers – chocolate, pink, and yellow – stacked with thin ribbons of jelly or buttercream create this visually striking dessert. Not to be confused with Italian rainbow cookies, this Baltimore specialty stands tall and proud.
Back in the 1980s, no birthday party in my neighborhood was complete without a ribbon cake from Woodlea Bakery. We’d argue over which color layer tasted best, though they were all the same vanilla base with different food coloring.
The real magic was how those simple layers combined into something that felt festive and special.
13. Pimlico Cake: Baltimore’s Legendary Fudge-Topped Delight
Named after the historic Pimlico Hotel in northwest Baltimore, this simple yellow sheet cake comes alive with its signature fudge icing. The glossy chocolate topping forms a slight crust while remaining soft underneath.
When the hotel closed in the 1950s, local bakeries kept the tradition alive. Some versions include a layer of raspberry jam beneath the chocolate, adding a fruity brightness that cuts through the richness.
The cake remains popular at celebrations throughout the Baltimore area.
14. Deal Island Devil Cream Cake: Eastern Shore Chocolate Marvel
From the marshy landscapes of Deal Island comes this study in contrasts: dark, moist chocolate cake crowned with billowy white boiled icing. The name might sound sinister, but the flavor is purely heavenly.
Local lore suggests watermen’s wives created this treat using ingredients that stored well in island pantries. The delicate white icing forms a meringue-like crust that shatters when sliced, revealing the rich chocolate canvas beneath.
Church suppers across the Lower Shore still feature this dramatic dessert.
15. Berlin Peach Dumpling: The Town’s Official Sweet
A whole summer peach wrapped in pastry dough, baked until golden, and served warm with vanilla ice cream melting alongside. This simple yet elegant creation became Berlin’s official dessert in 2010.
Created by Baked Dessert Café, this treat celebrates Maryland’s peach-growing heritage. The pastry seals in the fruit’s juices, creating a natural sauce that mingles with the flaky exterior.
Visitors to this charming town near Ocean City often make a special trip just to sample this official municipal dessert.
16. Lord Baltimore Cake: A Regal Maryland Connection
Considered the masculine counterpart to Lady Baltimore Cake, this elegant creation features yellow cake made rich with egg yolks and studded with nuts and fruit. The fluffy white frosting provides a cloud-like exterior to this stately dessert.
While its precise Maryland origins remain debated, many attribute it to Baltimore’s historic Lord Baltimore Hotel. The cake’s name honors Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore and founder of the Maryland colony.
Its appearance at Maryland celebrations has continued for generations.
17. Mary Sue Easter Eggs: Baltimore’s Seasonal Sensation
Handcrafted chocolate eggs filled with sweet buttercream centers in flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and pecan. Each egg comes hand-decorated with icing flowers and personalized names, making them Easter basket treasures across Maryland.
The tradition began in a Southwest Baltimore rowhouse in 1948 when Mary Sue Candies started producing these seasonal delights.
Unlike mass-produced chocolate eggs, these maintain their handmade quality and remain a cherished spring tradition for Maryland families who often order them with the same names year after year.
18. Rheb’s Handmade Chocolates: Baltimore’s Sweet Time Capsule
Stepping into Rheb’s tiny Wilkens Avenue shop is like traveling back to 1917 when this family-run candy kitchen first opened. Their buttercreams, caramels, and chocolate-covered cherries are still made by hand using original recipes.
During the holidays, lines stretch down the block as Baltimoreans wait to purchase signature red boxes filled with assorted chocolates.
My grandmother swore nothing said “I love you” in Baltimore quite like a box of Rheb’s, especially their legendary dark chocolate buttercreams that practically melt before touching your tongue.