40 Recipes From Your Aunt's Cookbook

Moms and grandmas aren't the only sources of beloved family recipes ? our Allrecipes community of home cooks love to share favorite recipes from their aunts as well, whether they're passed down through generations or are a new family tradition. Scroll through and find 40 recipes ? from breakfasts and dinners to desserts and snacks ? that come straight from our aunts' cookbooks to your kitchen.

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Aunt Anne's Coffee Cake

Photo by cookin'mama

A traditional coffee cake topped with cinnamon streusel is the perfect way to start your day. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy this cake — but be warned, it's impossible to only eat one slice.

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Aunt Jewel's Chicken Dressing Casserole

Photo by LL

This easy chicken dressing casserole recipe is prepped in 15 minutes and only requires six ingredients — most of which are already in your pantry. Reviewers recommend seasoning the chicken with onion and garlic powder and doubling the amount of stuffing you use.

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Aunt Bert's White Cake

Photo by ToniB

This vanilla-flavored white cake is perfect for any occasion. This recipe is for a 9×13 cake, but you can use a springform pan or use this recipe to make cupcakes. Decorate with any frosting you like, but Aunt Bert suggests cream cheese frosting.

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Aunt Bev's Glorified Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Photo by Caroline C

Upgrade your traditional grilled cheese with Aunt Bev's recipe. Slather sourdough bread with mustard and mayo and fill with ham and Swiss cheese before giving the sandwich an egg wash. Then grill it as your normally would. Not into Swiss cheese? Feel free to substitute your cheese of choice.

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Aunt Cora's World's Greatest Cookies

Photo by Holiday Baker

This chocolate chip peanut butter cookie recipe has received hundreds of five-star reviews, it's no wonder they're called the "world's greatest cookies." The recipe is so simple to make, but reviewers suggest adding one teaspoon of vanilla extract. They love adding peanut butter chips too.

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Aunt Jules' Balsamic Chicken with Peppers

Photo by Fit&Healthy Mom

Chicken is saut?ed with bell peppers, red onion, and asparagus, and coated with a balsamic vinegar and brown sugar sauce in this quick and healthy weeknight dinner. Serve over rice for a satisfying meal.

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Aunt Betty's Banana Pudding

Photo by smlindsey

This five-star layered banana pudding is an easy and delicious dessert to make for a cookout or get-together — especially when you're in a time crunch. It takes 25 minutes to assemble, but reviewers say you don't have to let the pudding set before creating the layers, which shaves off 15 minutes of prep time. Reviewers suggest using banana cream or French vanilla pudding if you want a richer flavor.

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Aunt Jane's Brown Bread

Photo by pomplemousse

A dinner table isn't complete without the warm bread. You can eat this one plain or topped with butter or cream cheese — or add raisins to the bread for extra flavor. Reviewers say the recipe is so easy that even kids can help bake it.

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Aunt Gail's Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Photo by Baking Nana

Crunchy oatmeal lace cookies are delicious plain or dipped in chocolate and coated with nuts, so you can get creative. Be careful, these cookies spread out a lot while baking so leave extra space between them.

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Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Photo by Alberta Rose

An alternative to pulled pork, this slow cooker barbecue chicken is best served with extra barbecue sauce. "Works with any cut of meat, but recipe listed is for chicken. Two-pound cuts work best. Given to me from my aunt," says recipe creator SHELDAWG. Serve on sandwich rolls for an easy meal everyone will love.

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Aunt Connie's Coconut Cake

Photo by Deb C

Coconut-flavored Bundt cake is topped with vanilla frosting and flaked coconut for a fancy-looking cake that's perfect for special occasions. "This cake was delicious! Not overly sweet and had a wonderful coconut flavor throughout. The cake batter itself was addicting," says reviewer Stephanie.

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Aunt Carol's Spinach and Fish Bake

Photo by Jillian

This five-ingredient weeknight dinner is ready in just over 30 minutes. You can use any white fish you want — this recipe uses cod — and it's a great way to get picky eaters to eat their vegetables.

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Aunt Johnnie's Pound Cake

Photo by

This flavorful pound cake is best served topped with strawberries and whipped cream — but it can be served plain as well. Many reviewers have substituted vanilla extract for the almond extract and say it tastes just as good.

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Aunt B's Peanut Butter Muffins

Photo by Holiday Baker

Peanut butter lovers won't be able to resist these peanut butter oatmeal muffins. This recipe is super simple and can be made with just a few pantry staples. Some reviewers like to add cocoa powder or chocolate chips to make chocolate peanut butter muffins.

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Hazel's Meatballs

Photo by Eat

These easy, kid-approved meatballs are great served alone or over spaghetti or rice. You can also make a big batch and freeze them for later. "This is my great aunt Hazel's recipe. They are the absolute best meatballs ever. You MUST try them," says recipe contributor Bakin' Machine.

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Aunt Teen's Creamy Chocolate Fudge

Photo by My Hot Southern Mess

Aunt Teen's chocolate fudge recipe has nearly 2,000 five-star reviews, so you'll definitely want to try it. "Absolutely incredible fudge! It is perfectly smooth, creamy, chocolatey, and all-around enjoyable. It is THE BEST fudge recipe around, and I'm sure that I will make it again and again for years to come," says home cook Adam M.

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Aunt Norma's Rhubarb Muffins

Photo by CCloves2bake

Use up that summer rhubarb with these tasty buttermilk muffins. With a cinnamon sugar topping and a crunchy walnut and rhubarb center, these muffins are something the whole family will love. If you don't have buttermilk, you can add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of milk as a substitute.

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Bierocks (German Meat Turnovers)

Photo by julie

Savory meat pies stuffed with beef, onion, and cabbage make for a delicious, German-inspired meal. The recipe uses frozen bread dough, but you can also use prepared biscuit dough. Recipe submitter Pamela Logsdon says, "This is a recipe from my friend's aunt. She served it during Oktoberfest."

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Aunt Carol's Apple Pie

Photo by Tay

Apple pie is a yummy fall treat, and this five-star recipe is easy to make using store-bought pie crust dough. Recipe creator Jo Ann Taylor recommends using McIntosh or Granny Smith apples for the filling.

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Hungarian Goulash

Photo by Susan

This authentic slow cooker Hungarian goulash is the perfect dinner served over spaetzle or rice. This recipe uses beef chuck roast, but reviewers have also used ground beef and stew beef. "This is a dish that my aunt gave me. It takes awhile to make, but it is worth it. Hope you like it," says recipe submitter RHONDA STORY.

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Aunt Blanche's Blueberry Muffins

Photo by lutzflcat

These cake-like blueberry muffins are sure to be a hit in your house. Reviewers suggest adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter for more flavor. Don't forget to coat your blueberries with flour so they don't sink into the cupcakes.

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Crab and Swiss Quiche

Photo by Joy Todd Becker

"My aunt gave me this recipe because she knew I loved imitation crab. It is amazing how simple and quick it is and VERY GOOD!" say thatchbo.

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Peanut Butter Crispies

Photo by Amber Edwards

Switch up your crisp rice treats from the traditional marshmallow rice crispies to these five-ingredient peanut butter crispies. You can add a chocolate drizzle or chocolate chips for a peanut butter cup taste. "My aunt used to make these when I was a little girl," says April.

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Bow-Tie Pasta Salad

Photo by Alley

This creamy, veggie-packed pasta salad is perfect for summer potlucks or picnics. Many reviewers recommend cooking the broccoli if you, or your family, aren't fans of raw broccoli. "My aunt and mom created this recipe. It is a family favorite and a great item to bring to picnics and potlucks," says recipe recipe creator Alley.

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White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

Photo by ChefFox

In the mood for a pumpkin-packed fall treat? Try these soft-baked White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies. If you want more of a pumpkin pie flavor, add more pumpkin pie spice to the dough. "This recipe was given to me by my aunt. Easy to make and everyone loves it. The hardest part is not eating them all while you are baking them," says recipe contributor Jill Eshenbaugh.

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Pizza Pinwheels

Photo by footballgrl16

Pizza pinwheels are a great snack or appetizer, and one the kids can help make as they only require four ingredients. This recipe uses cheese and pepperoni, but you can fill them with any pizza topping you like. Serve with a side of pizza sauce for dipping. "This recipe came from my Aunt when I was about 13 years old," says CHRISTI_LANDINO.

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Aunt Joyce's Chocolate Cake

Photo by Sophia Candrasa

Aunt Joyce's secret ingredient in this chocolate cake is mayonnaise. The mayo makes this rich chocolatey cake extra moist. Reviewers say this cake is great with or without frosting and perfect in any shape or size — you can use a 9×13-inch pan, Bundt pan, springform pan, or use this recipe to make cupcakes.

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Angie's Perfect Dinner Rolls

Photo by HoneyBee

These five-star dinner rolls are so delicious and easy to make, so they're the perfect addition to your dinner table. The no-knead rolls come out of the oven light, fluffy, and ready to serve warm with butter. Cristy H. shared this recipe, saying, "This is a recipe given to me by my aunt. The rolls are excellent!" And judging by the ratings, she's right!

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Monster Cookies

Photo by Erin

These five-star flourless monster cookies are packed with peanut butter, rolled oats, M&M's, and chocolate chips. Reviewers like adding butterscotch chips and serving these giant chewy cookies with a glass of milk. "I got it from my aunt in Southern Alberta (Canada) several years ago!! Hope you enjoy it," says recipe submitter BEEBUG.

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Special Lobster Bisque

Photo by Daniel Perpignan

Cuddle up with a bowl of this comforting lobster bisque that's ready in just 30 minutes. Serve with toasted bread for a tasty meal on a cold evening. "This is the recipe passed on to me from my Aunt Doris (who in turn had it passed on to her). Fresh seafood is best," says recipe creator Tara Edwards.

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Custard Bread Pudding

Photo by amarolda

This custardy bread pudding is the perfect way to use up leftover homemade bread — or even leftover donuts according to reviewers. This moist bread pudding is filled with raisins and cinnamon, but you can use different fruit, such as blueberries. "I received this recipe from my husband's aunt who has been serving this at her restaurant for years," says SweetPea.

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Strawberry, Kiwi, and Spinach Salad

Photo by *Sherri*

This light and refreshing spinach salad is made with walnuts, strawberries, and kiwi and topped with a raspberry vinegar, raspberry jam, and vegetable oil dressing. This salad is so good your whole family will love it, even the kids! "My aunt makes this salad for my family every time we visit," says recipe contributor Amy F.

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Moist Banana Muffins

Photo by Kat

Mashed ripe bananas, mayonnaise, and a few dry ingredients are all you need to make these super-easy Moist Banana Muffins. Add chocolate chips or nuts for an extra flavorful treat. "This recipe was given to me by my aunt. Everyone loves these moist muffins," says schlozy.

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Lemon-Buttermilk Pound Cake with Aunt Evelyn's Lemon Glaze

Photo by naples34102

This award-winning lemon-buttermilk pound cake topped with a luscious lemon glaze has hundreds of five-star reviews. "If you're in search of a good lemon, buttermilk, and/or pound cake, stop here. This one is all you'd hope for. Moist, great flavor, tender crumb, not too dense (the small amount of baking soda gives it just the right amount of lift) and beautiful," says reviewer naples34102.

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Simple Potato Salad

Photo by Antoinette Conti

This three-ingredient potato salad is ridiculously easy to make with red potatoes, eggs, and creamy salad dressing. You can dress it up with anything else you like to add to potato salad — such as celery, onions, yellow mustard, and paprika. "This was one of the first recipes I learned how to make. My aunt taught it to me; it's not fancy, but I like it," says recipe creator Lisa T.

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Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Photo by Molly

Gooey brownies made from German chocolate cake mix are stuffed with chocolate chips, caramel, and pecans in this decadent five-star brownie recipe. Reviewers say you must use a metal pan for these brownies or else they won't bake all the way through. "My aunt gave me this recipe. It is a little trouble, but they will be the best brownies you'll ever eat," says recipe submitter Barbara Hodge.

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Beef Paprika

Photo by roxanapeace

Don't let the shortening in this recipe scare you away, this beef paprika is delicious over egg noodles or rice. You can make this comfort dinner even easier by making it in the slow cooker. "This is a recipe my Aunt always makes. It has some weird ingredients, but tastes great," says recipe contributor HODGEYMAMA.

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Peanut Brittle

Photo by My Hot Southern Mess

This five-ingredient peanut brittle recipe is made with raw Spanish peanuts and is so easy to make for the holidays. Recipe submitter Gina says, "My Aunt Joyce taught my mother how to make this and she taught me." "Excellent," adds home cook Desere Fanzega Kzulin. "I had to make two more batches right away because my husband ate it so fast! It tastes just like in the stores…even better."

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Lasagna

Photo by Christine G

This vegetarian lasagna is filled with Parmesan cheese and a butternut squash and garlic sauce. You can make the butternut squash sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to three days. "This is a recipe a dear aunt passed on to me. I have made it many times. It's simple," says ANNARICCIJOHNSON.

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Incredibly Delicious Italian Cream Cake

Photo by Yoly

This three-tiered Italian buttermilk cream cake is coated with cream cheese frosting, chopped nuts, and flaked coconut, and earns rave reviews for its moist texture and creamy frosting. "This is an old recipe from my aunt. It is both famous and infamous in our family. It is absolutely irresistible," says recipe submitter Rory.

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