Our Most Popular Recipes of 2020

By Mary Shannon Wells
December 09, 2020
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

This year has been a doozy to say the least. With all the bad news in the world, our editors at Southern Living sought to share the silver linings of 2020. One thing we can all agree on? We got a lot better at cooking. We were cooking so much, in fact, that we started a Facebook group to talk about it with our readers. These were the most popular recipes of 2020 that had our readers searching, sharing, and trying again and again. Since a lot of us had more time on our hands, many of our top recipes were baking projects. From spring’s Cakey Strawberry Cobbler to summer’s Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake, fall’s Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake, and winter’s Old-Fashioned Gingerbread, our readers baked their way through 2020. Everyone was in need of a little comfort from the stovetop, so some of our most popular recipes were warm and cozy soups. Skillet suppers like our Beef Tamale Pie and Shrimp Destin with Orzo were top recipes among parents who needed something new in the rotation, and a twist on classic chocolate chip cookies went viral. There’s plenty we want to leave behind from 2020, but we’ll be holding onto these recipes for years to come.

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Our readers went crazy for this twist on classic chocolate chip cookies, especially in our What’s Cooking With Southern Living Facebook group.

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Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

This oldie-but-goodie recipe had a resurgence in popularity this year when our Test Kitchen Professional Ivy Odom shared her shortcut tips for making it.

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Cakey Strawberry Cobbler

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Cakey Strawberry Cobbler

Cobbler comes in many forms, and this ultra-tender version was a reader favorite. We loved that our readers tweaked the recipe to fit whatever fruit they had on hand, with delicious results every time.

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Slow-Cooker Apple Butter

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Apple Butter

This slow-cooker wonder from our October 2020 issue made all of our readers’ homes smell like fall this year. Our readers found so many creative ways to use it, and you will, too.

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Martina McBride’s Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Credit: Courtesy Oxmoor House

Recipe: Martina McBride’s Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Country singer Martina McBride is also a star in the kitchen, as this popular soup recipe proves. Many readers have commented that this has become a regular in their homes.

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Chocolate Cobbler

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Chocolate Cobbler

This pudding-like dessert comes together with ingredients that you probably have sitting in your pantry, which is one reason readers love it so much.

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Curried Okra Shoestring Fries

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Curried Okra Shoestring Fries

Okra is one of summer’s greatest gifts to our gardens, and this version of fried okra is absolutely addicting.

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Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake

Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Kay E Clarke

Recipe: Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake

What’s a better companion for your morning cup of coffee than a donut? A donut cake, of course!

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Egg Custard Pie

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Egg Custard Pie

We can’t resist a vintage recipe, and this simple, old-fashioned pie tastes like nostalgia for our readers.

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Pancake Casserole

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Pancake Casserole

What’s better than Sunday brunch? Sunday brunch that’s made on Saturday and ready to pop in the oven right when you wake up!

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Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake

Caramel cake is delicious. Pound cake is delicious. So is a combination of the two going to be anything but incredible? Of course not!

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Ground Beef Vegetable Soup with Gnocchi

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero

Recipe: Ground Beef Vegetable Soup with Gnocchi

Store-bought gnocchi is an easy shortcut that makes this cozy soup recipe so easy for weeknights.

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Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake

Raise your hand if 2020 made you need a cocktail! We sure did. Our readers got creative with this boozy dessert that showcased summer’s gorgeous fresh peaches.

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Coconut Cheesecake Squares

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Coconut Cheesecake Squares

Since we couldn’t travel this year, we turned to our kitchens to transport us elsewhere. These bars were our ticket to tropical paradise. One editor called them “sunny heaven-in-a-bite bars.”

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Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Casserole

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Casserole

Even your pickiest eaters will gobble up this easy recipe at dinnertime.

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Homemade Turtles

Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Homemade Turtles

A candy tin full of these sweet and salty treats is the best gift any neighbor can get around the holidays.

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Wacky Cake

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Wacky Cake

Because this vintage cake recipe comes together in the baking dish (no bowls required!), it’s a little wacky. But we promise it’s delicious!

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Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

When you hear “gingerbread,” you may picture cookies or houses decorated for the holiday. If you want genuine gingerbread flavor, make this old-fashioned gingerbread cake recipe.

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Beef Tamale Pie

Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Beef Tamale Pie

This savory skillet supper has a Tex-Mex filling and is topped with a cornbread crust—talk about yum!

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Reese’s Cake

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Reese’s Cake

If there’s one thing our readers did while at home in 2020, it was bake. And what better to turn a bad day (er, year) around than the decadent combination of chocolate and peanut butter?

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Skillet Shrimp Destin with Orzo

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Skillet Shrimp Destin with Orzo

This pretty recipe is presentable enough for the in-laws but easy enough for a laid-back summer night.

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Peach Custard Pie

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Peach Custard Pie

Looking for a make-ahead dessert that showcases fresh summer peaches? Step right up to enjoy this easy pie that can be served chilled or at room temperature.

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By Mary Shannon Wells