Soul Food Holidays
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Food has always been intertwined with history. And soul food is no exception.
It’s a cuisine steeped in the Southern United States and deep South traditions, reflecting African Americans’ cultural heritage, strength, resilience, and perseverance.
Soul food reflects African American heritage and their journey throughout American history.
This history goes back to the 1500s when enslaved Black people had to make do with limited and often low-quality ingredients. Black Americans used their ingenuity and creativity to make flavorful and hearty meals that sustained them through their long workdays.
What are soul food holiday recipes?
Asked another way, “What is a soul food Thanksgiving menu?”
Today, soul food holidays are an opportunity to honor this rich culinary legacy and celebrate the flavors that have become essential to African American and American cuisine.
From traditional soul food classics like crispy fried chicken to savory collard greens, every soul food dish has a story and a connection to the people and the culture that created it.
Whether enjoying a slice of sweet potato pie or savoring a bowl of gumbo, soul food holidays are the perfect time to come together, share a meal, and celebrate the flavors that have captured our hearts and taste buds.
Even vegan soul food recipes.
What are your favorite holiday foods?
🎙 Listen to the recipes on The Soul Food Pod episode: Soul Food Holiday Recipes
Best soul food holiday recipes
What is the most popular soul food?
Imagine sitting at a table with steaming dishes of succulent seasoned chicken, smoky collard greens, and creamy mac and cheese. You bite into the chicken for a savory flavor explosion in your mouth!
The collard greens are perfectly cooked, with just enough seasoning and tenderness. And the mac and cheese is so rich and creamy; it’s like a warm hug in every bite!
Here are some of the best soul food recipes to make your Easter, Juneteenth, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s holiday feast a hit!
Soul food holidays main dishes
Black Folks Crushed Pineapple Glazed Ham
A soul food holiday showstopper, my Black folks’ crushed pineapple-glazed ham is tender, juicy, and crowned with a glossy, caramelized pineapple glaze. Sweet, savory, and rich with Southern heritage, it’s the kind of centerpiece that brings everyone back for seconds. Easy enough for any cook, yet worthy of every celebration!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Turkey Recipe The Soul Food Way
My Black folks’ Southern turkey recipe is a juicy, flavor-packed holiday classic! Easy to make, soulful to taste, and always the star of the table. It's a soul food twist on Southern turkey, brined in homemade apple cider for bold, juicy flavor you won’t find in the usual roast.
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Southern Christmas Roast Recipe
My oven-baked soul food Christmas roast is tender, juicy, and seasoned with rich Southern herbs and spices for a holiday centerpiece full of "flava!" Slow-roasted to perfection, it delivers that nostalgic, home-for-the-holidays comfort in every bite. A true showstopper for your Christmas table!
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Instant Pot Smoked Turkey Legs The Soul Food Way
Soul food turkey legs made fast in the Instant Pot! Tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone turkey cooked in rich Southern seasoning for deep, comforting flavor in a fraction of the time. A modern twist on a soulful classic.
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Black Folks Soul Food Southern Smothered Chicken
What makes a delicious soul food smothered chicken recipe? Tender, juicy chicken seasoned with soul food spices and smothered in a flavorful, creamy gravy medley. That's Southern comfort food at its finest!
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Southern Soul Food Cornish Hens
Perfectly seasoned, juicy, and golden brown, these soul food Cornish hens are an elegant twist on Southern comfort. Packed with deep roasted flavor and seasoned with a soulful blend of spices, this easy recipe delivers Sunday dinner perfection in every bite!
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Black Folks Soul Food Southern Fried Chicken Recipe
Originating from the kitchens of skilled soul food cooks, an authentic Southern fried chicken recipe is characterized by seasoning both the chicken and the flour, incorporating more than just salt and pepper for flavor. This is what gives Black folks' fried chicken an exceptionally bold taste with every bite!
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Black Folks Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe
Tender, juicy, fried chicken with flavorful, crispy, crunchy skin is a Black folks' buttermilk fried chicken recipe. A soul food recipe for buttermilk marinated chicken.
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Air Fryer Southern Fried Chicken The Soul Food Way
In this guide, I'll demystify the secrets to cooking delicious Southern fried chicken in the air fryer. I'll also show you how to confidently recreate the same crispy and flavorful skillet-fried chicken you love, all while enjoying the modern ease and efficiency of an air fryer!
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Black Folks Southern Fried Chicken And Waffles Recipe
Chicken and waffles is a soulful dish that captures the essence of Southern cuisine and is deeply rooted in Black culture. It serves as a prime example of elevated soul food. I'm bringing this comforting meal into your home, adding my unique twist of syrupy-sweet heat to a dish traditionally found on the menus of popular soul food restaurants!
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Black Folks Southern Shrimp And Grits
This is the Black folks’ shrimp and grits recipe you’ve been looking for! It’s a creamy, saucy seafood goodness dish, featuring a rich and flavorful Creole sauce generously drizzled over a warm bed of the fluffiest grits, complemented by succulent, jumbo garlic-butter seasoned shrimp to keep things interesting.
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Easy Soul Food Gumbo With Thai Flavors
The secret to a great gumbo? It’s the roux! In this recipe, creamy coconut milk blends with spicy Thai red curry paste to create a rich, flavorful base, perfectly balanced by tender, salty crab meat for a soulful twist on a Southern classic. Where Cajun tradition meets Thai inspiration.
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Soul Food Southern Air Fryer Lamb Chops
My soul food air fryer lamb chops are crispy, tender, and full of Southern-style seasoning that brings big Sunday-dinner energy in minutes! Each chop is coated in a curated blend of simple herbs and spices for a superb, soulful flavor, then air-fried to juicy perfection. A quick, modern twist on a classic that tastes like it’s been passed down through generations.
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Southern Stuffed Peppers
This Southern stuffed peppers recipe may seem like a fancy dish at first glance – but take another look… They're an old-fashioned Southern meal homemade with ingredients you can easily find in your pantry!
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Southern Chicken And Dumplings The Black Way
The secret to the best chicken and dumplings is a Black folks’ soul food recipe, elevated with aromatic herbs, soulful seasonings, and juicy, well-seasoned chicken for a dish that’s intensely flavorful, comforting, and unforgettable!
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Instant Pot Leftover Pulled Turkey Recipe
What can you make with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving? Make a pulled turkey meal with holiday leftover turkey in your Instant Pot!
Check out this recipe!
Still looking for side dish ideas for your Thanksgiving table?
Then start here with the below list of soul food Thanksgiving side dishes!
Forget about dry, bland gravy and tasteless stuffing this Thanksgiving!
Instead, prepare for soulful, flavorful sides that’ll have your family bursting into celebration songs well before the final entrée is served!
Soul food holidays side dishes
Black Folks Soul Food Candied Yams On The Stove
My Black folks’ soul food candied yams are sweet, buttery, and rich with warm soulful spices. It's a classic African American side dish that brings "flava," nostalgia, and holiday magic to every table!
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Collard Greens Recipe
Black folks’ collard greens are a soulful Southern classic seasoned to perfection and simmered with love, honoring African American roots and timeless flavor traditions.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Soul Food Cabbage Recipe
The soul food cabbage difference is all in the legacy, the layers, and the love. Regular fried cabbage is just… cabbage. But Black folks’ cabbage? That’s comfort, culture, and collard greens’ close cousin all wrapped into one well-seasoned, soulful side dish!
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Black Folks Soul Food Baked Macaroni And Cheese
A Black folks’ mac and cheese recipe isn't any ol’ mac and cheese recipe. It's baked, never boxed, and always loaded with soulful seasonings. This is that creamy, cheesy, soul-hugging masterpiece that gets baked until it’s bubbling around the edges and golden on top!
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Southern Lobster Mac And Cheese
Even with the addition of decadent lobster meat, there's no compromise to the traditional Southern soul food flavors in this meal. In other words, this is still baked macaroni and cheese made the Black folks' way!
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Black Folks Creamed Corn Pudding Casserole
This Southern creamed corn casserole has a sweet corn flavor with onion and garlic for a rich, savory, soul food taste. Add sour cream for a creamy melt-in-your-mouth pudding and parmesan cheese for the cornbread crust.
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Old Fashioned Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe
My old-fashioned cornbread dressing stays true to its roots—simple, hearty, and soulful. This version skips modern add-ins, keeping the recipe classic and authentic. Made with golden homemade cornbread, savory veggies, and traditional herbs, it delivers the pure nostalgic flavor loved for generations.
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Black Folks Chicken And Dressing
At its heart, Black folks' chicken and dressing is cornbread dressing elevated with tender, shredded baked chicken. The ingredients are simple yet soulful: cooked poultry, flavorful Southern seasonings, cornbread, celery, onion, parsley, chicken stock, and egg. It's a favorite at Thanksgiving, not to be missed!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Cornbread Dressing With Giblets (Gizzards)
Black folks’ Southern cornbread dressing with gizzards is a savory holiday classic made with golden cornbread, tender gizzards, onion, celery, and soulful herbs, carrying on a soul food tradition where no part of the bird goes to waste.
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Black Folks Southern Oyster Dressing Recipe
Soul food cornbread oyster dressing is a holiday classic featuring golden cornbread baked with fresh herbs, tender veggies, and briny oysters. It's crispy at the edges, soft and savory inside, with a seasoned richness and that soulful, ocean-kissed flavor in every bite.
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Southern Soul Food Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Homemade cranberry sauce the Southern way. Sweet, tangy, and made with fresh cranberries, sugar, and a selection of soulful spices. A glossy, ruby-red holiday favorite that adds zesty flavor to every Thanksgiving plate!
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Southern Green Beans Seasoned The Soul Food Way
These Southern soul food green beans are simmered low, slow, and steady in a savory, seasoned broth with butter, scallions, thyme, and bold Southern spices. Smoky, tender, and deeply comforting. This is a heritage-rooted side dish that delivers bold flavor without relying on meat.
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Instant Pot Glazed Carrots The Soul Food Way
Savor the sweetness and nutrition of glazed carrots for busy weeknight dinners or as a standout holiday side dish. The ease and efficiency of using the Instant Pot shine through, without compromising the distinctive, soulful, sweet, and savory flavors of this traditional Southern recipe.
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Instant Pot Creamed Corn The Soul Food Way
This isn’t your average cream-style corn from a can! I’m sharing my family’s Southern creamed corn recipe made faster in the Instant Pot, but still full of that slow-cooked, buttery flavor you remember from Grandma’s table. It’s sweet, savory, and silky-smooth with a touch of soul.
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Black Southern Cinnamon Apples Recipe
Tender, buttery apples simmered in brown sugar and cinnamon, just like Grandma used to make! This Black Southern classic is sweet, spiced, and full of soul. Perfect as a side, dessert, or spooned over warm biscuits or ice cream.
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Black Folks Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
The secret to my Black folks’ creamy mashed potatoes recipe is cooking them the soul food way—rich, creamy, and seasoned far beyond just butter, salt, and pepper. It’s all about layering flavor with creamy texture.
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Black People Southern Potato Salad
A Black folks' Southern potato salad recipe is flavorful! Bold, creamy, soulful, and packed with flavor in every forkful. It's not just a side dish, but a whole vibe. The kind of dish that makes people smile before they even take a bite, because they already know what time it is!
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Black Folks Soul Food Macaroni Salad
Macaroni salad is an essential part of Black culinary traditions. The choice of ingredients respects tradition while a handful of soulful seasonings and spices enhance the flavor.
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Black Folks Soul Food Red Beans And Rice
Experience the rich taste of soul food by way of a simple yet flavorful staple dish. Black folks' soul food red beans and rice. A dish that will make your mouth water when you smell the aroma of savory seasonings and spices as the red kidney beans soak in the rich flavors of this dish!
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Southern Soul Food Black Eyed Peas
My Black folks’ Southern soul food black-eyed peas are slow-simmered the traditional way. Tender peas, smoky flavor, and deep, savory seasoning in every spoonful. A classic comfort food recipe for New Year’s Day and beyond.
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Black Folks Soul Food Hoppin’ John Recipe
Black folks’ soul food Hoppin’ John is a timeless Southern classic made with tender black-eyed peas, fluffy rice, and smoky, well-seasoned collard greens, simmered low for deep, comforting flavor. This lucky New Year’s Day staple is rich with tradition, heart, and soul.
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Black Folks Soul Food Southern Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs start as hard-boiled egg yolks mashed. Then they're seasoned to perfection and stuffed into the egg whites for a delicious and flavorful appetizer!
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Soul food holidays bread
Southern Soul Food Cornbread
Soul food cornbread balances crispy edges, a moist interior, and flavorful sweetness. This Southern from-scratch recipe achieves this beautifully by using cornmeal for those ideal edges, heavy whipping cream for a rich and moist texture, and blending sugar, butter, and cream cheese to create the ultimate harmony of savory and sweet!
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Southern Sweet Cornbread With Pineapple
This Southern sweet cornbread starts with the classic mix of cornmeal, butter, and a touch of sugar, but gets a delicious upgrade with crushed pineapple and cream cheese. The result is a softer, sweeter, and more indulgent version of the traditional favorite. Perfect as a standout side dish or sweet-savory treat!
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Southern Cornbread Recipe With Corn
This isn't just another cornbread recipe. It's a reinvention of a classic Southern dish. With the unique additions of creamed corn, butter, and cream cheese, the humble cornbread transforms into a show-stopping masterpiece!
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Southern Cranberry Cornbread
A sweet-meets-savory Southern cranberry cornbread made with golden cornmeal, buttery richness, and bursts of tart cranberries in every bite. Perfect for holidays, Sunday supper, or anytime you want a soulful twist on classic cornbread. Easy, festive, and full of Southern comfort!
Check out this recipe!
Soul food holidays drinks
Black Folks Homemade Southern Eggnog
A creamy, comforting holiday classic made the Black folks’ soul food way: rich, velvety, homemade, and infused with warm spices, sweet vanilla, and generations of tradition. This festive sip delivers Southern flavor in every pour, perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the moments worth celebrating!
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Black Folks Hennessy & Puerto Rican Eggnog (Hennessy Coquito)
A creamy, exotic, and delectable drink awaits you! Step up your cocktail game with this beverage that features a creamy texture and a rich flavor profile. Perfect for impressing your guests. Hennessy coquito will add soulful swag to any event or occasion!
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Black Folks Moscato Sangria
We remixed it with a touch of Black flair and transformed that bottle of wine into Black folks' Moscato sangria, complete with the addition of fruit, club soda, and grape juice. So good you can taste the vibe!
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Starbucks White Hot Chocolate In The Instant Pot
Copycat Starbucks white hot chocolate – easy to order & even easier to make at home in the Instant Pot! Why spend your hard-earned bucks on one little cup of deliciousness when you can make it at home for less?
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Apple Cider Hot Toddy
Nothing speaks holidays like the nostalgia of sweet treats in a cozy, warm setting shared with family and friends. It’s a foundation for creating the best traditions and memories.
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Black Folks Southern Sweet Tea
For starters, Southern sweet tea is a delicious blend of refreshingly sweet and tangy flavors. (Mostly sweet flavors when making Southern-style sweet tea the Black folks' way!) But sweet tea is more than just a thirst-quenching beverage. It symbolizes Southern hospitality and good company, enjoyed throughout the deep South.
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Southern Hibiscus Sweet Tea
Southern hibiscus sweet tea is a delicious red drink made from hibiscus flowers. A tea native to West Africa.
Check out this recipe!
Southern hibiscus sweet tea is a delicious red drink made from hibiscus flowers. A tea native to West Africa.
Soul food holidays desserts
Southern Red Velvet Cake
Southern red velvet cake is a slice of pure indulgence! Smooth, rich, and unforgettable. Imagine sinking your fork into a soft, velvety crumb that’s moist and tender, with the slightest hint of cocoa teasing your taste buds.
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Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe™
My Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe is the creamy, cinnamon-kissed, vanilla-scented slice of heritage that shows up at every Thanksgiving, holiday table, and soul food Sunday. Made with love, seasoned with tradition, and baked to perfection, this pie tells a story in every bite!
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Black Folks Purple Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
A soulful twist on the classic, my Black folks’ purple sweet potato pie keeps all the rich, spiced flavor of tradition. This stunning pie swaps jewel-toned Stokes sweet potatoes for a vibrant, creamy dessert that tastes like tradition with a side of show-stopping wow!
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Southern Sweet Potato Pie With Cream Cheese
Similar to my original Black Folks' Sweet Potato Pie™, this Southern sweet potato pie recipe uses fresh sweet potatoes and soul food spices and seasonings. But for this recipe, it's the Southern charm added to the pie after it bakes, a thin layer of homemade cream cheese frosting is spread on top to savor the sweet taste of Southern hospitality!
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Soul Food Almond Flour Pie Crust
What’s the story of soul food and almond flour pie crust?Almond flour has a Black folks' history and soul food legacy.Black cooks in the South used to bake with almond flour because they didn't have access to traditional flour. The result was a moister, richer, and softer baked good!
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Black Folks Southern Bread Pudding
Are you looking for an old-fashioned Southern bread pudding or a soul food African American bread pudding recipe? Then look no further than this Black folks' Southern bread pudding – your easy go-to recipe!
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Black Folks Southern Soul Food Carrot Cake Recipe
Soul food carrot cake is a Southern dessert specialty enjoyed by many African-American families as a sweet holiday tradition. Black folks tend to make a more spiced carrot cake with classic homemade cream cheese frosting.
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Black Folks Southern Banana Pudding
Southern banana pudding is a celebration of soul food heritage. The simplicity of a few high-quality ingredients transforms into a layered dessert masterpiece!
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Chocolate Southern Banana Pudding
What happens when you take a beloved soul food classic and add a rich, chocolatey twist? You get Black folks' Southern chocolate banana pudding, a decadent spin on a traditional recipe that still tastes like home. Rooted in Southern tradition yet bold enough to break the mold, this chocolate banana pudding is love in a bowl, infused with a touch of soulful cocoa flair!
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Southern Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia salad is a light and fluffy dessert that blends a variety of exotic fruits with sweet ingredients, making it a favorite at Southern gatherings. While the mythical ambrosia was said to grant immortality to those who consumed it, the human version simply provides a delightfully refreshing taste, especially after enjoying fried chicken and potato salad!
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Black Folks Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe
While a regular cobbler might taste one-note sweet, a Black folks’ peach cobbler sings in harmony: sweet, spiced, tangy, and buttery. The peaches are lush and syrupy, kissed with brown sugar and a soulful blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of ginger. And the crust? Lawd, that crust! Flaky, golden, and buttery, it soaks up the peachy syrup like a sponge, wrapping every bite in rich, Southern comfort.
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Southern Pecan Pie The Black Way
A classic Southern dessert with deep soul food roots, and said to be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s favorite! This rich pecan pie combines caramelized brown sugar, buttery pecans, and a golden syrup filling for a sweet slice of Southern history in every bite.
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Soul Food Southern Apple Pie Recipe
What makes this apple pie a Southern soul food specialty?The flavor! This soul food apple pie recipe features fresh apples sweetened with brown sugar and spiced with a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. Seasoned to perfection, the apples are roasted and then baked in the pie to leave you reminiscing on the best Southern dinners!
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Black Folks Southern Tea Cake Recipe
A Black folks' tea cake recipe is a delightful Southern dessert. These little round cakes are light and airy, sometimes compared to soda bread or pound cake. Like sweet little biscuits, tea cakes are highly valued in the South and are a traditional African American treat dating back to the 1600s.
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Traditional Christmas Tea Cakes – The Southern Soul Food Way
Soft, sweet, and full of Southern holiday cheer, these traditional Christmas tea cakes are a soul food classic, dressed up for the season with festive icing. A buttery, nostalgic dessert made for gifting, sharing, and celebrating the holidays the Southern soul food way!
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Pillsbury Christmas Wreath Cinnamon Rolls
This mini Christmas wreath cinnamon rolls recipe is so quick, simple and cute. Hardly a recipe and more like a fun craft project because it needs food coloring, frosting and candy sprinkles to make the
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The Ultimate Soul Food Recipes Guide
What is soul food? Soul food recipes are African-American recipes full of flavor! A legacy of Southern cooking the Black way. Check out this collection of the best soul food recipes!
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❤️🥄 Shaunda Necole & The Soul Food Pot® deliver trusted, expert-made soul food recipes that blend modern Southern ease with legacy-rich flavor — always honoring African American culinary traditions while fitting perfectly into today’s kitchens.