Dolly Parton's Favorite Dessert Is A Southern Classic

While "Dancing with the Stars" is certainly a popular concept, for most of us, the notion of eating with the stars is more accessible. Or to put it better, eating what the stars eat. One star whose indomitable spirit and fabulous six-decade career have outshone most people in the entertainment industry is Dolly Parton. In case you are curious to know what Dolly Parton eats, she has a number of favorite dishes. Her favorite dessert, however, is a Southern classic that is a big crowd-pleaser – banana pudding.

Interestingly, the history of banana pudding is more complex than you'd think, but it has remained a staple in Southern homes and eateries for decades. Parton, who grew up in Tennessee as one of twelve siblings, was particularly close to her mother. Hence, it comes as no surprise that the latter's homemade banana pudding would remain Parton's preferred choice of dessert all these years later too. Here's why Parton's love for banana pudding has endured over time.

The story behind Parton's love for classic banana pudding is a very loving and nostalgic one. As a large family, the Partons would often struggle to make ends meet. This would be most evident at mealtimes. However, they had a neighbor who ran a store nearby and he would always tell Parton's mother when the banana stock was about to go bad so she could buy some at a discounted rate. Those days were cherished by the Partons because they would get their mother's delicious homemade banana pudding for dessert.

Dolly Parton's love for this classic Southern dessert led her to include it on the menu of Aunt Granny's restaurant in her Dollywood theme park located in Tennessee. It has been a firm favorite of patrons there ever since it opened. She also included its recipe in the cookbook she released in 2006 called Dolly's Dixie Fixin's, which is now out of print.

All you need to recreate her version of banana pudding are bananas, flour, eggs, milk, sugar, butter, and vanilla. However, Parton believed her mother's banana pudding was the best because the milk and eggs used were always the most fresh, as they came straight from their farm.

Parton's love of the classic Southern dessert banana pudding is certainly well-documented. Yet, over the years, she has also been vocal about other foods she loves. In a 1992 article published in the New York Times, she said, "I love roast pork, especially the fatty part. I can't help it. The greasier the food, the better." She also listed green beans, turnip greens, and fried okra as her favorite foods when she was entertaining. As for her preferred cuisines, she named Indian, Italian, and Mexican as the ones on top adding, "And if it's a romantic type of thing, I like a good French restaurant. Of course, somebody else has to choose the wine." 

Another interesting fact about Parton is that, unlike most people, she prefers to eat pie on her birthday instead of cake. In an email response given to USA Today, she wrote, "I don't eat much cake. I usually have pie on my birthday. My favorite pie is chess pie." Now that we know Parton's favorite sweet treats, it may be time to honor her by indulging in them ourselves!