8 Dolly Parton recipes celebrating her Southern roots that she’d love you to cook in her memory

Dolly Parton was a singer, an actress, and a “really, really good cook“. Parton, who passed away at the age of 80 on August 25, 2026, shared her love for food with her fans throughout her career. Parton told PEOPLE that growing up, she learned to cook “out of necessity” to help feed her 11 siblings and parents. “We’d have to climb up on the chairs to peel potatoes, turnips or whatever. We were really helping out when Mama was not well, or in bed with a kid or having a new baby or whatever… so my first [lesson] came out of just really being a necessity of us helping mom as the older girls,” she said. Cooking was also another creative outlet for Parton. She told Allrecipes, “Cooking is like writing a song. Some of my best songs I came up with while cooking my best food, and vice versa. The better I write, the better I cook.” She described her cooking to Wired, explaining “I’m not a gourmet cook. My food is not pretty, but it’s good. I cook like my mom, my grandmas and my aunts. I’m still one of those people that really can cook, like the old days. That soul food cooking.” Parton released her first unofficial spiral-bound cookbook in 1986 titled Tennessee Mountain Home Cooking, and went on to release more cookbooks: Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s: Love, Laughter, and Lots of Good Food (in 2006) and Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals – A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food (in 2024, co-authored with her sister, Rachel Parton George) The “Jolene” singer also shared with Food Network that she is a better cook than a baker. But that didn’t stop her from creating all sorts of recipes. Dolly Parton recipes Like her music, Parton’s recipes will continue to live on. And these are 8 of her original recipes to try making in her honor: Dolly Parton’s Cole Slaw 1 medium head cabbage, chopped1 medium onion, finely chopped1 carrot, chopped or grated1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped2 teaspoons sugar1/4 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon salt1/4 cup sweet pickle juice1/4 cup white vinegar1 dill pickle chopped; or 1 tablespoon pickle relish1 cup mayonnaise 4 medium potatoesSalt and pepper to taste1/3 cup onion, diced1/4 cup green pepper, chopped1/4 cup celery, chopped1/3 cup sweet pickles, chopped4 eggs, hard-boiled3 tablespoons mayonnaise1 teaspoon mustard8 Spanish olives, stuffed Cook potatoes until tender. Drain. Let potatoes cool then chop. Season to taste. Add onions, peppers, celery, sweet pickles, and boiled eggs. Mix well. Serve cold.Dolly Parton’s Corn Pone2 cups cornmeal1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons all-purpose flour2 teaspoons bacon greaseMilk (use enough to make a stiff batter, about 1 cup) Mix all ingredients together, then form pones by hand and put on a greased baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Yield: about 1 1/2 dozen, depending on size. Dolly Parton’s Cowboy Beans 1 pound ground beef2 medium onions, finely chopped1 small bell pepper, finely chopped2 (16 ounce) cans pork and beans; or four cups fresh cooked October beans2 cups ketchup1 teaspoon vinegar 1/4 cup brown sugar2 teaspoons prepared mustard1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon pepper Brown ground beef, onions and pepper in a 10-inch skillet. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is bubbly. Yield: 8 to 10 servings Dolly Parton’s Chicken and Dumplings 1 (3-pound) stewing hen2 quarts water2 teaspoons salt3/4 teaspoon pepper1 onion1/4 cup chopped celery leaves2 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt3 tablespoons shortening3/4 cup milk In a Dutch over, put chicken, water and 2 teaspoons salt. Cover and boil. Reduce heat; add pepper, onion and celery leaves. Cool chicken; then skin, bone and cut into pieces. Set aside. Boil broth. Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add milk until ingredients are moistened. Turn onto floured board. Knead lightly. Roll into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Drop into boiling broth. Turn heat to low and cook 10 minutes. Stir gently. Stir in chicken and heat. Dolly Parton’s Five Layer Dinner 2 cups sliced raw potatoes1 cup sliced raw onions2 cups cooked tomatoes2 cups ground beef1 cup minced green peppers Season layers. Garnish with green pepper slices. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour uncovered. Serves 6 to 8. Dolly Parton’s Banana PuddingPudding2 (12 ounce) boxes vanilla wafers2 pounds bananas, sliced1 1/2 cups sugar1/2 cup all-purpose flour6 egg yolks3 whole eggs1/2 cup butterDash salt6 cups milk2 teaspoons vanilla Meringue Topping6 egg whites1 teaspoon lemon juice1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon vanilla Pudding: Layer sliced bananas and vanilla wafers in large baking pan. Mix together sugar, flour, eggs, butter, and salt in heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the milk, a little at a time. Cook slowly until the mixture thickens. Let it cool for a few minutes, then add the vanilla. Pour over bananas and vanilla wafers. Meringue Topping: Beat the 6 egg whites with lemon juice, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Spoon this mixture over the top of the pudding. Brown at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden on top.Yield: 10 to 12 servings. Dolly Parton’s Apple Stack Pie Crust6 cups self-rising flour, plus more for dusting and pans1/2 tsp. baking soda1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pans4 large eggs, beaten to blend1 cup granulated sugar2/3 cup milk1/2 cup molasses1 tsp. ground cinnamon1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Filling1 pound apples, peeled, cored, and sliced1/2 cup water1/2 cup granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/8 teaspoon ground allspice Crust: Sift together flour and soda; add butter and mix well. Beat together eggs, molasses, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk. Add flour mixture and mix until it looks like bread dough. Turn onto a floured board or cloth and knead for a few seconds. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts, and roll out layers like pie crust. Grease and flour 6 round cake or pie pans. Put one layer into each pan and pat flat. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 300 degrees. Remove from pans and cool. Filling: Cook apples slowly in water until soft. Strain. To each cup of pulp, add 2 cup sugar and cinnamon and allspice. Cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved, and until mixture is thick. Place filling between layers, and stack one layer on top of the other. This recipe will make two 3-layer cakes or one 6-layer cake. This cake is best after it sits for 2 or 3 days. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.