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.
Dolly Parton loved to cook
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:
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped or grated
1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sweet pickle juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 dill pickle chopped; or 1 tablespoon pickle relish
1 cup mayonnaise
Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
Dolly Parton’s Potato Salad
4 medium potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/3 cup sweet pickles, chopped
4 eggs, hard-boiled
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard
8 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 Pone
2 cups cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons bacon grease
Milk (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.
1 pound ground beef
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 small bell pepper, finely chopped
2 (16 ounce) cans pork and beans; or four cups fresh cooked October beans
2 cups ketchup
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 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 hen
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 onion
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
3/4 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 potatoes
1 cup sliced raw onions
2 cups cooked tomatoes
2 cups ground beef
1 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 Pudding
Pudding
2 (12 ounce) boxes vanilla wafers
2 pounds bananas, sliced
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 egg yolks
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup butter
Dash salt
6 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
Meringue Topping
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 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
Crust
6 cups self-rising flour, plus more for dusting and pans
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pans
4 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup molasses
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Filling
1 pound apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 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.
