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Iowa State Fair 2023

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The 2023 Iowa State Fair was one for the record books!

Iowa State Fair 2023
2023 Iowa State Fair Ribbons

2023 Iowa State Fair

While the 2023 Iowa State Fair almost set an attendance record with over 1.1 million visitors, I set a personal record myself. In my 6th year competing in the Food Department at the Iowa State Fair, I brought home 31 ribbons, including 3 overall ribbons. Overall ribbons are given for placing in overall divisions and some divisions can have over 100 entries. It was my best year yet!

Here’s a little background on the Iowa State Fair Food Department:

  • The Food Department at the Iowa State Fair is the largest in the nation with 6,800 entries this year alone
  • The Food Department has evolved since the first years in the late 19th century, when only a few things including yeast breads and canned goods were entered. This year, there were over 138 divisions and 695 classes to enter – anything from appetizers to cinnamon rolls and everything in between!
  • 95% of the divisions are for home bakers only, with professional bakers and cooks allowed to enter only a handful of classes
  • Individuals, families, local and national companies sponsor many of the divisions and classes with cash or special products for prizes. This year, the two highest paying classes had a $1,000 purse (each)!
2023 fair winning recipes
Potato Cinnamon Rolls & Banana Nut Cinnamon Rolls

Ribbon Winning Recipes

One frequently asked question I receive is, “Do you share your recipes?” and the answer is “YES!” Any blue ribbon winning recipe from the Iowa State Fair is automatically in the running to be featured in the Iowa State Fair Foundation’s Iowa State Fair Cookbook. This cookbook is published every two years and is available for purchase at the fair.

Not all of my ribbon winning recipes will be featured on my blog, since not all recipes I compete with are vintage, old-fashioned or family recipes. I also do many recipe adaptions when I’m competing, since there are such a variety of divisions and classes to enter. However, many of the recipes I use are already published here on my blog (or may be published in the future!) Here are the ribbon winning recipes from this year’s fair:

Banana Nut Cinnamon Rolls
These banana nut cinnamons rolls have a banana enriched yeast dough and are filled with a crunchy cinnamon sugar filling – they taste just like banana bread in cinnamon roll form! 
Check out this recipe
Potato Cinnamon Rolls
Potato cinnamon rolls are old-fashioned soft, pillowy sweet rolls with a special ingredient – mashed potatoes and are finished with a sweet cream cheese frosting.
Check out this recipe
Rhubarb Crumb Pie
Rhubarb crumble pie is a fruit pie full of tart rhubarb, a hint of lemon and a buttery, crumb topping. 
Check out this recipe
Chocolate Depression Cake
Chocolate depression cake is a moist chocolate sheet cake that was popular during the depression – due to the cake containing no eggs, dairy or butter! 
Check out this recipe
Whipped Cream Cake
A light and delicate vintage cake that gets its rich flavor from the use of freshly whipped cream in the batter, with a filling of freshly whipped cream and ripe strawberries and topped with even more freshly whipped cream and strawberries for garnish.
Check out this recipe
Spice Cake with Fluffy Brown Sugar Boiled Frosting
A tender layer cake warmly spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice with an old-fashioned fluffy brown sugar frosting.
Check out this recipe
Iced Oatmeal Cookies
A soft, chewy old-fashioned cookie that is packed with oatmeal and cinnamon and topped with a coffee-spiked cinnamon icing.
Check out this recipe
Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
A moist coffee cake studded with fresh blueberries, a hint of lemon and topped with a buttery streusel. Not just for breakfast, great any time!
Check out this recipe
Peanut Butter Quick Bread
Peanut butter quick bread is a moist, flavorful depression-era quick bread drizzled with a sweet peanut butter glaze after baking. Love peanut butter? You'll love this recipe!
Check out this recipe
Master Dough: Kolaches
A buttery yeast roll topped with a tart cherry or sweet peach filling.
Check out this recipe
Candied Nuts
Candied nuts that are slowly baked in a cinnamon sugar mixture, resulting in a crunchy candied texture. Great to eat by themselves or can be used to decorate baked goods!
Check out this recipe
2023 state fair winning recipes
Whipped Cream Cake, Iced Oatmeal Cookies & Blueberry Coffee Cake

Made any of these recipes?

Let me know if you make any of these recipes. It really means a lot to me if you can comment or rate the recipes here on my blog or on my Instagram or Pinterest accounts. Until next year, Iowa State Fair!