Dolly Parton's Go-To Sweet Treat At Dollywood

If you've ever visited Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, you know that there is no shortage of delicious food to enjoy at the Smoky Mountains amusement park. There are soft pretzels, pizza, ice cream and tons of other treats you would expect to find, but there's also plenty of good 'ol rib-sticking Southern favorites that pay homage to Dollywood's beloved co-founder, Dolly Parton. The legendary country crooner has been known to stop by the park from time to time and you can bet that she doesn't leave without enjoying a treat herself. Her hands-down favorite is the park's funnel cakes.

There are two stands in Dollywood that sell Parton's preferred snack; it's unclear how the "9 to 5" hitmaker takes her cake, but each stand offers freshly made funnel cakes that you can opt to top with classic powdered sugar or a variety of sweet fixins like pie fillings, Oreo cookies, and even breakfast cereal. There's also a spectacular red velvet funnel cake that earned a spot on our ranking of the best Dollywood Park treats. 

The theme park offers some tasty seasonal flavors as well, including lavender honey for spring and pumpkin spice for fall. Parton herself proudly told Southern Living that she's so smitten with the funnel cakes that she frequently requests them even if she can't get to them in person: "Even if I'm in my bus or The Dolly Suite, I say, 'Run, get me some funnel cakes.'" As the singer acknowledged, "I can't leave here without funnel cakes."

When you think of the best, most iconic theme park foods, many of them contain sugar, from the Dole Whip at Disney, to Butterbeer in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, and the king-sized milkshakes at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania. Luckily, Dollywood is no exception. While the generously-sized funnel cakes may be Dolly Parton's personal favorite, the establishment's most famous sugary concoction is the Cinnamon Bread. The pull-apart style loaves are soaked in butter and cinnamon sugar and come with apple butter and buttercream icing. 

If quantity is a factor in how you choose your sweet, you'll be glad to know that Dollywood is home to a 25-pound apple pie, one of the most outrageous theme park desserts ever. A single slice will easily feed four people and will set you back about $30. You really don't have to search high and low in the park if you're after something sweet, though. 

Aside from the funnel cakes, fan-favorite cinnamon bread, and monstrous apple pie, there is also plenty of banana pudding, churro fries, and cotton candy on offer. Just keep in mind that there are lots of rollercoasters to experience at Dollywood, so for the sake of yourself and your fellow riders, maybe spread out your sugar intake throughout your day.