Dessert shooters are totally on-trend. These layered mini desserts are carefully prepared in shot glasses (or dessert shooter glasses) for an adorable presentation that’s perfectly portioned to save everyone from over-indulging – that is, if they can manage to eat just one! There are endless possibilities when it comes to dessert shooter ideas, from chocolate brownie shooters to strawberry cheesecake shooters and more.
While dessert shooters are fun to eat, they’re not so easy to make. If you’re planning a party or casual get-together and want an easy, done-for-you dessert that’s still going to wow the crowd, consider a platter filled with scrumptious chocolate brownies, mini cheesecakes, and fresh-baked cookies. It’s an assortment of the perfect snack-size, grab-and-go sweets your guests will rave about. Or, consider a platter filled with chocolate covered Bavarian pretzels, sandwich cookies, and graham crackers, along with chocolate brownies and chocolate dipped strawberries topped with swirls of white chocolate Swizzle®.
Feeding a big crowd? Consider our Edible® Signature Dessert Board. It’s packed with all the dessert favorites you love from Edible Arrangements®, from chocolate brownies to mini cheesecakes, scrumptious gourmet cupcakes, fresh fruits, chocolate dipped fruits, and fresh-baked cookies. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, as it includes a variety of tasty treats so that every guest will find a dessert they love. Our Ultimate Dessert Board includes even more decadent treats, such as caramel pecan patties, peanut butter cups, and Jordan crackers.
For more delicious dessert shooter ideas you might want to try, we put out a call for ideas and curated responses below. (Note: Edible Arrangements® is not endorsing any of the companies or ideas discussed below, but we asked for suggestions to get some different perspectives.) Keep reading to find out what the contributors who responded to our query had to say about their favorite dessert shooter ideas.
Angela Milnes
Angela Milnes is a Multi Award-Winning Family Lifestyle and Food Blogger. She is the founder of both The Inspiration Edit and The Instant Pot Table.
“My favorite dessert shooter idea is to take a classic like tiramisu and turn it into a fun shooter. I love the way the coffee and chocolate flavors combine in this dish, and the addition of liqueur gives it an extra boost. I top it with a chocolate-dipped cherry for an elegant finish. You could also try other flavors like raspberry or strawberry.
Another great idea is to make a shooter with a graham cracker crust. This is a fun twist on a classic dessert shooter, and it’s perfect for summertime parties. I like to use a mixture of berries and cream cheese for the filling, and you can top it with a chocolate drizzle or whipped cream.”
Andrew Radford
As a part-time barman and cocktail enthusiast, Andrew has traveled all over the world, working in unusual locations such as underground bunkers, hidden chambers, and even a prison!
“My favorite dessert shooter idea is the Limoncello Dessert Shooter. Crammed with lemon curd, mascarpone, whipped cream, and not forgetting a splash of Italian lemon liqueur, the Limoncello Dessert Shooter is quite simply Italy-in-a-bottle.
Making Limoncello Dessert Shooter is incredibly easy:
- Mix together 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 cup of lemon curd, and a double shot of Limoncello liqueur (2 fl. oz./60ml).
- Whisk until thickened, then 3/4 fill your shot glasses with this heavenly mixture.
- Finally, whip 1/2 cup of whipped cream and gradually stir in 1/4 cup of mascarpone; gently add this mixture to the remaining 1/4 of your shot glasses and pop them in the fridge.
Perfect for Al Fresco summertime dinner parties, your guests can enjoy the refreshingly zesty Limoncello Dessert Shooter for a taste of the Italian Amalfi Coast. This is my all-time favorite shooter dessert, and I hope you enjoy it too.”
Robert Muñoz
Robert Muñoz runs the website SensibleMotive, which is all about driving, vehicle maintenance, and automobile accessories.
“The Jammie Dodger Cheesecake Shooter is my favorite dessert shooter. I actually invented this recipe one Valentine’s Day for my partner, and she loved it. It’s playful, artistic, and oh so sweet. And as a bonus, there’s no baking – it’s a super simple recipe! Here’s how we do it:
The Base: I use sweet and buttery shortbread as the base for this cheesecake as it goes great with the Jammie Dodger theme.
- Simply crush your biscuits in the food processor.
- Then combine with two tablespoons of melted butter until you have a smooth, almost doughy substance.
- Fill the first half-inch of your shooter glasses with this base and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
The Cheesecake: The cheesecake filling is a classic combination of cream cheese, icing sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip three cups of cream cheese up with one cup of icing sugar until you have a smooth mixture, then add a dash of vanilla extract.
Now the secret ingredient: raspberry jam! Add a few tablespoons of your jam and swirl it through the cheesecake filling to create a beautiful marbled effect. It looks great, but just wait until you taste it!
Lastly, add a healthy dollop of filling on top of your biscuit bases. You can fill the shooter glass to the top as the topping will rest comfortably on top. Return the glasses to the fridge to firm up.
The Topping: You can create your own whipped cream at home with a combination of heavy cream and sugar, but it takes some serious elbow grease to whip it into shape. I like to use Cool Whip to top off these cheesecake shooters and then dunk a Jammie Dodger on top for decoration.
These dessert shooters are super easy to make and should only take around half an hour in all. Then you can keep them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them up.”
Ruiz Asri
Ruiz is an editor at Honest Food Talks, which is a UK-based independent foodie media outlet that aims to help people discover new Asian cuisine recipes, kitchen hacks, and local eateries. He loves discovering new home recipes and is a huge Boba and Chai enthusiast!
“My favorite dessert shooter idea is the Ube and Coconut Pudding Shooter. Ube and Coconut Pudding is an easy-to-make dessert that takes inspiration from traditional Filipino desserts which use Ube (purple yam). This Asian dessert is healthy, vegan-friendly, and colorful – perfect as a dessert shooter to serve at parties!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Ube paste
- ¼ cup tapioca pearls
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream (just scoop the top part out of the can of coconut cream)
- 2 tablespoons date syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Steps:
- First, boil 2 cups of water in a pot. Once it is boiling, add the tapioca pearls and cook for 3 minutes. Then, turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and set it aside for 30 minutes to allow it to cook slowly until there are no white centers in the pearls. Once ready, use a sieve to rinse the tapioca pearls under running water. Drain any excess water from the pearls.
- Meanwhile, use a blender to mix the almond milk, coconut cream, salt, vanilla extract, date syrup, and Ube paste until they become smooth.
- Add the blended purple mixture and tapioca pearls to a mixing bowl, and whisk them together.
- Pour the mixture into dessert shooter cups and let it chill for at least 6 hours before topping with coconut cream. Then chill again overnight, and your Ube & Coconut Pudding will be ready to eat the next day.”
Albert Vaisman
Albert Vaisman is the Founder of Soxy. Soxy is a new generational media company that connects content and commerce in a seamless way.
“One of my favorite dessert shooters is Oreo Cheesecake Shooters. Everything that is Oreo-flavored is always a favorite for everyone. This dessert shooter idea has always been popular among my family and friends.
The recipe is easy and requires no baking. You start with making your cheesecake batter as you normally would. Line the bottom of your shot glasses with ground Oreo cookies. Add a layer of cream cheese batter, followed by a thin layer of cold whipped cream. Next, pour in some chocolate mousse and top it off with more whipped cream. Sprinkle some more ground Oreos to give your shooters a sparkle.”
Anna Silver
Anna Silver is the founder, CEO, and creative director of CookForFolks.com, a website dedicated to new go-to original recipes. Inspired by her grandmother’s love of cooking, Anna has a passion for treating the people in her life to delicious homemade food and loves to share her family recipes with the rest of the world.
“My favorite dessert shooter idea, by far, is my take on a strawberry jelly donut!
I start the shooter off with some strawberry jelly that I have made slightly runny by adding a dash of hot water. This makes it easier to get out of the shooter glass. After this has cooled down, I add an altered version of whipped cream (I add powdered sugar and popping candy), and then I finely chop up some donut holes and sprinkle these pieces on top. It’s great fun to make and eat!”
Brandon Walsh
Brandon Walsh is the Founder of Golf Clubs Guru.
“Dessert shooters are the perfect idea to end a fulfilling meal and offer guests some sweets to taste before they make their way home.
Whenever I have my friends over for a party or dinner, I always prepare the Almond Cake Trifle Shooters. The English dessert has been a long-time favorite of mine due to its chocolatey richness.
The dessert does take around 45 minutes to prepare, but the wait and effort are worth it. The amazing balance between chocolate, almond cake, and cardamom cream hooked me on the Almond Cake Trifle Shooters. The individual serving size dishes will be leftover because of the heaviness of the cream, but leftovers make for a great breakfast with raspberry jam and hot tea.”
Rachel Scott
Rachel Scott co-founded National TASC LLC in the hopes that more medical content will be made available to the public. She aims to break medical barriers to help more people. During her free time, she loves baking and traveling.
“My favorite dessert shooter is the No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Dessert Shooters. There is no more fulfilling dessert to eat than when you still feel you are eating healthy. That’s why this is my favorite.
As it uses a pumpkin puree, it feels like I am still eating the vegetable itself, so I still feel healthy though I am bagging up the carbs. Across all the recipes I’ve tried, the best so far is the one from Sugar Spun Run as it’s very simple and they only use the necessary ingredients.”
Craig Miller
Craig Miller is one of the founders of Academia Labs LLC. He is also the content manager and the digital database expert.
“Banana Pudding Shooters are my favorite dessert shooters.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 small thinly sliced bananas
- 48 miniature vanilla wafer cookies
- 10 miniature coarsely crushed vanilla wafer cookies
- 1.5 cups of thawed Cool Whip frozen whipped topping
- 1 box (4-serving size) vanilla pudding and pie filling mix (please do not choose the instant)
Directions:
- In a 2-quart saucepan, put in and stir pudding mix. Then, cook over medium heat while stirring constantly. Do this until the mixture is thickened. Add the vanilla. Remove from heat, then pour into a medium bowl. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until chilled.
- Next, spoon pudding into a 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Seal the bag. Then, spoon whipped topping into a 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag and seal the bag. Cut a 1/8-inch opening diagonally across the bottom corner of each bag.
- In the bottom of each of the shot glasses, place 1 cookie. In each glass, pipe about 2 teaspoons of pudding over the cookie, then top with 1 banana slice. Pipe about 2 teaspoons of whipped topping over the banana. Repeat the layers into other glasses. Sprinkle with crushed cookies and serve immediately. You can also refrigerate these for up to 30 minutes.”
Maria Corcuera
Maria Corcuera is the recipe developer, photographer, and founder behind Sweet Fix Baker. She shares mostly dessert recipes that are updated takes on classics, as well as baking tips.
“How does Caramel Bourbon Oreo Ice Cream sound? I developed a super easy no-churn (no need for an ice cream machine!) soft and creamy caramel ice cream, with a kick of Bourbon and crunchy Oreo chunks.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 can (13.4 oz) Dulce de Leche
- 1 cup full-fat milk
- 6-7 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups Oreo cookies, in small chunks, plus more for garnish
Instructions:
- Whip heavy cream and sugar with a whip attachment until stiff peaks form.
- Add dulce de leche, milk, bourbon, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until just combined.
- Fold in Oreo cookie chunks.
- Place mixture in a freezable container and top with more Oreo chunks. Cover and freeze overnight. Enjoy!”
Christina Russo
Christina Russo is the Creative Director of the Kitchen Community, one of the world’s most respected digital
culinary hubs that attracts an audience of over 3 million visitors a month that is solely dedicated to food, health, cooking, and wellness.
“A dessert shooter that always goes down a treat at the dinner parties I’ve hosted is a chocolate cheesecake dessert shooter.
After a large meal, it’s always nice to have a small yet rich treat. A chocolate cheesecake dessert shooter offers everything from a crunchy base to a thick and sticky chocolate-cheese topping finished off with delicately whipped cream.”
Jessica Randhawa
Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, recipe creator, photographer, and writer behind The Forked Spoon. She creates delicious, family-friendly recipes that anyone can make, and her website has over one million users per month.
“Arroz con Leche (or Mexican Rice Pudding) is a delicious Mexican dessert made from simple ingredients, including rice, milk, cinnamon, and sugar.
It can be served hot or cold and is guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth. Easily poured into a shot glass, Arroz con Leche shots are a fun way to enjoy this Mexican delicacy.”
Nathan Hughes
Nathan Hughes is the Digital Marketing and SEO manager at DiggityMarketing.com.
“Raspberry shooters are the best I have ever had.
As a raspberry lover, I would definitely recommend it to everyone. They have a very refreshing taste with a creamy texture. They are just perfect to have at house parties during summers. You can actually switch raspberry with fruits of your choice while preparing it, like strawberries and blueberries. But I feel raspberries are best for this dessert.”
Megan Ayala
Megan Ayala is a Fitness & Health blogger at Patricia and Carolyn.
“Lemon lush dessert shooters are my favorite dessert shooters. They are just really cute, delicious, and perfectly portioned. I can never get enough of them.
This dessert is also easy to make, as it doesn’t even need to be baked. It’s a trifecta of perfect layers on a soft walnut crust. For a perfect lemon lush shooter, you need walnuts, flour, sugar, and melted butter for the crust.
For the filling, you need cream cheese, confectioners sugar, thawed cool whip, instant lemon pudding, milk, and chopped nuts for garnishing. When the crust and filling are ready, take a 2 oz shot glass and combine all the ingredients together. Put it in a food processor for almost 20 minutes and refrigerate it until solid. Voila, the dessert shooter is ready.”
Candace Wu
Candace Wu is the co-founder of Wonder Monday — low carb, high protein cheesecakes that taste just like the real deal without the sugar and junk.
“We love delicious mini cheesecakes plated with some whipped cream and berries. Plus, it’s good for you with no added sugar, low carb, and high protein. Your guests will be obsessed and feeling great without the sugar crash.”
Ethelyn Dietrich
Ethelyn Dietrich from Cooker Query is passionate about making delicious recipes and cooking. She writes 5-7 pitches monthly for readers on high-quality blogs.
“Dessert shooters are a popular way to end a meal. They’re easy to make and usually only require a few ingredients. Plus, they’re great fun to eat. There are a lot of different dessert shooters that I love, so it’s hard to choose the best one.
Here are my 5 best dessert shooter ideas:
1. Chocolate cake with raspberry sauce shooters – This is the best dessert to serve for a birthday party or a special occasion. The cake is filled with chocolate and decorated with fresh raspberries. You can also add whipped cream, strawberries, or other fruit to this shooter.
2. Pumpkin pie shooters with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice – Pumpkin pie is one of the most popular desserts. These shooters are a great way to serve dessert at a fall or holiday party. The pumpkin pie is filled with whipped cream, and the shooter looks like a giant pumpkin pie.
3. Margarita shooters made with lime juice, triple sec, and tequila – If you are looking for a fun alternative to the traditional margarita shooter, this recipe is for you. It’s made with lime juice, triple sec, and tequila. You can also add a splash of lime soda or another drink to make it more festive and exciting.
4. Shirley Temple shooters with grenadine, ginger ale, and a Maraschino cherry on top – These Shirley Temple shooters are a great way to get your kids to drink something other than juice. They are made with grenadine, ginger ale, and a Maraschino cherry. It tastes just like a Shirley Temple but without the calories!
5. Espresso Martini shooters with coffee liqueur and vodka – These shots are made with coffee liqueur and vodka, but what makes them so special is the espresso shot on top. It adds a great flavor to the cocktail without making you feel too dizzy.”
Jill Taylor
Jill Taylor is a homesteader who enjoys learning about sustainable living and practicing self-reliance. She loves being outdoors and spending time with her family and animals. She strives to be as self-sufficient as possible and enjoys sharing what she learns with others.
“My favorite dessert shooter idea is a chocolate peanut butter shooter. First, you take a shot glass and fill the bottom with chocolate syrup. Then, you add a layer of peanut butter on top of that. Finally, you top it off with whipped cream. You can add some chocolate shavings on top for an extra touch of class.
I love this dessert shooter because it is both sweet and savory. The chocolate and peanut butter complement each other perfectly, and the whipped cream adds a light and fluffy element. Plus, it’s super easy to make! All you need is some chocolate syrup, peanut butter, and whipped cream.
So if you’re ever in the mood for a quick and delicious dessert shooter, give this recipe a try.”
Robert Welch
Robert Welch is the CEO of Projector1, a leading platform providing readers with the latest technology news updates and product reviews.
“My favorite dessert shooter idea is Mandarin Delight Dessert Shots. These light and somewhat sweet mandarin delight dessert shots from Holly’s Cheat Day are the spring and mid-year treat we’ve been longing for. Smooth and complemented with citrus, they’re suggestive of the melty orange treats we adored to such an extent as children, short of the sticky orange hands.”
Amy Anderson
Any is the Founder of DIY Candy.
“Make these creamy cotton candy dessert shots that will remind you exactly of your favorite state fair food! Perfect for parties – easy and delicious.
Ingredients (makes 10):
- 8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 tub Cool Whip (thawed)
- ¼ tsp cotton candy flavoring (Lorann’s)
- ½ c confectioners’ sugar
- 1 – 2 Tbsp. heavy cream (or milk if you don’t have any)
- Food coloring – red and blue
- Cotton candy for garnish
Tools:
- Hand mixer
- Piping bags or sandwich bags
- 1.5 oz shot glasses – at least 10
Directions:
- Place the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl. Mix together until smooth, adding the cream (or milk) in small increments at a time until you reach a soft icing consistency.
- Add the cotton candy flavoring and mix well.
- Separate the mixture into three bowls and put 1 – 2 drops of each color into separate bowls. The third bowl will stay white. (This is if you have white cotton candy. If not, then just separate the mixture into two bowls and color one blue and one pink).
- Divide the Cool Whip evenly in the bowls and fold gently until mixed in and distributed throughout.
- Use piping bags or sandwich bags with the corners snipped, and pipe the cream cheese mixture into the glasses in layers.
- Garnish with tufts of cotton candy, and enjoy!”
Natalia Thompson
Natalia Thompson is the CEO and Recipe Creator at Flavorful Home where you’ll find simple, flavorful recipes made for everyday life. They focus on home cooking tips, flavorful recipes, ingredient substitutes, and all the food information the home cook should know.
“My favorite dessert shooter idea is the banana split shooter. This shooter is very easy to make and doesn’t require you to bake or cook anything – you just need to blend the ingredients, and you’re good to go. This is perfect for those kitchen emergencies when guests give you little time to prepare.
Just blend together 1 medium-sized banana, ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 cup frozen strawberry yogurt, 100 ml of vodka, and a few drops of vanilla flavoring. Spread a teaspoonful of a store-bought chocolate frosting inside the shot glass, pour the mixture in, and you’re ready. This is also versatile because if you have kids as guests, then you can just take out the vodka from the mix, and you have a kid-friendly dessert on the go.”
Sharon Dylan
Sharon Dylan is the Co-Founder of Management Help LLC. Since she aims to help individuals achieve their goals, she pursued to become a career coach. She loves photography and gardening but spends most of her free time reading science fiction novels.
“As someone who loves s’mores in all of their forms, I love the s’mores shooter recipe from My Baking Addiction.
The S’mores Shooter recipe is very easy to follow, and it only takes about 15 minutes to make, starting from scratch!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup 2% milk
- 8 ounces extra Cool Whip
- 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
- 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- – 1 Hershey’s milk chocolate bar
- 1/2 cup fluffed marshmallow with vodka
- 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package of instant chocolate pudding mix
Procedure:
- Whisk together the chocolate pudding mix and milk in a large bowl until thick and smooth. Add in the vodka, whisking until the mixture is free of lumps and well-combined. Fold in the Cool Whip and mix until no white streaks are visible. Set aside.
- Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons of graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of each mini cordial glass.
- Place the pudding mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip such as the Wilton 1A, or simply snip the corner of a zip-top bag. Pipe the pudding mixture using a swirl motion into each glass, stopping about 1/2 inch before the rim of the glass.
- Spoon or pipe (I used a medium French tip) the marshmallow fluff directly onto the pudding mixture. If desired, use a kitchen torch to carefully brown the marshmallow fluff and garnish with a piece of the Hershey’s milk chocolate bar.”
Luke Lee
Luke Lee is the CEO of Palaleather. They provide a full line of services using the highest-grade leather material that is centered on design, quality, and delivery. In addition, Luke consults with individuals and organizations regarding Business Affairs, Technology, Digital Marketing, Leadership, Management, Visual Design, and Fashion.
“If you’re looking for a new and exciting way to serve dessert, then look no further than the Oreo Cheesecake dessert shooter. These are a fun and creative way to enjoy our favorite cookie, and they’re perfect for any occasion.
I have a special taste for this sweet treat as they come in small, mouthful servings, and the combination between Oreo cookies and cheesecake is divine. Whoever made this dessert shooter deserves a Nobel!”
Sarah Brooks
Sarah Brooks is a successful recipe blogger and the creator of Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream and The Aussie Home Cook. She enjoys all things desserts but especially ice cream and cheesecakes. You can find her gardening or chasing her high-energy kids when not in the kitchen.
“My favorite dessert shooter idea is jello shots. They are super fun, easy to make, and incredibly versatile. You can mix them up with your favorite flavors, whip up a tray in minutes, and make them alcohol-free for the kids.”
Monte Deere
Monte Deere has served as the CEO of Kizik since 2019. With a background in law, Monte practiced for 25 years before leaving his firm to take a chance on the burgeoning shoe brand, intrigued with its never-before-seen technology.
“A salted caramel apple pie cheesecake is the dessert shooter of my dreams. When I have a sweet tooth, I’m in the mood for a cheesecake and pie but would never indulge in both.
The layers in this shooter satisfy all my cravings in a few bites, so I don’t have to choose just one! I also love salted caramel on almost everything, and it elevates both the pie and cheesecake elements. I love a dessert shooter because you can get creative with the ingredients and create a combination you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else.”
Brett White
Brett White is the CEO and Content Lead of Addicted to Veggies. Addicted to Veggies is a site dedicated to discussing raw, vegetarian, and vegan food. From recipes to useful informational content, the site covers everything readers need to know. Being an expert in the field, the content Brett oversees is useful and well researched.
“Despite being a vegetable enthusiast, one of my favorite desserts to have as a shooter is key lime cheesecake. This shooter makes an excellent palate cleanser due to its zingy and refreshing taste.
This is not a super common shooter, and it would add a little something extra to your desserts on offer at your gathering or event. This dessert is perfect to fulfill those sweet cravings, and you won’t feel sleepy or tired afterward. You’ll still be in the mood to party – less of a food coma, more of a food fiesta!”
These dessert shooter ideas are sure to be a hit at your next get-together. Looking for a simple, done-for-you dessert idea? Consider a party platter from Edible Arrangements® filled with an assortment of perfectly-portioned treats like mini cheesecakes, chocolate brownies, gourmet cupcakes, chocolate dipped fruits, and more. Feeding a large crowd? The Edible® Signature Dessert Board includes a little bit of all our dessert favorites, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re ordering dessert or giving one of these dessert shooter ideas a try, you’re sure to be in for a delicious treat!
