Wedding cake is, of course, the traditional wedding dessert, but it’s often not the only dessert served at wedding celebrations. Whether you want to go with something non-traditional or simply have an array of delicious dessert options for guests to enjoy, there are plenty of decadent wedding dessert ideas to consider.
Consider a few party platters filled with fresh fruit favorites and delectable chocolate dipped fruits. From platters topped with dove-shaped pineapples hand-dipped in creamy white chocolate to platters filled with an assortment of fresh-baked cookies. In classic flavors like chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and sugar, along with our exclusive white chocolate strawberry and pineapple semi-sweet flavors, you’ll find a variety of platters packed with deliciousness to suit everyone’s taste at Edible Arrangements®. Can’t decide? Our Ultimate Dessert Board includes an incredible assortment of our popular desserts like mini cheesecakes, chocolate brownies, gourmet cupcakes, chocolate dipped fruits, decadent caramel pecan patties and peanut butter cups, and more.
Choose a platter filled with fresh fruit favorites along with Edible’s® Dipping Chocolate Chips so your guests can dip their own for a fun experience. Or, consider delightful fruit arrangements that pull double-duty as a delicious appetizer or dessert and a gorgeous table centerpiece. With an extensive collection of delectable wedding desserts and fruit arrangements, Edible Arrangements® can handle all your wedding day dessert needs.
For more delicious wedding dessert 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 wedding dessert ideas.
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 wedding dessert idea is cake pops. First, they’ll surely go with the cake. Second, they can be eaten without any utensils, making them portable, convenient, and non-messy. No one wants to have their gowns and dresses stained with dessert. Lastly, they can be designed in a way that will match the wedding motif so you’ll be sure that you have a cohesive theme without sacrificing the taste. Cake pops are the best wedding dessert, no doubt.”
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.
“A fantastic wedding dessert idea is churros! I think churros are perfect for weddings because they are easy to adapt to your guests’ different tastes. You can create many types of shapes (straight, looped, bite-sized), fillings (raspberry, coconut cream, pumpkin), and toppings (cinnamon, cookie butter, marshmallows). This variety is a great addition to a wedding celebration. Not only are they quick to make, but they are also cheap to produce! Having a churro stand at your wedding is sure to win every single one of your guests’ hearts – along with your magical wedding ceremony.”
Jim Campbell
Jim Campbell is the CEO and Founder of HoneymoonGoals.com, a leading honeymoon website that helps millions of honeymooners plan their perfect trips every year. He started HoneymoonGoals.com while planning his own honeymoon to help other couples find the information they needed to plan and book their ideal getaways.
“My favorite wedding dessert that I have witnessed is a couple that hired a candy floss machine for their wedding.
Guests were going up and making their own candy floss on a stick, and it was a huge hit. The best thing about it was that there was no need to plate up deserts and cater to individuals because everyone could just do it themselves!”
Jessica Randhawa
Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, recipe creator, photographer, and writer behind The Forked Spoon.
“My favorite wedding dessert idea is Mexican Wedding Cookies.
Simple, buttery and nutty Mexican Wedding Cookies melt in your mouth. They are the perfect bite-sized cookie to accompany any dessert buffet at any wedding.”
Nathan Hughes
Nathan Hughes is the Digital Marketing and SEO manager at DiggityMarketing.com.
“I believe berry tarts are perfect for weddings, and they look perfect for the occasion, too. I love them because they are not too sweet but still taste refreshing and heavenly at the same time. You really have to try it to know what a delicacy it is.”
Carlos Leo
Carlos Leo, a professional recipe developer, food photographer and blogger, is the owner of Spoonabilities.com, an online shop of select, small-batch, gourmet foods you can order for yourself, or as a gift for family and friends.
“No-Bake Honey Cheesecake is a quick and easy wedding dessert recipe with a light, mousse-like texture, naturally sweetened with raw wildflower honey.
Served in individual glasses, it has a wonderful crust made with Amaretti cookies that holds this delicious cheesecake topped with a lemon honey-thyme drizzle. This is the perfect wedding dessert, especially if you’re looking for elegance on a budget.”
Josephine Li
Josephine Li is the Founder and CEO of Cicinia. With more than ten years of experience in the fashion and beauty industry, she offers a complete assortment of bridesmaid dresses, accessories, and personalized gifts for the bride on her website.
“Being in the wedding industry, I can say that one of the best wedding desserts that I like is berry tarts. Berry tarts are definitely delicious and pleasant to the eyes. But aside from these obvious reasons, I consider this one of the best because they are easy to eat and not messy. For everyone on such occasions, being neat and presentable until the end of the event is one of the concerns, and this dessert makes that easy.”
Melissa Collins
Melissa Collins works as a food scientist and chef at Perfect Brew. She is a coffee and brewing expert running a small cafe in Henderson, NV.
“My favorite idea for a wedding dessert is chocolate-covered strawberries. These are the perfect romantic sweet treats for guests at a wedding. It’s a simple and indulgent dessert for which you only need fresh strawberries and good quality chocolate. These strawberries can even be dipped in gold or any color that fits the theme of the wedding. For a more decadent approach, a chocolate fountain can also be added, so that the guests can dip the strawberries themselves and have some fun.”
Rachel Fink
Rachel Fink is the founder of Parenting Pod, a site dedicated to family mental health, positive and nurturing parenting, and well-being that also offers advice from licensed medical and psychiatric practitioners and experts.
“My favorite wedding dessert, which I have seen at a couple of weddings, is small bowls of chocolate mousse, topped with fruit.
Specifically, chocolate mousse with raspberry on top. It’s delicious, an absolute classic, and it looks really elegant. You can also have the bowls match the theme of the wedding, and guests can simply walk up and pick out a mousse bowl to take back to the table with them.”
Brian Andrada
Brian Andrada is the Food and Beverage Editor at The Golden.
“It isn’t the centerpieces or the color-coordinated decor that’s memorable at weddings – it’s the dessert!
People will comment and talk about the pleasurable and delicious food, and the desserts are always a good opportunity really impress your wedding guests.
But move aside, wedding cake, because it’s the untraditional, unconventional dessert menus that really get the hype. Think of a dessert buffet with cake pops, mousse cups, cinnamon buns, macarons, etc. When people see exciting dessert options, they’ll buzz at your reception.
And my favorite fail-safe dessert at weddings: Cookie Shots!
They’re the ultimate fun dessert, suitable for any season. They can be elegantly simple milk in cookie cups, or you play it up with flavored milk and maybe even alcohol.
Here’s how to make them:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped chocolate) for coating inside your cookie shots
Method:
- Mix butter and both sugars into a mixing bowl or mixer. Beat or mix until it becomes light and creamy.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
- Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl, then gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. It will be a thick, hard dough.
- Add the mini chocolate chips and mix well. Refrigerate the dough for one or two hours for optimal results.
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- Fill a cookie shot mold with cold cookie dough balls. When you push in the inserts of the mold’s center, some of the cookie dough will rise to the top and pop out. Remove the inserts and scrape away any excess cookie dough.
- Bake cookie shot glasses for 10 minutes, then use oven mitts to push the inserts down again to perfect the shot glass shape. Bake for another 10 minutes.
- Allow the cookie shots to cool. Scrape away any excess cookie dough that expanded from the mold while baking. Then while they’re still warm and the inserts are still in place.
- Allow the cookie shot glasses to cool completely, leaving the inserts in until the cookie dough is completely cool.
- Once cool, remove the cookie shots from the mold and prepare the chocolate coating by melting the 1 cup mini chocolate chips.
- Pour your melted chocolate into your cookie shot glasses to coat the insides. You can use a brush to spread the coating evenly.
- Turn them upside down to let the excess chocolate drip out. Let them set.
- Before pouring in the milk, check your shot glasses for any holes or areas where it didn’t coat well. The chocolate coating helps maintain your shot glasses’ form and keeps the liquid from turning them soggy.
- You can use flavored milk or, for an adult-only version, use a suitable chocolate liqueur.”
Michelle Arnau
Michelle has spent the last 20 years as a leader in the CPG industry, helping to build disruptive brands across numerous health + wellness categories. In her current role as CEO and Co-Founder of Rowan, she is channeling her passion for creating businesses-for-good to reinvent the pet personal care space.
“Caramel truffles are an absolute delight and gift to humanity. A homemade caramel cream sauce gives these delicacies a wonderfully toasty and sweet flavor when blended together with melted chocolate. A little sprinkle of sea salt makes this the ultimate salted caramel treat. Caramel truffles are my favorite wedding dessert idea because it is uniquely crafted to celebrate a momentous occasion with a non-traditional treat and a heavenly taste.”
Shelley Grieshop
Shelley Grieshop is a former newspaper journalist. In May 2016, she joined the marketing department at Totally Promotional as a creative writer and blog contributor.
“Create a wedding candy buffet to match the theme and color of your special day. Doing a beach wedding theme? Use sand shovels for guests to scoop up Swedish fish, chocolate with sea salt, and nautical gummy bears. Customize frosted cups that guests can fill with items from your candy buffet. Place your names, wedding date or fun quote on the plastic cups so guests can take them home as favors. You’ll save money by not having to buy special containers for the dessert bar.”
Aysegul Sanford
Aysegul Sanford is the owner of Foolproof Living, a content creator and food lifestyle photographer who focuses on healthier eating through balance, without sacrificing foods you love. Her recipes are creative yet simple to ensure people can enjoy them day-to-day while maintaining a happy and healthy lifestyle.
“My favorite wedding dessert idea is Mini Lemon Tarts with Blueberries. These adorably scrumptious bite-size tarts are the perfect wedding dessert. Each serving is filled with creamy ricotta on a crumbly base and topped with berries to give it some added freshness. It’s ideal for serving during the end-of-wedding boogie where guests won’t want to fuss over a fork and plate. Enjoy these mini-miracles in one bite without missing a second of the excitement.”
Kristina Mishevska
Kristina Mishevska is the Digital Content Manager and strategist at Globosurf. She is a certified SEO Expert with a master’s degree in English and American Literature who always strives to learn something new, stay on track with new trends, and keep moving.
“My favorite wedding dessert idea is Baked Apple Roses. At my sister’s wedding they served Baked Apple Roses as dessert, and now it is my favorite wedding dessert idea. Baked Apple Roses are a beautiful, easy dessert that will impress your guests, and they don’t require much baking skill to make. This is a lovely dessert that goes well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, candied mint leaves, and a drizzle of warmed apricot preserves on top. It was adorned with candied mint leaves to make the roses stand out even more. It was quite lovely. Even though it was simple and only took a few minutes to prepare, it drew compliments from everyone at the table.”
Emilie Dulles
Émilie Dulles is an engraved wedding stationery and letterpress invitation expert at her own company, Dulles Designs.
“My favorite wedding dessert idea, which we had at our own wedding in Palm Beach in lieu of cake, was an elegant presentation of triple cream cheeses and whole bries-in-the-round, with assorted charcuterie, jams, herbs, and sliced fruit as sweet accents to taste. The idea here is to ditch the sugary, floury wedding cake and go with an elegant cheese dessert at your wedding instead.”
Jacqui Wormington
Jacqui is the creator behind the vegan food blog The Simple Sprinkle.
“One of my absolute favorite desserts for weddings is actually from my home country – Germany! Herrencreme is a delicious West German wedding dessert made with vanilla pudding, whipped cream, rum, and dark chocolate shavings. It’s a simple yet spectacular treat, with a little bit of zing and festive flavor. It’s the perfect light dessert after a hearty and heavy wedding feast! This recipe uses dairy-free and gluten-free products, so everyone can enjoy this incredible dessert.”
Corrigan Duffy
Corrigan Duffy is Food Blogger & Chef at Corrie Cooks.
“Colorful candies are my favorite wedding dessert idea.
Add some color and fun to your reception by serving a variety of candy, from hard to soft to cotton. Taking them with you is a breeze. After the wedding, your guests can either take these treats home with them or eat them on-site. The addition of a cotton candy machine would be perfect for a whimsical wedding or one with a lot of soft pastel colors.”
Katie Lyon
Katie Lyon is the co-founder of Allegiance Flag Supply. Her experience in business development has been key to defining Allegiance’s brand. She holds a master’s degree from the College of Charleston and has dedicated her career to all facets of the consumer goods industry, including management, sales, community outreach, and marketing.
“I love ice cream sundae bars at weddings. I think interactive stations are fun, because it gets the guests talking, and they can customize their dessert to their choosing. I’d suggest having a few different flavors of ice cream and then a bunch of toppings. Let guests decide if they want sprinkles, M&M’s, chocolate chips, almonds, gummy bears, marshmallows, or crushed Oreos. Make sure you also have whipped cream, different hot fudge options, and a bowl of cherries to top it off!”
Jonathan Keim
Jonathan Keim is the founder of Kokolato, a vegan gelato brand that helps people indulge in their deepest and darkest dessert desires completely guilt-free!
“Everyone expects a cake at a wedding, but personally, my go-to dessert option is gelato. People of all ages love gelato. I mean seriously, have you ever met someone that doesn’t like it? Gelato is light, so it won’t leave you feeling overly stuffed like other dessert options. My favorite flavor is Ginger Cardamom Rose. It’s cold, spicy, and sweet at the same time! Eating gelato is fun, and it can help you cool off from a hot day and a hot dance floor. You can’t go wrong with gelato, and it’s even better when it’s vegan!”
Laura Doyle
Laura Doyle is a New York Times Bestselling Author with over 25 years of experience in relationship coaching.
“A non-traditional wedding cake idea that I fully support is bringing breakfast to the table. Imagine a three-tiered cinnamon roll cake dripping with a vanilla glaze or stacked buttermilk waffles askew with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Outside of pastries, ice cream bars are a must-have. They are family-friendly and can easily be decorated around the wedding theme. Both delicious and practical, ice cream never stopped anyone from hitting the dance floor!”
James Green
James Green is the Owner of Cardboard Cutouts.
“Especially for larger weddings, the best dessert is anything that’s mostly bite-sized and easy for the guests to carry around while socializing and/or dancing.
Cupcakes, cake pops, cookies, dessert squares, etc. are going to be easy for a guest to grab and eat while walking around the venue. Smaller desserts are usually easier on your budget, as well. Large wedding cakes, while beautiful, can get very expensive, so offering small desserts is a great way to make it easy on your guests as well as your pocketbook.”
Larry Snider
Larry Snider is the VP of Operations of Casago Vacation Rentals.
“I really love donuts as a wedding dessert. They’re simple and can be made in so many flavors and styles. It’s a great way to showcase your personality through your wedding desserts. You can create fun or elegant displays and allow guests to pick the flavor and design that they want. A win-win!”
Shane Paarman
Shane Paarman is the founder and CEO of AwesomeStuff365.com, a web magazine that features unique gift ideas, paradigm-altering inventions, amazing designs, cool facts, and exciting, innovative technology, all of which he shares with his millions of followers every day.
“My personal favorite wedding dessert idea is a chocolate fondue fountain. I went to a wedding not long ago and they brought out a massive chocolate fountain for dessert, with plates and plates full of all sorts of fruits, biscuits, small cakes, and more. You could go around picking what you wanted and dipping it in the chocolate fountain. It was super fun, and because we were all going up to it, it meant we were all talking and having fun in a dynamic way, rather than just sitting at our respective tables.”
Steven Inge
Steven Inge is the owner of WedMatch.com, a free online tool designed to help couples find their perfect wedding photographer in minutes without the hassle of scrolling through endless listings. Steven worked as a wedding photographer himself for many years before founding WedMatch.
“Everyone loves donuts, so a tiered tray of wedding donuts iced in the wedding colors is a big hit. Having some gluten-free options is great too.”
Sally Brampton
Sally Brampton is the Owner of Wedding Card Message.
“As I’m from the UK, we absolutely love a trifle. On the face of it, a trifle may not sound very elegant or sophisticated for a wedding, but you have some amazing options. A trifle lends itself well to reflecting the seasons (winter berries or summer fruits, for example) and can even be made into a decadent chocolate version.
You can serve it as one big centerpiece, or for a more refined take split your trifle into individual portions served in delicate glasses.
It’s also fairly straightforward and easy to make. You only need your choice of fruit, cream, custard, sponge or cake, sugar, and mascarpone cheese (and maybe a little alcohol to give it a kick!).”
Luke Lee
Luke Lee is the CEO of Palaleather.
“At one of the weddings I have previously attended, probably the best dessert I have tasted is their S’mores Pops.
These chocolate-coated marshmallows that are rolled in crushed graham crackers are surely a bang for the buck but kept the guests wanting more. Since we are very much careful with our attire at that event, the s’mores didn’t disappoint us because they’re skewered on barbeque sticks and easy to consume.”
Andrew Griffith
Andrew Griffith is the Founder of Garden furniture, a firm that focuses on producing the best quality timber furniture.
“I happen to be someone who loves vanilla, caramel, and whipped cream, and all of these are found in Crème Brulee. It has a fluffy texture and tastes like heaven. It is a great dessert to include in your wedding menu, and it’s a great one to try when you find it during someone’s wedding.”
Looking for delicious, done-for-you wedding desserts to simplify your menu planning for the big day? Browse our extensive collection of delicious wedding desserts, wedding fruit arrangements, and wedding party platters to choose the perfect desserts for your guests to enjoy on the big day. We’ll even hand-deliver it straight to your home or venue, so you can cross one more task off your wedding planning to-do list.
