Internet hosting is, hands-down, considered one of my favourite hobbies. Don’t get me mistaken—I’ve had moments of remorse throughout prep and cleanup. Nonetheless, I’m right here to point out you that feeding a large group doesn’t imply you must spend hours within the kitchen or break the financial institution. Sure—it’s attainable to create a dish for each a part of your meal that’s inexpensive, scrumptious, and yields sufficient for loads of friends to take pleasure in. These dessert recipes to feed a crowd are certain to fulfill everybody’s candy tooth with out the stress. We’ve bought all the pieces from no-bake treats to make-ahead picks. There’s certain to be one thing to suit everybody’s palate.
40 Simple Dessert Recipes to Feed a Crowd
Good dessert recipes for feeding a crowd have a number of key parts. First, how many individuals can your dessert feed? Usually, I flip to cookies or a cake recipe when I’ve over 4 folks in attendance. Then there’s the side of giving the folks what they need—if I occur to have choosy eaters in attendance (no disgrace!) I’ll go for a lower-ingredient recipe that eliminates any acquired tastes.
No matter crowd you’re trying to accommodate, this listing has loads of choices that’ll encourage you to create gorgeous, meal-making desserts.
Cookie Recipes to Feed a Crowd
Cookie Charcuterie Board
Why We Love It: Whether or not you’re developing this board through the vacation season or just to finish your gathering on a candy word, it’s the right choice for fast, throw-together grazing. Including store-bought sweets to a big serving platter is the best option to serve dessert with none baking or prepping.
Hero Ingredient: For presentation, mud your board with a little bit of powdered sugar.
Linzer Cookies with Winter Citrus Curd
Why We Love It: Cookies make nice dessert recipes to feed a crowd, as you possibly can improve or lower the scale of your batches in accordance with your visitor headcount. When Elizabeth Ho from Birdhouse Bakeshop shared this vacation Linzer cookie recipe with our group, we have been shocked at how easy but elaborate-looking these treats have been. For the citrus curd, the choices are limitless—throw in something from orange extract to dried lavender.
Hero Ingredient: Vanilla paste or vanilla bean seeds assist deliver a component of sweetness to those cookies.
Chocolate Chip Tahini Shortbread Cookies
Why We Love It: This cookie recipe, dropped at us by Daphne Oz, is nice meets savory. The flavour distinction is their spotlight—mixing the candy and lightweight shortbread with nutty sesame seeds and wealthy, creamy tahini.
Hero Ingredient: What would a chocolate chip cookie be with out chocolate chips?
Chocolate Orange Linzer Shortbread Cookies
Why We Love It: There’s one thing undeniably beautiful about Linzer cookies. Their elevated look presents the phantasm of a posh dessert that’s surprisingly easy to make. With their crumbly shortbread, chocolate ganache filling, and a beneficiant dusting of powdered sugar, these cookies have all of it.
Hero Ingredient: A splash of Grande Mariner, whereas not required, enhances the orange taste.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why We Love It: Final yr, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies have been on repeat in my kitchen. Dusted with the right sprinkle of flaky salted and full of chopped darkish chocolate, these elevated chocolate chip cookies belong in your recipe guide.
Hero Ingredient: It’s the pumpkin puree. Sufficient stated.
Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Why We Love It: For those who, like myself, are a PSL fanatic, these pumpkin spice cookies are for you. With a glaze equal to candy cream in your latte, dusted with cinnamon, and full of pumpkin pie spice flavors, these are an amazing dessert for welcoming within the fall season.
Hero Ingredient: The cinnamon glaze is elite.
Cake and Pie Recipes to Feed a Crowd
Strawberry Olive Oil Cake
Why We Love It: When the climate begins to heat up, I stray from dense, overly candy dessert recipes. As an alternative, I gravitate towards lighter flavors whereas incorporating contemporary fruits or extracts. With a candy and textured crumble topping and gorgeous contemporary strawberries, this olive oil cake makes for each the perfect seasonal dessert and breakfast the next morning.
Hero Ingredient: Greek yogurt helps this cake retain its moisture.
Peach Tarte Tatin
Why We Love It: Claire Ptak’s tackle the traditional apple tarte tatin is just divine. She makes use of contemporary peaches, mild and fluffy puff pastry, and a nutty almond peach leaf custard. Evidently, I’m obsessed.
Hero Ingredient: I’m a agency believer that contemporary peaches are the best way to go right here.
Grain-Free Lemon Raspberry Almond Cake
Why We Love It: We’ve a plethora of choices relating to retaining issues GF, however that is considered one of my private favorites. With a batter together with complete milk ricotta for a moist sponge, lemon zest, and contemporary raspberries, it’s a easy option to hold issues grain-free and scrumptious.
Hero Ingredient: I like using almonds as this cake’s topping.
Strawberry Cake with Mascarpone Cream
Why We Love It: This cake is the intersection of straightforward and stylish whereas nonetheless being a crowd-pleasing dish for everybody to take pleasure in. The mascarpone cream combines candy, mild, and comforting flavors with a presentation that may have everybody in awe.
Hero Ingredient: Strawberries, after all!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Why We Love It: Everybody loves a chocolate cake, and this recipe is not any exception. The icing is made out of chocolate chips, cream cheese, and heavy cream, retaining issues mildly candy to stability out the cake’s richness.
Hero Ingredient: Almond flour is a superb GF different to typical AP flour.
Peanut Butter Banana Snack Cake
Why We Love It: This snack cake isn’t simply low-ingredient—it’s a breeze to throw collectively, too. Creamy peanut butter is a base ingredient for this recipe and sure a pantry staple you might have available. Pair this cake with a glass of milk or a cup of espresso for a easy, romanticize-your-life second.
Hero Ingredient: This peanut butter Greek yogurt frosting is to die for.
Lemon Icebox Cake
Why We Love It: This recipe is a no-bake delight, utilizing minimal components and loads of components you probably have available. It’s a type of make-ahead recipes that want to sit down for some time, however that’s exactly what makes it top-of-the-line simple dessert recipes to feed a crowd.
Hero Ingredient: Lemon cookies are a vital element.
Gluten-Free Citrus Cake with Strawberries and Cardamom Coconut Cream
Why We Love It: If a strawberry shortcake and a pound cake had a child, it could in all probability appear like this scrumptious gluten-free cake with contemporary strawberries and a spiced cardamom coconut cream frosting. Baking any dessert with citrus zest is a good way to combine up the flavors of seemingly easy desserts, and this cake speaks to how simple the method actually is.
Hero Ingredient: Coconut yogurt (or any yogurt of selection) offers this cake the right quantity of added moisture.
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Why We Love It: This pumpkin cake is one other one of many fall recipes I couldn’t cease baking final season. What makes this cake top-of-the-line simple dessert recipes to feed a crowd is that it’s tremendous wealthy—that means you possibly can slice small and serve extra.
Hero Ingredient: It’s exhausting to select only one, however I’d must say the addition of cinnamon offers this cake a savory and spiced fall factor.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Why We Love It: I’ve been a lover of carrot cake for so long as I can keep in mind, however I hadn’t settled on a go-to recipe earlier than I discovered this one. This cake has a delicate trace of orange, paired with a crunchy texture from toasted pecans. And, after all, the cream cheese frosting is a should.
Hero Ingredient: Orange zest within the frosting is a game-changer.
Flourless Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cake
Why We Love It: Nothing is extra holiday-esque than peppermint and scorching chocolate. The 2 flavors have been virtually meant for one another, and after they’re integrated into an progressive dessert, there’s no going mistaken. This cake additionally will get bonus factors for being gluten-free.
Hero Ingredient: Whipped cream frosting? Sure, please.
Pumpkin Snack Cake
Why We Love It: Chew-sized snacks is usually a quick and straightforward option to craft a few of the best desserts for large-scale gatherings. If an entire cake isn’t within the playing cards on your crowd, snack desserts are an amazing choice for popping within the oven and serving in a pinch. Plus, this recipe makes use of pantry staples that may probably stop any last-minute grocery purchasing.
Hero Ingredient: Freshly grated nutmeg enhances the flavour of your batter.
Rhubarb Meringue Cake
Why We Love It: The alternatives for baking and cooking with rhubarb are limitless. Apart from its show-stopping look, this rhubarb cake is full of contemporary and tart fruit flavors that make for an ideal match with a candy and flaky cake. The perfect half—it’s solely six steps!
Hero Ingredient: Only a splash of orange juice added to your rhubarb compote makes this cake all of the extra shiny.
Walnut & Honey Olive Oil Cake with Candied Citrus
Why We Love It: I’m absolutely on board with the olive oil cake pattern. These desserts boast a singular texture and taste that surprises friends who could also be anticipating your stereotypical fluffy cake. Adorned with candied oranges and a easy glaze instead of heavy frosting, it’s full of taste whereas being elegantly easy.
Hero Ingredient: Toasted walnuts give this cake a nutty taste that contrasts the tangy citrus.
Mina Stone’s Olive Oil Cake
Why We Love It: There’s one thing in regards to the mixture of an olive oil cake with fruit that makes these recipes so particular. This explicit cake, impressed by Mina Stone’s traditional recipe, has the perfect dense and sponge-like texture with spiced parts from cinnamon and cloves.
Hero Ingredient: Whereas elective, cognac provides a particular fruity and candy contact.
Rum & Coffee Spiced Tres Leches
Why We Love It: Everybody in Texas has a tres leches recipe that they swear by, however this is perhaps considered one of my favorites (unbiased opinion, after all). After attempting and testing quite a few variations through the years, this model with rum and a touch of espresso or chilly brew continues to win me over.
Hero Ingredient: A little bit of cardamom is important in the perfect tres leches recipes.
Mango Cardamom Icebox Cake
Why We Love It: Icebox desserts are a year-round hit in my family, however this one particularly is a recipe repeat. It’s a dessert that’s not overwhelmingly candy, as ripe mangos create a pure candy factor with none synthetic flavors. The cardamom cream pairs completely as a delicate and gentle base on your contemporary fruit.
Hero Ingredient: This salty pistachio crumble? Insane.
Masala Chai Carrot Cake
Why We Love It: There’s one thing a few chai spice mix that brings a way of consolation and coziness into any dish. In terms of the vacation season, I can’t assist however flip to this chai carrot cake recipe, which doubles as a scrumptious dessert and a stunning centerpiece.
Hero Ingredient: This cake is a real testomony to how versatile of an ingredient carrots are.
Classic Buttermilk Pie
Why We Love It: It’s exhausting to go mistaken with a buttermilk pie. This recipe’s presentation is simply the tip of the iceberg—the creamy, custard-based filling has a crème brûlée-like texture that’s sheltered by a light-weight and flaky pie crust.
Hero Ingredient: A dollop of whipped cream to serve is important!
Cherry Berry Ice Cream Pie
Why We Love It: So far as fruit desserts are involved, this recipe is on the prime of my listing. Requiring solely 5 components, it’s a fast and straightforward option to throw collectively a simple dessert recipe that gained’t take an excessive amount of time within the kitchen.
Hero Ingredient: This strawberry cheesecake ice cream is at all times on my grocery listing.
Extra Dessert Recipes to Feed a Crowd
Camille’s Mom’s Best Brownie Recipe Ever
Why We Love It: Everybody has been raving over this one-bowl brownie recipe for the previous few months, so after all, I needed to see what the hype was about. Evidently, it didn’t disappoint. In terms of brownies, I’ve excessive requirements, and this recipe checks all of my bins. With an ethereal, souffle-like texture with crispy edges, I may go on about these brownies for days.
Hero Ingredient: The flaky sea salt garnish brings all of it collectively.
Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Why We Love It: That is THE summer season dessert and a recipe I come again to yearly. These baked lemon bars encompass a gluten-free graham cracker crust and a light-weight and tangy custard-like filling, topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, after all.
Hero Ingredient: Tapioca starch might not at the moment be a pantry staple in your family, nevertheless it is perhaps after attempting this recipe.
Blackberry Cobbler
Why We Love It: There’s one thing a few cobbler recipe, a little bit of ice cream, and a candy crumble topping that makes me crave a scorching summer season day by the pool. When you can swap in any fruit of selection for this cobbler, blackberries rejoice the perfect of the summer season season.
Hero Ingredient: A little bit of vanilla ice cream, do-it-yourself or store-bought, is important.
Summer Fruit Salad
Why We Love It: The perfect factor a few fruit salad is that it may be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled to make one of many best dessert recipes to feed a crowd. With summer season peaches, ripe blueberries, and a wide range of different contemporary favorites, this fruit salad makes for a dish that nobody will flip down.
Hero Ingredient: Use a little bit of lemon zest and juice to reinforce your fruit’s flavors.
Citrus Olive Oil Muffins
Why We Love It: Have you ever ever seen a extra gorgeous muffin? These olive oil muffins are simply the smaller model of an olive oil cake and make for excellent particular person bites. The edible flowers make these muffins look a lot deceptively difficult, the place in actuality, there’s not a lot to them.
Hero Ingredient: Greek yogurt provides to the moisture and taste.
Cinnamon Baked Apples
Why We Love It: This comforting dessert options tender apples infused with heat spices. With cinnamon, sugar, and butter, the apples turn into gentle and caramelized, making this a dessert that gained’t take an excessive amount of time however will depart your friends glad.
Hero Ingredient: Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Bars
Why We Love It: ‘Tis the season for no-bake recipes. Providing all of the flavors of pumpkin pie in an easy-to-serve bar type, these are excellent for fall (or year-round if fall flavors are your jam) gatherings. They are often simply minimize and transported, making them a handy different to a standard pie.
Hero Ingredient: Brown butter is important for creating the buttery caramel taste.
Healthy Apple Crumble
Why We Love It: This simple dessert recipe combines the pure sweetness of contemporary apples with a low-sugar crumble topping, providing the comforting flavors of conventional apple crumble whereas incorporating fiber and vitamins.
Hero Ingredient: A little bit of apple cider vinegar provides the right punch and additional taste to your filling.
No Bake White Chocolate Lemon Cardamom Slices
Why We Love It: White chocolate is extremely underrated, particularly when paired with any fruit. For a no-bake bar that’s nonetheless wealthy and candy, these lemon cardamon slices are a decadent choice that’s simple to serve and retailer.
Hero Ingredient: Like I stated, it’s white chocolate’s time to shine!
Raspberry Tiramisu
Why We Love It: This traditional dessert is mostly a crowd-pleaser, however this raspberry model takes issues up a notch. It’s considered one of our greatest recipes of all-time for a purpose.
Hero Ingredient: Chambord (raspberry liqueur) provides a darkish, fruity quality to this traditional deal with.
Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
Why We Love It: Particular person desserts aren’t at all times simple to drag off after they’re not within the type of muffins, brownies, or bars. Nonetheless, these strawberry shortcakes are the exception, and so they’re gluten-free in order that nobody will get not noted of the enjoyable.
Hero Ingredient: Coconut milk or cream retains your whipped cream dairy-free (and nonetheless scrumptious).
Double Chocolate Skillet Cookie
Why We Love It: I like any excuse to whip up a skillet dessert, particularly once I’m serving a crowd. This tackle a double chocolate cookie with chopped chocolate chunks is ideal to slice up and serve with a little bit of ice cream.
Hero Ingredient: Espresso powder, whereas elective, provides an amazing distinction to the sweetness of the chocolate.
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Brownies
Why We Love It: It’s typically a problem to make a good-quality salted caramel dessert. The substitute variations aren’t at all times what I’m aiming for after my meal. Fortunately, this recipe accommodates each a do-it-yourself caramel sauce, a cheesecake layer, and a wealthy brownie layer. It’s the perfect of all worlds.
Hero Ingredient: Flaky sea salt works like a appeal.
Chocolate Fondue Board
Why We Love It: Final, however definitely not least, is that this chocolate charcuterie and fondue board. For a dessert that doubles as an exercise, that is excellent when served with a number of skewers on the dinner desk so that every visitor can decide and select their favourite sweets.
Hero Ingredient: This chocolate fondue is easy and candy.
