The one thing that tops off any great meal is a delicious dessert. Additionally, desserts are always better and more satisfying when you make them yourself. Desserts don’t have to be complicated or difficult to make, as some of the most simple dishes are often the most delicious.
To help you on your search for the perfect dessert for you to make for yourself, your friends, and your family, we’ve compiled a list of 40 of our favorite desserts and we’ve linked to their respective recipes. Every one of these desserts can be made by anyone, as we’ve made sure to only include recipes that are easy to make.
If you see a recipe that catches your eye and gets your mouth watering, then take the plunge and give it a try tonight. Any of these desserts will impress whoever you make them for, as they’re incredibly tasty and they all look so great.
Without further ado, here’s our list of the 40 best dessert recipes.
1. Creme Brulee
Creme Brulee is one of those classic desserts that is a favorite of so many and a staple in most fancy restaurants. It’s deceptively simple! It only has a few ingredients and a few steps to make, but it’s sure to impress your guests regardless.
2. Pecan Pie
No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a delicious pecan pie. But why not enjoy this recipe all year round? Pecan pie is the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors, and it’s sure to get your taste buds excited. As far as pies go, pecan pie is one of the easiest to make.
3. Creme Caramel
This is an all-time favorite dessert for many people. It can be a little challenging to make at first, but with a little practice, anybody can make it.
The hardest part is making the caramel, which can take a little patience. The key is to take your time! Creme caramel is a truly mouthwatering dessert suitable for any time of year.
4. Chocolate Brownie Pots with Raspberry Compote
What an amazing combination of chocolate and berries are. This recipe brings these two worlds together in a way that you might not expect, and the results are truly delicious.
The best part about this recipe is that it’s so quick and easy to make. This is a perfect treat for Valentine’s Day.
5. Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
Finish an evening meal right with this beautifully elegant chocolate swirl cheesecake. This lush, rich, and creamy New York-style cheesecake is seriously indulgent and perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth.
To cut through the richness, you could serve this with some soft, tart fruit or a berry compote.
6. S’mores Macarons
These s’mores flavored macarons are sure to turn some heads. Filled with marshmallow frosting and topped with Graham cracker crumbs, these are a delicious sweet treat that the whole family will love, but especially the kids!
7. Unicorn Cheesecake
This fun, vibrant, and colorful take on a cheesecake has been a popular trend on the internet recently, and you can see why just by looking at it. It’s magical!
8. Caramel-Apple Upside-down Cake
This recipe is a twist on the classic pineapple upside-down cake, but with caramel apples replacing the pineapple. This deliciously gooey and sweet dessert is sure to become a new family favorite.
The tartness of the apples is nicely balanced with the sweet caramel, bringing all the flavors together in perfect harmony.
9. Brownie Fudge Pudding
This recipe is a really easy variation of a fudge brownie, and it’s super gooey and mouth-watering. It goes perfectly with ice cream, particularly the recipe that’s featured next on our list!
10. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
This cookie dough-flavored ice cream with delicious chunks of cookie dough and little pieces of chocolate is possibly the ultimate ice cream flavor. Best of all, you can make this without using an ice cream maker!
11. Key Lime Pie with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue
Key lime pie is truly a classic dessert. With this recipe, the sweet and fluffy toasted meringue is the ideal topping to complement the tart citrus filling.
The dish is really balanced and brought together by the crunchy, crumbly crust made from buttery Graham cracker crumbs.
12. Malted Milk Blondies
This is a really interesting take on a blondie, incorporating malted milk powder to give these delicious treats that unmistakable “cereal milk” flavor. The frosting on these blondies really gives them a sweet kick and brings out the flavor of the malted milk.
13. Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
This recipe is a really fun take on the classic cinnamon roll, serving them up in little bite-sized portions, ideal for dinner or birthday parties with lots of guests.
14. Magic Fizzy Truffles
These magic truffles are almost otherworldly. They are chocolate truffles coated in a strawberry powder made from a crushed strawberry honeycomb. This is a great one to try if you’re in the mood for something a little different.
15. Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Cake
This dessert is indulgent, sweet, and really fancy-looking! With fresh strawberries to garnish, it’s one to really impress your guests with. What’s more, it’s super quick and easy to make. Give it a try!
16. Cookies and Cream Puff Ice Cream Sandwiches
This tasty treat combines pastry and ice cream to create a deliciously crunchy dessert. What could be better than delicious cookie-flavored ice cream sandwiched between sweet, crunchy pastries? This is the ideal follow-up to any great meal.
17. Chocolate-cherries Alaska Bomb
Follow a meal with a touch of luxury. This luxurious dessert combines the tart, sharp flavor of cherries with rich, creamy chocolate. Add a little brandy and ignite to add a little theatre to your evening and impress your guests to no end.
18. Giant Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
This dessert is a real show stopper. Whip this one up on a special occasion such as a loved one’s birthday and you’ll be a true hero. The only thing that’s better than cookies and ice cream is two GIANT cookies with half a gallon of ice cream in between them. Pure bliss!
19. Double-Layer Matcha Cheesecake
This tasty variation of a cheesecake consists of one layer of basque cheesecake on another layer of no-bake cheesecake. This combination of textures makes for a really pleasing desert.
The matcha flavor also works incredibly well in this context. If you’re a matcha fan, make sure to give this one a try.
20. Giant Raindrop Cake
This unusual dessert was inspired by a traditional Japanese dessert called Mizu Shingen Mochi. It’s totally unique, in both its appearance and texture. It looks just like a giant raindrop!
Once you eat it, it melts in your mouth. It consists mainly of just two ingredients, water, and agar agar, which is a plant-based gelatin.
On its own, it doesn’t taste like much. It’s supposed to be paired with roasted soybean flour and black sugar syrup to add texture and sweetness to the dish.
21. Chocolate Banoffee Biscuit Balls
These tasty treats are a simple delight. Made with ripe bananas and digestive biscuits (or Graham crackers), they’re not only tasty but really easy to make.
This is a great recipe for making with your kids because they’re really fun (if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty!) Topped with sweet toffee sauce, these chocolate banoffee biscuit balls are an indulgent treat for the whole family.
22. Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe is a really fresh take on the classic cinnamon roll. If you already love red velvet cake, then you will love these red velvet cinnamon rolls.
They are a really decadent treat and, if you want to, you could make some fluffy cream cheese frosting to top these cinnamon rolls. Seriously delicious!
23. Red Velvet Cookies
These gooey red velvet cookies with white chocolate chips are mouthwatering, to say the least. Who could resist that delicious red velvet flavor in the form of a cookie?
Plus, the contrast between the red in the cookie dough and the white chocolate chips make these cookies so pretty and irresistible.
24. Classic Tiramisu
This classic Italian dessert is a favorite of many and has been for many years. This is why tiramisu is so famous all over the world.
It really has a sense of luxury to it with its rich coffee and creamy flavor combined with a slightly boozy flavor from the rum or Marsala wine. The addition of liquor, however, is optional if you’re not a fan of it or if you’re making this dessert for children.
25. Whisky Caramel and Banana Pudding
Here’s another delicious boozy dessert that is as comforting as it is indulgent. The combination of ripe, sliced bananas with the whisky caramel sauce is incredibly tasty.
This dessert is a little grown-up and ideal for finishing off a dinner party. Your guests are guaranteed to love this one.
26. Vanilla Cake
This vanilla cake has an incredible flavor and texture. The soft, pillow-like sponge combined with the sweet vanilla buttercream is simply delightful with each and every bite.
27. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These chewy chocolate chip cookies are super soft, sweet, and delicious. The soft texture of the cookie dough combined with the chunky chocolate chips just makes for the perfect cookies that everyone will love.
28. Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon meringue pie is a total classic when it comes to desserts. The delicious zesty, tart lemon filling topped with a soft, fluffy, marshmallowy meringue is a real delight. The meringue topping is just like a fluffy cloud once browned slightly in the oven looks so delicious.
29. Strawberry Shortcake
This strawberry shortcake recipe is as simple as it is delicious. This is the perfect recipe to impress your friends and family. Fresh strawberries are macerated in sugar and then spooned over delicious, tender shortcake biscuits.
The flavors in this dessert are simple yet mouthwatering.
30. Coconut Layer Cake
This coconut layer cake is the perfect recipe to make on any special occasion. Its delicate flavors are well-balanced and very tasty. If you love coconut, then you’ll love this cake.
It’s moist and tender, and it can retain its moisture for a couple of days without getting dry. Try it out!
31. Mini Lemon Bars
These little lemon bars are a zesty treat that’s perfect for any time of year. They’re also ideal for sharing, and they’re sure to impress your friends and family.
You can make enough mixture to fill whatever pan you have before cutting the bars into little bite-sized pieces ready to share.
32. Banana Pudding
This banana pudding recipe is so easy and yet so impressive. This creamy dessert is so delicious and sweet.
For best results, chill the pudding overnight before serving as this will improve the texture and allow the banana flavor to really come through. Add whipped cream as a topping to really bring this dessert together.
33. Peanut Brittle
This is a recipe for a delicious nutty candy that is perfect for a light dessert or for just a sweet snack. For those new to making brittle, this easy-to-make recipe is the perfect place to start.
Salty peanuts are brought together with a sweet, sugary mixture and set to make a crunchy, delicious, and addictive dessert.
34. Classic Apple Pie
The apple pie is an American staple when it comes to desserts, and for good reason. The flaky pastry combined with tart apples and sugar is so delicious, especially when combined with some vanilla ice cream.
For best results, it’s a good idea to use both tart and sweet apples to make a nice balanced pie filling.
35. Peach Cobbler
This recipe for an old-fashioned peach cobbler is really simple and easy to make. It can be made with either fresh or canned peaches, as both work well.
The peach cobbler is a common family favorite and it can be enjoyed all year round. The best part about this recipe is that it can be brought together in as little as 5 minutes.
36. Chocolate Lava Cake
This delicious dessert is a common addition to many restaurant menus around the world, and for good reason. It is incredibly rich, chocolatey, and indulgent.
This dessert is well-known for being cakey on the outside with a gooey molten chocolate core that oozes out once you cut into it. Best of all, this recipe is surprisingly easy and it can be made in less than an hour.
37. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These soft, chewy oatmeal cookies and packed with delicious raisins. This recipe is a real favorite of many people. If you’re not a fan of raisins, why not replace them with chocolate chips?
Raisins of course are a healthier option, however. The flavor of the raisins also goes very well with the cinnamon that’s included in the cookie dough. What’s not to love?
38. Bread Pudding
Not only is this bread pudding recipe delicious, rich, and indulgent, but it’s so incredibly easy to make. To make it a little more special and even more delicious, try adding rum-soaked raisins and a blend of your favorite spices.
This dessert can be enjoyed all year round, but we think it’s especially good on cold winter nights. You can assemble this dish ahead of time and keep it covered in the refrigerator before baking it the next day.
39. Crepes
Crepes are an incredibly versatile dessert as you can top them with whatever you like! You can try fresh fruit and whipped cream, or bananas and chocolate. If you don’t want a dessert, why not try some savory toppings?
Cheese and mushroom gravy is a delicious crepe topping for those without much of a sweet tooth. Not only are they versatile and delicious, but they’re so quick and easy to make. Anybody can do it, so why not give it a try?
40. Angel Food Cake
Finally on our list is the delicious angel food cake. This cake is so light, fluffy, and airy. It is made with only six simple ingredients. Also, it’s low in fat as there is no butter in this recipe.
We guarantee that this is one of the lightest cakes you’ll ever eat. It’s also so tasty. It’s the perfect dessert if you want something light after a heavy meal. Try it out!
And that concludes our list of the 40 best dessert recipes. Which one looks the best to you? We bet that many of them got your mouth watering and your stomach growling.
Any of these desserts will be the ideal follow-up to any good meal. Treat yourself, your family, and your friends to one or more of these amazing desserts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most famous dessert in the world?
One of, if not the most famous desserts in the world would have to be the creme brulee. This is a French dessert that was first introduced by Francois Massialot back in the 17th century, and it has gone on to be a staple on most restaurant menus, and a favorite of so many people all around the world.
Why are desserts so important?
Many people crave something sweet and sugary after a big savory meal. A good dessert makes us feel satisfied and happy, and it raises our blood sugar levels. This gives us a little energy boost, as sometimes a big meal can leave us feeling sluggish.
What makes a good dessert?
While taste is, of course, subjective, a good dessert is always sweet, sometimes rich, and normally warm and satisfying. They are also normally creamy or fruity.
Many people crave something with a high sugar or fat content to follow a meal. All of the desserts listed above could be considered a good dessert, as they are all delicious, sweet, and comforting.
Hi! My name is Jessica, and I recently decided to set up the site My Baking Heart, as an extension of my love for baking. It is something I have enjoyed since being a young child, when I would bake cookies and cakes with my grandma
Over the years, I have developed my skills and love to try all kinds of baking, from genoise sponges, to peach cobbler, and everything in between. New recipes are so much fun to follow and recreate.
Through this site, I hope to teach others the basics of baking, from how to use certain equipment, to the best types of recipes to follow. My site is a mixture of useful informational content, recipes, and of course, review of the best types of baking equipment.
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