My family gets together once a month for some fairly epic dinners. Everyone from my 80+ year old grandparents to my cousins and their children. It ends up being at least forty people crammed into a little house on the second Sunday of the month, but it’s one of my favorite traditions. Since we have to feed a really big group of people, the rule is that everyone brings something to pitch in. My favorite contribution is to take dessert. Not only do I prefer baking to cooking, but dessert is easy and delicious. I love arranging desserts on platters and serving trays just to make them look pretty, even if it’s only for a minute.
So the next time you need to make a dessert, whether it’s for a group or just a treat after a long day, here are 8+ dessert recipes you really can’t miss!
#1 Quick Whoopie Pies: You can use any soft store bought cookies with this recipe for filling (which is great if you’re serving a crowd in a pinch or you have to work around gluten allergies) and you can modify the recipe to tweak the flavor. They suggest peanut butter, but you could easily do nutella or strawberry. 
#2 Strawberry “Cool Brûlée”: This is a dish that will look super fancy for a crowd, when in all actuality it’s super easy. Putting your dish in cute plastic cups will up your presentation, but even simple ones like these will do the trick.
#3 Butterscotch Pretzel Bars: If it’s in a bar, it will disappear before you can count to three. At least it does in my family! These bars are divine. A yummy mix of salty and sweet, creamy and crunch all in one dessert. Plus, they are a cinch to put together! 
#4 Easy Cherry Crumb Bars: The great thing about this dessert is that you can change out the fruit to fit your audience. It uses oatmeal cookie mix to speed up the process, but they taste scrumptious! You could swap out cherries for crushed pineapple and almond extract for coconut and you’ve got yourself a pina colada crumb bar fit for a summer afternoon. 
#5 Easy Monster Cookie Bars: Have you had a Monster Cookie? If not, you’ve got to try this. It’s pretty much the mecca of all cookies: m&ms, peanuts, chocolate chips, oatmeal, peanut butter, all rolled into one delicious dessert. It’s sweet and super filling, which is always a win in my book. 
#6 Candy Bar Donut Pop: If you need something to look like you spent hours in the kitchen, but you’ve only got a few minutes, this is the dessert for you! Using store bought donut holes, pieces of candy bars, and chocolate frosting, you can create “faux cake pops” that will have everyone clamoring for more. 
#7 Gingerbread Pudding Cake: Utilizing the fact that they pretty much sell a mix for everything is a must on some days, and this cake is no exception. Serve it warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream and listen to the “oooo’s” and “aaahhhh’s”. As an added bonus, this cooks in your slow cooker, and if you use a liner, it makes clean up a breeze! 
#8 Praline Crunch Bars: One of my family’s staple desserts in the summer is homemade vanilla ice cream. It’s my favorite. Well, one of my favorites. What I really like to do with the homemade ice cream is experiment with toppings! These bars have been at the top of the list for a long time. They are easy, quick, and worth every bite. 
#9 Easy Peanut Butter Bars: These babies travel well and go with just about any menu. It’s easy to whip up a big batch to feed a large crowd, but they also work well on a small scale. Plus, can you go wrong with peanut butter candy? I say not. 
And that folks, is a round up of quick and easy desserts that are great at feeding (and pleasing) crowds! Happy Baking!
Quick Whoopie Pies via MidWestLiving
Strawberry “Cool Brûlée” via MidWestLiving
Butterscotch Pretzel Bars via MidWestLiving
Easy Cherry Crumb Bars via MidWestLiving
Easy Monster Cookie Bars via MidWestLiving
Candy Bar Donut Pop via MidWestLiving
Gingerbread Pudding Cake via MidWestLiving
Praline Crunch Bars via MidWestLiving
Easy Peanut Butter Bars via MidWestLiving
Read next: How to Make Hot Chocolate Bombs with Marshmallows
Leave a Reply