Wedding Dessert Buffet Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many desserts do you need for a dessert buffet? ›

​So how many desserts do you really need? If you are offering a full size dessert like a cupcake or a full size brownie, count on 1-2 per guest. With smaller desserts like cookies, macarons, bite size brownies, or mini tarts you can count on each guest taking 3 items from the various options.

We take great pride in making beautiful and delicious desserts, and have seen a growing popularity for offering a variety of desserts to guests. We recommend 2-4 items per guest, but don't worry, we'll help make sure you have enough servings to go around!

Wedding cake is, hands down, the most common dessert option for weddings.

You'll want to make sure you have a beautiful display, but, more importantly, you want to make sure you have enough for your guests to eat! The general rule of thumb is to calculate 3 mini desserts per person. So, if your guest count is 50 people, plan to order 150 mini desserts.

I recommend ordering 2 pieces of dessert per guest. Example: If you have 50 guests, you will order 100 pieces of dessert. Mini options are the most popular for weddings. Display items such as trays, plates, cake stands, platters, etc.

An easy trick to remember is that if you're serving small individual treats such as cookies or cupcakes, you can multiply your expected number of guests by 2.5. This can provide you with an accurate estimate and help ensure you have enough desserts to feed all of your guests.

According to Emily, the fast answer to this question, no matter the event, no matter the number of people, is (drumroll please)... "Plan on one serving per person. Plus a little extra."

Total Cupcakes per Flavor = 200 × 0.333 = 66.6

Rounding up to the nearest whole number, you would need 67 cupcakes of each flavor to ensure a balanced flavor journey for your guests.

1. Pie. Pie earns a spot on the top of everyone's list of popular desserts merely for its delicious versatility. From fruit pies to cream pies, from seasonal favorites like pumpkin to year-round standards like apple, what's not to love?

Consider balance and symmetry when arranging desserts on the table. Place taller items at the back and shorter ones towards the front. This creates an organized look. Avoid overcrowding the table, as it can make it difficult for guests to navigate and enjoy the treats comfortably.

What can I serve at a wedding instead of a cake? ›

Consider dressing up a traditional cake with additional treats (macarons or doughnuts, for example) or opting for an entirely different sweet (hello, brownies, pies, and waffles!). Below, find 30 of our favorite alternative ideas to the classic wedding cake.

Here are a few things to consider when deciding if a dessert table is right for your wedding. They are more expensive! The most common misconception is that you save money because you have a smaller cake and then include less expensive desserts. While that's great in theory, it's not reality.

People may want to sample them since it's something new, even if they don't usually have dessert! Roughly three desserts per person is a good average to make for a dessert buffet.

It's a safe bet to count one serving per person. You're planning an event for 30 people? Order three dozen. That extra six is a good buffer.

So, on to the real question: how much should you plan on per guest? This depends on whether other food will be served as well. If hot appetizers or a meal will be served beforehand, I plan on 1 slice of cake or 2 small servings of other types of desserts for each guest.

Consider balance and symmetry when arranging desserts on the table. Place taller items at the back and shorter ones towards the front. This creates an organized look. Avoid overcrowding the table, as it can make it difficult for guests to navigate and enjoy the treats comfortably.