Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes 40 Crowd-Friendly Potluck Desserts for Warm Weather Parties By Kelly Vaughan Kelly Vaughan Kelly is a former associate digital food editor for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 8, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Ryan Liebe Whether you're hosting a gathering for Thanksgiving or a casual backyard soirée, potluck parties are a fun opportunity to get together with family and friends. They're easy to prepare for and everyone can bring a dish that they love. Whether you're hosting or attending a potluck, these crowd-friendly desserts are just the thing for any warm-weather occasion. One of our favorite desserts to bring to any party is a sheet cake. They're easy to make, travel well, come in a variety of flavors, and everyone loves them. Our Chocolate-Zucchini Sheet Cake with Cream-Cheese Frosting, pictured here, has a chocolate cake base enhanced with four cups of grated zucchini, which adds a bit of texture and plenty of moisture. Another potluck dessert recipe that's a guaranteed hit is our Chocolate Sheet Cake with Vanilla Buttercream. It's as simple and satisfying as you'd expect—and can feed more than a dozen people. While all of our potluck dessert recipes are sure to please, we have a few that are particularly kid-friendly. Who doesn't love Rice Krispies bars? Our Crispy Cereal Treats come in four different, delectable iterations so there's an option for every guest at the table. Our S'mores Bars are also guaranteed to please; graham cracker pieces and chopped chocolate are folded into the signature puffed-rice cereal and marshmallow mixture for a dessert that will have everyone asking for more. From layer cakes to cookies, the dessert recipes we're sharing are just the thing to dish out at your next potluck. 01 of 39 Orange-Cardamom Bundt Cake Marcus Nilsson The warmth of cardamom—a traditional spice found in chai tea—combined with the brightness of fresh orange zest and juice makes for an inspiring flavor combinations in this stunning Bundt cake. It's sure to wow potluck party-goers. View Recipe 02 of 39 Hummingbird Carrot Cake Chris Simpson No matter where your potluck is being held, guests will enjoy this classic southern spice cake made with pineapple, coconut, and bananas. For a springtime twist, we've added shredded carrots to the batter for extra moisture and even more texture. View Recipe 03 of 39 Crispy Cereal Treats Kirsten Francis In just 15 minutes, you can prepare a crowd-pleasing treat that's easy to transport to your potluck party. We have four sweet variations on the classic Rice Krispies treat—cocoa nutty, trail mix, tropical breeze, and berries and cream. View Recipe 04 of 39 Cherry-Cheese Strudel Pie Christopher Testani This gorgeous tart is surprisingly easy to perfect. Instead of making your own pie crust, use store-bought puff pastry. From here, it's all a matter of filling it with cream cheese and ricotta and topping it with macerated sour cherries. View Recipe 05 of 39 Lemon-Glazed Sheet Cake Alpha Smoot A potluck dessert that looks and tastes like pure sunshine, everyone will want a slice of this lemon cake. Because it's just a single layer with a lemony glaze on top, it's easy to transport and can be served at room temperature. View Recipe 06 of 39 Fig-and-Plum Cake Justin Walker Rich, plump figs and plums peek out of the top of this almond cake that's easy to bake and even easier to love. Making it requires less than half an hour of hands-on prep work. View Recipe 07 of 39 S'mores Bars Kana Okada You'll feel like you're sitting around the campfire when you take a bit of these s'mores-inspired treats. Broken graham crackers and chopped chocolate are folded into the puffed-rice cereal and melted marshmallow mixture, then everything is pressed into a pan to set. Cut the bars into fun shapes for an irresistible potluck dessert. View Recipe 08 of 39 Strawberry Biscuit Sheet Cake Alpha Smoot Inspired by one of the most classic summertime desserts—strawberry shortcakes—this crowd-friendly sheet cake is perfect for a potluck party. The biscuit base is topped with sweet cream and macerated strawberries. View Recipe 09 of 39 Triple-Chocolate Brownie Cups Lennart Weibull Just as moist and fudgy as ever, these individual brownie cups are perfect for grabbing one by one. We bet you can't resist the combination of milk chocolate and white chocolate chips in a decadent dark chocolate batter. View Recipe 10 of 39 Raspberry-Almond Crisp Chris Simpson Make the most of fresh raspberries when they're at their peak in summer with this juicy and crunchy dessert. The crumble is made with melted butter, rolled oats, sliced raw almonds, and light brown sugar. View Recipe 11 of 39 Fudgy Turtle Brownies Ren Fuller Upgrade a basic batch of brownies with a decadent cream caramel sauce and crunchy pecan halves. The finishing touch is a sprinkling of flaky sea salt, which adds crunch and contrasts the sweet bars. View Recipe 12 of 39 Vanilla-Rhubarb Tart Con Poulos Take a gander at this stunning arrangement of rhubarb atop a buttery pastry crust. The sliced vegetable is mixed with granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla seeds, and lemon juice for a topping that bursts with flavor. View Recipe 13 of 39 Butter-Pecan Blondies Ren Fuller Everyone's favorite sweet, golden ice cream flavor—butter pecan—takes on new life in these chewy blondies. Dark rum is the secret ingredient that takes these rich, caramel-y blondies to a whole new level. This dessert yields 24 blondies, serving as the perfect addition to any potluck. View Recipe 14 of 39 Buckwheat Chocolate-Chip Cookies with Sea Salt Mikkel Vang Anyone can bring a batch of chocolate chip cookies to a potluck party, but this beloved dessert feels totally new with nutty, salted cookies. A combination of all-purpose flour and buckwheat flour come together for a unique base that will have all the guests talking. View Recipe 15 of 39 Lemon Curd Souffle Tart Emily Kordovich When life gives you lemons, make this light-as-air tart with a four-ingredient filling made with eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice and zest, and butter. View Recipe 16 of 39 Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies Bryan Gardner While these cookies are most popular during the holiday season, they're snackable and sweet all year long. Gently pressing a Hershey kiss into each peanut butter cookie helps to create the signature cracked finish. View Recipe 17 of 39 Key Lime Whoopie Pies Take the graham-cracker crust and bright, tart filling of a traditional key lime pie and reinvent it in a potluck-friendly cookie. View Recipe 18 of 39 Three-Layer Pound Cake Sidney Bensimon Inspired by a traditional marble layer cake, this multi-layered dessert is rich, fudgy, and sweet as can be. Cocoa powder and melted semisweet chocolate are added to the batter for the dark layers. View Recipe 19 of 39 Vegan Blueberry Crisp Bryan Gardner Vegan or not, everyone will enjoy this dairy-free delight that has summer party written all over it. Juicy blueberries burst beneath a crunchy oat and almond topping, and the whole dessert takes just 15 minutes to prepare. View Recipe 20 of 39 Pull-Apart Vanilla-Wafer Cupcake Cake with Berries Hosting a Fourth of July or Labor Day potluck party? There's no dessert more apt than these vanilla cupcakes topped with blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. They're patriotic, pretty, and perfect for a large number of guests. View Recipe 21 of 39 Lime Sandwich Cookies Ren Fuller In between delicate butter cookies is a bright and zesty lime cream filling that we could eat with a spoon. Using a small cookie cutter, cut out pieces of the top cookie so that everyone can get a peek of what's hiding on the inside. View Recipe 22 of 39 Rhubarb Crumb Cake Sidney Bensimon Rhubarb enjoys a prosperous season during spring, so stock up and put it to use in this buttery, crumbly cake made for a crowd. There's even more tart rhubarb flavor in the accompanying whipped cream topping. View Recipe 23 of 39 Dark Chocolate-Walnut Date Bar Sidney Bensimon These feel-good bars are made with just a handful of healthy ingredients such as coconut oil, walnut pieces dates, natural peanut butter, and semisweet chocolate. View Recipe 24 of 39 Big Almond-Orange-Ginger Cookie Louise Hagger Bake and slice this potluck-friendly dessert flavored with orange zest and orange marmalade, ground cardamom, and fresh ginger. It's warm, inviting, and just what we want to serve to family and friends. View Recipe 25 of 39 Marshmallow Fudge Bryan Gardner Cut into bite-sized pieces, this six-ingredient fudge recipe is perfect for serving to a crowd at a potluck party. The one-pot base is made with mini marshmallows, evaporated milk, bittersweet chocolate, sugar, and vanilla. View Recipe 26 of 39 Snickerdoodle Crumb Bars Alpha Smoot If you love coffee cake and snickerdoodle cookies, then you'll love this spiced dessert. Cinnamon and sugar flavor the streusel filling and are mixed into the topping for irresistible flavor. View Recipe 27 of 39 Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies Armando Rafael Upgrade basic chocolate chip cookies with individual caramels stuffed in the middle of the dough. Be sure to serve them while they're still warm so everyone at the potluck can experience the perfect pull of the ooey-gooey caramel and chocolate chips. View Recipe 28 of 39 Apricot Cobbler Martyna Szczesna Hidden beneath an oat drop-biscuit topping lies a juicy combination of summer fruits—apricots and strawberries tossed with sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. It's a potluck dessert that's pure sunshine. View Recipe 29 of 39 Bourbon-and-Brown-Sugar Cake with Berries Kate Mathis Rich, dark bourbon complements brown sugar in this berry-studded cake that looks enticing and tastes delicious. We like a combination of raspberries and blueberries for a festive finish, but feel free to use whatever kind of berries you have on hand. View Recipe 30 of 39 No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake for a Crowd Alpha Smoot Consider this your easiest-ever cheesecake—no fussy water bath needed! It's made in a large baking pan, which means that it's easy to transport, though you might not be able to resist digging in early. View Recipe 31 of 39 Margarita Cupcakes These lime-infused cupcakes are filled with a Tequila-Lime Curd and topped with our classic cream cheese frosting. View Recipe 32 of 39 Strawberry-Swirl Bundt Cake Marcus Nilsson Feast your eyes on this beauty. It's a rich and moist pound cake that achieves its marbleized effect with freeze-dried strawberries, pink gel-paste food coloring, and sliced fresh strawberries. View Recipe 33 of 39 Vanilla Pound Cake Reed Davis Guaranteed to please one and all, pound cake is the perfect easy potluck dessert. We've elevated the recipe a bit from the classic version, but there's still nearly a pound each of butter, eggs, sugar, and flour. View Recipe 34 of 39 Blueberry Crumble Bryan Gardner Juicy blueberries are exactly what we want to eat in the middle of summer. So, why not turn them into this casual, crunchy dessert that pairs well with vanilla ice cream? Everyone at the potluck will be asking for seconds. View Recipe 35 of 39 Chocolate-Chip Streusel Brownies Linda Pugliese Can't decide between chocolate chip cookies and brownies? Now you don't have to thanks to this genius potluck dessert recipe. Chocolate chip cookie dough is sprinkled on top of chewy brownie batter for the ultimate two-in-one dessert. View Recipe 36 of 39 Cowboy Cookie S'mores Linda Pugliese Take the classic campfire treat to the next level by sandwiching jumbo toasted marshmallows between cookies. But not just any cookies—these are loaded with shredded coconut, pecans, chopped chocolate, and oats. View Recipe 37 of 39 Chocolate Sheet Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Alpha Smoot Nothing is more crowd-pleasing than a sheet cake, especially one made from the ultimate flavor duo that is chocolate and vanilla. The finishing touch is a shaving of chocolate, so everyone knows that there's a bit of both in this fudgy treat. View Recipe 38 of 39 Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream Johnny Miller A riff on tres leches, this coconut-spiked sponge cake is soaked in condensed milk, heavy cream, and coconut milk, which stands in for the usual evaporated milk. Serve it with mixed berries and whipped cream. View Recipe 39 of 39 Strawberry Cupcakes These moist white cupcakes—crowned by a meringue buttercream and made with strawberry jam—will be the hit of any summer potluck. Top each cupcake with a fresh strawberry just before serving. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit