30 Dessert Ideas for Your Bridal Shower

The best bridal showers always have dessert on the menu, but to make sure that your pre-wedding party ends on a seriously sweet note, think about offering an unexpected treat. These end-of-party snacks can take many forms, depending on variables like the theme, budget, and bride-to-be's taste. Not sure what you should serve at your bridal shower? We've got a ton of great ideas.

Like weddings, bridal showers often include cake. But because they're not weddings, don't feel the need to offer something big day-ready, like a traditional white confection. If you do want to slice into a cake, play with creative colors and flavors to fit the vibe of your celebration. If you want, you can supplement a cake (or a bunch of mini cakes) with other treats by assembling a full-blown dessert table. Or, you can only provide alternatives, like smaller baked goods, or even candy. French favorites like macarons and eclairs are beloved options for bridal showers, as are classic sweets like brownies, cupcakes, and cookies. For a brunch, try muffins, scones, or crêpes, and for a warm-weather soirée, consider frozen desserts like ice cream or sorbet.

Ahead, we've listed some of the tastiest and most impressive ideas that we've come across, including (but not limited to!) the above inspiration. To make planning a breeze, there's a whole variety of bridal shower-worthy desserts, which means that there's bound to be something for your fête. Additionally, we've included both DIY- and cater-able treats, to help those who want to make something themselves and those who'd rather not.

Top a simple cake with a crown in the same color for a fun, monochrome dessert.

Make things personal by adorning thematically-shaped treats (like petits fours) with the couple's monogram.

Donuts, mini donuts, donut holes—why choose one when you can offer a variety?

Combine two popular desserts in one for a shower treat that can't be beat: macarons and cake.

Let your guests can enjoy a drip-free frozen treat thanks to these adorable—and delicious—gelato cups. For a little extra visual punch, match the flavor of the gelato to your shower's color scheme.

Offer a tiered treat your guests won't be expecting. Stack sugar cookies to resemble wedding cakes, by filling each "layer" with royal icing. Top each treat with more frosting and fresh fruit or edible flowers.

Make cocktails even more appealing by popping popsicles into the glasses, too. We've even got a recipe for a popsicle-infused drink.

Texters will obsess over these Dragonfly Cakes petits fours, which were inspired by an emoji.

Delicious servings of crème brûlée rarely go unappreciated. 

At this bridal shower, guests were served an assortment of breakfast sweets, like scones and muffins, from Babette's.

Mini Bundt cakes are adorable, and even better in trendy flavors like pumpkin spice, which works great for a fall bridal shower.

These sugar cookies from Buttercream Bakeshop would suit a modern, garden-inspired affair. If they don't tickle your fancy, have no fear—you can have yours painted however you like, or make painting plain ones a shower activity.

At this bridal shower, Sweet Lady Jane supplied pretty chocolate cupcakes with flowers made of icing.

Place a custom order for fortune cookies and fill them with fun messages—these ones were dipped in a colorful coating. 

Everybody will chow down fast on their own personal bowl of tiramisu.

Upgrade basic brownies in the simplest of ways—just use cookie cutters to give them a romantic shape like these. 

These weren't your average shortbread cookies—they came in coconut-lime and cinnamon varieties. Make yours just as unique.

This Strawberry Tomboy cake—a cake with double-chocolate tiers and strawberry-buttercream frosting—was baked by Miette and topped with a frosting floret.

For a no-bake option, put containers of candy out. These sassy, lip-shaped sweets appeared at a smooch-themed event.

Crepes are delicious no matter the flavor, but many adore the taste of Nutella. Swap in regular chocolate (or something else nut-free) if the bride or any guests have an allergy.

This sugary bling was a fancier alternative to the kid versions.

If the guest of honor screams for ice cream, setup a self-serve station like this one. Fill the table with an assortment of flavors, plus bowls of her favorite toppings.

Add a little shimmer to the classic French pastry for desserts that really sparkle.

Print images on your sweets to really customize them. You can do this with cakes, but the design is more unexpected on chocolates or cookies.

Instead of a traditional cake, serve shower guests miniature cupcakes in the bride-to-be's favorite flavor and display them on easy (and charming) lace towers like these.