10 dessert ideas to add to your menu

We love talking about desserts! These dishes delight customers, offering a satisfying and enjoyable end to any meal. That's why having a delicious array of desserts on the menu is important to help a restaurant gain traction.

If your dessert menu can also feature on-trend ingredients and take cues from the most-shared recipes on social media, your sales strategy is already poised for success! If not, to give you an idea of where to start, the most popular desserts of 2024 have so far contained unusual ingredients, like chilli and honey, or anything with umami, floral or sweet & sour flavour. Meanwhile, the popularity of sweet treats containing excessive chemicals and refined sugar is continuing to decline. Nevertheless, cake is still the most in-demand type of dessert, with increased gluten-free and vegan versions now on offer.

In this article, we’ve taken all of these fresh ideas, whisked them up, popped them in the oven, and prepared 10 easy dessert ideas to help sweeten up your menu. We’re sure you’ll be licking your lips in no time!
 

1. Mixed berry mousse

A mousse is always a winning dessert option thanks to its light texture and culinary simplicity. This is especially true now that chefs are trying to provoke nostalgic sensations in their customers, bringing back childhood memories through traditional food and authentic flavours. 

Offer a mixed berry version of this creamy dessert for a delicious combination of sweet and tart. This is the perfect light dessert idea for your menu, leaving your clients' mouths watering even after a hearty meal.
 

2. Mango and coconut soufflé

Another fruity and easy-to-cook dessert recipe is the pastry perennial, a classic French soufflé. For an updated version, enrich its creamy texture with an exotic touch. 

We suggest taking this to the next level with chunks of mango and a coconut topping. These two fruits are very appealing to customers thanks to their natural sweetness, delicate flavours, and distinctive textures. The soft mango makes a good contrast to the crunchy, creamy coconut. 

Go ahead and surprise your clients with this dessert!
 

3. Homemade carrot cake

Carrot cake has always been one of the most popular cakes around. This home-baker classic defies the need for reinvention, continually delighting with its thick, sweet frosting made from cream cheese and nuts and using whole cane sugar. 

This is the perfect dessert idea for your menu. The natural sweetness of the carrots will allow your clients to treat themselves without forsaking health entirely. Why not add a thoughtful twist to this dessert by offering a gluten-free version for diners with coeliac-related dietary restrictions?
 

4. Matcha cake

Matcha has become the backbone of the modern health trend. It is commonly found in traditional Japanese mochi as a filling or as a base for cookies. Serving a slice of matcha cake, with its striking green colour, could be a great dessert idea for your menu — you'll be surprised by its popularity.
 

5. Vegan chocolate cake

Any vegan dessert is a plus for environmentally conscious customers. The most popular is vegan chocolate cake. Consider including one made with at least 70% cocoa and a raspberry jam filling. Your guests will fall in love with this sweet treat!

To create this version, you can use vegan cream and chickpea water (aquafaba) to replace eggs.

6. Praline and ganache cake

Praline, a mixture of nuts and caramelised sugar, and Ganache, an indulgent combination of cream and chocolate, are both very fashionable and easy-to-make ingredients. 

Both make ideal fillings to complement a vanilla cake, especially when combined with some dried fruit. They are bound to leave everybody wanting more, and could even become the most in-demand dessert on your menu!
 

7. Blondie with vanilla ice cream

We're pleased to introduce you to another popular dessert. Her name is Blondie! The Blondie gets its name as a brownie with less chocolate and more whole cane sugar, making it lighter, or  "blonder" than the traditional version. Blondies have a much airier texture than dense chocolate brownies, so they pair well with a touch of liquor, like rum, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for contrasting sensations.

This dessert is bound to appeal to your younger clients, who will make sure to share their experiences on social media.
 

8. Re-invented cheesecake

Take the classic American cheesecake and add other ingredients to bring out the flavours. 

We recommend one of these three options: a thick topping of dulce de leche made from caramelized condensed milk, an Oreo topping, to capitalise on the cookie’s popularity, or a passion fruit jam, whose tart notes are ideal for cutting through the cheesecake’s creaminess.

Although any one of these options is bound to spark your guests' curiosity, why not include a tasting platter of all three cheesecakes to add some extra excitement to your menu? This could be a sharing option for friends or couples—at a higher price, of course! Your customers won't be able to resist!
 

9. XL lemon meringue pie

Meringue makes everyone's mouth water, and this recipe remains a popular crowd-pleaser. Try including this famous lemon pie with an extra-large meringue topping on your menu. This easy dessert will surely be a hit among all kinds of guests.
 

10. Tea and herbal tea ice cream

Swap traditional vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream for tasty yet modern flavours. For instance, you could use a traditional green tea base like matcha or black tea with hints of cinnamon and orange. 

To stand out, serve a rose sorbet or a mint-and-honey version. Look for originality and experiment to create delicious ice cream flavours that can extend current pastry trends.

Desserts make people happy, even if you're just looking at or reading about them in an article. We hope you enjoyed hearing from us and that these easy dessert ideas may have inspired you. Do you already have an amazing dessert menu? Remember to promote it on TheFork. Thousands of customers are waiting to try your creations!