Food and Recipes Desserts 35 Church Picnic Desserts That'll Be The Talk of the Town By Zoe Denenberg Zoe Denenberg As a professional baker, Zoe Denenberg has spent the past two years traveling across the country—from Alabama to Hawai'i—working in farm-focused pastry kitchens. She has written about food, travel, and culture for Southern Living since 2019. See more of Zoe's work at https://zoedenenberg.wixsite.com/portfolio and follow her on Instagram. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on May 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner When we think of perfect picnic recipes, there are a few criteria that come to mind. First, it has to be portable. Chances are we're packing these desserts into wicker baskets and piling into the car with our families, so elaborate layer cakes aren't exactly the best option for easy transportation. Bars, cookies, pies, and cupcakes top our list of the best picnic desserts. Next, it's important to consider the theme of the church picnic. We love to opt for classic recipes you're sure to find at a church potluck—think pound cake and buttermilk pie—or something more seasonally inspired.Whether you're picnicking in the spring, summer, or fall, we have recipes to carry you through all the seasons. Easter time? Our Carrot Cake Cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate. Tailgate season? Get in the spirit with Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies. No matter the holiday or occasion, we have a picnic recipe that is sure to wow the al fresco dining crowd. With these all-star recipes, your sweet treats will be the talk of the town. 01 of 35 Peach Fried Pies Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Peach Fried Pies No summertime picnic is complete without some Southern peaches, and these Peach Fried Pies will win rave reviews from the after-church crowd. 02 of 35 Pecan Pie Brownies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pecan Pie Brownies We combined two Southern-favorite desserts—pecan pie and brownies—to create the ultimate decadent treat. 03 of 35 Hummingbird Cupcakes with Candied Pineapple Wedges Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Hummingbird Cupcakes with Candied Pineapple Wedges Love the flavor of a hummingbird cake, but don't want to mess around with stacking and assembling cake layers? Meet Hummingbird Cupcakes. 04 of 35 Freezer Peach Pie Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Freezer Peach Pie Make use of that bag of frozen peaches in this Freezer Peach Pie. It tastes as fresh as you can get. 05 of 35 Raspberry Crumble Bars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Raspberry Crumble Bars When you're on-the-go, you need a dessert that's easy to serve and mess-free. That's why these sliceable Raspberry Crumble Bars are the ideal picnic food. 06 of 35 Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Recipe: Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars No summertime church get-together is complete without fresh peach cobbler, but a gooey casserole isn't necessarily the ideal portable picnic food. These Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars are the perfect alternative. 07 of 35 Carrot Cake Cupcakes Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Carrot Cake Cupcakes Bake everybody's favorite layer cake into easily portable, personal-sized cupcakes. 08 of 35 Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars Kids and adults alike will fall for these fudge bars, which combine chocolate and peanut butter in beautifully stacked layers. 09 of 35 Buttermilk Pound Cake Southern Living Recipe: Buttermilk Pound Cake Serve this pound cake with berries and fresh cream or ice cream to make a lovely warm-weather dessert. 10 of 35 Toasted Oatmeal Cookies Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Toasted Oatmeal Cookies Oatmeal-raisin may get a reputation for being boring, but these cookies are anything but. The recipe calls to toast the oats, which brings a nutty depth of flavor to the dough. 11 of 35 Cheesecake Cookies Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Cheesecake Cookies Pack all the flavor of Mama's famous cheesecake into shareable cookies that will leave an impression on the dessert table. 12 of 35 Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Jennifer Causey Recipe: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Ramp up the flavors of a classic, yet often bland chocolate chip cookie with the addition of nutty brown butter. 13 of 35 Chocolate Pound Cake Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Erin Merhar Recipe: Chocolate Pound Cake Transform Nana's classic pound cake into a chocolate-lover's dream with this decadent recipe. 14 of 35 Apple Pie Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Apple Pie Cookies A cross between a hand pie and a cookie, these Apple Pie Cookies tuck luscious apple pie filling between layers of short cookie dough to accomplish a completely creative dessert. 15 of 35 Mini Red Velvet Cakes Southern Living Recipe: Mini Red Velvet Cakes Bake red velvet cupcakes, then cut them sandwich-style and pipe the frosting in the middle for a whimsical way to enjoy this dessert classic. 16 of 35 Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake Southern Living Recipe: Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake This indulgent pound cake, complete with delicate swoops of caramel frosting, is one of our all-time favorites. After just one bite, you'll understand why. 17 of 35 Lane Cupcakes Southern Living Recipe: Lane Cupcakes The storied Lane Cake has been a Southern staple for decades, and we've just made it portable with these Lane Cupcakes. 18 of 35 Coconut Cheesecake Squares Southern Living Recipe: Coconut Cheesecake Squares Bring a bit of tropical flair to the church picnic with these easily sliceable, perfectly bite-sized coconut cheesecake squares. There'll be plenty to go around. 19 of 35 Cherry Flag Pie Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Cherry Flag Pie You might need a trusted pie carrier to get this patriotic dessert to the picnic, but it will no doubt become the day's starring confection. 20 of 35 Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes If peanut butter cups make your list of favorite candy, these chocolate delights will quickly become a must-have dessert at any gathering. 21 of 35 Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies No fall picnic is complete without a toasty butter pecan dessert, and these homemade shortbread cookies are the ideal vehicle for the crowning pecan. 22 of 35 Mini Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cakes Alison Miksch Recipe: Mini Triple Chocolate-Buttermilk Pound Cakes When it comes to pound cake, we don't want to share, and with these mini pound cakes, we don't have to. 23 of 35 Pecan-Peach Cobbler Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Pecan-Peach Cobbler Two Southern favorites, pecans and peaches, collide in this sweet and nutty cobbler. 24 of 35 Chess Pie Jessica Colyer Recipe: Classic Chess Pie Chess pie is one of those staples that we'll never stop making, and it's sure to satisfy the church crowd. 25 of 35 Salted Caramel-Apple Hand Pies Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs Recipe: Salted Caramel-Apple Hand Pies If you're having a fall picnic, these Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies are the ideal on-the-go sweet snack. 26 of 35 Ultimate Dark Chocolate Brownies Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Ultimate Dark Chocolate Brownies These are not your ordinary boxed brownies. Made with rich dark chocolate and finished with flaky sea salt, this recipe celebrates brownies in their best form. 27 of 35 Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Sheet cake is our favorite hack for feeding a crowd, and this Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade cake hits all the right notes. 28 of 35 Luscious Lemon Bars Southern Living Recipe: Luscious Lemon Bars Tart and sharp, the flavor of these lemon bars is offset by a silky-smooth texture that make this dessert utterly addictive. 29 of 35 Hello Dolly Bars Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell Recipe: Hello Dolly Bars With coconut, pecans, chocolate, and butterscotch, these bars pack all of our favorite flavors into one portable package. 30 of 35 Southern Buttermilk Pie Iain Bagwell Recipe: Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie This recipe takes a page right out of the church potluck cookbook—it's a tried-and-true classic that's sure to please. 31 of 35 Cherry Pie Bars Greg Dupree Recipe: Cherry Pie Bars You mean to tell us that we can have cherry pie without the finger-staining mess? Now that we've seen it, we certainly believe it. 32 of 35 Petite Blueberry Cheesecakes Jennifer Davick Recipe: Petite Blueberry Cheesecakes Don't worry about slicing this cheesecake—it's already split into perfect personal portions. 33 of 35 Cheerwine Cherry Cupcakes with Cherry-Swirl Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Recipe: Cheerwine Cherry Cupcakes with Cherry-Swirl Frosting Complement the picnic soda offerings with these Cheerwine Cupcakes and their stunning pink-and-white cherry swirl frosting. 34 of 35 Coconut-Citrus Bars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Giulietta Pinna; Food Styling: Ali Ramee Recipe: Coconut Citrus Bars These handheld treats pay tribute to a Southern holiday staple: ambrosia. Serve the classic year-round with these two-bite bars. 35 of 35 Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake If your church picnic is scheduled during the height of strawberry season, this 9x13 dessert is practically required baking. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit