Food and Recipes Desserts 53 Potluck Desserts That Will Feed A Crowd There's a dessert for every occasion. By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is an Associate Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 28, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Potlucks are a Southern thing. What could be better? Being with friends, family, and other loved ones, potlucks are ideal for tasting a unique dish showcased by every guest. Whether you're attending the church homecoming, a family reunion, Friendsgiving, or a monthly neighbor potluck, you always want to bring an A-game recipe. It's the ultimate compliment when you hear, "Who made the chicken salad? I have got to get that recipe!" Go ahead and sign up to bring a dessert to the next get-together because these potluck dishes have got you covered. These potluck desserts have high yields for even the largest gatherings, and there's something for every occasion. 01 of 53 Banana Pudding Poke Cake Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox This Banana Pudding Poke Cake is rich and delicious, bursting with fresh banana flavor and big enough to feed a crowd. Use oil instead of butter for a soft and moist cake. This twist on the traditional recipe is perfect for special occasions or any time you want something sweet. 02 of 53 Mexican Hot Chocolate Trifle Photo: Hector Sanchez This beautiful trifle is perfect for a holiday potluck when you need a crowd-pleasing dessert. Chocolate Ganache and Marshmallow Topping account for the other layers. To make the Marshmallow Topping, you only need two ingredients. 03 of 53 Mississippi Mud Cake Beth Dreiling Hontzas No one ever turns down this classic Southern sheet cake at a potluck. This traditional dessert combines marshmallows, chopped pecans, and decadent chocolate frosting. The best part is it only takes 15 minutes to assemble. 04 of 53 Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake Photo: Hector Sanchez This party-perfect sheet cake tastes like spring in a bite. Strawberry and lemon flavors blend seamlessly in this mixture. Garnish with fresh strawberries when in season. 05 of 53 Chocolate Lasagna Southern Living Since we rediscovered this vintage recipe, we prefer sweet lasagna over savory. This recipe is excellent for preparing for those last-minute events. It assembles quickly, and party-goers will eat it even faster. 06 of 53 Fudge Cake Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton This decadent chocolate cake comes together with a handful of pantry staples. With only 15 minutes of hands-on time, this dessert is an all-encompassing chocolate fan's dream. Toast the pecans before chopping them for extra flavoring. 07 of 53 Two-Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake Jessica Furniss/Southern Living This cake recipe is so impressive you might not tell everyone how easy it is. But with just two ingredients, a boxed angel food cake mix and a can of crushed pineapple, you can make dessert for a dozen. While it cools, focus on some impressive potluck sides. 08 of 53 Easiest Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe Elise Bauer You only need four ingredients and 35 minutes (prep and bake time together!) to make a huge batch of these sweet peanut butter cookies. When short on time, mix these pantry staples into a delicious cookie mixture. After baking, allow cookies to cool on a wire rack. 09 of 53 Pecan-Peach Cobbler Beth Dreiling Hontzas This fresh peach cobbler couldn't be easier to serve a summertime crowd. Layers of pecan-filled crust add a nutty flavoring and crispy texture to this cobbler. This dessert freezes for up to one month so that you can have it on hand for potluck emergencies. 10 of 53 Luscious Lemon Bars Southern Living Lemon bars are a forever attendee at any potlucks we host. Make these treats a month before your event, and keep them in the freezer. With 20 minutes of active time, these lemon bars are perfectly tart and sweet. 11 of 53 Butterscotch Fudge Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Switch up your traditional fudge recipe this fall with a butterscotch twist. This fudge recipe is more straightforward than others because the butterscotch and white chocolate chips help set the candy. You don't need to worry about cooking it to a specific temperature like traditional fudge. 12 of 53 Cranberry-Almond Cookies Ralph Anderson; Styling: Mary Lyn Hill Stray away from the usual chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies with this recipe that would be fun for the holidays. Toasted almond slices and dried cranberries combine for these festive drop cookies. To brighten the mixture, try adding a little orange zest. 13 of 53 Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer There's no better combo than chocolate and peanut butter, and these bars are the best way to enjoy them. The most challenging part of this recipe is allowing the chocolate layers to firm up before slicing into it. You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days. 14 of 53 Brownie Trifle William Dickey; Styling: Cari South There's nothing more decadent than a layered chocolate dessert. Assemble this recipe in no time using a boxed brownie mixture and pudding. Kick things up a notch by adding coffee liqueur if you prefer. 15 of 53 Carrot Cake Cupcakes Antonis Achilleos Get everything you love about carrot cake in easy-to-serve cupcake form. Crushed pineapple helps to brighten this mixture. Top with egg-shaped, chocolate-coated malted milk balls if you're gathering around Easter. 16 of 53 Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts Photo: Alison Miksch This recipe makes dozens of tarts. Every guest can easily pick one (or two) up and still have room on their plate for other potluck goodies. A quick-prep tip is to try stacking the piecrusts to form multiple rounds. 17 of 53 Cappuccino Swirl Bars Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer These bars look impressive, but they're so easy to make. They're perfect for a book club potluck or girlfriends' get-togethers. Make these coffee-flavored bars up to three days in advance of your gathering. 18 of 53 Cream Soda Confetti Sheet Cake with Strawberry-Sour Cream Buttercream Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Cream soda and confetti sprinkles make this cake ready to party, regardless of the occasion. This sheet cake makes enough for everyone to taste. Use freeze-dried strawberries in the icing for an extra boost of color and flavoring. 19 of 53 Mini Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cakes Photo: Alison Miksch These mini pound cakes are the best for quick grab-and-go service. Espresso helps make this mixture extra moist and enhances the chocolate flavoring. With all the chocolate decadence in the cake, a simple buttermilk and powdered sugar glaze is the perfect complement. 20 of 53 Vintage Fresh Apple Cake Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Amy Burke This warm fall cake would be perfect for the church homecoming potluck. Layers of moist cake have all the fall flavors, like apples, cinnamon, and nuts. This cake will be a hit, topped with Cream Cheese Frosting at any event. 21 of 53 Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Beth Dreiling Hontzas An all-time classic, chocolate chip cookies will never fail you when you need a dessert recipe. Two types of chocolate make this recipe even sweeter. After baking, sprinkle with flaky sea salt to enhance the cookie flavoring. 22 of 53 Hello Dolly Bars Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell These gooey, irresistible bars are only a few ingredients and a little time away. Graham cracker crumbs, chopped pecans, chocolate morsels, and flaked coconut create a unique combination of flavors and textures. Enjoy a twist on this classic treat. 23 of 53 Red Velvet-Raspberry Tiramisu Trifle Iain Bagwell This stunning dessert would be festive for a Christmas potluck. It combines your favorite flavors in one trifle. To make, layer raspberry, orange, and rich red velvet madeleines between sweet layers of mascarpone. 24 of 53 Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing Iain Bagwell As with any good Texas sheet cake, pour the warm icing on the fresh-from-the-oven cake. Adding the icing to a warm cake helps meld together for the most indulgent result. This decadent, chocolaty treat is iconic. 25 of 53 Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies Caitlin Bensel Has anyone ever been able to turn one of these bite-sized beauties down? Peanut butter and chocolate are a classic duo for a reason. In about 20 minutes, you can have three dozen delicious, irresistible treats. 26 of 53 Hummingbird Cupcakes with Candied Pineapple Wedges Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Our most popular cake of all time, the ever-delicious Hummingbird Cake, gets the cupcake treatment with this little recipe. Crushed canned pineapple gives this cake its moist texture. Add a pineapple wedge as a garnish to honor this traditional cake and make these cupcakes look beautiful. 27 of 53 Death by Chocolate Micah A. Leal Chocolate lovers, you're welcome. Top the layers of chocolate cake, pudding, and slightly salty chocolate crumble with freshly whipped cream. This scoopable recipe makes enough to feed a crowd. 28 of 53 Toasted Oatmeal Cookies Hector Manuel Sanchez Toasting the oatmeal doesn't add much time but adds so much depth to these chewy cookies. These cookies, filled with traditional oatmeal flavors—brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon—are an all-time favorite. This recipe makes about five dozen cookies, so there will be plenty to share. 29 of 53 Heavenly Angel Food Cake Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Light, fluffy, and oh-so-satisfying, this angel food cake is always a crowd-pleaser. Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting is a bright and tangy complement to this simple cake. Garnishes are a great way to add some more color to this dessert. 30 of 53 Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing & Candied Pecans Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Transform a traditional pumpkin Bundt cake into this award-worthy presentation. Adding candied pecans on top of the brown sugar frosting adds a sophisticated touch to this recipe without much effort. Make sure to add the icing while it is still warm, so it spills over the cake. 31 of 53 Butterscotch-Spice Trifle Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox This beautiful trifle makes the most of fall flavor with spice cake layers. If you want to avoid layering the cake like a traditional trifle, try cutting the cake into cubes. Either way, refrigerate it for at least four hours so the cake can meld with the custard. 32 of 53 Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez This Arnold Palmer-inspired cake will be the star of a summer potluck. Adding tea to the cake mixture gives this dessert a unique flavoring. This cake, topped with Lemonade frosting, is on par with some of the best. 33 of 53 Plum-Berry Cornmeal Sheet Cake Alison Miksch Use your farmers' market haul of fresh fruit for this fun summer cake. The base, made with vanilla-flavored cornmeal, adds a not-to-sweet touch to this fruit-filled sheet cake. Pair with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 34 of 53 Cherry Pie Bars Greg Dupree Enjoy classic cherry pie in big-batch form with these bars. The simple and sweet ingredient list is mainly pantry staples. Store these bars, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to three days. 35 of 53 Cheesecake Cookies Caitlin Bensel If you're attending a cookie swap during the holiday season, these cheesecake cookies will knock the competition out of the park. Not that it's a competition, but you'd definitely win if it were. These cookies, topped with maraschino cherries, are as adorable as delicious. 36 of 53 Fresh Citrus Cupcakes With Orange Buttercream Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Buffy Hargett These mini cupcakes will add a bright pop to any dessert table. Fresh orange juice and zest fill the cake mixture with a citrusy and tangy flavoring. Make an orange buttercream frosting to top the cake by adding some orange juice to a traditional frosting recipe. 37 of 53 Pumpkin Spice-Heath Cake Alison Miksch If your friends obsess over pumpkin spice during fall, this sheet cake is the one you should bring to every potluck and Friendsgiving. The pairing you've been looking for in a fall-themed dessert? Chopped mini candy bars and spiced cream cheese frosting. Use extra candy bars to crumble on top because, why not? 38 of 53 So Good Brownies Jennifer Davick When in doubt, a batch of warm brownies will always be well-received. This recipe is a great base for any brownie variation you can think to make. Some of our favorites include Peanut Butter Streusel, Candy-and-Pretzel, and Toasted Coconut-Cashew Brownies. 39 of 53 Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundt Cakes Iain Bagwell Bourbon and cola cocktails are a favorite tailgate drink, but the flavor combo will become your new favorite tailgate dessert with this recipe. With 20 minutes of hands-on time, you can bring three dozen mini bundt cakes to your next event. The Bourbon and Cola Glaze will be your new favorite dessert topping. 40 of 53 Chocolate Trifle Hector Manuel Sanchez Even the most novice cooks can put together a gorgeous trifle that will look impressive (but is so easy!). Wait for the brownies to cool before crumbling pieces into the trifle's layers. Crushed toffee-flavored candy bars are the perfect garnish. 41 of 53 No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars Iain Bagwell If it's too hot even to turn your oven on, but you need a potluck dessert, look no further than this no-bake treat. Make sure to avoid boiling the cream and sugar. These no-bake treats will be your new favorite. 42 of 53 Mamie Eisenhower's Chocolate Fudge Southern Living This first-lady favorite dessert is one of our go-to desserts for feeding a crowd. This fudge, also known as Million Dollar Fudge, is ultra-creamy and sweet. This fudge lasts for two weeks and up to three months in the freezer. 43 of 53 Coca-Cola Cake Southern Living If you're attending a potluck with little ones, you should do the honors of introducing them to this favorite vintage dessert. Incredibly, adding soda can create an ultra-moist and decadent dessert. The Coca-Cola frosting seals the deal when declaring this cake a classic. 44 of 53 Lemon-Almond Bars Hector Manuel Sanchez If you're a diehard lemon bar lover, you'll enjoy this twist on the classic. Sliced almonds give this traditional dessert an update, making this dessert more presentation-worthy. For easier clean-up, add a layer of foil to line the pan before adding the dough. 45 of 53 Cranberry Dreamsicle Trifle Iain Bagwell Orange and cranberry pair wonderfully in this trifle. Sprigs of fresh rosemary are a festive garnish if you make this trifle for a holiday party. The longer this dessert sits, the better it will taste. 46 of 53 Blond Texas Sheet Cake Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Save time with this easy twist on a classic Texas Sheet Cake. A box of cake mix forms the base, topped with decadent frosting. Cut into triangles for easier serving and transportation. 47 of 53 Spiced Pecan Pie Bars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Ground cinnamon and ginger give classic pecan pie a welcome zing in this big-batch recipe. It's like pecan pie but better. Drizzle with caramel sauce. 48 of 53 Lemon Thumbprint Cookies Southern Living Lemon and raspberry are another one of those classic combos. These little lemon bits, filled with raspberry jam for a fruity punch, are so good you'll be glad this recipe makes seven dozen. Happily serve all your potluck guests with this one recipe. 49 of 53 Mini Confetti Cakes Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke These sweet little cakes will wow everyone at your spring potluck. Homemade whipped cream provides the perfect base for decorating. Shop for edible flowers at a specialty grocery store. 50 of 53 Pumpkin-Chocolate Brownies Greg DuPree Give your brownies a welcome fall twist with this unique recipe, perfect for a Thanksgiving potluck. Both pumpkin and chocolate fans will be happy with this brownie combination. For the ideal slice, let the brownies chill overnight. 51 of 53 Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies Southern Living These cookies couldn't be stuffed with more sweetness if we tried. Rolled oats, chocolate chips, flaky coconut, and chopped pecans are only a few of the delicious ingredients listed in this recipe. Feel free to customize it to your liking, but this recipe will surely be a hit. 52 of 53 Pecan Pie Bars Lee Harrelson If your crowd is too big to feast on a pecan pie, make it in bar form so everyone can enjoy it. These bars still have all the classic pecan pie ingredients. Try drizzling chocolate on top for even more flavoring. 53 of 53 Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling Torie Cox Beets are a natural way to dye your favorite sweets a luscious red, and no one will be able to taste the difference. Try microwaving beets with lemon juice to help them retain their coloring. Top with rich cream cheese frosting. Looking for more potluck dish inspiration? Check out these 28 Crowd-Pleasing Casseroles Perfect for Church Potlucks. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit