Wedding Cake Alternatives

Listen up, gorgeous! We all know that when it comes to weddings, the cake is queen. But let's face it, not everyone is a fan of the traditional tiered confection. Maybe you're more of a cookie or donut person, or perhaps you're just looking to shake things up a bit. Whatever your reason may be, we've got your back with some seriously delicious wedding cake alternatives that'll leave your guests drooling.

Gone are the days of basic dessert tables and boring cakes. It's your big day, and you deserve a dessert spread that's as unique and fabulous as you are. So, let's explore some out-of-the-box wedding cake alternatives that are guaranteed to make your wedding the talk of the town. Are you ready to sweeten up your celebration? Let's go!

Cookie Shots 

Your wedding is, first and foremost, a celebration, so what better way is there to celebrate than with shots? Cookie Shots, that is! 

A shot glass shaped like a cookie is a unique treat that most of your guests will never have seen before at any wedding, making it the ultimate dessert option for couples who love to party. Dirty Cookie makes delicious cookie “shot glasses” in a variety of flavors that are perfect for guests of all ages to get in on the fun. They’re also super festive and customizable so they can fit in perfectly with your wedding theme — choose the Wedding/Anniversary Cookie Shot Assortment for shots that are perfectly decorated to celebrate your nuptials, or you can even customize them to feature pictures of the bride and groom for a truly unique touch. 

But here's where it gets even better: you can stack these cookie shots on top of each other to become a dessert tower, just like a traditional wedding cake! And if you pair them with a coffee bar your guests can keep the party rolling all night long. Bonus points: Cookie Shots also work really well as an edible wedding favor to send your guests home with! 

S’mores Bar 

For your laid-back, woodland-themed summer wedding thrown under the stars, you can’t go wrong with a build-your-own s’mores bar! Gather up a variety of ingredients like graham crackers in multiple flavors, all of your favorite chocolate candy bars, and plenty of gooey marshmallows. You can also add in more fun ingredient combos like strawberries, bananas, and fancy cookies. Then, set them up near a fire pit (if your venue has one) along with some skewers and napkins. Your guests will have a ball roasting up upscale versions of their favorite childhood campfire treat, all while celebrating the newlyweds. 

Donut Walls

Uber-trendy donut walls aren’t going away anytime soon, and honestly, we hope they never do! Donut walls are equal parts delicious and beautifully aesthetic, making for the perfect wedding treat and beautiful showstopping detail addition to your reception decor. To make yours even more unique, make sure to include a variety of flavors that are suitable to your theme --- for example, a fall wedding would be a great time to offer apple cider donuts, while a winter wonderland wedding is a suitable time for powdered sugar donuts.

Cookie “Cake”

No surprises here: we love cookies, which is why we absolutely love the cookie “cake” trend! These delicious sweets are essentially a layer of huge cookies which are then topped with a layer of vanilla frosting (repeat, repeat) and stacked to look just like a multi-tiered wedding cake …. with a more decadent and chewy twist.

You can also get creative and move away from the standard chocolate chip recipe and use Dirty Cookies’Stuffed Cookies in unique flavors such as White Chocolate with Cookie Butter, Chocolate Chip with Nutella, Red Velvet with Cheesecake, Strawberry shortcake, or Double Chocolate Salted Caramel. 

Cupcake Tower

Cupcake towers are a great alternative for wedding cakes, especially if you love the taste of cake but don’t want to deal with all the logistics of getting the cake cut and passed out during your wedding. Individual cupcakes can be made in several different flavors, which is always a crowd-pleaser, and they’re also really easy to distribute. Bonus points: if you arrange them on a multi-layered dessert tower, they’ll look very similar to an actual wedding cake, which is a great compromise if you want to keep your dessert option traditional but with a more fun twist. 

Macaron Towers 

For a luxurious twist on your dessert bar, consider building a macaron bar with multiple flavors. These bite-sized delicacies are a wonderful pairing for upscale festivities, and they can easily be customized to match your color scheme and wedding theme. Arrange them on a multi-tiered tower by color for a beautiful and unique touch. 

Chocolate Fountain

Who doesn’t love a chocolate fountain? Arrange an assortment of your favorite dippable treats around the fountain: think fruits, cookies, pretzels, candies, nuts, popcorn, and marshmallows to start. 

Cheesecake

If you’re not a huge wedding cake fan but absolutely love cheesecake, there’s no reason you can’t make cheesecake the star of the show! If you like the look of a wedding cake, look for a baker that can specialize in stacked cheesecakes for a simple but unique twist on a wedding classic. Alternatively, you can get several smaller cheesecakes in different flavors to please guests with a variety of palates, or arrange small mini-cheesecakes on a pedestal for bite-sized fun.

Not-So-Basic Dessert Bar

Indulge your inner child (and your guests’ sweet tooth) with a dessert table that’s as fun and funky as you are! Create a dessert wonderland that’s bursting with color, creativity, and, of course, sugar. From sassy signage to funky flavors and eye-catching decorations, your dessert table is the perfect place to let your personalities shine. So go ahead, let your sweet tooth run wild, and create a dessert spread that your guests won’t be able to resist!

Waffle Bar

If your wedding is earlier on in the day, you can’t go wrong with a personalized waffle bar instead of a cake. You can either have waffles ready to go or have your guests cook up their own with a mini waffle maker. Then surround the bar with all of your favorite toppings like fruit, a variety of syrups, honey, and/or chocolate chips. Waffle bars are also a really great pairing for mimosas if you’re having a wedding brunch! 

Popcorn Bar

For the ultimate crowd-pleasing wedding cake alternative, let your guests go wild with a popcorn bar! Include a variety of both sweet and savory toppings that go well with popcorn (candy, chocolate syrup, and caramel are great, but don’t forget the pretzels, chips, and seasonings for the savory lovers!). This is also a huge hit later in the night when people are taking a break from dancing and need some sustenance for the rest of the night. 

Boba Bar

If you know that your crowd loves boba, give them the gift of a boba bar. Have some cups ready with fresh boba, then let them fill up on the tea of their choice. This is also a great way to satisfy any caffeine cravings at the same time as the post-dinner hankerings for “something sweet” start! 

Conclusion

Traditional wedding cake? Yawn. Why settle for basic when you can have a dessert spread that's as unique and fabulous as you are? Whether you're a cookie connoisseur or a donut devotee, there are plenty of delicious alternatives that will have your guests drooling. So why not have your cake and eat it too?

Keep things interesting and let your sweet tooth lead the way! After all, this day is all about celebrating your love, not just the cake. So, get creative and make your wedding the talk of the town with a dessert spread that's sure to steal the show. And remember, there's no such thing as too many sweets when it comes to celebrating your happily ever after!