i’m matt james

professional event producer

  • 27 years event-planning experience
  • Winner of 30 industry awards
  • Clients include:
  • Elton John,
  • Stella McCartney,
  • Sarah Jessica Parker,
  • Kevin Spacey……and more

welcome

Matt James professional event planner
advice from a pro

unusual dessert table food ideas

  • Special event party food has two objectives: feeding and entertaining.
  • If 70% is dedicated to actually feeding people, 30% should be for entertaining your guests;
  • treating them, surprising them, indulging them, impressing them,
  • creating experiences for them, and even helping them discover new things.
  • Of this 30% I recommend allocating a third to strange, quirky, unfamiliar, adventurous, fun treats and flavor combinations,
  • such as the unusual dessert table food ideas below.
  • These create talking points.
  • Whether they love or hate them, guests will discuss and share their opinions with one another;
  • they act as conversation starters and create buzz and atmosphere,
  • which will help make your party a success.
  • Creative, unusual, or unexpected elements like these create photo-ops for guests to share and tag on social media,
  • and are what makes your party memorable.
  • Just remember, with unusual dessert table foods, you’re essentially inviting everyone to ‘have a try and see what it’s like’,
  • so you might want to increase quantities of these treats,
  • or control portion size by serving in / on disposable tasting forks, tasting spoons, mini tasting plates, mini tasting bowls, food cones, treat cups, dessert cups, or novelty mini treat containers.
SHOW More Show Less
the idea

FREEZE-DRIED ICE CREAM

An easy way to offer ice cream on a dessert table without fear of melting, these freeze-dried ice cream treats are sure to pique guests’ curiosity

Freeze dried ice cream; strawberry flavor
the idea

FREEZE-DRIED CANDY

Put an original spin on a candy buffet by swapping well-known store-bought candies for these freeze-dried candy versions

freeze-dried candy; Worthers originals
the idea

GOURMET COTTON CANDY

From pizza and maple bacon, to caramel apple and margarita, these crazy flavors reinvent gourmet cotton candy and are sure to create a talking point

tubs of unusual flavored gourmet cotton candy
the idea

CHOCOLATE PIZZAS

Rich and decadent, these chocolate pizzas will add a quirky and unexpected creative twist to any dessert table

chocolate and caramel pizza
the idea

COTTON CANDY CAKE

Satisfy any gluten-free guests with a fun and quirky alternative to traditional cake by offering cotton candy cake by the slice

rainbow colored cotton candy cake
the idea

BOOZY LIQUOR POPCORN

Boozy liquor popcorn is an great way to make this dessert table ‘filler’ option a lot more interesting for an adult crowd

Tequila Sunrise cocktail flavored boozy liquor popcorn alongside a tequila cocktail and bottle
don’t miss a thing

follow me on social

Keep up with my latest ideas by following me on social media

Matt James professional event planner
the idea

GOURMET SAVORY POPCORN

From bacon cheddar and pizza, to garlic Parmesan and dill pickle, these gourmet savory popcorn flavors will ensure this ‘filler’ option is anything but dull

cheese and bacon gourmet savory popcorn in a bowl
the idea

GOURMET SWEET POPCORN

From banana pudding and birthday cake, to pumpkin spice and cookies & cream, these gourmet sweet popcorn flavors will ensure this ‘filler’ option is anything but dull

Banana pudding flavored gourmet popcorn
the idea

BOOZY LIQUOR MARSHMALLOWS

From Pina Colada and Margarita, to Champagne and Baileys, these boozy liquor marshmallows give them an adult twist

whiskey flavored boozy liquor marshmallows
the idea

GOURMET MARSHMALLOWS

From Pumpkin Spice and Earl Grey Tea, to Peanut Butter & Banana and Espresso, these gourmet marshmallows aren’t just for kids

Nutella flavored gourmet marshmallows
the idea

BOOZY LIQUOR FUDGE

From red wine and Baileys, to mimosa or rhubarb & ginger gin, boozy flavored liquor fudge adds a deliciously decadent and adult twist

Rhubarb & Ginger Fin flavored gourmet boozy fudge
the idea

GOURMET FUDGE

From Key lime pie and tiramisu, to strawberry cheesecake and peaches & cream, these gourmet fudge flavors turn humble fudge into a must-try treat

Key lime pie gourmet fudge
the idea

CHOCOLATE DIPPED CHIPS

Give Doritos, Pringles, Cheese Puffs, and regular potato chips an unexpected twist with these chocolate dipped chips

white chocolate dipped hot Doritos with green sprinkles
the idea

SWEET DESSERT DIPS

Liven up ‘filler’ items, such as pretzels, fruit, and crackers, by pairing them with sweet dessert dips to make them more tempting or use to create simple layered desserts.

Key lime pie flavored dip in a bowl with crackers
the idea

GOURMET LOLLIPOPS

From peach cobbler and apple pie, to coffee caramel or pumpkin spice latte, these unusually-flavored gourmet lollipops mean they’re not just for kids

a selection of gourmet flavored lollipops
the idea

COCKTAIL & LIQUOR LOLLIPOPS

From rosé and mint julep, to Moscow mule and brown sugar & bourbon, these boozy flavored cocktail and liquor lollipops give them a quirky adult twist

Rosé wine flavored pink lollipops for adults
the idea

CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON

Love it or hate it, chocolate covered bacon treats will definitely create a talking point among party guests!

dark, white, and milk chocolate covered bacon
the idea

DECADES RETRO CANDY

Treat the guest of honor to a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a selection of retro candy from the decade they grew up in

a selection of Retro 1950's candy
the idea

EDIBLE SHOT CUPS

Surprise guests by serving desserts in edible shot cups made from chocolate, cookie dough, or hard candy

milk served in edible cookie dough shot cups with straws
the idea

EDIBLE COOKIE DOUGH

Ready to eat straight from the jar, edible cookie dough makes a fun dessert table treat scooped into bite-size portions served on individual tasting spoons

jar of salted caramel edible cookie dough
the idea

FLAVORED CANDY APPLES

From Habanero BBQ spiced almond, to pickle or Sangria, these gourmet flavored candy apples are not for kids

Red hots covered cinnamon flavored candy apples
the idea

CANDY SUSHI

Candy sushi platters add a bit of fun to a dessert table and will definitely get people talking

'sushi' made from candy
related post

dessert table food ideas

Hit the ‘Read More’ button below to check out my main page of dessert table food with ideas for popular, customized, and eye-catching treats.

custom photo personalized Happy Birthday m&m's
personalized Polaroid style custom photo cookies of a man 'through the years' for his 60th birthday
pink and gray cakesicles with gold leaf decoration
custom photo personalized macarons printed with a woman's face

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *