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
CONTENTS

ON THIS PAGE

01 number of desserts per person

Tips for calculating the number of dessert portions to allow per person

3 different mini desserts on a plate
3 different desserts served in mini dessert cups arranged on a white serving tray
3 mini desserts on a plate
a variety of different mini desserts

02 number of dessert options

How many different dessert options to allow guests to choose from

a variety of different mini desserts on a party dessert table
a variety of different mini desserts on a party dessert table
rows of mini desserts on a party dessert table
mini desserts arranged in rows on trays

03 total number of desserts

How to calculate the total number of dessert portions to order

a variety of different mini desserts on cake stands on a party dessert table
a colorful display of mini desserts on a party dessert table
lots of mini desserts on a party dessert table
cakes and mini desserts on cake stands on a party dessert table

04 how many of each dessert

How to decide how many of each dessert option to order

a variety of different mini desserts on a party dessert table
donuts holes served in individual disposable paper food cones on a party dessert table
pink and white decorated mini donuts
individual layered party desserts served in disposable shooter glasses

05 back up & filler options

How to ensure you don’t run out of desserts on the day

Jack Daniels and Coke flavored boozy liquor popcorn
Salted caramel flavored dessert dip
whiskey liquor flavored boozy marshmallows
decorated pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate with yellow sprinkles
in this section

dessert table quantities

summary
  • Allow 3 dessert portions per person if also serving cake.
  • Allow 4 dessert portions per person if no cake, plus some ‘filler’ options (popcorn, candy etc).
  • Allow 5-6 dessert portions per person plus cake and savory options / ‘fillers’ if it’s just ‘drinks and desserts’
  • No. of dessert options = no. of portions per person x 2. So, if 3 portions per person, then offer a minimum of 6 different options to choose from
  • Total no. of portions = no. of guests x no. of portions per person. So, for 60 guests allowing 3 portions per person, you’ll need 180 dessert portions total
  • To decide how many of each dessert option to order, start by assuming an equal split. So, if total number of portions is 180, you’d want 30 of each dessert type (180 portions divided by 6 different types)
  • Next, adjust the number of each dessert type manually, increasing some while decreasing others, to work out a more reasoned split based on factors such as:
  • price, ease of preparation, whether there’s also cake, and how much guests have eaten prior to dessert.
  • To ensure you don’t run out of desserts on the day, include inexpensive ‘filler’ options.
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MATT’S TIPs

Matt James professional event planner
in this section

01 no. of desserts per person

  • Assuming guests will have eaten a main meal before, I would allow:
  • 3 dessert portions per person + cake (birthday / wedding cake etc),
  • or 4 dessert portions per person if no cake + some ‘filler’ options (popcorn, candy etc)
  • or, if it’s just a ‘drinks & desserts’ party:
  • 5-6 dessert portions per person + cake / savory options and ‘fillers’
  • In reality, you never really know how much guests are going to eat on the day;
  • there are just too many contributing factors,
  • from the schedule / timings, what other food is served, and how much they’ve drunk,
  • through to the type of guests, what entertainment or other distractions there are, and how delicious or tempting your dessert bar options are!
  • At events I’ve produced, sometimes you have some leftovers (although never such a huge amount you feel you wasted money),
  • other times, guests have demolished everything really quickly.
  • Now, I always prefer to risk having a little more than necessary, rather than run out.
  • Nothing looks worse than a ransacked and virtually empty dessert table!
  • In section 5 below, I’ll explain some hacks you can use to ensure you don’t run out on the day.
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3 different mini desserts on a plate
in this section

02 no. of dessert options

  • No. of dessert options = No. of dessert portions per person x 2
  • I recommend allowing (a minimum of) twice the number of dessert options than the number of portions per person.
  • So, if you’re allowing 3 portions per person, then you want a minimum of 6 different types of desserts / treats to choose from.
  • To be clear, that does NOT mean choosing 6 different types of treats and then ordering 3 of each.
  • You do NOT need one of every dessert for each person.
  • I’ll explain how to calculate the number of each dessert option to order in the next section.
  • Personally, I like to offer an even greater number of choices than this.
  • It’s just a preference, but I like there to be a greater variety of treats to choose from, even if it means less people will be able to try each option.
  • I just think that—visually—it creates a much fuller, more extravagant display and makes guests feel they are really being spoiled.
  • However, you need to remember that the more choice you offer, the more you are inadvertently encouraging people to try more things.
  • Therefore, you might need to increase the number of portions per person to allow for some people taking extra.
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a variety of different mini desserts on a party dessert table
in this section

03 total no. of dessert portions

  • Total No. of Dessert Portions = No. of Guests x No. of Portions per Person
  • To calculate the total number of dessert portions you’ll need, multiply the number of guests by the number of portions per person that you’ve decided to allow for.
  • So, if you’re expecting 60 guests and budgeting for 3 portions per person, you’ll need a total of 180 desserts.
  • Don’t worry, it’s always sounds like an enormous amount, but that’s just the nature of dessert tables.
  • Remember, the majority of dessert table options are miniature desserts, such as a macaroon, a one-bite cake pop, or a pudding served in a shooter or taster cup.
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a variety of different mini desserts on cake stands on a party dessert table
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Matt James professional event planner
in this section

04 quantity of each dessert

  • Deciding how many of each dessert to order can seem a bit like random guesswork.
  • Below are some tips to help you approach this more strategically.
  • Start your calculations by assuming an equal number of each dessert (then we’ll adjust).
  • So, if the total number of dessert portions required is 180, and you’re offering 6 different options to choose from, then your starting position is 30 of each dessert type (180 portions divided by 6 different types).
  • Next, adjust the number of each dessert type manually, increasing some while decreasing others, to work out a more reasoned split based on the criteria in the sections below.
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a variety of different mini desserts arranged in rows on a party dessert table
first consideration

will there be cake?

  • If you’re already going to have a celebration cake (i.e wedding, birthday, etc) on the dessert table,
  • then you probably won’t need as many other filling cake options (such as cupcakes, cakesicles, or cake jars).
  • Therefore, you could reduce the number of cake treats in favor of other dessert options, or choose smaller cake treats, like cake pops / bites or brownies.
slices of cake served on polka dot party plates
second consideration

do i want more variety?

  • To include a wider variety of treats without increasing your costs,
  • You can split each category of dessert (i.e cake, pastry, pudding, candy etc) down into smaller sub-categories in order to offer more variety.
  • For example, of the 30 cake portions initially allocated you could serve cake 3 different ways; 10 cupcakes, 10 cake in a jar, and 10 cakesicles.
  • You could also use cake pops or cake truffles, but keep in mind these are smaller and won’t equate to the same portion size as say a cupcake, so guest might have more than one.
  • Click on any image below for more info and how to get these treats delivered.
cupcakes decorated to look like flowers
green and white cakesicles with gold leaf decoration
cupcakes served in jars
rose gold colored cake pops
  • Similarly, if one of your choices is donuts, you could offer 15 of one flavor and 15 of another.
  • Alternatively, you might decide to split this category into 3 different types and offer 10 donuts, 10 whoopie pies, and 10 cinnamon rolls (or other similarly stodgy treats like brownies or dessert bars).
  • Click on any image below for more info and how to get these treats delivered.
pink and white decorated mini donuts
handmade cookies & cream whoopie pies
handmade orange cinnamon rolls
handmade Oreo brownies to order
  • Just remember, the downside to offering more choices within each category is that fewer people will get to try some treats as you’ll have less of each.
  • In addition, the more choice you offer, the more you risk encouraging people to try more things. So someone might take a cake pop and a cakesicle.
  • Personally, I don’t get too hung up on things like this.
  • People are adults, so my preference is always to create a bigger impression with a wider range of different desserts, even if it means some will be more popular than others.
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third consideration

which desserts are cheaper?

  • If you’re on a budget, you might want to adjust your quantities of each dessert to reduce the amount of custom-order treats that you have to buy,
  • in favor of more inexpensive and/or homemade options,
  • such as puddings, mousse, and fruit that you can make in big batches and serve in dessert cups, shooters, or martini glasses with a fancy garnish to make them look more stylish.
  • Click on any image below for more info on that product, or check out all my presentation tips and tricks on the Dessert Table Presentation page.
individual layered party desserts served in disposable shooter glasses
mousse / pudding style desserts served in clear disposable mini dessert cups
individual fruit salad desserts served in martini glasses on a tired stand on party dessert table
desserts served in clear disposable mini coffee mugs
  • So, whereas your initial split might have been 30 cupcakes and 30 puddings, you could probably save on budget by adjusting this to say 15 cupcakes and 45 puddings (assuming you were buying the cupcakes).
  • You can also save on budget by mixing more premium or customized treats, those that add a creative twist, personal touch, or talking point, with more standard options that will feed larger numbers.
  • For example, if you’re budgeting 30 cookies, 10 could be custom / decorated, while the other 20 could be more simple or even ‘ready to bake’ store-bought ones.
  • Similarly, you might opt for 10 personalized photo macarons with 20 regular French macaroons.
  • Remember, the premium / customized dessert options are really about adding visual flair and wow-factor to your overall display; it doesn’t matter if not every guests gets to try one.
  • Click on any image below for more info and how to get these treats delivered.
40th birthday 1980's themed decorated cookies
rustic handmade gourmet cookies Cherry Garcia flavor
custom photo personalized macarons printed with a woman's face
pastel colored French macarons
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fourth consideration

have guests had a big meal?

  • Have guests been well-fed, only had a light meal, or no meal at all prior to dessert?
  • If they’ve had a seated or buffet dinner prior, where they’re likely to have been well-fed, perhaps with heavier, more filling components, such as pasta, rice, potato, bread, etc
  • then you might want less carb-heavy desserts, such as cupcakes, donuts, pastries, and pies,
  • and more options like pudding, mousse, chocolate, candy, fruit cups, jello, and dessert kabobs, or smaller bite-size treats like cake pops, macarons, and dipped strawberries .
  • Click on any image below for more info on that product, or check out my Dessert Table Food Ideas page.
fruit salad served in clear disposable mini dessert cups
desserts served in clear disposable mini coffee mugs
custom photo personalized white cake pops featuring photos of a woman's face
chocolate dipped strawberries
  • Conversely, if they’ve had a lighter or no meal prior, then it might be a good idea to lean more towards cakes, pies, donuts, dessert bars, cakesicles, or these unusual Victorian tea cakes (below).
  • Click on any image below for more info on that product, or check out my Dessert Table Food Ideas page.
handmade cherry pie pops
Handmade lemon dessert bars
pink and white vintage Victorian style tea cakes
gold and white decorated cakesicles
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fifth consideration

what are the easiest options?

  • Finally, don’t forget to factor in which desserts are going to be easier for you to produce / source.
  • The dessert table is just one element of the event planning, so make sure you don’t create too much work for yourself and risk running out of time.
  • If budget isn’t the main priority, lean towards more desserts you can order in.
  • Alternatively, if you are planning on more home-made treats, choose ones that aren’t overly complicated or time-consuming.
  • Don’t forget to ask friends and family to contribute some home-made desserts too.
  • There’s a lot you can do with presentation to make even the simplest of desserts look more stylish and professional (which might come in handy if friends and family turn up with something that looks like it was made by a third grader!).
  • Check out all my presentation tips and tricks on the Dessert Table Presentation page.
square cakes served on individual mini tasting plates
strawberry cheesecake dessert served in martini glasses
donuts holes served in individual disposable paper food cones on a party dessert table
bite size desserts served on tasting spoons
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in this section

05 back up & filler options

Filler treats

  • To ensure you don’t run out of desserts on the day, be sure to include some inexpensive ‘filler’ options to help pad out the dessert table, such as:
  • Gourmet / unusual flavor popcorn
  • Gourmet / unusual flavor cotton candy
  • Fruit cups
  • Sweet dips and crackers
  • ‘Basic’ cookies
  • Pretzel rods
  • Marshmallows / s’mores
  • Candy / chocolate bars
  • Chips
  • Click on any image in the carousel for more info and where to order from.
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back up options

  • If you’re catering to large numbers, are on a budget, or worried you might run out of treats, you can ask friends and family to contribute cakes, tray bakes, or big batch puddings / trifles.
  • Then, only put half the amount of whatever each person brings on the dessert table initially,
  • and keep the other half back as emergency back-ups that you can use to top up later if you start to run out.
  • This is better than keeping the full amount of ‘donated’ treats in reserve and risking anyone feeling offended if they’ve gone to all the trouble of making something, then they don’t see it displayed on the dessert table!
  • A great way to split cakes and tray bakes into two batches is to plate individual slices onto mini tasting plates.
  • Similarly, use mini tasting bowls, disposable martini glasses, dessert cups, shooter glasses, mason jars, or mini mugs to portion out any big batch wet desserts like puddings and trifles.
  • Click on any image in the carousel for more info or check out all the tips and tricks on my Dessert Table Presentation Page.
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dessert table food ideas

Hit the ‘Read More’ button to continue reading my Dessert Table Food Ideas page

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pink and white decorated mini donuts
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