A full dessert menu is easily achievable without an in-house bakeshop. It takes just a few simple techniques and ingredients that you can depend on. We have a few ideas to help you serve up some truly great desserts quickly and easily, utilizing brands your customers know and love.

Make ‘em by the Batch

Desserts help drive profits, according to 60% of operators.¹ So stock up on sweets with batch-made desserts. You can easily upgrade your sweet treats with delicious inclusions, unique plating or extravagant touches, depending on the occasion. Best of all, they won’t need specialized staff or training.

• Cobblers, crisps and crumbles, oh my! – It’s simple to pull off these comforting classics, and you can adjust your offering depending on the season. They can be made in a kitchen without a dessert station, and they keep well too. Top them with house-made ice cream, fresh whipped topping, or a luscious sauce made with Nestlé® Carnation® Evaporated Milk and warm.

© Nestlé Professional Solutions/Amy Stallard Photography

• Keep it classic (with a twist) – Cheesecake, chocolate cake and ice cream remain popular for a reason: they’re still great. But you can amp up these menu mainstays with the addition of simple, yet delicious toppings, garnishes, sauces, and mix-ins, like Nestlé® Toll House® Morsels. 

• Creative cookies are crowd pleasers – It doesn’t matter how easy it is to make cookies, customers simply love them. Take advantage of this fact by using your freshly baked cookies creatively. Make homemade ice cream sandwiches with a sturdy cookie. Pair delicate sugar thins with a dish of sorbet. Whip up a batch of bar cookies — the ultimate easy indulgence — and warm them before serving.

Get Started: Nestlé Toll House has a quite a few speed-scratch cookie products. You can also try an easy recipe like these Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies. In fact, 91% of consumers consider types of inclusions important when ordering a cookie away from home and 44% would pay more based on the type of inclusion.¹

• Cater to the grown-ups – Adults want comforting foods, too. Play into that with certified childhood classics that up the sophistication. Use brown butter and sea salt in your rice-cereal bars. Up the creaminess and decadence in your milkshakes with evaporated milk. Go all-out with your cupcake toppings. 
• Serve up fruit, but make it dessert – Pair strawberries, apple slices, bananas with chocolate fondue. Add more indulgence with cubed up pound cake and sumptuous whipped cream. 
• Create an over-the-top brownie – Use warm brownies to make a sundae with chocolate chips, frosting, or sauce.
• Create a brownie that brings new flavor into the mix with LIBBY’S® Pumpkin. It may seem seasonal, but pumpkin is perfect any time of year. 

• Elevate the old-fashioned treats – Recipes like Cold Brew S’mores or a Banana Boat (split an unpeeled ripe banana lengthwise, fill it with mini chocolate chips and mini-marshmallows, then bake until gooey) can tap into nostalgia. 4-in-5 consumers want nostalgic desserts, but only 2-in-5 operators currently serve them.¹

Stand Out with Simplicity

© Nestlé Professional Solutions/Amy Stallard Photography

Staying simple with your desserts is a great strategy, but you can still make your menu fancy. Push your plates from plain to perfection with extra ingredients or exciting dishware. 

• Bring elegance to your presentation – Add value and appeal to your finished desserts with creamy sauces, extravagant garnishes or an additional ingredient like ice cream. Use a small cast iron skillet to serve a cookie. Casserole dishes can add a homemade flair to your menu items. Elevate your desserts by serving them in champagne coupes or martini glasses. 
• Add some distinguishing touches – Bring contrast to your desserts for visual appeal. Pair creamy desserts like no-bake cheesecake or flan with chocolate chip morsels. Serve up biscotti and cookies with a warm mocha sauce for dipping and pouring. 
• Sip on something sweet — Drinkable desserts are a great way to indulge after a meal. They’re often perceived as lighter and more affordable, so make sure to have a specialty coffee, hot cocoa, smoothies, or milkshakes on your menu.

1. Datassential, Desserts Keynote Report, Jan 2023