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[1] Apple cobbler, one of our Top 10 desserts (photo © Pillsbury).
[2] Banana pudding, layered with whipped cream and Nilla wafers (photo © M. Sheldrake | iStock Photo).
[3] Fudgy brownies (photo © Cafe Delites).
[4] Carrot cake with a whopping four layers and cream cheese filling and frosting (photo © Sweet Street Desserts).
[5] Cheesecake with blueberry topping (photo © Pixabay | Pexels).
[6] Chocolate mousse (photo © Morton’s The Steakhouse).
[7] Crème brûlée (photo © Mad Max Chef | Unsplash).
[8] Key lime pie (photo © La Tourangelle | Facebook).
[9] Lemon bars (photo © King Arthur Baking).
[10] Rice pudding. Here’s the recipe (photo © Cafe Delites).
[11] Runner-up: pecan pie (photo © Sara Cervera | Wesual | Unsplash).
[12] Runner-up: blondies (photo © King Arthur Baking).
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Updated September 2026
October 14th is National Dessert Day. How about a dessert party? More specifically, a potluck dessert party?
Here’s how we put one together (and there’s a second opportunity on September 4th, National Eat An Extra Dessert Day):
- Last month we asked a dozen friends and neighbors to name their favorite desserts, noting that we’d have a potluck dessert party on National Dessert Day.
- We assigned the desserts, told everyone to have an early, light dinner, and to arrive for dessert at 8 p.m.
- We provided after-dinner drinks: Cognac, liqueurs (Amaretto, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Frangelico, Grand Marnier, Kahlúa, Sambuca), Port, and sherry, plus coffee and tea.
- Everything is self-service. We turned the dining room table into a buffet table.
Below:
> Dessert party: what we served.
> The year’s 200+ dessert holidays January through July.
Elsewhere on The Nibble:
> The year’s 200+ dessert holidays August through December.
> The history of dessert.
> The history of sugar.
OUR 10 PARTY DESSERTS
How to choose which desserts to include was a task, but we made practical decisions. Self-service had to be easy, meaning pies were out; different people making their own cuts would make a mess.
- Cakes and pies were made in sheet pans and cut into squares for easy self-service.
- Fruit pies wouldn’t work in this manner, but cobblers will, and they deliver the same flavors as pie.
- Favorites like chocolate soufflé and lava cake were sidelined because they deflate.
- Similarly, scooping ice cream requires effort and can make a mess. Better to throw a separate make-your-own-sundae party.
Thus, this list of finalists. (The corresponding photos are at left.)
- Apple Cobbler
- Banana Pudding
- Brownies
- Carrot Cake (squares)
- Cheesecake (squares)
- Chocolate Mousse
- Crème Brûlée
- Key Lime Pie
- Lemon Bars
- Rice Pudding
DESSERT HOLIDAYS
How many dessert holidays are there? In American cuisine alone, almost 200 (114 on this page alone, January through July), not counting baklava, cannoli, and other international favorites.
The list of holidays is so long that we’ve divided it. HHere’s Part 2, August through December.
Note that some of these holidays may not seem like “dessert.” Our thought was, for example:
- If it’s a jelly bean holiday, use them to garnish a cake or cupcakes.
- If it’s a waffle holiday, serve them a la mode with dessert sauce.
- Et cetera.
January Dessert Holidays
> Beyond dessert: more January food holidays.
February Dessert Holidays
> Beyond dessert: more February food holidays.
March Dessert Holidays
> Beyond dessert: more March food holidays.
April Dessert Holidays
> Beyond dessert: more April food holidays.
May Dessert Holidays
> Beyond dessert: more May food holidays.
June Dessert Holidays
> Beyond dessert: more June food holidays.
July Dessert Holidays
> Beyond dessert: more July food holidays.
> Continue to Part 2, August through December.
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1January 3rd is National Fruitcake Toss Day, commemorating the first fruitcake available for mail order. It was baked at the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, in 1896. Every year in Manitou, Colorado, hundreds of people gather to compete to see who can throw their fruitcake the highest or the greatest distance. Hopefully, the fruitcakes are wrapped and can be eaten afterwards, or else fed to the birds.
2Pączki (POHNCH-key) are filled donut-like pastries found in Polish cuisine, filled with jelly, custard, or other sweet filling. They are a specialty pastry reserved for once a year in honor of Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the precursor to the Lenten season, and the last day to indulge in foods before the traditional 40-day period of fasting before Easter. Pączki are made from a different dough than donuts, an especially rich dough that contains eggs, fats, sugar, yeast, and sometimes milk. They can be glazed, or covered with granulated or powdered sugar.
333 Flavors Day is dedicated to ice cream! Some sources say that the holiday takes place on the anniversary of the opening of the ice cream shop, Baskin Robbins. Baskin Robbins is known for its 31 flavors, not 33, so it is unclear why the day is called 33 Flavors Day.
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