12 Unforgettable Dessert Cocktails You’ve Never Tried

Having a boozy drink after dinner is always fun, but for people with a sweet tooth it doesn’t get better than finishing off with a dessert cocktail. These cocktails make decision-making easier as you don’t need to choose between a dessert or a drink since you have both in one delicious concoction. Sipping on a cocktail that’s sweet and fruity or rich and creamy can be one of the most satisfying ways to end a meal. However, you don’t have to think of them strictly as after-dinner drinks. Dessert cocktails are a great way to sip on something indulgent and pleasurable during happy hour or regular drinks with friends.

Dessert cocktails feature some refined classics, but they also include many fun and whimsical options that would satisfy your inner child. As a food business owner, I thoroughly enjoy coming up with dessert cocktails for my pop-up dinners and events. There’s nothing better than seeing the excitement in my guests as they read through the menu. Dessert cocktails never fail to bring joy to people and can turn around the whole vibe if the night is a little slow. If you want to skip the familiar, old-school options, there are many amazing dessert cocktails that don’t get enough praise. I especially like the new takes on classics or cocktails from around the world that aren’t common in the United States. If you want to diversify your drink menu, here are some of the best dessert cocktails you’ve never heard of.

If you’re new to dessert cocktails, and you need a gradual introduction to the category, chocolate old fashioned is perfect for you. This cocktail is ideal if you find the full-on milkshake-like cocktails a little intimidating, or even distasteful. With a chocolate twist on this elegant beverage, you can be indulgent but still keep it classy. An old fashioned hardly needs any improvement, especially if you love its distinctively smoky and bitter profile and the subtle sweetness. However, it’s not something you would choose if you’re into the mood for something a little more treat-like. Adding a splash of chocolate can make anything more satisfying, and the rule also applies to the iconic old fashioned.

There are a number of ways you can incorporate the chocolate component in this whiskey-based cocktail. You can switch out regular whiskey for chocolate whiskey, use chocolate bitters instead of orange bitters, or tweak it with chocolate liqueur. If you’re not skilled at mixing your drinks at home, order one from a professional and leave the ingredients a mystery. Either way, you’ll find that the chocolate flavor perfectly complements the warm, smoky, and bitter flavors. Plus, unlike many other dessert cocktails, this chocolate old fashioned is light enough you’ll want another round.

Many dessert cocktails can be stand-ins for actual desserts, and this iconic South African cocktail does exactly that. Growing up in South Africa, this was the classic drink the adults would order after a meal. Sometimes, it was even featured on the dessert menu. Children would always ask their parents for a sip, and as this cocktail is similar to a lightly spiked milkshake, they were often allowed a little taste. 

Often made with Kahlúa, ice cream, and cream, dom Pedro is a thick, velvety, and sweet combination and the perfect dessert drink. This is one of the easiest dessert cocktails to make at home, as you simply blend together ice cream with cream and liquor. In the past, many would use whiskey to spike the drink, but now, along with Kahlúa, you can find versions that use Frangelico (sweet hazelnut liqueur) or Amarula (South African cream liqueur) which give them a slightly different flavor profile. As long as the liquor works as a milkshake flavor, you can use just about anything. Usually, dom Pedros are served in glasses that have been drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with some cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.

A white Russian is already a dessert cocktail in my book, and I love sipping on this creamy, vodka-spiked coffee drink when I want something special or decadent as an ending to a meal. It’s creamy, sophisticated, and warms you up from the inside on cold evenings. Though it’s amazing in its original version, it doesn’t mean a classic white Russian wouldn’t benefit from a little flavor infusion of a different kind, and the best way to modify it is to use salted caramel to give it a sweet and salty kick. White Russian infused with salted caramel makes for the best holiday flavor, but this is a drink you can enjoy all year round.

It’s super easy to make this cocktail by using salted caramel vodka, but if you want even more complexity, switch the vodka with salted caramel whiskey. Plus, if you want to make it extra fancy, you could whip up a salted caramel cold foam to serve on top. The salty note takes the drink to the next level because it helps to balance all that rich sweetness. Of course, if you don’t like the salty and sweet combo, regular caramel flavor is also a suitable option.

If you’re familiar with Puerto Rican culture, there’s no way you haven’t heard of coquito, and if you’ve never tried it, you’re missing out on this incredibly tasty drink. Especially popular around Christmas time, coquito is the Puerto Rican eggnog that is common in the Caribbean. Coquito translates as “little coconut” in Spanish, and the world perfectly describes its dominant flavor profile. Usually made with rum, coconut cream, evaporated or condensed milk, vanilla, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, coquito is an exquisite cocktail that’s pretty easy to whip up. Some people may use eggs but it’s not strictly necessary. In my experience, coquito is even tastier the next day. The spices become more pronounced the longer they infuse.

There’s no right or wrong way to make coquito, and most people have their favorite recipes and ingredients they like to add to it. This is also one of the creamy dessert cocktails that’s easy to make dairy-free without losing its indulgent flair. For this version, simply use coconut milk instead of dairy milk for even more coconut flavor. 

Espresso martinis have been around for a long time, but they’re currently having a resurgence and are a pretty common request from my clients, especially those in their twenties and thirties. This classic cocktail is obviously popular with coffee lovers, but my theory is that it has become the sophisticated version of a vodka and red bull for young people who need the extra boost of caffeine along with their booze to keep them energetic and buzzing all night. Now, if you want to sweeten the deal on that buzz, you can turn an espresso martini into a dessert cocktail with ease. Being that it’s a coffee-centered drink, it makes perfect sense to add a scoop of ice cream and make an espresso martini affogato.

The ice cream makes your drink extra creamy in the most pleasant way, and as it melts, it imparts distinctly rich sweetness. For the classic version, go for vanilla ice cream, or intensify the coffee flavor with a coffee gelato. You can always play with other ice cream flavors that would work in affogato and that go well with coffee, such as caramel or white chocolate.

If you imagine sitting on a beach in Brazil, there are plenty of delicious cocktails that might come to mind. For many people, that dream will involve a glorious creamy cocktail called batida de coco. Similar to a coquito, this drink is all about the coconut, but it’s usually made with cachaça, the national Brazilian spirit. While you could use rum or even vodka to make batida de coco, if you want the authentic taste, source some Brazilian cachaça. This sugar cane spirit is incredibly popular in Brazil and is the base alcohol for the national Brazilian cocktail, the caipirinha. So you’ll find plenty of other uses if you decide to spring for a bottle.

The other ingredients that you’ll usually find in a batida de coco are coconut milk, coconut water, and sweet condensed milk. The best part about batida de coco is that you can adjust the ingredients to suit your preference. You can add more coconut milk if you prefer a stronger coconut taste, or add more sweetened condensed milk to make it sweeter. If it’s too sweet, you can always dilute it with coconut water without losing the coconut flavor.

If you prefer fruity and light cocktails, then a refreshing Nigerian Chapman might be the best thing for you. A Chapman is sometimes considered to be very similar to Spanish sangria, as it’s full of citrusy flavor, and though it’s sweetened with syrup, it’s still tart and has a zesty element to it. It’s a super popular request in the summer, when people don’t have a large appetite but want a special drink to cool down with. The classic Chapman has a base of blackcurrant cordial or grenadine syrup, and a fizzy combination of Fanta and Sprite. Sometimes, you’ll find Angustoura bitters in the mix, though this addition means that it’s not completely alcohol-free. This cocktail is often served with some cucumber slices to emphasize the freshness.

You can enjoy Chapman as is, or make it more boozy by mixing in some vodka, Campari, or even some red wine to get a sangria-like concoction. Make it more interesting by throwing in some slices of oranges, grapefruit, or lemon, and use some freshly squeezed orange juice instead of Fanta. It’s the kind of drink you can jazz up however you like to, and the end result will always be a crowd-pleaser.

Many classic dessert cocktails tend to be modest and light-handed when it comes to playfulness. However, for the more-is-more type of a person, these elegant cocktails sometimes just don’t do it. If you’re one of those people, this Baileys s’mores float is the overachieving cocktail you need to try. This cocktail is heavy on the dessert part as it’s made with chocolate syrup, chocolate milk, vanilla ice cream, graham crackers, and toasted marshmallows. The drink is laced with Baileys so you know it’s going to be decadent and delicious.

The toasted marshmallows give this cocktail a smoky nuance and round off the nostalgic campfire feel. You will start with a garnish — dip the glasses in chocolate sauce and then coat the rim with crushed graham crackers for some texture. To assemble the drink, you can spoon everything in your glass and mix it up with a long spoon, or leave the distinct layers and texture. Finish your adult milkshake with some marshmallows, more crushed graham crackers, and more chocolate sauce for the ultimate dessert cocktail.

Sometimes, when I need to look for inspiration for what sort of dessert cocktail to make, I think of what my favorite dessert-like drinks could be made with a little kick of booze. This is how I came up with the idea of adding some alcohol to one of my favorite drinks — the creamy horchata. 

Horchata is associated with Mexico and other Latin American countries. Though it comes in several regional variations, it is typically made with ground grains or nuts, rice being most common, and warming spices. Although it is made differently depending on the region and tradition, it is usually sweetened. Horchata is refreshing and satisfying and I thought it would make the perfect after-dinner drink when tweaked with alcohol. While I thought I invented something truly genius, I found out alcohol-laced version already exists, and that it’s common to find rum-spiked variations or those boosted some coffee-flavored Kahlúa. Just don’t get it confused with a drink called the dirty horchata, which is spiked with coffee and not alcohol.

It’s really easy to make the boozy version if you get your hands on some ready-made horchata. I like to buy some from a neighbor who sells the homemade, large-batch version, and then I just add some dark rum to it.

This cocktail takes eggnog, a classic dessert drink many Americans enjoy around the holidays, and gives it a little twist. Añogo is made with eggnog, añejo tequila, and amontillado sherry. The result is a complex drink that tastes incredible. You might not think the combination of tequila, sherry and eggnog would work, but somehow they blend into a drink bursting with creamy, fruity, and earthy nuances. This cocktail has the character of an eggnog that’s complemented with a boozy kick. Just like classic eggnog, this is a great option for Christmas and the holiday season, but don’t reserve it only for this occasions as it has much more potential, and it’s truly worth trying. Also, if you don’t want to recreate it at home, don’t be nervous of asking for it at a bar.

As beloved as a traditional eggnog is, it can become a little tiring to drink the same drink every holiday. Whether you like making your own eggnog or buying it, having an añogo can make it feel a little more sophisticated and special.

As a chocolate lover, I don’t think there are enough chocolate cocktails in this world. Luckily, this one is all about chocolate and is going to satisfy your chocolate craving in no time. Chocolate blitzen is one of the rare cocktails where you use actual melted chocolate to make it. It’s the best drink order for anyone who has a sweet tooth and likes a thick drink. But, it’s still got plenty of booze to make it adult enough so you don’t have a feeling you’re sipping a milkshake.

Chocolate blitzen usually incorporates chocolate ice cream, chocolate liqueur, Baileys, and vodka. You blend those ingredients together to make a smooth, velvety, and thick chocolate drink that’s typically served in a martini glass. But it’s not a chocolate blitzen without melting some chocolate to add to the rim of your glass. You can stop there if you want, but the chocolate rim is the perfect glue for more garnish. Throw on some chocolate sprinkles to the rim and make your chocolate blitzen extra festive.

Out of all the dessert cocktails out there, a mudslide might be the pièce de résistance. In my opinion, it sits perfectly in the middle between a cocktail and dessert. It’s equal parts creamy, sweet, and boozy, without having an overwhelming milkshake consistency. Made from vodka, ​​Kahlúa, Baileys, and heavy cream, a mudslide is a silky, sweet drink that’s not too sugary, but hits the spot nonetheless. You can also add in some chocolate sauce to make the classic chocolate mudslide.

While perfect as it is, there are many ways to dress up a chocolate mudslide. You can swap vodka for rum or bourbon, which can add a smoky sweetness to the drink, as opposed to the neutral tasting vodka. Plus, if you use higher-quality ingredients in your chocolate sauce, you will get much better tasting results. You can also give your mudslide a spicy kick by adding a pinch of cinnamon, ginger, or even some cayenne pepper. These will give the drink a more sophisticated feel and new character.

If you like your mudslide to be more decadent, you can emphasize the dessert quality by adding things like ice cream, marshmallows, chocolate bar pieces, Oreo cookies, and even peanut butter cups. How you garnish the drink is part of that fun, so don’t forget to decorate the top with whatever you’re mixing into your drink for added pazazz.