18 Birthday Dessert Ideas That Go Beyond Cake

These birthday dessert ideas are ideal for kids and grown-ups alike. After all, it’s not a birthday party without dessert!

After the candles are blown out and the birthday wish has been made, who can resist digging into a delicious piece of birthday cake?

But if you’re looking for super creative dessert ideas to make someone’s birthday extra exceptional, look no further!

I have 18 recipes for you that not only look and taste amazing but are easy to make as well.

There’s something for everybody on this list, from cakes to cookies to truffles!

These desserts will surely make the birthday celebrator and the whole party gang feel extra special.

With these 18 fabulous birthday dessert ideas, there really is a reason to celebrate! Let’s get the party started, shall we?

1. Birthday Cupcakes 

These confetti cupcakes are sweet, vibrant, and a lot of fun!

They may be vanilla, but there’s nothing dull about them! Fluffy and airy cupcakes topped with a sweet buttercream frosting and peppered with colorful sprinkles, they’re the ultimate party dessert for kids!

These are fitting for all occasions, not just birthdays! These cupcakes are so addictive, you’ll want them around the house every day, which is not a problem since they are such a breeze to make.

2. Cake Batter Ice Cream

Cake and ice cream in one superb dessert? Who can say no to that?

This Stone Cold Cake Batter Ice Cream copycat recipe is so gob-smackingly delicious, you might never consider buying the original after trying it. 

Sweet and luscious ice cream that tastes exactly like cake batter ready in just 5 minutes. And you know what else? This cake batter ice cream only requires 7 basic pantry ingredients to make! So simple!

3. Homemade Ice Cream Cake 

Layers of ice cream, Oreos, hot fudge, and whipped cream in one heavenly slice: that’s what this ice cream cake is all about. 

Planning a summer birthday celebration? This homemade ice cream cake is the most ideal dessert! It’s cool, refreshing, and oh-so-sweet and satisfying.

This recipe calls for 2 ice cream flavors: chocolate and peanut butter cup. Feel free to pick your own favorite flavors for the perfect twist!

To give it that homemade feel, I highly suggest you make your own hot fudge and whipped cream. You’ll really be able to taste the difference. Plus, it’s so easy to make!

4. Birthday Cake Cookies 

Sweet, moist, and tender birthday cake and chocolate chip cookies rolled into one: this dessert is the stuff of dreams.

What’s not to love? They taste like cake batter, but in cookie form. They’re crisp on the edges and soft and chewy at the center. They’re packed with sprinkles and chocolate chips, both dark and white.

It only takes one bite to fall in love with this two-in-one dessert! Be sure to make them in bulk because they’re guaranteed to disappear in minutes.

5. Birthday Cake Lasagna 

Birthday cake lasagna: what on earth is it? Well, it’s only the sweetest, most decadent birthday dessert there is!

Instead of noodles, tomato sauce, white sauce, and cheese, you’ll use layers of graham crackers, cream cheesecake mousse, pudding, and whipped cream.

Together these components make the most mind-blowingly delicious bite! 

6. Birthday Cake Cheesecake 

To take dessert to the next level, try this rich and velvety cheesecake topped with sprinkles. It’s the most fun and colorful cheesecake in the universe! 

The crust is truly something special. It’s not your regular old graham cracker crust! Instead, It’s made with sweet and buttery sugar cookies! Absolutely stunning. 

7. Birthday Brownies 

These decadent and fudgy brownies are topped with a cream cheese layer that’s speckled with colorful sprinkles. Happy birthday, indeed!

Who doesn’t love brownies? They’re drool-worthy and easy to make.

These are even more extra! In this recipe, you’ll add a layer of cream cheese infused with cake mix and sprinkles for the ultimate party experience! 

8. Better than Sex Cake 

Better than Sex Cake sounds like such a complicated dish to make, considering its name. But, on the contrary, it’s one of the simplest cakes there is! 

Five basic ingredients are all it takes to make this popular, sinful chocolate cake. Pre-made cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, caramel sauce, and whipped cream make this cake so easy-peasy!

Just bake the cake according to directions, poke a bunch of holes in it, and drizzle with the milk and caramel sauce. Finish it off with whipped cream, and voila, you’re done!

9. Cake Batter Blondies 

Cake batter in blondie bar form? Yes, please!

What’s not to love about this birthday dessert? It’s sweet, fluffy, buttery, and loaded with sprinkles and white chocolate. All that flavor in one blondie bar. Why, it’s every sweet-tooth’s dream!

Plus, it only requires one bowl, a little bit of mixing, and less than 30 minutes of baking. You’ll have more time for celebrating!

10. Cake Batter Rice Krispies 

Want a crowd-pleasing dessert but have zero baking skills? Well, I have the perfect recipe for you! These cake batter Rice Krispies are sweet, crunchy, chewy, and colorful. Oh, and they’re incredibly simple to make, too!

Yup, these bad boys come together in just 5 minutes. It’s just a matter of mixing ingredients and slicing the treats into squares. Believe me, if I can make it, so can you!

11. Cake Batter Truffles 

Delicious and elegant truffles that call for just 3 ingredients?! What a stroke of genius!

These cake batter truffles are sweet and tender bite-sized munchies that come together in just 5 minutes! Combining butter, cake mix, and sprinkles, and rolling them into balls is just brilliant. 

It’s so easy and fail-proof; you can make these with the kids for a fun pre-birthday activity!

12. Cake Batter Dessert Shooters 

These shooters are mini-cakes made with cream cheese, cake mix, and sprinkles resting on a bed of Golden Oreo crust, topped with whipped cream and a cherry, all in one fancy little glass. Is there a more adorable dessert than that?

Rich, creamy, but not overly sweet: that’s what these shooters are all about. 

They’re also charming on top of being a crazy delicious combination. Single-serving desserts are just so appealing!

13. Cake Batter Fudge

Sweet and colorful cake batter in fudge form? Sign me up!

This dessert is a huge hit with kids, and also adult kids-at-heart as well. Chewy and decadent, it’s exactly what fudge should be. Plus, the added color from the sprinkles just makes it oh-so-pretty and inviting!

As a bonus, there’s no need to bake this dessert. Just melt the ingredients on the stovetop, and you’ll be done! 

14. Italian Cream Cake 

Say hello to Italian Cream Cake: a moist and tender yellow cake iced with buttercream cheese frosting and loaded with chopped pecans and sweetened coconut. 

Fun fact: The cake’s name is completely deceiving, because it actually hails from Texas, not Italy! No one one knows why it’s called such, but one thing’s for sure: it’s 100% delightful.

15. Red Velvet Cake

Soft, fluffy, and moist red velvet cake with a perfectly sweet heritage frosting? This red velvet cake is the epitome of luxury and decadence. 

The glorious deep red hue may not add any flavor to the cake, but it definitely makes it even more stunning.

What I love about this recipe is that it uses oil instead of butter, giving the cake an insanely fluffy texture! Plus, the use of Heritage Frosting also gives it just the right amount of sweetness. Not too overpowering, yet not too bland. 

16. Chocolate Cake 

I mean, we can’t have a birthday dessert list without chocolate cake, can we? Why, it’s the most iconic cake there is!

And if you think that it’s tough to pull off a rich, moist, and fudgy chocolate cake, think again. With this simple and easy to follow recipe, nothing is impossible!

This recipe calls for simple ingredients that you probably already have at home. Whether you make it for a birthday party or on a random Saturday afternoon, there’s no need to run to the store!

17. Tiramisu

I can’t resist tiramisu! This classy dessert is perfect for those who want something sweet, but not too sweet.

And do you have any idea how easy tiramisu is to make? It doesn’t even require any baking at all! You just soak several ladyfingers in coffee, and layer them in a baking pan together with a mascarpone filling.

Dust with cocoa, chill in the fridge, and it’s done!

This recipe elevates tiramisu by adding liqueur, such as rum, brandy, or marsala wine into the coffee mixture.

18. Banana Split

I’ve saved the best for last, folks. Looking for the perfect way to impress your guests? Well, look no further than banana splits!

Get those tubs of ice cream, bananas, and toppings ready and set up the most majestic banana split bar. Who doesn’t love ice cream loaded with bananas, nuts, whipped cream, and cherries on top? 

With a banana split bar, your guests have the freedom to choose the ice cream flavor and toppings they want in their dessert! 

Your bar will look so exciting by adding more fun choices, like caramel sauce, hot fudge, butterscotch, marshmallows, sprinkles, and every sweet, salty, and crunchy topping you can think of.

The more choices you offer, the more fun your guests will have!