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The Best Desserts We Ate in 2018

neapolitan pie
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

A wise person once wrote, “a dessert-less life is not worth living.” OK fine, we wrote that, but still. In honor of our love for all things sugary, here are the 25 best desserts we devoured in 2018.

mini pecan pies
Photo: Jon Cospito/Styling: Erin McDowell 

1.

Mini Caramel Pecan Pies with Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust

These are ready in under an hour. Shh….

cinnamon sheet cake with cider frosting
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell 

2.

Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Cider Frosting

Psst…this guy’s almost impossible to mess up.

flower shortbread cookies
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

3.

Botanical Shortbread Cookies

Violets, pansies, roses and lavender are edible and easy to find.

strawberry pie with strawberry crust
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

4.

Strawberry Pie with Strawberry Crust

The prettiest pie we ever did see.  

lemon pie with blueberry meringue
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

5.

Lemon Pie with Blueberry Meringue

Wait. Or is this one the prettiest? Impossible to say.  

ultimate white cake
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell 

6.

The Ultimate White Cake

A total classic, this beauty is like the little black dress of your baking repertoire.

sweet corn doughnuts
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

7.

Sweet Corn Doughnut Holes

You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten one (or three) of these babies.

neapolitan pie
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell 

8.

Neapolitan Pie

Triple the colors, triple the fun.  

mini monkey bread
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

9.

Mini Citrus Monkey Bread

What’s better than normal monkey bread? Itty-bitty monkey breads, of course.  

doughnut cookies
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

10.

Glazed Doughnut Cookies

Very cute, very very tasty.

honeycomb cake
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell 

11.

Sticky Toffee Honeycomb Cake

For what it’s worth, sticky toffee pudding is Kate Middleton’s fave.  

strawberry keto fat bombs
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

12.

Strawberry Keto Fat Bombs

This low-carb, high-fat snack might just be the energy-boosting treat you’ve been waiting for. 

joanna
Amy Neunsinger/Magnolia Table

13.

Joanna Gaines’s Signature Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crispy edges and a gooey, melt-in-your-mouth center. Is there anything better?

slow cooker oreo cheesecake
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

14.

Slow-Cooker Oreo Cheesecake

Set it, forget it and scarf it down in three seconds flat.

banoffee cobblers
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell 

15.

Miniature Banoffee Cobblers

Gooey caramel, soft bananas, airy whipped cream and crisp graham cracker crumbles. Need we say more?

golden mylk cheesecake
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

16.

Vegan Golden Mylk Cheesecake

And you though veganism was all spinach and tofu.

geode cookies
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

17.

Easy Geode Cookies

We have it on good authority that these do *really* well on Instagram.

hawaiian shaved ice
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

18.

Strawberry-Mango Hawaiian Shave Ice

Eat this and pretend you’re on the beach in Maui.  

cranberry pecan cookies
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell 

19.

Easy Cranberry-Pecan Sandwich Cookies

A little buttery, a little nutty and a lot delicious.

pumpkin cheesecake cookies
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell 

20.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Can’t decide between cookies or cheesecake? Make these.

citrus upside down cake
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

21.

Ombre Citrus Upside Down Cake

Taste the citrus-y rainbow.

three flavor skillet cookie
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

22.

Triple Cookie Skillet Pie

Indecision never looked so sweet.

vegan coconut ice cream
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

23.

3-Ingredient Vegan Coconut Ice Cream

Dairy who?  

mini churros with chocolate sauce
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

24.

Churro Bites with Chocolate Sauce

If you need us, we’ll be backstroking in this chocolate sauce.  

sheet pan berry trifle
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

25.

Lemon-Berry Sheet Pan Trifle

An excellent option on the lighter side of things.


sarah stiefvater

Wellness Director

  • Oversees wellness content
  • PureWow's resident book reviewer
  • Has worked in lifestyle media for 11 years