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The Best Desserts We Ate in 2019

2019: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, but through it all, there was dessert…and a lot of it. From the best no-churn mint chip ice cream we’ve ever tasted to an upside-down cake topped with squash, here are the best desserts we ate in 2019.

17 Baking Recipes for Total Beginners


1. Brown-sugar Pear Puff Pastries

The flaky pastry is store-bought, because we’re sneaky like that. These have “à la mode” written all over them.

2. Birthday Cake Petit Fours

Is it our birthday? Nope, but it sure feels like it, thanks to these adorable bite-size cakes.

3. Bite-size Almond Raspberry Spoon Cakes

They’re just a spoonful apiece, so you won’t ruin your diet if you have one (or, you know, a few).

4. Blood Orange Eton Mess

We have a feeling Mary Berry would wholeheartedly approve of this classic British dessert. We love how the sharp citrus contrasts with all the sugary meringue and whipped cream.

5. Apple-cider Pear Spelt Cake

Sometimes you want a slice of cake that won’t leave you in a sugar coma. This nutty spelt cake is for those times.

6. Easy Lemon-hibiscus Layer Cake

Meanwhile, this three-layer cake looks super impressive, but it’s easier to make than anything from a box.  

7. Giant Brown-sugar Snickerdoodle Cookies

When it comes to snickerdoodles, more really is more. These are chewier, spicier and—dare we say?—better than any you’ve made before.

8. Muffin-tin Lemon Meringue Tarts

Nothing against muffins, but we hardly ever make them at home. Instead, we’re whipping up these mini lemon meringue tarts and putting our muffin tin to good use.

9. Swedish Cinnamon Rolls

Swedish sweets had a moment this year, but these cinnamon buns (aka kanelbullar) will last a lifetime. They’re that good.

10. Cardamom Crème Brûlée

We gave everyone’s favorite ’90s dessert a twist with just a hint of spicy cardamom. It’s low effort but makes all the difference.

11. Chocolate-stuffed Brownie Bites

Think of these bite-size brownies as the adult version of the fudgy store-bought ones you used to eat in grade school. In a word, delicious.

12. Cardamom Cream-filled Bundt Cake

This Swedish cake, called semlor, is light as air thanks to the addition of yeast and a delicate cardamom cream filling. Translation: Go ahead with that second slice.

13. Thai Iced Tea Panna Cotta

Creamy, heavily sweetened Thai iced tea already feels like dessert, so we upped the ante and turned it into one. The best part? You don’t have to turn on your oven.

14. Cookies-and-cream Shortbread Cookies

Why have one type of cookie when you can have two at the same time? These shortbread-meets-Oreo treats are the after-school snack of our childhood dreams.

15. Easy Chocolate Marshmallow Cups

DIY candy isn’t just for holidays or special occasions. Our homage to Mallo Cups are fluffy inside with a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate exterior that looks anything but homemade.

16. Cheater’s Brioche Buns With Fruity Glaze

We feel totally comfortable calling this the easiest brioche recipe on the internet. It’s so simple, you could make these buns for breakfast or dessert.

17. Coconut Rice Pudding With Rhubarb Compote

If rhubarb pie and rice pudding had a very delicious baby, this would be it. (Psst: It takes 30 minutes from start to finish.)

18. Chocolate Chip Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

We’ll never say no to chocolate chip cookies, but we sometimes wish they came with frosting. This cake is our answer to that problem.

19. Lemon-raspberry Whoopie Pies

Pop quiz: Is it a sandwich cookie, a pie or a cake? (The answer: When it’s this tasty, who really cares?)

20. Rocky Road Cookies

Calling all chocolate lovers: These cookies are packed with cocoa powder and chocolate chunks (not to mention all the marshmallows and pecans).

21. Blackberry Jam Pie-crust Straws

While pie is exceptionally delicious, it can also be exceptionally time-consuming to make. These pie-crust straws have all the pie-tastic flavor, but take 35 minutes to assemble and bake.

22. Cherry Slab Pie

But when you do feel like making a whole pie, try this sheet-pan version. It has the ideal ratio of crust to filling in each slice (and serves a crowd of hungry pie lovers).

23. Blueberry, Blackberry And Raspberry Soufflés

Why hello, fancy-pants dessert. As long as you don’t overmix the batter, your soufflés will be totally foolproof.

24. Peanut Butter And Jelly Blondies

These blondies are irresistibly chewy and swirled with jam, so naturally, we’re skipping the sandwich and going straight for dessert.

25. Itty-bitty Sandwich Cookies

They’re so tiny! (That means you can eat a handful or two.)

26. Mini Strawberry Ice-cream Pies

If you have a pint of vanilla ice cream in your freezer, you’re one step closer to dessert. These cuties look like they take a ton of effort, but really, they come together in no time.

27. Peaches-and-cream Ice Pops

Behold, summer in ice-pop form. Don’t worry, though. You can make these any time of year; just roast frozen fruit instead of fresh.

28. No-churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

No ice-cream maker? No problem. This batch of fresh mint ice cream (which tastes just like our childhood fave) is as easy to make as whipped cream.


29. 30-minute Angel Food Cupcakes

The only downside to traditional angel food cake is that it can take a few hours to make. That’s where these quick-baking cupcakes save the day.

30. 3-ingredient Strawberry Ice-cream Shell

This pretty pink chocolate sauce becomes crackly and cold (like magic!) when it hits a scoop of ice cream. We’re not saying the rainbow sprinkles are mandatory, but, well…

31. Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

Finally, we can get a caffeine buzz and a sugar rush in one convenient package. Permission to eat these cookies for breakfast, granted.

32. Mini Apricot Meringue Pies

A press-in coconut crust and jam-like filling make these mini tarts a breeze to bake.

33. Blackberry Plum Upside-down Cake

Plum season is fleeting, but that makes this beauty all that much more special. The batter has a touch of whole-wheat flour in it it, and the result kind of tastes like a PB&J.

34. No-bake Key Lime Cheesecake

A traditional cheesecake requires a water bath and hours of your time. This one, on the other hand, requires 30 minutes of work and no oven at all.

35. Vegan And Gluten-free Apple Blackberry Crumble Tart

When our chef in residence Aran Goyoaga made us this tart, we couldn’t believe it was vegan and gluten-free. After one bite, you might not believe it either.


36. Caramelized Butternut Squash Upside-down Cake

Squash in a dessert? Yep, and it’s totally delicious. This autumnal cake is so moist and caramelly, you won’t want to make anything else ever again. (Well, maybe.)

37. Pumpkin Angel Food Cake With Cream Cheese Glaze

You love pumpkin spice; embrace it. This angel food cake bucks tradition in the best ways possible. (Just look at that glaze!)

38. Mini Cranberry Potpies

Tart cranberries plus buttery (store-bought) puff pastry? Why yes, we’ll have seconds.

39. Creamy Pumpkin Eton Mess

This is like all the best parts of pumpkin pie (spicy-sweet pumpkin, whipped cream) in one bowl. Drizzle extra caramel on top and invite us over.

40. Sweet Potato Pots De Crème With Toasted Marshmallow

Cancel your dinner reservations and make this restaurant-quality dessert instead. It’s like pudding, but fancy and French.

41. Fig Tarte Tatin

Want to impress your dinner guests? Unmold this tart at the table for maximum oohs and ahhs (and don’t tell them you didn’t make the crust yourself).

42. Sweet Potato Sugar Cookies With Marshmallow Topping

Because everyone knows cookies beat casseroles, no matter what day it is.

43. Roasted Apple Pavlova With Honey Whipped Cream

Marshmallowy and saucy, his is the kind of dessert that you dive straight into with spoons.

44. Caramel Coconut Macaroons

These have a not-too-sweet, burnt sugar vibe…but would also be fantastic dipped in chocolate.

45. Spiced Palmiers

These are worth the extra effort of making your own puff pastry. We promise it’s easier than you think.

46. Chocolate-peppermint Linzer Cookies

Brownie meets cookie meets delicious.

47. Raspberry White Chocolate Bûche De Noël

Behold: A guaranteed way to win every holiday party from now until forever.

48. Sugared Holiday Bread

Bread is great. Fluffy, buttery sugar-crusted bread is even better.

49. Brown Sugar Cookies With Dulce De Leche

This might be the easiest sugar cookie recipe on the internet.



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Senior Food Editor

Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City...