9 Cocktails to Serve as Dessert

Don't feel like baking? Make one of these sweet cocktails instead.

Miami Vice
Photo: Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Let's say you meticulously planned and executed the perfect dinner party menu, complete with batched cocktails, dips and spreads to get the night going, and a few mains and sides for everyone to share. While your guests expect and look forward to dessert, baking a centerpiece bundt cake or cheesecake can feel like a step too far. And, after all that delicious savory food, a traditional dessert might leave everyone feeling uncomfortably stuffed. That's when knowing how to make a dessert cocktail comes in handy. Our ideal version of a cocktail to end the night with can involve a little coffee, some frozen elements, and warming spirits like whiskey and bourbon. No matter what you're looking for with a nightcap, these nine cocktails are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

01 of 09

Affogato Martini

Affogato Martini

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon

With this glitzed-up version of an Espresso Martini, vodka haters will be delighted and surprised to know that rum is the spirit in the spotlight.

02 of 09

Bushwacker

Bushwacker

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Lucy Simon

This chocolaty, caffeinated cocktail might look like an average milkshake, but it packs a deliciously boozy punch.

03 of 09

Miami Vice

Miami Vice
Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Frozen canned pineapple and bitters-infused strawberries take this daiquiri-piña colada mash-up to the next level.

04 of 09

Indulgent Hot Chocolate

Indulgent Hot Chocolate

Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

The ultimate chocolate lover’s hot chocolate, this recipe yields a drink that’s thick and rich in flavor and texture and topped with an airy chocolate-infused whipped cream.

05 of 09

Whiskey Chai

Whiskey Chai
Fredrika Stjärne

This Whiskey Chai makes for a warming, boozy nightcap in a teacup.

06 of 09

Frozmopolitan

Frozmopolitan
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Fruity and citrusy, Toby Cecchini's "froze-mopolitan" (a portmanteau of "Frozen" and "Cosmopolitan'') tastes so much like a delicious fruit punch that you might not notice there's alcohol in it. 

07 of 09

Mudslide

Mudslide
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Created in the 1970s at Grand Cayman's Wreck Bar at Rum Point, this potent blend of vodka, Kahlúa, and Baileys Original Irish Cream might taste like a milkshake, but it can't be ordered virgin because all you'd get is a cup of crushed ice! The trio of alcohol blends into a smooth and velvety cocktail just sweet and chocolaty enough without being cloying. A generous drizzle of chocolate syrup and a bright red maraschino cherry with a dusting of ground cinnamon top off each glass.

08 of 09

Espresso Martini

Espresso Martini

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter

This recipe from Simon Sebbah, beverage director at NYC's American Bar, gets you a perfectly frothy, caffeinated cocktail every time.

09 of 09

White Russian

White Russian

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon

While a White Russian can be made with milk or half and half, heavy cream adds unmatched flavor and texture to this simple cocktail.

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