Dessert Cocktails
Explore 297 Dessert cocktail recipes.
Dessert cocktails sit in a corner of the canon that isn't really competing with the rest. They aren't built for thirst or for balance — they're built for the moment after a meal when you want something sweet, something cold and something with a little kick. The White Russian is the working anchor of the family: vodka, Kahlúa, cream, served on big ice in a short glass, the drink slowly mellowing as the ice does its work.
The B52 layers Kahlúa, Baileys and Grand Marnier into a shot that reads like miniature tiramisu. The Alexander and Brandy Alexander work the same dessert logic with cream and crème de cacao, gin or cognac providing the spirit base. The Grasshopper and Mudslide push further into pudding territory.
What ties this list together is the trade-off: dessert cocktails give up brightness and structure to get richness and length. They're not meant for the first drink of the evening or the only drink of the evening. Most are shaken or built, most run sweeter than the average cocktail, most are smaller than they look (a 100ml dessert pour is plenty), and most pair better with espresso than with cheese.
Treat them like the pudding course on a tasting menu and they'll deliver. Stack three of them in a row and they'll turn on you.
Our top Dessert cocktail
Alexander
Gin, Creme de cacao, Cream
Top Dessert cocktails
White Russian
Vodka, Coffee liqueur, Cream
Sugar Cookie Martini
Vanilla vodka, Amaretto, Bailey's, Milk
After Midnight
Vodka, Coffee liqueur, Red vermouth, Sherry (sweet), Egg
Chocolate Cherry Old Fashioned
Bourbon, Aromatic bitters, Chocolate bitters, Cherry syrup
B52
Coffee liqueur, Orange liqueur, Bailey's
Tiger’s Milk
Cognac, Sugar / simple syrup, Egg, Cream, Vanilla essence, Cinnamon, Milk
Santa's Stiff Hot Chocolate
Dark rum, Sugar, Hot chocolate, Cinnamon, Vanilla essence, Milk, Honey
Hot Cross Bun Martini
Vanilla vodka, Calvados, Cinnamon syrup, Coffee