30 Winning Desserts to Pack Up for Your Next Tailgate
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Ree Drummond's favorite time of the year is here: football season! After all, she had three boys who played football and an entire family who loved to cheer them on! To make game day even more exciting, The Pioneer Woman has a whole slew of fun tailgating menus no matter which kid or team is playing or what time of day it is. And of course, no game day would be complete without dessert. That's why we've rounded up the best tailgate dessert recipes that are worthy of a touchdown.
Just like with other game day foods, tailgate desserts need to be easy to pack up and even easier to share with a crowd. So, weve included tons of cookie recipes, brownies, dessert bars, and other hand-held treats that your friends and family will love. Think: Dr Pepper cupcakes, cowboy cookies, and Nutella Krispie treats. There are also several one-layer bakes like homemade sheet cakes that you can make and serve right in the pan. Try Ree's famous chocolate sheet cake that her whole family roots for!
Some of these recipes take the fuss out of cooking with no-bake desserts, while others embrace the crave-worthy flavors of sweet and salty treats. But no matter which recipe you choose, these game day desserts will give you the boost you need to cheer on your favorite team. From football-shaped cereal treats to crowd-pleasing buckeyes, this list will bring the sweetness to your tailgate spread.
Scotcheroos
Why choose when you can have chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch all in one bite? Plus, they’re a no-bake treat that only requires 15 minutes of prep.
Get the Scotcheroos recipe.
Eclair Cake
Cakes are so much easier when they're transported and served right in the pan. Case in point: This make-ahead cake that tastes just classic French pastry!
Get the Eclair Cake recipe.
Football Cereal Treats
Picture this: You pull up on game day and place a platter of these chocolatey treat. You'll be the MVP before the game even starts! Use a cookie cutter to make the shapes uniform in size.
Get Ree's Football Cereal Treats recipe.
Applesauce Cake
This cake is full of seasonal flavor made in one bowl and served right in the pan. Did we mention it's topped with brown butter maple buttercream? Drooling has commenced!
Get the Applesauce Cake recipe.
Cake Mix Cookies
Here's a game day hack: Use boxed cake mix to speed up the process! The result is chewy and sweet and the perfect vehicle for sprinkles that are your team's colors.
Get the Cake Mix Cookies recipe.
Carmelitas
This grab-and-go treats are a lot like like crumb bars. But instead of fruit in the middle, there's a mixture of pecans, chocolate chips, and caramel sauce nestled in the buttery oat crust.
Get the Carmelitas recipe.
Coffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Got an early morning tailgate? Don't skip the dessert! Instead, make these cookies and get your coffee fix and a sweet bite all in one. The pecans add a nice crunch.
Get Ree's Coffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies recipe.
Fig Bars
Who didn't love finding Fig Newtons in their lunchbox as a kid? Evoke that nostalgia by making these bars that will have everyone grabbing a second bar before halftime.
Get the Fig Bars recipe.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
Sheet cakes are another easy to way to serve dessert right in the pan. Pumpkin is perfectly seasonal, and really, any excuse to eat cream cheese frosting is a win in our books!
Get Ree's Pumpkin Sheet Cake recipe.
Football Cookies
A simple chocolate cookie dough becomes a game-winning dessert when shaped into mini footballs. Each cookie is also loaded with crunchy pecans and topped with white icing for the perfect finishing touch.
Get the Football Cookies recipe.
Buckeyes
You don't have to be an Ohio State football fan to make these tasty treats. The buckeyes (which is the same name as the Ohio State team) are simple chocolate-covered peanut butter candies that everyone will love.
Get the Buckeyes recipe.
Cowboy Cookies
Another treat that shares a name with a popular football team, these cowboy cookies are chock-full of tasty mix-ins. There's chocolate chips, of course, along with pecans, coconut flakes, and old-fashioned oats.
Get the Cowboy Cookies recipe.
Pumpkin Dip
You can easily stash this fluffy pumpkin cream cheese dip in a food storage container and bring zip-top bags filled with apple slices, pretzels, and graham crackers for your tailgate dessert.
Get the Pumpkin Dip recipe.
Rainbow Fruit Skewers
After all the nachos and chicken wings, these fruit skewers will be a refreshing treat. The hand-held sticks are a great way to serve fruit at a tailgate.
Get the Rainbow Fruit Skewers recipe.
Nutella Krispie Treats
Cereal treats are a childhood classic no matter how you make 'em, but Ree's version with Nutella, chocolate chips, and toasted pecans is an all-time favorite. If packing them up, be sure to stack them in an airtight container with wax paper between each layer.
Get Ree's Nutella Krispie Treats recipe.
Brookies
Team cookie meets team brownie in this popular rival mash-up. They're both fudgy and chewy, so basically they're an all-around crowd-pleaser.
Get the Brookies recipe.
Apple Fritters
Loaded with Granny Smith apples and toped with powdered sugar, these crispy fried fritters are hard to resist. If you want to make them even sweeter, try dunking them in a doughnut glaze.
Get Ree's Apple Fritters recipe.
Homemade Cookie Cake
A giant cookie cake is always a winning dessert! Swap the rainbow sprinkles for sprinkles or candies in your team's colors.
Get the Homemade Cookie Cake recipe.
Dr Pepper Cupcakes
Reserve a couple of cans of Dr Pepper from your cooler to make these homemade cupcakes infused with the popular soda. They'll help keep them light, moist, and flavorful.
Get Ree's Dr Pepper Cupcakes recipe.
S'mores Bars
Even without a portable grill, you can enjoy the flavors of s'mores for your tailgating party. Just turn them into bars with this easy recipe.
Get the S'mores Bars recipe.
Blondies
These bars have a nutty, butterscotch flavor that simply can't compare to anything else. For extra sweetness, just add white chocolate chips to the mix.
Get the Blondies recipe.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Making this classic peanut butter cookies stand out is easy. Just use a potato masher to give the cookies a pretty pattern.
Get the Peanut Butter Cookies recipe.
Homemade Choco Tacos
Just like the kind you might remember from your ice cream truck days, these waffle cone "tacos" are filled with ice cream, covered in chocolate, and sprinkled with peanuts!
Get the Homemade Choco Tacos recipe.
Peanut Butter Brownies
Are you Team Peanut Butter or Team Chocolate? These brownies go head to head with both flavors—layered with a smooth creamy peanut butter filling that makes them all the more rich and decadent.
Get the Peanut Butter Brownies recipe.
Chocolate Sheet Cake
This cake is one of those recipes that the Drummonds put on repeat for every occasion. It's rich, chocolaty, and feeds a crowd.
Get Ree's Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe.
Oreo Cheesecake Bites
Each one of these cookies and cream cheesecake bites has a whole Oreo cookie as the crust. The best part? They don't even require you to turn on the oven.
Get the Oreo Cheesecake Bites recipe.
Pretzel Turtles
These sweet and salty bites are so good that we can practically eat them by the handful! They come together in 15 minutes and you can even give them out to your friends as a takeaway after the game.
Get Ree's Pretzel Turtles recipe.
Cheesecake Brownies
Take your brownie game to the next level by adding a topping of creamy cheesecake. The swirl is an easy added touch by using a toothpick or paring knife to create a pretty design.
Get the Cheesecake Brownies recipe.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
You only need 20 minutes to prepare these no-bake bars. It's a simple combination of chunky peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla wafers, and chocolate ganache topping.
Get Ree's No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars recipe.
Concession Stand Crackers
Skip the lines at the concession stand and make these sweet and salty treats instead! You can top them with your favorite chopped up candies.
Get the Concession Stand Crackers recipe.
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