Cocktail & Other Recipes Cocktail Type Coffee & Dessert

30 Dessert Cocktails to Cap Off Your Meal

Have your cake and drink it, too.

Golden Cadillac cocktail

  Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Why choose between drinks and dessert? From retro favorites like Grasshoppers and Brandy Alexanders to boozy liquid chocolate, these sweet and creamy cocktails pull double duty. Many call for rich ingredients like cream liqueurs, and all of them make a fitting finale to a special meal—or any time you want to satisfy your sweet tooth.

  • Chocolate Martini

    Chocolate Martini cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This rich drink might be a Martini in name only, but thanks to a combination of chocolate liqueur, creme de cacao, and vodka, it’s decadence in a glass.

    Get the recipe.

  • Grasshopper

    Grasshopper cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    You might’ve seen this old-school mint-flavored recipe in the form of a milkshake. But the original combination of creme de menthe, white creme de cacao, and heavy cream is pretty perfect as it is. 

    Get the recipe.

  • White Russian

    White Russian cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    The Dude’s drink of choice might just become your’s, too. This comforting cocktail is easy to love, thanks to a simple mix of vodka, Kahlúa, and heavy cream. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Italian Cookie

    Italian Cookie cocktail
    Sharon Pye

    Turn your holiday cookie platter into a drinkable dessert by combining spiced rum, heavy whipping cream, anise-flavored Herbsaint liqueur, creme de noyaux, lemon juice, and fig preserves. Don’t skip the sprinkles. 

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 5 of 30 below.
  • Irish Affogato

    Irish Affogato

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog 

    An Irish Coffee is a classic after-dinner drink, and this twist doubles as dessert. Just add a scoop of coffee ice cream (or whatever flavor you please) to a combination of Irish whiskey, Irish cream liqueur, and cold-brew coffee. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Mudslide

    Mudslide cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Modern Mudslides often go for a whirl in the blender, but you can easily create the original recipe at home by combining vodka, Irish cream and coffee liqueurs, and heavy cream. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Sgroppino

    Sgroppino

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This palate-cleansing cocktail tops a scoop of lemon sorbet with vodka and prosecco. One sip (or spoonful) will transport you straight to Italy’s Amalfi Coast. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Golden Cadillac

    Golden Cadillac cocktail

      Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This mid-century drink gets its hue from Galliano, an herbaceous Italian liqueur. Combine with white creme de cacao and heavy cream for a drink that’s both rich and complex. 

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 9 of 30 below.
  • Espresso Martini

    Espresso Martini
    Molly DeCoudreaux

    This popular drink has kick-started plenty of evenings since it debuted in the 1980s, but it’s equally appropriate as a nightcap. If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can substitute cold brew concentrate for espresso alongside vodka, coffee liqueur, and simple syrup. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Bushwacker

    Bushwacker cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This rich tropical-inspired drink falls somewhere in between a Mudslide and a Piña Colada. Blend one up with dark rum, coffee liqueur, dark creme de cacao, whole milk, and cream of coconut. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Brandy Alexander

    Brandy Alexander cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This indulgent mix of cognac, dark creme de cacao, and cream was a popular bar order in the 1970s. Legendary bartender Gary Regan’s recipe leans heavier on the cognac than the liqueur for a not-too-sweet take on the classic. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Peanut Butter Cup

    Peanut Butter Cup cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Like its namesake candy, this cocktail is nutty, creamy, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Just shake up a mixture of chocolate vodka, peanut rum, chocolate liqueur, and cream. 

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 13 of 30 below.
  • Spiced Chocolate

    Spiced Chocolate cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    If you love spicy-sweet flavors, you’ll be hot on this mixture of reposado tequila, Patrón coffee liqueur, and dark chocolate liqueur. Top with whipped cream and red pepper flakes for an extra kick. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Lemon Drop

    Lemon Drop

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    If you’ve only tried a Lemon Drop in the form of a shooter, try this cocktail that employs freshly-squeezed lemon juice alongside vodka, triple sec, and simple syrup. The results are irresistible. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Parisian Blonde

    Parisian Blonde cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This classic combination of Jamaican rum, orange curaçao, and heavy cream first appeared in Harry Craddock’s seminal Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930. In its modern incarnation, it’s often served with a fresh dusting of nutmeg. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Cocoa À Trois

    Cocoa a Trois cocktail

    Tim Turner Studios / Vodka Distilled

    For this elegant nightcap and Chocolate Martini riff, Las Vegas bartender Tony Abou-Gamin combines vodka, chocolate liqueur, simple syrup, and sweetened cocoa powder. An egg white gives the drink an extra-silky texture. 

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 17 of 30 below.
  • Snickertini

    Snickertini

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    You’re not you when you’re hungry—or thirsty. Make this liquid version of the beloved candy by combining caramel vodka, amaretto, Irish cream and coffee liqueurs, and heavy cream.

  • Pink Squirrel

    Pink Squirrel

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    It might be less well-known than the Brandy Alexander or the Golden Cadillac, but this retro pink drink deserves a spot on your dessert table. First created in the 1940s in Milwaukee, the richly-flavored cocktail is chocolate-y and nutty, thanks to creme de noyaux, white creme de cacao, and heavy cream. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Rumplesnuggler

    Rumplesnuggler

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    You can’t go wrong with boozy hot chocolate. Bartender Grace Rainwater adds Baileys and Rumple Minze peppermint schnapps for ultimate après-ski vibes. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Tootsie Roll

    Tootsie Roll cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    It might be named for a sugary candy, but this isn’t your typical dessert cocktail. Bar pro Aisha Sharpe combines rye whiskey, pedro ximénez sherry, and chocolate bitters to produce an elegant Manhattan twist. 

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 21 of 30 below.
  • Bourbon, Vanilla & Chocolate Milkshake

    Bourbon vanilla chocolate milkshake

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    You can make a drink that’s essentially a boozy milkshake, like a Bushwacker or White Russian. Or you can make an actual boozy milkshake by spiking a mixture of vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and milk with your bourbon of choice.

    Get the recipe.

  • The Dead Rabbit Coffee Cocktail

    The Dead Rabbit Coffee Cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    There’s no coffee in this Coffee Cocktail riff from New York City bartender Jack McGarry. But you’ll still perk up for the rich combination of Irish cream liqueur, Irish whiskey, port, a whole egg, simple syrup, and bitters.

    Get the recipe.

  • Strawberries & Cream

    Strawberries and Cream cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog 

    This pretty-in-pink drink tastes like white chocolate-covered strawberries. Mix one up with London dry gin, strawberry liqueur, white creme de cacao, and half-and-half. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Toblerone

    Toblerone cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Re-create the honey and almond flavors of the duty-free favorite with Irish cream liqueur, Frangelico, Kahlúa, heavy cream, and honey syrup. No jetsetting required. 

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 25 of 30 below.
  • Hot Apple Pie

    Hot Apple Pie cocktail

    Sheraton

    Enjoy the flavors of a slice of apple pie, no baking required. This warming drink combines Calvados, mead, apple and lemon juices, and a cinnamon-infused honey—all heated in a saucepan. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Tom & Jerry

    Tom and Jerry cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    A rich egg batter forms the base of this holiday classic. Combine with boiling water, dark rum, cognac, and whole milk, and you might even forget about Eggnog

    Get the recipe.

  • Mint Chocolate Chip Shot

    Mint Chocolate Chip shot

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    If an entire dessert cocktail is too rich, make this fun shooter that channels all the best parts of your favorite ice cream flavor. Pre-batch the mix of Baileys, creme de menthe, and Frangelico for up to eight guests. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Dirty Banana

    Dirty Banana cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    When life gives you leftover bananas, put them to use in this decadent frozen drink. The beach bar favorite combines rum, banana and coffee liqueurs, half-and-half, and a whole banana in the blender. 

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 29 of 30 below.
  • Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

    Pineapple Upside Down Cake cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    No time in the oven is required for this fruity drink. Just combine vanilla vodka and pineapple juice, then add a dash of grenadine to the glass. 

    Get the recipe.

  • She’s No Gentleman

    shes no gentleman cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Re-create the flavors of raspberry and cream in the shaker with blended scotch, Chambord liqueur, and cream. Bar pro Julia Ebell adds a homemade Earl Grey tea syrup for extra complexity.

    Get the recipe.