Sweet Victory: Game Day Desserts

August 19, 2008
Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck
Our crowd-pleasing game day desserts can be made ahead, are easy to transport, and don't require forks or refrigeration.
Start Slideshow

1 of 44

Team Spirit Cupcakes

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Virginia Cravens
Team Spirit Cupcakes Recipe
Showing your team spirit on game day has never been easier with these tailgating desserts. Just buy vanilla-frosted cupcakes from the bakery and decorate with coarse sugar and lollipops in your school's colors. For easier transport, pack the frosted goodies in a cupcake keeper, like this one from Bakers Sto 'N Go. The holder seals in the flavor and has a convenient grab-and-go handle.
Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 44

Ginger Chocolate-Chip Bars

Photo: Kana Okada; Styling: Sara Quessenberry
Ginger Chocolate-Chip Bars Recipe
Give traditional chocolate chip bars a game-winning twist by kicking up the flavor with spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. To keep the bars moist and chewy, store them in a plastic container for up to 3 days before the game.

3 of 44

Fresh Lemon Bars

Fresh Lemon Bars Recipe
The fresh lemon flavor of these sweet, fruity bars are a fan favorite. Dust them with powdered sugar just before serving.
Advertisement

4 of 44

Peanut Butter-Caramel Bites

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Harget
Peanut Butter-Caramel Bites Recipe
Use your team's colors to decorate these peanut butter cookie cups. These colorful treats are sure to elicit cheers from even the youngest of fans.

5 of 44

Pecan Tassies

Jennifer Davick; Buffy Hargett
Pecan Tassies Recipe
These mini pecan pies are just the right size to pick up with your fingers—no forks or plates required.

6 of 44

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies Recipe
What's a football game without peanuts? When you make these 5-star-rated brownies, stir in crushed peanut-shaped peanut butter cookies, two kinds of chocolate-peanut butter candy, creamy peanut butter, and honey-roasted peanuts.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 44

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ultimate football rivalries deserve ultimate cookies–so plan to take these along for your next tailgating extravaganza. They are everything chocolate chip cookies should be.

8 of 44

Peppered Peanut Brittle

Photo: Karry Hosford
Peppered Peanut Brittle Recipe
Since peanut brittle is already in pieces, this is one dessert you don't have to worry about staying intact for the drive to the campus. And, it's nice to have some sweets in small pieces for game-day nibbling.

9 of 44

Bourbon Fudge Brownies

Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Bourbon Fudge Brownies Recipe
Bourbon and vanilla enhance the rich chocolate flavor of these moist brownies. If you don't want to use bourbon, use hot milk in its place.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 44

Oatmeal-Pecan Snack Cookies

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey
Oatmeal-Pecan Snack Cookies Recipe
Chock-full of nuts, dried fruit and nuts, these rich treats are like a cookie version of granola. If you're getting the tailgate set up in the morning, have a couple for breakfast.

11 of 44

Pecan Toffee

Pecan Toffee Recipe
Break this toffee into small pieces so there will be plenty of candy to go around. We guarantee it will go fast.

12 of 44

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Randy Mayor; Cindy Barr
Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe
Pound cake is perfect for tailgating because you don't really have to have a fork to eat it. The thicker the slice, the better! You can make pound cake ahead of time and freeze it, and, if there are any leftover pieces, you can freeze those, too.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 44

Football Cake Pops

Photo: Mark Ferri; Styling: Andrea Steinberg
Football Cake Pops Recipe
What could be better for a tailgating dessert than a cake ball shaped like a football that's served on a stick? Make a batch now and you'll be the most popular person at your tailgate party.

14 of 44

Love Purple and Live Gold Cupcakes

Love Purple and Live Gold Cupcakes Recipe
Calling all LSU fans. These purple-and-gold cupcakes are a party waiting to happen and can be served to any fans with a team sporting the purple and gold.

15 of 44

Crimson Tide Cupcakes

Crimson Tide Cupcakes Recipe
Score an extra timeout for yourself and order cupcakes ahead from your favorite bakery. Hand crafted pennants with cheer worthy sayings are just as effective at icing the competition.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 44

Mocha Balls

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Mocha Balls

Whip together these bite-sized treats as a sweet gift or a simple dessert. The best part? No baking required!

17 of 44

Chocolate-Mayonnaise Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Chocolate-Mayonnaise Cake Recipe

If you've never known the glory of a mayonnaise cake, you're in for a treat! The staple ingredient yields an ultra-moist crumb and keeps the sugar from taking over your taste buds.

18 of 44

Slutty Brownies

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro
Slutty Brownies Recipe
These decadent brownies are made with layers of brownie, cookie dough, and Oreos. What more could your tailgating guest want?
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 44

Giant Cookie-in-a-Pan

Oxmoor House
Giant Cookie-in-a-Pan Recipe
This cookie cake is easy to transport and will serve lots of guests. Use M&M’s your team’s colors to make it even more festive.

20 of 44

Mississippi Mud Brownies

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell
Mississippi Mud Brownies Recipe
Even if you’re not rooting for a Mississippi team — from the fluffy marshmallows to the chocolate frosting — you’ll love these brownies.

21 of 44

Popcorn-Marshmallow Pops

Popcorn-Marshmallow Pops Recipe
Use M&M’s your team’s colors to make these fun popcorn pops that make for tasty treats as well as a fun tailgate decoration.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 44

Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Fudge

Oxmoor House
Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Fudge Recipe
Make the combination of peanut butter and chocolate even better by stirring in instant coffee granules and topping the fudge with chopped peanuts. You can easily make these treats the night before your tailgate.

23 of 44

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Kate Sears
Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting Recipe
Decorate these fruit-flavored cupcakes with sprinkles of your team’s colors.

24 of 44

Fudge Brownie Pops

Photo: Ryan Liebe; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl 
Fudge Brownie Pops Recipe

These brownies are incredibly rich and moist, and impossibly easy to make: just roll 'em, dip 'em, and stick 'em! For easier handling, push the finished pops, standing upright, into Styrofoam and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 44

Tiger's Eye Brownies

Photo: Gooseberry Patch
Tiger's Eye Brownies Recipe
Nothing goes together better than peanut butter and chocolate. Serve these at your tailgate for a moist and delicious dessert.

26 of 44

Rum Cake

Rum Cake
This moist, rich rum cake is great to make ahead for tailgates. It tastes even better the next day.

27 of 44

Red Velvet Cake Balls

Photo: Gooseberry Patch
Red Velvet Cake Balls Recipe
Red Velvet Cake balls are the perfect bite size dessert. They are incredibly easy to make and an easy-to-pick up tailgate treat.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

28 of 44

Making Buckeye Balls

Making Buckeye Balls

See how easy it is to make these delicious chocolate and peanut butter candy balls.

29 of 44

Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars

Time Inc. Video Studio
Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars Recipe

These toasty-sweet, sheet pan sandwich cookies are fantastic for potlucks or tailgates—heck, whip a batch up on the weekend and enjoy for after-school snacks or dessert throughout the week. Toffee bits and cinnamon kick up the flavor of a traditional oatmeal cookie, while adding fresh orange zest to the filling adds a special touch or bright flavor to these tasty bars. Be sure the cookie is completely cool (out of the pan) before cutting it, or it will crumble. And to ensure a smooth cut, you’ll want to chill the filled cookie really well before slicing into bars.

30 of 44

Miso-Caramel-Tamari Popcorn Mix

Jennifer Causey
Miso-Caramel-Tamari Popcorn Mix Recipe

A slightly thicker caramel and the addition of whole roasted almonds turn traditional caramel popcorn into gift-worthy popcorn mix. We use less sugar in the glaze and cut the sweetness with mild white miso (fermented soybean paste) and tamari (a richer, wheat-free soy sauce) for a salty-savory note that makes the snack incredibly addictive.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

31 of 44

Keto Salted Almond-Butter Brownies

Meredith Food Studios
Keto Salted Almond-Butter Brownies Recipe

Anyone on the keto diet looking to indulge needs to make these brownies, stat. These keto brownies are sugar-free yet decadent. The interior is fudgy and chocolatey, and the salted almond butter topping adds a toasty twist. 

32 of 44

PB&J S’mores 

The Baking Bean
PB&J S’mores  Recipe

New York City pastry chef Clarice Lam, who owns door-to-door bakery The Baking Bean, puts a nostalgic spin on a classic campfire recipe. These peanut butter and jelly s'mores are sure to satisfy your most intense comfort food cravings. 

33 of 44

All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Pam Lolley
All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

When it comes to making cookies from scratch, these crispy-chewy chocolate chip cookies represent the best of the best. Simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions make this a recipe you'll come back to again and again. Whip up a batch of these all-time favorite cookies and they won't last long. Pro tip: Bake 10 minutes for a softer cookie or up to 14 minutes for a crispier cookie.

After you've made these craveworthy cookies, don't forget to try our fun variations. All sorts of goodies—from crushed white-chocolate pretzels to toffee candy—can be added to the batter to create other signature cookies.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

34 of 44

Instant Pot Peanut Brittle

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
Instant Pot Peanut Brittle Recipe

This Instant Pot candy recipe delivers a classic candy shop treat with no intimidation factor. In fact, you don’t even need a candy thermometer to make this perfectly porous and crisp brittle. While it makes a scrumptious treat any time of year, our Instant Pot Peanut Brittle is especially awesome to make during the holiday season. Being that the recipe produces a generous yield of candy, it’s an excellent goody for gifting. A key factor in candy cooking is making sure you sugar granules are completely dissolved. If you want to give your brittle a little test as it cooks, take your wooden spoon or rubber spatula (whatever you’re using to stir the mixture) to scoop a small amount of the melted sugar mixture and spread a thin layer onto a paper plate. This allows you to see any sugar crystals that may still be in the mixture, as well as observe how the mixture hardens as it cools. If the mixture hardens like glass and cracks easily, you know it’s ready. 

35 of 44

Cappuccino Swirl Bars

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer
Cappuccino Swirl Bars Recipe

Don’t be fooled: These bar cookies may look fancy, but store-bought wafer cookies are the secret to the chocolate crust. Make these coffee-flavored beauties in advance and refrigerate them up to three days.

36 of 44

Buckeye Brownie Cups

Oxmoor House
Buckeye Brownie Cups Recipe
Everything you love in the popular candy bar cups comes together in a decadent cookie. Keep leftover ganache in the refrigerator and use as a topping for ice cream or cake.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

37 of 44

Tangy Lemon Cheesecake Bars