25 Classic Potluck Desserts for a Crowd (Easy Recipes)

by

This post may contain affiliate links which means we receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Bring the best dish to the dessert table with these 25 classic potluck desserts to feed a crowd! From retro no-bake casseroles and sheet cakes to old-fashioned pies, these simple recipes always disappear first.

Here in the Midwest, potlucks are a way of life. Whether it’s for church, a family reunion, a summer cookout, or a holiday gathering, potlucks are a classic way to share a great meal with the people you love. It spreads out the workload, and it’s always fun to taste everyone’s favorite homemade recipes!

25 classic potluck desserts pin showing pumpkin delight, blueberry cream cheese pie, Rice Krispie treats, buckeye bars, strawberry delight and ambrosia fruit salad

Table of Contents

9×13 Casseroles & No Bake Desserts

Layered 9×13 bakes and chilled icebox desserts are great for making ahead. They slice easily, reliably feed a crowd, and travel seamlessly straight from your refrigerator to the dessert table without any extra hassle.

Blueberry Yum Yum Dessert

Easy 9×13 dessert with blueberry pie filling, cream cheese, and a buttery pecan crust. This layered dessert is mostly no bake, with the pre-baked crust being the only exception!
Get the Recipe
slice of no bake blueberry yum yum on a small white plate with a dollop of whipped cream on top

Strawberry Delight

Strawberry version of my blueberry yum yum with a homemade sauce (no Jello) and a sweet cream cheese filling. This luscious dessert is always the first to disappear from the dessert table.
Get the Recipe
slice of strawberry delight with a pecan crust and a dollop of whipped cream and a fresh strawberry on top

No Bake Pumpkin Delight

Pumpkin spice twist on my fruity delight dessert recipes. This creamy layered pumpkin delight is 100% no bake with a graham cracker crust, and it takes less than 30 minutes to assemble.
Get the Recipe
pumpkin delight no bake dessert served up on a small gray decorative plate

Old-Fashioned Peach Delight

Creamy cheesecake-like filling and fresh juicy peaches all nested into a buttery pecan nut crust. This heavenly peaches 'n' cream dessert is as easy to make as it is irresistible.
Get the Recipe
slice of peach delight on white plate with fork

No Bake Banana Pudding

Classic 9×13 dessert with a rich cream cheese filling, Nilla wafers, and perfectly ripe, sliced bananas. Make it ahead for the best flavor, and this southern-style banana pudding will fly off the table!
Get the Recipe
overhead shot showing no bake banana pudding in a white 9x13 casserole dish

Cozy Pumpkin Pie Cake with Cake Mix

Easy Thanksgiving dessert with a creamy pumpkin spice filling and a baked yellow cake topping. This one is chock full of holiday flavor, it's no-fuss, and it can be made ahead.
Get the Recipe
slice of pumpkin pie with cake mix on brown plate with whipped cream and fork

Jello No Bake Cheesecake

Grab a box of lemon Jello mix for this easy Jello no bake cheesecake. Paired with a graham cracker crust, this creamy, lemon-y dessert has always been one of my family's favorites.
Get the Recipe

Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

Southern sweet potato casserole with a gooey marshmallow topping. This casserole is a hybrid between side dish and dessert, but it's a must-have at any fall potluck or holiday dessert table.
Get the Recipe
spoonful of sweet potato casserole with marshmallows scooped from white baking dish

Sheet Cakes, Poke Cakes, & Crowd Bakes

When you need an easy potluck dessert that yields plenty of generous servings, sheet cakes and poke cakes are hard to beat. Simple to prepare in a single pan, these crowd-friendly bakes are made for sharing.

Grandma’s Lemon Poke Cake

Learn how to make Grandma's lemon poke cake with a sweet-tart lemon glaze. This recipe uses a cake mix for convenience, and it's so ultra-moist with a lemony icing drizzled all over the top.
Get the Recipe
slice of lemon poke cake with lemon glaze on white plate with slice of lemon on top

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding

This bread pudding with a sweet vanilla sauce is a great way to use up day-old, stale bread. Make it for dessert, or take it to a sunrise service brunch for Easter!
Get the Recipe
old fashioned bread pudding on a small white saucer with warm vanilla sauce being drizzled over top out of a white pitcher

Strawberry Jello American Flag Cake

Make this extra moist strawberry Jello American flag cake for the 4th of July. Made from white cake mix, then topped with a whipped topping and fresh berries, this patriotic, Jello-infused dessert is surprisingly easy to make.
Get the Recipe
slice of strawberry Jello American flag cake on a small gray plate with the full 4th of July cake with berries in the background

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Simple gooey butter cake St. Louis style. This recipe brings me back to my childhood growing up near St. Louis, and it's such an easy cake mix dessert.
Get the Recipe
slice of gooey butter cake with blackberries on an ivory plate with fork

Pineapple Sunshine Cake

Pineapple sunshine cake from scratch with a creamy crushed pineapple fluff frosting. With about 15 minutes of prep, this easy dessert comes together fast for quick last-minute potluck prep!
Get the Recipe

Classic Pies & Crisps

Nothing brings a sense of warmth to a gathering quite like old-fashioned baked pies and cozy fruit crisps. These classic recipes offer scratch-made flavor for everyone to look forward to.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie

Delicious blueberry cream cheese pie with fresh or frozen blueberries. This recipe uses a pre-baked crust, but the filling is 100% no bake. Family favorite dessert for Easter potlucks!
Get the Recipe

Apple Crisp with Brown Sugar Oat Topping

Old-fashioned apple crisp baked in a 9×13 pan with a crispy brown sugar oat topping. Take a tub of vanilla ice cream to serve it with!
Get the Recipe
old-fashioned apple crisp in a small white ramekin dish with caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top

Homemade Apple Pie

What's better than fresh apples and warm fall spices with a buttery, flaky pie crust? This homemade apple pie is perfect for fall or holiday potlucks.
Get the Recipe
scoop vanilla ice cream on top of easy homemade apple pie slice on gray plate with fork

No Bake Lemon Dream Whip Pie

No bake lemon Dream Whip pie with a graham cracker crust. This easy dessert is light and refreshing for spring potlucks and summer cookouts!
Get the Recipe
lemon Dream Whip pie slice with a dollop of whipped cream and a slice of fresh lemon on top

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

Grandma made the best pumpkin pie, and you can too! Use fresh or canned pumpkin to make this classic fall and Thanksgiving potluck dessert.
Get the Recipe
slice of Grandma's old-fashioned pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream on white plate

Handheld Cookies & Bars

Perfect for outdoor cookouts and busy buffet tables, handheld cookies and dessert bars don’t require plates or forks. Just stack them on a platter and watch them vanish!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

Not a week goes by that my family doesn't ask for a batch of these chocolate chip cookies. They're just soft and chewy enough, with perfectly crispy, golden brown edges. Make more than you think you need, because they'll be the first to go from your cookie platter.
Get the Recipe
chocolate chip cookies stacked on brown paper bag with chocolate chips and blue mug of milk

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Don't care for raisins? Use chocolate chips instead to make these perfectly soft and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, with a secret ingredient!
Get the Recipe
old fashioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookies stacked up with a bite taken out on top

Buckeye Bars

These easy buckeye bars are a more crowd-friendly version of my classic buckeye balls. They're also easier, because everything just gets layered in a baking dish, with melted chocolate chips right on top!
Get the Recipe

Classic Rice Krispie Treats

Plain old Rice Krispie treats are still my go-to any time I need to feed a crowd. They're quick, easy, and everybody likes them!
Get the Recipe
closeup shot showing gooey Rice Krispie square being pulled out of a pan full of Rice soft and chewy Krispie treats

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Easy pumpkin bars with a cream cheese frosting, baked in a jelly roll pan. Pre-slice them and feed a crowd!
Get the Recipe
pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting on a small white plate with a bite taken out

Fruit Salads & Retro Jello Desserts

Light, sweet, and wonderfully nostalgic, chilled fruit salads and old-time Jello dishes add a brightness to any dessert spread. They come together quickly and are best served cold.

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

Classic ambrosia fruit salad with Cool Whip, sour cream, fresh fruit and mini marshmallows. Easy and sweet southern side dish/dessert that's perfect for holiday and warm weather potlucks alike.
Get the Recipe
ambrosia fruit salad in small glass serving bowl on light blue plate with maraschino cherry on top

Strawberry Jello with Strawberries

Make my mom's famous strawberry Jello with strawberries suspended inside. This was always the first dessert that all the grandkids went for, and my mom knew just the trick to make it better than anyone else!
Get the Recipe
spoonful of strawberry Jello with frozen strawberries in a small glass dish

Tips for Transporting & Serving Potluck Desserts

  • Choose the Right Dish: Use 9×13 glass or metal baking dishes with tight-fitting lids, or insulated casserole carriers for hot or chilled bakes.
  • Pre-Cut Portions: Pre-slice sheet cakes and dessert bars before heading out so guests can easily serve themselves.
  • Temperature Control: Keep chilled layered desserts like Yum Yums on ice packs in a cooler until serving time.
  • Bring Serving Tools: Pack extra spatulas, pie servers, or serving spoons in case one gets dropped on the floor.

Recipe FAQs

What are the best desserts to bring to a summer potluck?

Fresh salads, lemon sheet cakes, and chilled no bake desserts like Blueberry Yum Yum are ideal because they are refreshing and easy to transport.

What potluck desserts can be made a day in advance?

Layered cream cheese desserts, poke cakes, fruit salads, and dessert bars like Buckeye Bars actually taste better when made the day before, allowing the flavors to set.

How many desserts should I bring to feed a crowd of 20 or more?

For a group of 20–25 people, one full 9×13 pan or a standard jelly roll pan yields 12 to 24 generous portions. When serving alongside other potluck desserts, slicing bars and sheet cakes into smaller 2×2-inch squares ensures everyone gets a taste.

How do you keep potluck desserts cold outdoors?

Place your serving dish inside a larger shallow tray filled with crushed ice (taking care that and ice melt can’t make it into your dessert), or store it in an insulated cooler with ice packs until dessert time.

Hopefully you were able to get some ideas from this list. It’s so fun to share favorite homemade treats with friends and family, and there’s nothing quite like seeing people come back for second helpings of something that you made!

If you tried any of these recipes or have a favorite potluck dessert of your own, I would love to hear about it in the comments below. Happy baking!

Leave a Comment



featured on ...

Top 10 Most Loved Recipes, from my AoM kitchen to yours

Get It Now

AoM Cookbook

This eBook includes my most popular 10 reader-favorite recipes in a beautiful, easy to download format. Enter your email to subscribe to my
newsletter, and I'll send it right over!

    Meet Mel

    FAQs

    Contact

    Shop

    Free Cookbook

    Recipes

    Potluck Recipes

    Desserts

    Holiday Recipes

    Sunday Dinner

    ↑ Back To Top