Wedding Cake Alternatives 2024 Guide & FAQs

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While traditional wedding cake alternatives. However, they might find themselves stumped when it comes time to planning the dessert menu for their wedding.
Many couples stick with traditional wedding cakes as they are classy and sophisticated. While these cakes are elegant and timeless, they sometimes lack imagination. Non traditional wedding desserts can incorporate anything from brownies to petit fours to cupcake towers! It’s your special day, so why not celebrate it with your favorite dessert?
And might we point out that some of these wedding cake alternatives might actually save you some money. Tiered wedding cakes can be quite expensive but some of these options for traditional wedding cake won’t end up costing you a small fortune!

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Don’t be afraid to think outside the box? How about an ice cream sundae bar? Or a breakfast bar filled with breakfast pastries, from waffles to cinnamon buns and danishes galore!

Wedding cake alternatives can induce anything from donuts to cake pops to pies and even dessert shots! Check out our selection of some of the best non-traditional wedding cake alternatives to wow your guests on your big day while also keeping it budget friendly!

What can I serve instead of a wedding cake?

Donuts and cupcakes, pies and ice cream, pancakes and desserts shots – all this can be a great replacement for a traditional wedding cake.

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Wedding Cake Alternatives to Save Money & Impress Your Guests

Looking for unconventional wedding cake designs that will set your wedding apart? How about petit fours? These little cakes can be decorated with exquisite details and made in a variety of unique flavors.

How about a chocolate tower or fondue with a flowing chocolate fountain? This delicious wedding cake alternative will certainly impress your guests?

If you still like the idea of a wedding cake but don’t want to stick with the traditional tiered cake, how about a cannoli cake? Or better yet, a churro cake? Everyone loves these tasty and unique wedding cake ideas!

Other options for memorable wedding cake alternatives include cheesecake, cake pops and brownies! Those who don’t like sweets can opt for cheese and fruit platters!

 

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Unique Red And White Desserts

Red and white desserts are fun alternatives to the traditional wedding cake. Color coordinated sweets to match your wedding color scheme are an elegant choice!

From mini cakes to parfaits to mini ice cream sundaes, there are countless options for sophisticated and fun red and white wedding cake alternatives!

And if red and white aren’t your favorite colors, you can choose any color combination. The best thing about desserts is they come in dozens of shapes, sizes, flavors, varieties, and colors so feel free to think outside the box when it comes to colorful wedding cake alternatives!

 

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Budget Friendly Doughnuts Ideas

Donuts have always been a favorite treat for dessert lovers of all ages. Donuts are a great option for wedding desserts instead of cake.

A donut tower is a perfect wedding dessert that everyone will love! Donuts are now considered a gourmet item as there are shops dedicated to just selling donuts. From seasonal flavors like apple cider or pumpkin spice to classic flavors like glazed or jelly! Not to mention the gourmet flavors like chocolate mints ‘mores or salted caramel! Your guest will swoon for these tasty treats!

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Beautiful Cupcakes Like Wedding Cake Alternatives

If you are looking for yummy wedding desserts other than cake, you can’t go wrong with cupcakes! A cupcake tower is charming and delightful! No one can resist a beautifully decorated cupcake!

Like donuts, cupcakes are now considered a gourmet treat, with dozens of bakeries dedicated solely to classic and creative cupcake designs! There are countless options for cupcake flavors from red velvet to dark chocolate to champagne!

And if you want to get really creative, you can have a cupcake bar where your guests get to decorate their own cupcake!

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Exquisite Macaron Tower Wedding Ideas

Macaron towers are great wedding cake alternative ideas. Macarons are a delicacy that everyone will love! With a wide array of flavors to choose from, your guests won’t be disappointed! Lavender, pistachio, crème brûlée, amaretto, mint julep…you name it!

You can decorate your exquisite macaron tower with flowers and leaves, or to fit your wedding theme. Pair these delicate treats with champagne or sparkling cider and your guests will be swept away!

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Amazing Wedding Pie

Other popular wedding cake alternatives include pies. As not everyone is in fact a fan of cake, many people opt for pie as their go-to comfort food.

Although they are the perfect fit for a country or rustic wedding, pies can be served at any type of wedding. Choose from classic favorites like apple or cherry to lemon meringue or French silk. As well, you can opt for fancy flavors like Earl Grey pie and everyone’s favorite key lime pie!

For a fun touch, you can opt for individual pies or hand pies in a variety of flavors!

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Desserts With Fruits Will Please Guests So Much

Opting for a more healthy menu? Those in search of wedding desserts besides cake will love these lovely desserts topped with fruit that are both decadent and healthy with the addition of tasty fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries!

No one can say no to a beautifully decorated fruit tart, millefoglie, or pavlova! Or you can simply decorate your traditional wedding cake or wedding cake alternative with your favorite fruits, from kiwi to cherries to blackberries!

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Mini Desserts As Alternatives To Wedding Cake

Mini desserts have become increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional wedding cakes. These bite-sized treats offer a variety of flavors and textures, and can be beautifully presented on a dessert table.

They can be customized to fit the wedding theme and color scheme. They also provide a convenient way for guests to sample multiple desserts without committing to a full slice of cake. Mini desserts are a stylish and tasty option for couples looking to add a unique touch to their wedding celebration.

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Charming Dessert Shots

One of the best non traditional wedding cake ideas are dessert shots! What started as a fun restaurant dessert has now become a wedding favorite!

Wedding dessert shots are simply a mini dessert in a shot glass with a shot of alcohol. Of course, this type of wedding cake alternative isn’t for everyone, but if you love boozy treats, they are a sure hit!

From strawberry shortcake to tiramisu, there are dozens of ideas of charming and tasty boozy wedding dessert shots to wow your guests!

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Wedding Crockenbush Cake Ideas

Tired of looking at different wedding cake ideas?  Crockenbush cakes are quickly becoming a favorite alternative to traditional wedding cakes.

What is Crokenbbush. A dessert created in France, Crokenbush is made from delicate choux puff pastry and filled with crème pâtisserie and topped with a caramel or chocolate drizzle.

An exquisite Crokenbush tower is the perfect solution for a wedding cake alternative that  your guests are sure to love!

Are you feeling inspired by our fun ideas for wedding cake alternatives? From pie to pancake towers to waffle bars, you won’t disappoint your guests with these unique and fun alternatives to traditional wedding cakes. Add a sundae bar or candy bar as another option to your non-traditional wedding dessert buffet!

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