10 Wedding Cake Alternatives (That Guests Will Love)

Some couples find wedding cakes too unoriginal; others consider them overpriced and look for cheaper options.

Regardless of your reasons to refrain from a wedding cake, the selection of delicious and beautiful desserts is vast.

Gelato bar, elegant French croquembouche cake, pancakes, waffles, whoopie pies, cupcakes – there’s an option for every budget and preference.

1. Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the most popular wedding cake alternative for a number of reasons.

Firstly, they come in a variety of flavors, including traditional wedding flavors like vanilla buttercream, chocolate, almond, red velvet, and lemon meringue.

Secondly, cupcake servings are easy to count – allow one large cupcake or two-three mini cupcakes per guest.

Thirdly, taking home leftover cupcakes is much easier than a tiered wedding cake, and you can enjoy them the day after for breakfast.

Lastly, cupcakes are the cutest dessert ever. Serve them on a chic tiered dessert plate from porcelain for a whimsical look.

Cupcakes aren’t the cheapest wedding cake alternative if you order them at a bakery. The good news is that this dessert is DIY friendly, and you can easily pull off your wedding cupcakes with a minimum baking experience.

Furthermore, decorating cupcakes is fun, and you can get creative and come up with different designs.

2. Cake Pops

Cake pops are a common choice of creative, fun couples. This dessert styled as a lollipop typically contains cake crumbs, icing, and chocolate, a simple yet delicious mix.

Cake pops aren’t just cute and tasty – they’re also convenient to eat, thanks to the lollipop sticks. As a rule of thumb, estimate about two cake pops per person.

Note that cake pops aren’t cheap. One cake pop costs $2-$3 on average. Meanwhile, the average wedding cake price per slice is about $6, so the cost per serving is about the same.

However, you can make cake pops yourself if you have basic baking skills and patience. Decorating cake pops is especially fun because you can unleash your creativity.

You may make cake pops in all rainbow colors for a preppy summer wedding or have them match your wedding color scheme.

3. Donuts

Donuts are among the most cost-effective and delicious alternatives to a wedding cake. You may serve them on a tiered platter, make a donut tower, or even hang them on a wall as décor.

Another fun wedding dessert idea is serving donuts with coffee and milk. Present the drink in individual glass jars or large mugs and place donuts on top. Ideally, the drink should be cold. Otherwise, the dessert will melt.

You can mix and match donut flavors, colors, and sizes to give your guests the freedom of choice. That’s a much better option than having all your guests eat one cake flavor you enjoy.

Donuts also make perfect wedding favors. Pack a couple in cute paper boxes for an affordable yet chic way to express gratitude for attending your wedding.

4. Individual Parfait Cakes

Parfait cakes are the ultimate DIY wedding dessert that doesn’t require extensive baking skills but always looks chic.

Estimating servings is easy, and the guests will undoubtedly appreciate the ability to take a cup whenever they want instead of queuing for the cake.

Parfait cakes originated in France and were traditionally made with a mix of boiling cream, eggs, sugar, and syrup, resembling custard.

However, the American version of parfait cakes can consist of pretty much any ingredients layered in a small cup.

You may opt for traditional wedding cake flavors such as strawberry and cream, vanilla custard, or triple chocolate, or match the flavors to your wedding season and theme.

For instance, pumpkin spice parfaits will perfectly fit a fall wedding, while red velvet flavor is ideal for a winter wedding in white and burgundy colors.

5. Crepe Cake

Some couples want to refrain from a wedding cake but are concerned about their dessert not feeling wedding-worthy. There’s a simple solution – regardless of your chosen treat, stack it to resemble a tiered cake.

A few foods are more nostalgic and delicious than crepes. Pancake wedding cake is ideal for a laid-back rustic affair or a backyard party.

Stack old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes of different sizes and layer them with a filling of your choice, be it custard, coconut cream, or whipped cream.

Decorate your wedding pancake tower with fresh berries, macaroons, sugarcraft, or flowers for a wow effect. The truth is, some pancake towers look just like real cakes, and your guests may not even notice the catch until they cut it.

Alternatively, you may make individual fluffy pancake servings. Although such a dessert may be better suitable for breakfast rather than a wedding reception, your guests are guaranteed to enjoy it.

6. Waffles

If you admire the idea of a pancake tower but prefer sweeter desserts, consider a waffle wedding cake. It’s a perfect wedding cake alternative for couples on a budget who’d like to please their sweet tooth.

A waffle cake is an excellent fit for a relaxed brunch wedding in a garden setting. However, even if you have a black-tie reception but truly love waffles, no one can stop you from serving them instead of a traditional cake.

It’s all about the decoration. You can cover the waffles in maple syrup and decorate them with berries or get creative and add tropical fruit, meringue, mango sauce, lush greenery, and exotic flowers.

If you have a lot of guests, serving individual waffle cakes may be easier. Stack a few waffles, layer them with buttercream or whipped cream and strawberries, and top with fresh or sugar flowers.

7. Croquembouche Cake

Perhaps, a croquembouche cake is the most elegant alternative to a wedding cake. This classic French dessert made from puff pastry and crème pâtissière stacked in a tall cone shape is a dream of anyone with a sweet tooth.

The pastries are held together with caramel drizzle, but it doesn’t hold the shape for long, especially in hot weather.

Therefore, croquembouche cakes must be cut and served as soon as possible, unlike wedding cakes that can stay on display for hours.

Still, your wedding photographer will have enough time to take great pictures. The cake can be decorated with fresh flowers, sugarcraft, crystals, spun sugar, nuts, fruits, or covered in edible gold.

As a rule of thumb, estimate about three pastry puffs per guest, but the serving size may vary depending on the pastry size.

If you aren’t a fan of crème pâtissière, consider alternative fillings like mocha, chocolate, raspberry, or mint.

Note that croquembouche is never cheap and may even be pricier than a traditional wedding cake because making the dessert requires expertise.

8. Stacked Pies

Pies are significantly cheaper than cakes because they typically require fewer ingredients and don’t feature elaborate decoration. However, pies are equally tasty and very nostalgic, awaking memories of childhood.

You may serve individual mini pies or make a large pie tower that looks just as impressive as a tiered wedding cake. It’s an excellent choice for a rustic or brunch-style wedding.

Consider mixing and matching flavors to accommodate different preferences – for instance, blueberry, cherry, pumpkin spice, and almond. Decorate your wedding pie tower with berries, flowers, and fruit.

A pie bar is a simple way to avoid queuing at a single pie tower.

Furthermore, you don’t have to match flavors in one confection and can offer your guests even more options. Serve also different types of toppers – jams, syrups, and berries.

If you have a small wedding, ask your mother, mother-in-law, or maid of honor to bake pies instead of ordering them. It’s both meaningful and affordable.

9. Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are the ultimate American dessert made with two soft chocolate cake rounds, vanilla buttercream filling, and marshmallow fluff.

Sometimes, whoopie pies have different fillings, including chocolate, strawberry, and caramel.

A whoopie pie wedding cake is ideal for couples who don’t want anything too fancy and overpriced but value their heritage and have a love for sweet treats.

Whoopie pies are traditionally small, about the size of a donut. You can serve them on a tiered dessert plate. However, there are also gigantic whoopie pies that can replace an actual cake.

Same as with other small desserts, you can mix and match whoopie pie flavors to appeal to all guests.

10. Ice Cream Bar

There’s nothing worse than eating a sugary wedding cake in 100-degree heat. An ice cream bar is the most appropriate dessert choice for a wedding on a hot summer day in a southern state.

Of course, you must consider onsite storage ahead of time. The caterer should have enough freezer space. Ideally, you should serve ice cream bowls on ice to keep it cold longer.

You may set up a sundae bar and let guests pick their flavors, toppings, and sprinkles. Alternatively, hire a gelato van for an even wider flavor selection. However, individual ice cream servings are also a valid option.

Note that estimating the necessary ice cream amount can be even trickier than wedding cake size. Allow about 1.5 cups per guest on average.