18 Classic Dessert Cocktail Recipes for Sweet Endings

If you've got a sweet tooth, then chances are you've tried a classic dessert cocktail or two in your life. These twists on traditional dessert cocktail recipes will provide the perfect sweet and boozy dessert drink to finish your meal.

White Chocolate Grasshopper

A classic grasshopper is a delicious after-dinner drink, but you can pump it up to the next level by adding white chocolate liqueur and white crème de menthe.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce white crème de menthe
• 1 ounce white chocolate liqueur
• ¼ ounce heavy cream
• Ice
• Chocolate shavings for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, white crème de menthe, white chocolate liqueur, and heavy cream.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into chilled glass.
5. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Hazelnut Armagnac Brandy Alexander

A classic brandy Alexander makes a delicious dessert cocktail to satisfy any sweet tooth. Or, you can kick it up a notch in flavor by adding Frangelico liqueur and using delicious Armagnac.

Ingredients

• ¾ ounce Armagnac
• ¾ ounce chocolate liqueur
• ¾ ounce Frangelico
• ¾ ounce heavy cream
• Ice
• Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, Armagnac, chocolate liqueur, Frangelico, and cream.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into chilled glass.
5. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

RumChata White Russian

The white Russian is a delicious classic dessert cocktail. Adding RumChata liqueur gives it a delicious, slightly spicy twist.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces vanilla vodka
• 1 ounce Kahlúa
• ½ ounce RumChata
• Ice

Instructions

1. In a rocks glass, add ice, vodka, and Kahlúa.
2. Stir to mix.
3. Top with RumChata, but do not stir.

Raspberry Frozen Mudslide

A frozen mudslide is a delicious, milkshake-style coffee cocktail. Adding Chambord takes it up a notch, giving it a delicious berry flavor.

Ingredients

• ¾ ounce vanilla vodka
• ¾ ounce Kahlúa
• ¾ ounce Irish cream
• ¾ ounce Chambord
• 3 scoops vanilla ice cream
• Whipped cream and chocolate shavings for garnish

Instructions

1. In a blender, add ice cream, vodka, Kahlúa, Irish cream, and Chambord.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour into hurricane, pint, or highball glass.
4. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Raspberry Moscato Kir Royale

A classic kir royale is a simple combination of crème de cassis liqueur, Champagne, or another sparkling dry wine. However, you can also use Moscato d'Asti, a lightly sweet fizzy Italian white wine, and Chambord. This combination takes a kir royale to the next level with a slightly sweeter flavor profile to make it a perfect dessert cocktail.

Ingredients

• ½ ounce Chambord
• 4 ounces Moscato d'Asti wine, chilled

Instructions

1. In a champagne flute, add Chambord.
2. Top off with Moscato d'Asti.

Salted Caramel Guinness Float

Guinness floats are simple to make and a cocktail dessert favorite. This cocktail is a gussied up version, as a traditional Guinness float calls for vanilla ice cream and plain Bailey's Irish cream. Guinness is surprisingly delicious with caramel ice cream and Irish cream, or try this float using your favorite chocolate stout.

Ingredients

• 2 scoops salted caramel ice cream
• 1 ounce salted caramel Bailey's Irish cream
• 12 ounces Guinness stout

Instructions

1. In a pint glass, add salted caramel ice cream.
2. Drizzle with the salted caramel Bailey's.
3. Top off with Guinness stout.

Orange-Maple Cinnamon Old-Fashioned

An old-fashioned cocktail is always a classic, but there are so many ways you can jazz it up to make it a tasty dessert-style cocktail, such as this delicious maple-cinnamon version.

Ingredients

• Orange peel
• ½ ounce cinnamon simple syrup (recipe follows)
• 2 dashes smoked cinnamon bitters
• 2 ounces maple bourbon
• Splash of water
• Ice
• Cherry for garnish

Instructions

1. In an old-fashioned glass, muddle orange peel with simple syrup and cinnamon bitters.
2. Add ice, bourbon, and a splash of water.
3. Stir to mix.
4. Garnish with cherry.

Cinnamon Simple Syrup Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Cinnamon Simple Syrup Instructions

1. In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, and cinnamon sticks.
2. Heat on medium-high, stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely.
3. Continue to heat without stirring until it boils.
4. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes.
5. Discard cinnamon sticks.
6. Store in the fridge in a tightly sealed container for one month or in the freezer for up to six months.

Caramel Apple Pie Martini

A classic caramel apple martini is a beautiful dessert, and this creamy version is a dessert by itself with rich, delicious flavors.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces apple vodka
• ½ ounce caramel vodka
• 1 ounce RumChata
• ½ ounce half and half
• Ice
• Caramel sauce and graham cracker crumbs to rim the glass
• Freshly grated cinnamon for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass in caramel sauce.
3. With the graham cracker crumbs on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the crumbs to coat.
4. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, apple vodka, caramel vodka, RumChata, and half and half.
5. Shake to chill.
6. Strain into prepared glass.
7. Garnish with grated cinnamon.

Nutty White Chocolate Martini

A white chocolate martini is always a delicious way to finish a meal. Adding bittersweet almond-flavored amaretto and hazelnut liqueur takes it to the next level.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce white chocolate liqueur
• 2 ounces vanilla vodka
• ½ ounce amaretto
• ½ ounce hazelnut liquer
• Ice
• Unsweetened cocoa powder for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, white chocolate liqueur, vanilla vodka, amaretto, and hazelnut liqueur.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into chilled glass.
5. Garnish with unsweetened cocoa powder.

Dark and Stormy Float

With sweet ginger beer and dark rum, the dark and stormy cocktail is delicious for dessert. Add ice cream, however, and it's next-level dessert deliciousness.

Ingredients

• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 1½ ounces demerara rum
• 6 ounces ginger beer

Instructions

1. In a pint glass, add vanilla ice cream.
2. Drizzle with the rum.
3. Top off with ginger beer
4. Stir to mix.

Spiced Chocolate Raspberry Martini

There's nothing wrong with a classic chocolate martini, but there's no reason you can't punch it up to make it extra special.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces bourbon
• ¾ ounce Irish cream
• ¾ ounce raspberry liqueur
• 2 dashes chocolate bitters
• 2 dashes cinnamon bitters
• Ice
• Chocolate shavings for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, bourbon, Irish cream, raspberry liqueur, and bitters.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into chilled glass.
5. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Pink Squirrel

This unusual cocktail weaves itself in and out of popularity, but don't be thrown off by the name or unusual ingredient. If you can't locate crème de noyaux, then regular amaretto can be used instead. If you don't want to lose that pink hue, add a quarter ounce of grenadine.

Ingredients

• ¾ ounces crème de noyaux
• ¾ ounce white crème de cacao
• 1¾ ounces heavy cream
• Ice
• Cherry for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, crème de noyaux, white crème de cacao, and heavy cream.
3. Shake well to chill and froth.
4. Strain into chilled glass.
5. Garnish with cherry.

The Dutchman's Irish Coffee

Don't be fooled by the name, this coffee uses bourbon and a few other secrets to transform the usual Irish coffee into a complex cocktail.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces walnut-toffee bourbon
• ½ ounce Irish cream
• ½ ounce vanilla schnapps
• 2 dashes cinnamon bitters
• 2 dashes chocolate bitters
• Hot coffee to top off
• Whipped cream for garnish

Instructions

1. Warm a mug by filling with hot water.
2. After mug is warm to touch, pour out the water.
3. In prepared mug, add walnut-toffee bourbon, Irish cream, vanilla schnapps, and bitters.
4. Top off with hot coffee.
5. Stir carefully to mix.
6. Garnish with whipped cream.

Hazelnut Espresso Martini

Add some depth and extra warmth to your espresso martini with a few unexpected additions.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces bourbon
• 1 ounce chilled espresso
• ½ ounce hazelnut liqueur
• ½ ounce coffee liqueur
• ¼ ounce ancho reyes
• Ice
• Whole coffee beans for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, bourbon, chilled espresso, hazelnut liqueur, coffee liqueur, and ancho reyes.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into chilled glass.
5. Garnish with whole coffee beans.

Two-Sip Salted Caramel Irish Coffee

You'll understand the name when you realize your drink is gone after the second sip. Best to take it slow, though.

Ingredients

• Caramel drizzle for garnish
• 1½ ounces Irish whiskey
• 1 ounce salted caramel Irish cream
• ¾ ounce coffee liqueur
• 2 ounces cream
• 3 ounces iced coffee
• Ice

Instructions

1. In a highball glass, drizzle caramel syrup inside of glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, Irish whiskey, salted caramel Irish cream, coffee liqueur, cream, and iced coffee.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into prepared glass over fresh ice.

Gone a Little Nuts

If creamy dessert drinks make your stomach churn, enjoy a dairy-free sweet treat.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce bourbon
• ½ ounce amaretto
• ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Ice

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, bourbon, amaretto, and lemon juice.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into chilled glass.

Banana Split in a Glass

The best flavors of a banana split as a liquid dessert.

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces whipped cream vodka
• ¾ ounce crème de banana
• ¾ ounce heavy cream
• ¼ white crème de cacao
• ¼ ounce limoncello
• ¼ ounce maraschino liqueur
• Ice

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, whipped cream vodka, crème de banana, heavy cream, white crème de cacao, limoncello, and maraschino liqueur.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into chilled glass.

Raspberry Delight

At first look, this drink looks all fruity, but the chocolate tones will make everyone raise their eyebrows with delight.

Ingredients

• 1¼ ounce vodka
• ¾ ounce raspberry liqueur
• ½ ounce white crème de cacao
• ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Ice
• Lemon slice for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, raspberry liqueur, white crème de cacao, and lemon juice.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into chilled glass.
5. Garnish with lemon slice.

Sweet Classic Cocktails

Sweet and boozy make the perfect ending for any meal, and most of these dessert cocktails are so satisfying, they are a dessert by themselves. With a variety of flavor profiles, try one or all of these delicious dessert cocktail concoctions.