20 Best Church Potluck Desserts That Are Just Heavenly
They'll feed the whole congregation.
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Packed with crowd-pleasing cookies, bars, old-fashioned treats, and more pies than you know what to do with—one of the best parts about a church potluck has got to be the dessert table! Take it from Ree Drummond who has been attending church potlucks and "Cookie Sundays" at her own church for years: "I just want to go to church, be blessed, have a cookie and a mug of punch," she says. Of course, you can pile your plate with other goodies like cheesecake brownies and strawberry pretzel salad or simply take a heaping slice of butterscotch pie topped with fluffy meringue. Best of all, you can find all of the recipes for these church potluck desserts on the list ahead.
Ready to pack up your own church potluck dessert? Here, you'll find classic treats that are easy to transport and big sheet cake recipes that can feed a crowd. There are also tons of desserts that'll have the whole congregation talking like the tangy lemon bars or impressive multi-layered carrot cake trifle. And if you've volunteered to bake something for Cookie Sunday, you might want to try the sugar cookie recipe that Ree got from a beloved member of her small-town church. They're simply heavenly!
Shoofly Pie
This cousin to the pecan pie is made with a rich, flavorful molasses filling and a buttery crumble topping. It has plenty of that old-fashioned charm.
Get the Shoofly Pie recipe.
Butterscotch Pudding Cookies
The key to these homemade cookies is using butterscotch pudding mix! It'll give the treat a buttery, caramel-like flavor along with the chopped pecans and white chocolate chips.
Get the Butterscotch Pudding Cookies recipe.
Watergate Salad
This old-school dessert has a fluffy, angelic texture and a pop of color from the pistachio pudding mix. It'll give you a dose of nostalgia that's straight from the 1970s.
Get the Watergate Salad recipe.
Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
These soft sugar cookies take things up a notch by adding golden browned butter to the dough. You can make them in advance and pop them in the freezer for those unexpected potluck invites.
Get the Brown Butter Sugar Cookies recipe.
Sweet Potato Cake
This sheet cake serves a crowd so it's perfect for a bigger gathering. Not to mention, the spiced, tender cake layer and fluffy marshmallow frosting are always a hit.
Get the Sweet Potato Cake recipe.
Apple Dumplings
This dessert is sweet and comforting, but best of all, it's easy to make! Just wrap the Granny Smith apple slices in canned crescent roll dough and cover it with a sticky-sweet syrup.
Get Ree's Apple Dumplings recipe.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
This fluffy cream pie has a rich and decadent filling that'll turn anyone into a peanut butter lover. It's even better when paired with the chocolate cookie crust.
Get Ree's Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie recipe.
Macaroons
Looking to impress your congregation with something special? Try homemade coconut macaroons! After dipping them in melted chocolate, you can even decorate them with chopped nuts or colorful sprinkles.
Get the Macaroons recipe.
Cream Cheese Cookies
These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are simple yet scrumptious. They have that dreamy soft texture and slightly tangy flavor thanks to the combination of sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese.
Get the Cream Cheese Cookies recipe.
Pecan Pie Bars
Baking pie for a crowd might sound intimidating but these bars have a press-in shortbread crust that's so easy to make. Plus, you can cut them into squares before the potluck.
Get the Pecan Pie Bars recipe.
Chocolate Sheet Cake
Ree makes this sheet cake for just about any family occasion. It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser with a thick layer of fudgy chocolate icing.
Get Ree's Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe.
Ree's Favorite Sugar Cookies
Ree has her own church potluck to thank for these beloved cookies. They're the kind that have been passed down for generations so you know they'll be good!
Get Ree's Favorite Sugar Cookies recipe.
Ambrosia Salad
Is it a dessert or a salad? Who cares when it tastes this scrumptious! The sweet cream cheese filling, marshmallows, and shredded coconut are perfectly balanced by the tangy pineapple, grapefruit, and mandarin oranges. It's a heavenly combination!
Get the Ambrosia Salad recipe.
Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
This spiced apple cake is made with a simple stir-together batter. But it's the swirls of caramel frosting and sprinkle of flaky sea salt that really take it over-the-top!
Get the Caramel Apple Sheet Cake recipe.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
This layered dessert has been making its way to potlucks since the 1960s. It starts off with a crushed pretzel crust covered with a cream cheese filling and finished with a beautiful layer of strawberry jello topping.
Get the Strawberry Pretzel Salad recipe.
Butterscotch Pie
Anyone who's a fan of butterscotch pudding will love this impressive meringue-topped pie! "Boy, is it dreamy," Ree says.
Get Ree's Butterscotch Pie recipe.
Cheesecake Brownies
There are tons of ways to make brownies, but this variation topped with a pretty cheesecake swirl is always a good idea. You get the best of both creamy cheesecake and chocolatey brownies in one dessert.
Get the Cheesecake Brownies recipe.
Carrot Cake Trifle
When serving cake to a crowd, try making an over-the-top trifle. You can use boxed carrot cake mix, layers of cream cheese frosting, vanilla pudding mix, and crushed speculoos cookies.
Get the Carrot Cake Trifle recipe.
Cranberry Apple Crumb Pie
Tangy cranberries and sweet apples are the perfect pairing in this homemade pie. Plus, the crumble topping is easier than fussing with a pie crust design.
Get Ree's Cranberry Apple Crumb Pie recipe.
Lemon Bars
Ree's tangy lemon bars have a cookie-like crust and dusting of powdered sugar to make them really stand out on the potluck dessert table. It's a good thing they feed a crowd!
Get Ree's Lemon Bars recipe.
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