The biggest football game of the year is almost here, so you’re planning to host a killer watch party. While you have the appetizers (wings! nachos! chili!) all mapped out and the co*cktails on lock, there’s one course hosts may forget about until the day of: dessert. Instead of running to the supermarket for cupcakes last minute, why not serve one of these 32 Super Bowl desserts instead? They’re easy to prepare, prime for serving a crowd and, most importantly, delicious. Read on for all kinds of ideas, from mini treats to massive skillet confections.
70 Easy Super Bowl Snacks to Make on Game Day
1. Football Cookies
Sally’s Baking Recipes
Time Commitment: 4 hours and 45 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
These are a no-brainer, especially if kids will be at the watch party. Start the dough on Saturday morning so it has plenty of time to chill, then roll, cut, bake and decorate on Sunday before your guests arrive.
2. Dessert Nachos
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Forget the cheese and salsa—these are about to become your go-to game day nachos. Think crispy fried tortilla chips topped with fresh whipped cream, caramel, hot fudge and raspberries.
3. S’mores Rice Cereal Treats
Amy Scott/Baking By Feel
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes (includes cooling)
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead
Make-ahead desserts are a hostess’s best friend. Might we suggest using a 50/50 mix of Rice Krispies and Golden Grahams cereals to drive the s’mores flavor home?
4. Football Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Blondies
Well Plated by Erin
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
These beauties are expectedly indulgent, thanks to creamy peanut butter, chocolate and peanut butter chips and vanilla frosting. The whole wheat flour will be our little secret.
5. ‘Swicy’ Caramel Corn
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
A kiss of cayenne pepper transforms this old-school favorite. Prepare it the morning of (or even the day before), pour it into festive bowl and serve with a scoop to keep everyone’s fingers out of the popcorn.
6. Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
Broma Bakery
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
One way to ensure that a dessert will fit in at a Super Bowl party? Infuse it with booze. Stout beer enhances these cupcakes’ chocolatey flavor, which is rounded out with a flaky salt topping for an elegant finish.
7. Mini Skillet Funnel Cakes
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Casual is the name of the game when it comes to a football watch party, and these carnival favorites are just the ticket. Serve with chocolate or fruit dipping sauce, or dust with confectioners’ sugar and call it a day.
8. Strawberry Cheesecake Dip
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, no bake, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
Dips are an ingeniously low-lift way to feed a crowd in one fell swoop. (Even better, they tend to be no-bake and ready in a flash, just like this one.)
9. Super Bowl Chocolate Cake
A Classic Twist
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Bring on the chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. If you want to avoid slicing, go the route of cupcakes instead to create a pull-apart cake.
10. Swirled Tahini Cups
David Frenkiel/Quick and Slow
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
This treat is just right for dairy-sensitive or gluten-free people on your guest list. Feel free to substitute maple syrup with honey or agave if you’d prefer.
11. Fluffernutter Fudge
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
This fudge tastes just like the nostalgic sandwich, yet it’s infinitely more impressive. You’ll only need 15 minutes, five ingredients and a refrigerator to pull it off.
12. Chocolate ‘High-Ratio’ Sheet Cake
The Fearless Baker
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Made with shortening instead of butter, high-ratio cakes turn out incredibly light, tender and moist. This one is crowned with a thick layer of dark chocolate ganache.
13. Dulce de Leche Skillet Brownie
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Behold: the fudgiest, gooiest brownie ever baked. To save some time and energy on your end, start with store-bought dulce de leche instead of preparing your own with condensed milk.
14. Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough Truffles
A Classic Twist
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, no bake, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Good luck stopping after just one. Heat-treat the raw cookie mix before using it by spreading it onto a baking sheet and baking for about 10 minutes at 350°F.
15. Vegan Miso Caramel Dip with Pretzels and Granny Smith Apples
Taryn Pire
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegan, make ahead, <10 ingredients
Canned coconut cream gives this party dip a luxuriously rich texture without the help of butter or cream. Serve with fresh fruit, pretzels, cookies or ice cream.
16. Triple Cookie Skillet Pie
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Your cast iron skillet is the key to baking desserts with a crunchy, caramelized exterior and a gooey center. Take your pick of classic chocolate chip, pretzel M&M-snickerdoodle or chocolate s’mores cookies.
17. Mini Chocolate Snowball Cakes
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
These handhelds taste like straight-up nostalgia. The cakes are unbelievably moist and tender, courtesy of buttermilk in the batter.
Get the recipe
18. Mini Yogurt Cheesecakes
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
They’re just fancy enough to wow your guests without disrupting the laid-back vibe. The topping is as easy as tossing pomegranate arils in pomegranate molasses.
19. Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: one bowl, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
When in doubt of your partygoers’ tastes, you can’t go wrong with this timeless classic. Their poppable size makes them all the more tantalizing.
20. Cake Batter Dip
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, no bake, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
Rainbow sprinkles are always invited to the party. To heat-treat the cake mix without turning on the oven, simply place it in a microwave-safe bowl and warm it in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until it reaches 165°F throughout.
21. Spiked Rice Krispie Treat Shake Shooters
How Sweet Eats
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
Sorry kids, this milkshake—teeming with Marshmallow Fluff, vanilla ice cream and homemade crisped rice treats—is just for grown-ups. (If they’re really jealous, skip the vodka to let them get in on the fun.)
22. Blackberry Jam Pie Crust Straws
Photo: Matt Dutile/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
It really doesn’t get easier than brushing frozen puff pastry with store-bought jam and baking until crispy. Feel free to use any flavor you’d like—just don’t skip the cinnamon-sugar coating.
23. Peanut Butter Dip
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
Treat yourself to a bowl of sweet-and-salty bliss in the form of peanut butter-cream cheese dip. Salted peanuts offer texture, but we’d supplement plenty of crunchy dippers for good measure.
24. Caramel Pretzel Brownies
Grandbaby Cakes
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Speaking of sweet and salty, allow us to introduce your new favorite dessert. Store-bought caramel sauce is swirled atop the brownie batter before baking, so they look fussier than they actually are.
25. Confetti Crust Hand Pies
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Yes, store-bought pie crust is easier than preparing your own…but your hard work will be worth it since the dough is studded with rainbow sprinkles.
26. Slow Cooker Oreo Cheesecake
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 5 hours and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
You take care of the pigs in a blanket, hot wings and spinach dip, and your Crockpot will handle dessert. Your guests will think you ordered the cheesecake from a fancy bakery.
27. Buckeye Crunch Bars
Half Baked Harvest
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
The only “baking” you’ll need to do is melting chocolate and peanut butter in the microwave—sound easy enough? Run a chef’s knife under hot water before slicing to cut through the chilled bars like butter.
28. Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Amy Scott/Baking by Feel
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Nothing beats a sugar cookie encrusted in rainbow sanding sugar…except a sugar cookie spiked with tangy sour cream and a generous dose of vanilla extract, of course.
29. Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Rice Pudding
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 4 hours and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, slow cooker recipe, <10 ingredients
This old-school dessert was long overdue for an update. Serve it warm straight from the Crockpot or chill it overnight before the Super Bowl party.
30. No-Bake Dessert Lasagna
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, no bake
Your oven is already full of pizza bites and Philly cheesesteaks, so you shouldn’t have to stress over cramming in dessert too. Try this assemble-and-chill layered masterpiece—made with chocolate whip, cream cheese filling, Oreos and cherry jam—on for size instead.
31. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, kid-friendly, no bake
Warning: You may want to make two batches, because the kids at the party will gobble the first up in seconds. Might we suggest adding mascarpone cheese to the mix for a cannoli-inspired twist?
32. Dessert Charcuterie Board
Owlbbaking
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
The easiest dessert recipes are those that aren’t really recipes at all. There are endless possibilities with a dessert charcuterie board, but some of our favorite inclusions are sliced strawberries, chocolate-hazelnut spread, shortbread cookies and caramel dip.
45 Mini Super Bowl Snacks Everyone Will Crave
Taryn Pireis PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram@cookingwithpire.
