by Catalogs.com Info Guru Oliver Vandervoort

When you are having a party or celebrating an occasion, going with a buffet style with the food is never a terrible idea.

When you go this route you are leaving it up to your guests to select what they want to eat and how much they want to eat, making it a better bet to make everyone happy. If you can go with buffets for regular food then dessert buffets can work as well. Just like the main meal, giving your guests this kind of buffet allows them to pig out if they want, or eat daintily if they prefer. Without further ado, we’ve provided a list of the top 10 ideas for dessert buffets.

10. Puddings

There are almost as many different flavors of pudding as there are of ice cream so putting out a buffet of different options wouldn’t be difficult. Simply provide dessert glasses and spoons so that guests can serve themselves out of larger decorative bowls.

9. Bulk Candies

There is an almost unending supply of different candies you can add to your dessert buffet. Just put different kinds of bulk candies in jars or containers or whatever you want and people can pile their plate with whatever taste treat they find more tempting. Candies are fun for even the most formal buffet – use them as a decorative element, especially during the holidays or for special occasions.

8. Chocolate Fountain with Dippables

This is a different sort of buffet because it is constructed around a centerpiece that people won’t be picking up or deplenishing. Arrange a chocolate fountain with a wide variety of dessert items to dip. Include fruit, pieces of pound cake — if it works with chocolate fondue, it will work with a chocolate fountain.

7. Ice Cream Buffet

This buffet can be hard to pull off if only because you must keep the desserts frozen. If you go this route, you should encourage people to hit the buffet early and often and then take it down when the treats begin to thaw. In addition to ice cream, offer toppings, fruit and fancy cookies. To add the wow factor for a special occasion like a wedding, order custom label ice cream or create your own flavors.

6. Pies

This buffet is self-explanatory. It’s easy because there are hundreds of different varieties you can go offer. A dessert buffet composed solely of pies can be traditional, tropical or seasonal. Think about key lime pie, assorted apple pies or fancy French fruit tarts. Simply leave a pie cutter along with each pie and make sure to get backups of each variety in case they go fast.

5. Cakes

Another choice that is plentiful when it comes to flavors and choices. This is just as simple as pies and they can be laid out early and cut quickly. You could also combine cakes with pies, or custom bakery cakes with a variety of other desserts.

4. Cake Pops

Cake Pops are all the rage, and their fancy frostings and variety of decorations make a great dessert buffet idea. Simply line them up like you would any other dessert and people can grab as many as they want. These have the added bonus of being a treat that can be eaten while people mill about and socialize.

3. Chocolate Covered Fruits

Everyone has heard of chocolate covered strawberries, but you can go with a whole host of other chocolate covered fruits in order to make a great buffet. Pears, apples, pineapple and even berries can all be laid out for your guests’ perusal.

2. Cupcakes

Like cake pops, these desserts are great because there are so many varieties. You can set out a fancy cupcake buffet and have people pick one or more up and socialize with others as they eat.

1. Cookies

Not only can you lay out dozens of different cookies – from classic chocolate chip to fancy buttercream frosted ones – if you are assembling a cookie dessert buffet, you can get very creative with the way that you lay out these tasty treats. Bake cookies, order them from a bakery, or have guests contribute their own specialties. Everyone loves a really good cookie!