Organic Non-Cake Dessert Ideas

 Everyone loves cake, right? Wrong! So people who don’t like cake probably don’t like sweets right? Nope, again, dead wrong. I am a perfect example of the dessert-loving cake-hating wedding guest. I can’t stand cake. I’ve never liked it—something about the mealy texture and the way it makes my mouth feel, like there are tasteless balls of cotton scraping my teeth. It’s been the bane of my existence through a lifetime of birthday parties, weddings, and other caketastic events. I’ve had to eat hundreds of unwanted pieces just to be polite. For example, you can’t very well decline a piece of the novelty cake your friends got for your surprise birthday party. I think that would be considered tacky.

At my wedding I was determined not to have cake. My mom was out of her mind about it—she is a staunch traditionalist—but I didn’t care. I was not about to spend a fortune on a beautiful inedible mountain of waste. Instead, we had make-your-own sundae stations with organic ice cream, fair trade chocolate sauce, and locally grown fruit. It was delicious! Here are some more non-traditional, cake-free ideas for your soirée.

 Pies

 Everyone loves pies, right? I’m sure there are pie haters out there, just like there are cake haters, but I don’t think I’ve ever met one. Pies are extremely versatile. You can include lots of different types—key lime, strawberry rhubarb, blueberry, pumpkin, and Boston cream—to satisfy the fruit lovers and chocolate lovers alike. If you’ve got time and some baking moxie, you can even make these treats yourself (or enlist your pie crazy grandmother). If not, find an organic baker in your area. Use as many locally grown ingredients as possible. It’s easy to make pies seasonal—just focus your ingredient list on what’s available and cheap at your farmer’s market.

 Fruit and Cream

 Fresh, organic, locally grown fruit and hand-whipped heavy cream is a guaranteed show-stopper. It’s delicious, nutritious and will appeal to dessert haters everywhere. If you don’t want to miss out on the cake-like presentation, consider piling fresh fruit high in a colorful mountain on your food table. Top it with a cute cake-topper for a delectable take on the traditional cake display.

 Chocolate

 Chocolate is always a crowd pleaser, especially if it’s organic, fair trade, and contributes money to a good cause. You can never go wrong with a delicious cookie! Try Endangered Species Chocolate. They work to sustain habitats and to support local farmers and ethical trade. 

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by Anni M.