No need for baking – serve these instead.

Sometimes, you just don’t have enough room for dessert after a meal with friends, but you could all still go for a sweet treat to finish. There’s a good chance you’re not quite ready for the night to wind up, either. Solution? This is absolutely the desserty cocktail’s time to shine. Then again, if you’re into sweets, don’t let us tell you when you can pull these out – it’s almost always a good time for a decadent cocktail. As it happens, we have a load of recipes in our cocktail collection that tick all these boxes – and more.

Indulgent cocktails make the best desserts for grown-ups. They’re the perfect serve of sweet, surprising and sophisticated, and, trust us, you can always find room to squeeze one in. If you’re hosting, not only do you get to skip the stress of baking or nailing the perfect dessert, but these cocktails also won’t leave everyone feeling stuffed, so the night can roll on. And if you’re tasked with bringing something along, whipping up a few cocktails is a pretty impressive way to contribute to the night.

While so many different cocktails fit the after-dinner brief, we’ve compiled some of our creamiest, most extravagant dessert-like recipes that are exactly what your next event needs.

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1. Doughnut-ini

Did we create a cocktail especially for World Doughnut Day? We sure did (it’s June 2, FYI). And you’ll be glad we did because this recipe is a winner. Think of it as a drinkable, creamy, cinnamon doughnut. You want in? It’s rich and fluffy, with aromatic spices thanks to the spiced rum, with sweet, layered flavours coming from vanilla and chocolate liqueurs. It’s even better than it sounds.

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2. PB&J Martini

Into the doughnut-inspired cocktail? Of course we have more. Inspired by the much-loved combo of peanut butter and jam (or jelly), this is nutty and sweet with that cinnamon touch from the sugared glass rim that brings more than a hint of doughnut-esque flavour. Peanut butter, Chambord, Frangelico, vodka and cream were made for each other in this indulgent cocktail.

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3. Cookies & Cream

Yep, like the ice cream, but better – with a grown-up kick. It’s super easy, too. Just blitz your favourite Cookies & Cream ice cream with vanilla vodka and hazelnut liqueur (although you can swap in other nut-flavoured liqueurs that you may like more), and serve. So much better than baking actual cookies, but don’t forget to grab some Oreos for the best garnish.

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4. Carrot Cake

There are always a few people who claim they’re not into carrot cake, but serve them this cocktail and we think they’ll see the light. It’s creamy, nutty and fresh, and if you’re into aesthetically pleasing drinks, you’ll be into this garnish – it’s an ice cube coated in crushed walnuts. There’s even fresh carrot juice in there, but if you don’t have a juicer, grab some on your way home.

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5. Sticky Date

You’d better believe we based a cocktail on that never-fail dessert, sticky date pudding. And it’s bloody delicious, complete with whipped cream on top. Too much? No such thing. There’s spiced rum, butterscotch schnapps, date syrup, Licor 43, an egg (don’t pull a face – it adds oomphy texture and body) and whipped cream to finish, plus a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top. This is a cocktail that gets a guaranteed “ooh” every time.

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6. Midori Splice

There was a time when this neon-green dream was a huge order throughout the night, but for us, we’re into it post-dinner. It brings a hit of tropical flavours, with coconut rum, pineapple juice, cream and that eponymous ingredient, Midori. Creamy, fluoro, musky and sweet, this is a retro number that you can’t help but love in all its kitschy glory.

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7. Biscoff Espresso Martini

If you were among the masses who ate their body weight in Biscoff spread last year, this cocktail is for you. But if you missed that moment, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon by whipping up our sweet twist on the Martini. Complete with a caffeine kick from espresso, this cocktail combines Biscoff spread, vodka, coffee liqueur and hazelnut liqueur to create a gently spiced and creamy treat. The best kind of after-dinner indulgence.

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8. Sgroppino

Don’t dig rich and creamy drinks? Meet the Sgroppino – a bright, fresh and lifted cocktail that makes excellent use of sorbet. We love it with lemon sorbet, but any flavour will work brilliantly, and that just gets mixed with vodka and prosecco. Does dessert for grown-ups get any easier? Nope. Or more delicious? No again. And it’s especially great after a heavy meal.

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9. Affogato

Okay, so it’s a pretty smooth move to serve up a traditional Affogato dessert, with a scoop or two of quality vanilla ice cream topped with fresh espresso. It’s simplicity at its most delicious (if you’re into coffee, of course). But what about throwing those ingredients into a blender along with grappa, coffee liqueur and dark creme de cacao liqueur? Now we’re talking. This is our Affogato cocktail, and you can blitz up a few at a time to make serving a crowd even easier.

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10. Lamington

That’s right – we’ve given another much-loved dessert a drinkable twist. And this Lamington cocktail is *maybe* even better than the OG bouncy sponge cake. All those nostalgic chocolate, coconut and jam flavours are in here, and they get amped up with the addition of rich bourbon and vanilla liqueur. It’s not as heavy as some of the other cocktails on this list, but it’s packed with desserty goodness.

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11. Lemon Meringue Pie’tini

If you think you’ve exhausted all uses for that bottle of limoncello at home, get to know this tart and creamy cocktail. Here, limoncello combines with sugar syrup, lemon juice, vanilla essence and cream to recreate the flavours of that age-old dessert, lemon meringue pie. It’s zesty and sweet, rich and thick, and goes down a dream with friends. It doesn’t hurt that it looks spectacular in the glass, too, thanks to the crushed biscuit garnish.

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12. Grasshopper

Remember the after-diner mint? These thin slices of mint-spiked choccie were huge back in the day, but those flavours still deliver the best kind of post-meal hit, and you’ll find them right here. It’s a couple of liqueurs – green creme de menthe and creme de cacao – shaken with milk, cream and ice, and served with an all-important grating of chocolate on top. Another retro favourite to win over the Mint Slice fans.