Going Solo: Single-Serving Desserts

Customers are eating more desserts these days. Whether they’re seeking nostalgic desserts from their childhoods out of a need for comfort or looking for something over-the-top indulgent in a quest for new experiences, desserts are playing a larger role in people's daily lives all over the world. Currently, 38% of consumers eat dessert more than once a week, up from 24% in 2019.*

As we continue to seek comfort and indulgence, portion control becomes an issue! Single-serving desserts fit this need perfectly while also allowing customers to try a variety of flavors, textures, and concepts without committing to a large, family-style dessert.

Why are single-serving desserts so popular?

To any baker or shop owner who found themselves entrenched in the cupcake craze, this all sounds very familiar! The popularity of cute and creative personal-sized desserts endures, but it’s time to think beyond buttercream. Parfaits and verrines, individual tarts, cakes sold by the slice, and single-serving versions of desserts usually sold family-style are the impulse buys of choice popping up on social media, especially when they are irresistibly packaged.

What should you think about when constructing a multi-layered, single-serving dessert?

Layered, single-serving desserts are a plated-dessert experience distilled into a portable container, so every aspect of a dessert experience should factor into your plan for a single-serving version of the dessert and, as such, is up for consideration.

Think about balancing sweet, salty, sour, even spicy, for a full flavor experience.

Smaller portions allow customers a low-risk way to discover new flavors, so get creative with regional flavors, tropical fruits, exotic spices, and “limited edition” flavors too. Have some go-to flavors as menu standards, then add a seasonal item or daily special.

For chefs, playing with texture might be the number-one feature of desserts in glasses. Create intrigue and excitement with layers that are creamy, fluffy, crunchy, gelled, chewy… you name it!

Individual Pound Cakes — Individual Almond Rum Pound Cakes by Chef Dimitri Fayard

Reduce Waste and Streamline Production by Using What You Have

Think about your best-selling items. Can you offer a single-serving version? Simply making a selection of your customers’ favorites in a smaller format can open the door to numerous possibilities and higher sales. This can be as easy as offering a slice of cake instead of the entire cake or building the cake inside a cup or bowl.

Desserts in glasses are a great way to upcycle. Brownie bits, failed macarons, a batch of cookies that spread too much, a farmer’s market bargain that must be used immediately - all can be incorporated into a sundae or trifle that will delight your customers and reduce food waste.