10 Brilliant Wedding Cake Alternatives

Are you thinking, “I don’t want a wedding cake!” Some people don’t love cake, so couples are getting creative with their dessert options. Believe it or not, there are fun wedding cakes out there. Here are some favorite wedding cake alternatives.

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Our Top 10 Wedding Cake Alternatives

Wedding cakes are one of the most concrete elements of a wedding. Just imagine all of the classic “cutting the cake” photos shared from weddings of your friends or family members. But what if you don’t want a wedding cake? Well, here are some options besides wedding cake to get you thinking.

3 Hand-Held Wedding Cake Alternatives

1. Opt for cookies.

Chocolate chip, sugar, Oreo…so many options. Cookies are an awesome alternative to a wedding cake. Chocolate chip cookies are the front-runner when it comes to wedding cookies because they go so well with a glass of milk. Cookies can be displayed on top of a glass of milk or stacked into another tiered shape.

2. Impress with croquembouche.

Croquembouche is a more traditional French option, consisting of choux pastries stacked into a cone and wrapped in spun sugar. This is a show-stopper option that looks quite glamorous with little to no extra decoration. You can include edible flowers, almonds, or even ganache to add even more flair to this extra-chic dessert that can be pulled apart and eaten with your hands.

3. Get colorful with macarons.

This is one of our feminine, sweet, and delicate wedding cake ideas. Macarons are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to wedding cakes. These have also grown in popularity because many macarons can easily be made gluten-free for any couples who might be sensitive.

Dessert not cutting the cake? Have macarons instead!

3 Breakfast Alternative Cake Ideas

4. Have a decadent cinnamon roll cake.

Did you know it is possible to have cinnamon rolls baked into the form of a wedding cake? The gooey, frosting-drenched goodness brings you back to slow mornings in childhood. Cinnamon roll cakes are sweet, unique dessert ideas that are guaranteed to wow guests.

5. Sweeten up with pancakes & waffles.

Guests will be drooling over the syrupy goodness of pancakes and waffles. You can have a choice between either, but for the sake of a shorter list, we’ve combined them. Pancakes usually have sweeter toppings, and waffles can be topped with ice cream, fruit, or whipped cream. Waffles can also be stacked into a tiered wedding-cake shape for a striking display.

6. Make everyone happy with doughnuts.

Doughnuts – or donuts – are fun and cool wedding cake alternatives. Like pies, you can alternate flavors to offer guests variety. Doughnuts can be stacked into a wedding cake shape, so you won’t lose that beautiful photo.

No wedding cake? Donuts are a fun cake alternative. Photo by Lisa Fotios.

3 Savory Wedding Cake Ideas

7. Get creative with a cheese cake, cheese board, or charcuterie.

When we say cheese cake, we’re not talking about the typical New York dessert. This may even qualify as one of the healthy wedding cakes if you think about it! Wedding cheesecakes will be 3-6 layers of different cheeses for a balanced plate.

There are beautiful, very unique ways to craft a dessert cheese cake and/or cheese board for your wedding. This could be a cheaper alternative to a wedding cake – or a more expensive one – depending on the types of cheese you choose. Of course, you can always do a complete charcuterie if you so desire.

8. Add sweet or savory crepes.

Oui, oui! This French option is an absolute jaw-dropper for wedding cake alternatives. The crepes can be stacked on top of one another and held together with any filling the couple desires. Some of these crepe cakes can be over 100 layers high and can be made either sweet or savory.

9. Have your baker make pies.

Pies – sweet or savory – are gaining in popularity as a wedding cake alternative because they offer variety and a homegrown feeling to your dessert. Options for pie sizes are usually a standard 8” pie or little individual pies that are a bit less messy. Pies are a great alternative to wedding cake if your family is pushing for a more traditional dessert, since they are so common.

A cheaper alternative to wedding cake is serving pie.

Bonus: Fried Desserts

10. Offer fried dough or funnel cake.

Many caterers offer fried desserts in addition to a wedding cake, so we’re going to include this one as a bonus. Fried dough, churros, or beignets are great additions to any wedding dessert (especially the cheese option). Fried desserts are generally at self-serve stations with fruit or chocolate sauces. If served alone, these can be great, unique dessert ideas that offer variety in the kinds of desserts you serve, not just the flavor.

Save our alternative wedding cake ideas!

If you don’t want to veer away from traditional wedding cake ideas, you could opt for non-traditional wedding cake flavors so that your cake can look normal yet have a surprise inside. You could also consider groom’s cake alternatives if you want to go with a traditional wedding cake while adding an element of fun.

Some brides can’t fathom the idea of no wedding cake, which is fine, too. Considering alternative cake ideas can be intriguing, and your guests would be surprised by unusual wedding cakes. Modern brides truly have the freedom to be as creative as they’d like. If you are concerned about not cutting the cake (as in if you choose cookies or donuts), you can always have a small cutting cake to stick with tradition.

Alli Dillenbeck is a wedding coordinator and marketing manager in Upstate NY. When she is not planning events, she is often tending her extensive plant collection.