Popular Store-Bought Boozy Desserts Ranked From Worst To Best
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The combination of alcohol and dessert is an indulgence that people have seemingly enjoyed forever. Whether it's an apple pie baked with bourbon caramel or a boozy Mudslide milkshake, sugar and liquor are a match made in heaven. Luckily, mainstream food and beverage brands have caught on to the public interest, and there are plenty of devilishly delicious products available for those who are of legal drinking age. Whether it's a vodka-spiked popsicle or an elevated Jell-O shot, the possibilities are endless.
The art of combining booze and sweet goods is a delicate one. It's easy for a product to taste too boozy and take over any other flavors. On the opposite end of the spectrum, it's also common for mass-produced treats to taste like they don't even contain an ounce of booze.
To save you the headache (before the potential hangover), we decided to rank some popular boozy desserts you can find in stores. The items include ice cream, cakes, cookies, and more, and you'll find something for every palate. When figuring out the ranking, we took into consideration online reviews, the balance of booze, and the general uniqueness of each item. With this boozy selection, you're sure to find a new 21-and-older dessert to treat yourself when the craving strikes.
16. Guinness chocolate stout cake
A hearty stout such as Guinness lends itself to a rich dessert like chocolate cake. Indeed, home bakers have been making Guinness-infused cakes to add depth of flavor to recipes for ages. Great Spirits Baking Company tried to use this idea in its pre-packaged Guinness chocolate stout cake, but it's just a total miss.
The baking process makes the cake non-alcoholic, but the beer is used to add some savoriness and amp up the flavor with malted barley. You wouldn't expect this to be really boozy in flavor, but that's not even what places this item dead last on the list. The texture of this cake is completely off, as well as the balance of ingredients.
It's overly sweet and the texture is grainy and off-putting. "Inedible. Stuck to the cardboard and there were sand like 'pebbles' throughout. I would definitely not recommend this," one Amazon user wrote in a review of the cake. You're better off making your own Guinness cake at home instead of spending money on this. If you need some inspiration, this Guinness brownie recipe by Mashed is a good place to start.
15. Mercer's peach white zinfandel ice cream
Many people's idea of a perfect night in is a pint of ice cream and a glass of wine, so Mercer's Dairy combined the two guilty pleasures into one must-try treat. The brand has several flavors of wine-infused ice cream that hit the mark, but the peach white zinfandel pint is not one of them. It's basically a light white zinfandel wine mixed with peaches that are macerated with sugar and pear juice.
Although it isn't entirely a bad flavor, it mostly just tastes like an average, nondescript peach ice cream. There isn't any additional depth from the wine in Mercer's pint. It's not that surprising as white zinfandel is mild, sweet, and fruity, and ultimately blends into the wayside. Mercer's could improve this flavor by upping the booze content or maybe even blending in a different type of wine to make it actually feel like an adults-only ice cream.
14. Van Leeuwen bourbon cherries jubilee ice cream
Van Leeuwen might be infamously known for its Kraft macaroni & cheese flavored ice cream, but the company has also been known to mix booze into its treats from time to time. The popular ice cream brand has a knack for creating both interesting and well-executed flavors to add to its lineup. Unfortunately, the bourbon cherries jubilee isn't one of its best results. Much like Mercer's, it's a good ice cream on its own. However, there is little to no bourbon flavor to be tasted.
The recipe starts with a sweet cream base, which makes a decadent accompaniment for tart cherries. Then, a mix of dark cherry chunks and a swirl of Kings County bourbon cherries complete the treat. The bourbon is really only mixed into the cherry swirl, so it's not particularly robust flavored, as the experts at Emperor of Ice Cream pointed out in a review. The bourbon cherry Van Leeuwen flavor is only sold for a limited time in May, so it might be worth it to stick to the core lineup.
13. Baileys chocolates
Baileys and chocolate are a natural pairing, so it's not surprising that plenty of tasty treats have been produced to highlight the duo. One of the original products is a smooth milk chocolate bar filled with a Baileys Irish Cream truffle center. These also come in truffle balls for an individual treat. While it makes sense in theory, it's not the best combination of booze and chocolate on the market, or even on this list. It isn't outright terrible, but it just isn't anything to rave about or even worth seeking out.
Baileys chocolates are the kind of gift you might get over the holidays from someone who obviously doesn't know you — you wouldn't ever really buy them for yourself. One Home Tester Club review also points out that the Irish Cream flavor could be amped up a bit more. "My husband on the other hand liked the chocolate but not the middle," the review reads and specifies, "he was waiting for the Baileys flavor that never came."
12. Sugarfina Champagne gummy bears
Champagne gummy bears are a novelty, and Sugarfina has cornered the market by making an amped-up version of the childhood sweet with a booze-inspired twist. The brand's popular Champagne bears are made with Dom Perignon Vintage Champagne, both the Brut and Rosé for different flavors. Despite containing real Champagne, they're non-alcoholic. Sugarfina sells a small cube of bears for about $9 on its website, which is a steep price for a candy that won't even get you a little tipsy.
Sugarfina bears are undoubtedly cute, but they're more for aesthetics than for satisfying cravings for a boozy dessert. They're the kind of treat you'd see on a wedding dessert table, not one you'd run out to the grocery store to try out. Consumers seem to agree, as one Influenster user wrote, "They come in very high quality and beautiful packaging. My only complaint is that they're quite on the pricey side."
11. Spiked pina colada sorbet
Spiked decided to make a scoopable version of a classic piña colada with its boozy sorbet. The flavor is packed with pineapple, coconut, and plenty of rum — the pints have an ABV of 5%. A major plus to this refreshing treat is that it's also vegan and dairy free to satisfy dietary restrictions, and the taste doesn't suffer. "Arrived perfectly frozen and incredibly delicious! Just the right amount of buzziness," one reviewer wrote on the company's website.
Honestly, the only reason this treat isn't higher on the list is that it's not as widely available as some of the options and it isn't that innovative. Piña coladas are already a frozen treat and many ice cream shops have made sorbet versions of the flavor. It stands out because a pint will actually get you a little tipsy, plus it's packed in a colorful and Instagrammable format you'll want to show off from your couch. Also, the majority of reviews on Spiked's website shout out the bourbon berry and strawberry margarita flavors, so piña colada doesn't seem to be the best of the best.
10. Ben & Jerry's Topped Whiskey Biz
There appear to be very few ingredients that Ben & Jerry's won't put in ice cream, so it was a no-brainer for the brand to team up with WhistlePig whiskey for a booze-infused pint. Whiskey Biz is part of the brand's Topped ice cream series and starts with a brown butter bourbon ice cream base with a blondie and whiskey caramel swirl. As if that wasn't enough on its own, per the name, it's topped with white chocolate ganache and fudge chunks for even more flavor.
Brown butter and bourbon are always good friends, so it's not a surprise that this Ben & Jerry's flavor is a knockout. Fans are pleased with the flavor, and the website reviews include descriptions like "scrumptious," and statements asserting, "By far one of the best flavors to come out!" Another customer pointed out that "Ben and Jerry's does not have enough non-chocolate flavors so this one is exactly what I was looking for!" The main reason Whiskey Biz isn't higher on the list is that at its core, the flavor combinations aren't novel. That doesn't make them any less delicious, but we have to reward creativity in these rankings.
9. Solid Wiggles Cosmos jelly cake
Speaking of creativity, you'd be hard-pressed to find another business making the out-of-the-box gelatin desserts that Solid Wiggles is whipping up. The company takes the Jell-O shot to the next level by making booze-infused jelly cakes that double as works of art. A 6-inch jelly cake isn't cheap — Solid Wiggles sells its Cosmos booze-infused cake (you can also get a non-alcoholic version) for $115 on Goldbelly.
It's entirely handmade, so no two cakes are exactly alike, making it a true feast for the eyes. "This is out of this worldddd," one fan of the Cosmos cake wrote on Instagram. The Cosmos jelly cake contains orange juice jelly, a sweet milk jelly galaxy floating around, and a cranberry lemon jelly base. The whole thing is infused with Absolut vodka. It's the sophisticated version of artificial-tasting Jell-O shots you may or may not remember drinking at college parties, and the price certainly reflects that.
8. Tipsy Scoops cake batter martini ice cream
Tipsy Scoops' entire marketing ploy is making boozy versions of classic ice cream flavors, so it's no shock it has made it pretty high on the list. We're including a top flavor in our selection: cake batter vodka martini. The ice cream is infused with cake vodka, amaretto, and white chocolate liqueur, and each pint contains 5% ABV. In case you were wondering, that means you can actually taste the booze in the ice cream, but it's well-balanced with the sweetness from the cake.
Tipsy Scoops cake batter vodka martini is the perfect treat for a 21st birthday celebration, or really anytime you want a dessert martini with a major emphasis on dessert. "Birthday Cake Martini was the most splendid flavor that has ever crossed my lips," one Tipsy Scoop fan wrote in a review on the brand's website. "The ice creams were smooth and delicious."
7. Maker's Mark bourbon chocolates
Maker's Mark bourbon chocolates might not be the best bourbon-infused dessert on our list, but that doesn't mean they aren't deviously delightful. The treats combine dark chocolate with pecans and Maker's Mark bourbon whisky for a candy that can't compare with the bars you buy at the grocery store checkout aisle. "So good, yes it's hard to just eat one but two hits the spot," one review on the Maker's Mark Shop reads. "Great combination of quality dark chocolate, bourbon, and pecan."
Maker's Mark gets a shout-out for actually making these chocolates taste like you're taking a sip of its signature whisky in every bite. The flavors blend together well, but it could include even a tiny bit more booze. However, we'll still gladly eat these without complaining. They just might not be our first option when we want to gift the best of the best bourbon chocolates money can buy, even if we're just treating ourselves.
6. Häagen-Dazs rum tres leches ice cream
Häagen-Dazs offers an extensive list of creative ice cream flavors and several incorporate popular spirits. An underrated pint in the line of liquor-infused ice cream is rum tres leches, a Latin American-inspired treat with a boozy kick. The brand starts by infusing its ice cream base with white rum. To make it truly decadent, thick ribbons of dulce de leche and chunks of tres leches cake are mixed in.
This Häagen-Dazs flavor deserves more credit than is due. Even though the ice cream is technically non-alcoholic, the brand expertly lets the rum flavor shine through to contrast with the sweet and creamy notes. "This was incredible, I almost wondered if I would be safe to drive," one Influenster user wrote in a review of the pint. While they concluded they were fine to get on the road, the customer highlighted, "But this does taste super rummy."
Be forewarned if you don't like desserts with a strong boozy flavor because this one is packing a punch. The only downside is that it would be better if the ABV was a bit more than 0.5% to actually give you a buzz to go with the flavor.
5. SLIQ Rum Spirited Ice
SLIQ rum popsicles are another rum-infused frozen treat inspired by the tropical flavors of daiquiris. Unlike the Häagen-Dazs ice cream, these spirit ice pops contain 8% ABV apiece, thanks to a hearty portion of Caribbean white rum in every serving. Each package includes three flavors: coconut and lime, pineapple, and strawberry. All three taste like you could pour them into a fancy cocktail glass, top it with a paper umbrella, and pretend that you blended up a refreshing drink all on your own.
Unlike cream-based desserts, SLIQ spirited ice is the boozy dessert you choose when you want to get a buzz going on without feeling too full or overloaded with sugar. "Omg these are SO good! Refreshing and really hits the spot on a triple-digit day," one Influenster user wrote in a review. "Added bonus: no mixing required, just a pair of scissors to open 'em."
4. Joy Lyn's jalapeño beer brittle
Peanut brittle may not be the most on-trend dessert, but it's an old-fashioned treat that always hits the spot ... when you remember that it exists. Joy Lyn's Candies decided to blend old-school techniques with some modern-day brewing for its beer brittle. The crunchy sweet is made with Sierra Nevada pale ale, and for those who love the combination of sweet and spicy, there's a jalapeño version.
Joy Lyn's keeps it classic by cooking its peanut brittle in a large copper kettle and adding jalapeños for extra heat. It's not a snack for those with sensitive tastebuds because it's really spicy, but it's a true jalapeño pepper flavor that pairs nicely with the sweet and salty peanuts. "This is the best brittle I have ever had. I even tried making it but it just wasn't the same. A definite must have," one customer wrote in a review on Sohnrey Family Foods.
3. Woodford Reserve bourbon balls
We previously mentioned a hierarchy when it comes to mass-market bourbon balls, and in our eyes, Woodford Reserve bourbon balls take the (chocolate and pecan) cake. These sweet treats feature cream and butter fondant infused with Woodford Reserve bourbon, dipped in dark chocolate, and topped with a pecan. They're also non-alcoholic, but still bursting with a boozy bourbon flavor. These chocolates taste like the traditional homemade versions common in Kentucky, the defacto land of bourbon.
If you're stuck on a gift to get a bourbon lover in your life, Woodford Reserve bourbon balls are a no-brainer, and not just because they come in classy packaging. "There aren't too many things that taste as good as these bourbon balls," one Amazon customer wrote in a review of the candies. "I bought two boxes to take as gifts to friends I'll be visiting in other states. My only hope is that they don't like bourbon, so I can have them all to myself."
2. Jeni's boozy eggnog ice cream
Jeni's is the gold standard for unique ice cream flavors. Not only does the brand come up with cool ideas to pack into pints, but the execution is impressively on point with the flavor themes. For the 2022 holiday season, Jeni's released a boozy eggnog flavor in collaboration with Uncle Nearest whiskey.
Jeni's boozy eggnog starts with a smooth egg custard base seasoned with nutmeg and spiked with whiskey. The flavor is not unlike a Puerto Rican coquito cocktail, although coquitos don't contain eggs and actually feature rum. "The nutmeg makes it as cozy as sipping a glass of eggnog while decorating your tree," one Instagram user commented about the flavor.
The creaminess cannot be understated, and it's one of those ice cream flavors you can eat right out of the pint, on top of a warm slice of pie, or even in a glass with more whiskey poured on top. There's no wrong way to enjoy this festive treat, and luckily, Jeni's has made it easy to experiment.
1. Fabrizia Limoncello cookies
Fabrizia Spirits is a brand known for its digestif limoncello liqueur and ready-to-drink canned cocktails inspired by Italian flavors with a vodka twist. Limoncello is naturally the perfect liqueur to use if you're baking lemon-infused treats, so the brand decided to expand its line of products into lemony baked goods that taste as good as homemade.
Fabrizia's Limoncello cookies are a must-try among the selection. They melt in your mouth as if they had just come out of the oven and they have a pleasant chewy texture as well. The brand also sells limoncello-infused truffles, blondies, whoopie pies, biscotti, and more. Even though the treats are booze-based, the alcohol content evaporates during the baking process. "The whoopie pies were fresh and tasty and big enough to share. Same thing for the lemon cookies," one Facebook user wrote in a review. "So lemony and good!! Half a cookie goes a long way."