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The Best Desserts & Dessert Toppings

Last updated on April 12, 2022

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Our Picks For The Top Desserts & Dessert Toppings

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Product Overview
Key Takeaway
  Top Pick

Ghirardelli Chocolate & Caramel Sauce Dessert Toppings, 3-Count

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

Ghirardelli

Chocolate & Caramel Sauce Dessert Toppings, 3-Count

The Ghirardelli brand is known for its delicious, decadent desserts. This trio of chocolate, white chocolate and caramel squeeze-out toppings doesn’t disappoint! You’ll taste the difference in quality with these exceptional, gourmet-grade products.

Overall Take

Sweet and Sophisticated ToppingsAdd these toppings into your hot chocolate and on top of ice cream, other desserts and even coffee drinks.

  Runner Up

Traverse City Whiskey Co. Stemless Garnish Cherries Dessert Topping

Traverse City Whiskey Co.

Stemless Garnish Cherries Dessert Topping

Made with juicy, Northern Michigan stemless fruit, Traverse City Whiskey Co.’s two-pack (21 ounces each) premium cocktail cherries have an all-natural dark red color. They have no preservatives or thickening agents and will provide a memorable finishing touch for your Manhattans, Old Fashioneds and ice cream.

Overall Take

An Upgrade from MaraschinoWhy settle for boring old maraschino cherries when you can have this to-die-for, richly flavored, elegant option instead?

  We Also Like

Sanders Classic Caramel Sauce Gluten Free Dessert Topping

Sanders

Classic Caramel Sauce Gluten Free Dessert Topping

Anyone who likes the taste of caramel will go crazy for this 20-ounce jar of small-batch, kettle-cooked topping. It contains no preservatives, sweeteners, artificially hydrogenated oils, trans fats or high fructose corn syrup, so the flavor shines through.

Overall Take

There’s Nothing Artificial HerePour this liquid gold onto your favorite desserts, sit back, relax and enjoy the fantastic flavor.

  Strong Contender

FreshJax Organic Maple Cinnamon Spice Blend Dessert Topping

FreshJax

Organic Maple Cinnamon Spice Blend Dessert Topping

FreshJax’s gourmet maple cinnamon sprinkle-on topping is certified organic and kosher, contains no artificial flavors and has an addictive, semi-sweet taste that you won’t be able to get enough of. It’s a match made in heaven: maple and cinnamon together. It goes great on top of granola, muffins, ice cream, pancakes, as a baked good ingredien...

Overall Take

Sprinkle on the SweetnessThis sprinkle-on topping has less than one gram of sugar per serving!

  Also Great

Lindt Creation Dessert Chocolate Assortment Dessert, 21-Piece

Lindt

Creation Dessert Chocolate Assortment Dessert, 21-Piece

Here’s a refined assortment of Lindt miniature chocolate desserts that features an eclair, meringue, tiramisu, brownie, fondant chocolat, millefeuille and a crème brûlée. It’s a perfect, upscale gift and perfect for sharing, too.

Overall Take

A Chocoholic’s DreamThese gourmet chocolates are sure to make anyone’s day or night!

Buying Guide

When it comes to buying dessert toppings, you can tell the difference between inexpensive and gourmet brands. The finer ones have very little or no preservatives and use quality ingredients like butter, sugar and real cream.

The chocolates and caramels are also higher quality, with smoother, richer consistencies. Inferior toppings have a grainy taste and also taste overly sweet. Most of the best types are also made in the USA, and many have won food competition awards for quality and taste.

Dessert toppings are also more versatile than one might think. Sure, you can pour them on top of ice cream and cake, but why not try them in your favorite cocktails and coffees? If you’re feeling up for something sweet for brunch, they go perfectly on top of waffles, pancakes, muffins and oatmeal. There’s no reason you can’t use them in recipes; there’s plenty online to search through.

The most popular dessert toppings are chocolate, caramel, sprinkles, fruit, nuts, candy and whipped cream. You can step outside the box and try different flavors like cherry, butterscotch, strawberry and blueberry. Not everyone loves chocolate, so if you’re serving guests, you’ll want a few other flavors.

There’s still more to consider, believe it or not. This stuff can be sticky, so if you’re using liquid dessert toppings, you might want to opt for squeeze bottles. If you don’t want to mess with perfection, order gourmet desserts from companies like Lindt or Godiva and eat them as is!

What to Look For

  • People often don’t buy gourmet dessert sauces for themselves, which makes them such great gifts.
  • Who doesn’t love a dessert bar? Put out the ice cream and cakes, plus a variety of toppings on the side.
  • For a healthy treat, dip fresh fruit into a low sugar or sugar-free dessert topping bowl. Many of these toppings are also low in fat!
  • Some toppings need to be refrigerated, while others do not. Read the label and check the shelf life to be sure, since some won’t last for more than a few weeks once opened.

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