25 Viral Instagram & TikTok Desserts You Can Actually Make
Social media desserts look amazing but most of them are actually pretty doable at home. These 25 viral treats range from super simple 5-minute recipes to weekend projects that’ll get you tons of likes. The best part is most use ingredients you probably already have or can easily find at any grocery store. Some might look fancy but don’t let that fool you – they’re designed to go viral because they’re fun and accessible.
Dalgona Coffee Tiramisu
This combines two viral trends – whipped coffee and easy tiramisu. You make the fluffy dalgona coffee and layer it with mascarpone, ladyfingers, and cocoa just like regular tiramisu. The whipped coffee gives that dramatic fluffy layer that photographs so well. Some recipes skip the raw eggs which makes it safer and easier. This tastes like fancy restaurant tiramisu but takes way less skill to make. Perfect for impressing people who don’t know how simple it actually is.
Get the recipe here.
Cloud Bread Dessert Sandwiches
Cloud bread went viral because it’s just eggs, cream cheese, and sweetener whipped into fluffy rounds. For dessert versions, you sandwich them with whipped cream, berries, or Nutella. The “bread” is super light and airy – almost like eating flavored air. They deflate pretty quickly so you gotta eat them fast which adds to the novelty. These look magical in videos but honestly taste kinda bland. Still fun to make for the experience though.
Get the recipe here.
Tortilla Wrap Hack Apple Pie
This uses the viral tortilla folding hack to make mini apple pies. You cut a slit in a tortilla, put different fillings in each quarter (cinnamon apples, cream cheese, caramel), fold it up, and pan-fry until crispy. It’s not really pie but it satisfies the craving and takes like 5 minutes. The folding technique is weirdly satisfying to watch and do. Great for when you want something sweet but don’t have time for actual baking.
Get the recipe here.
Crookie (Croissant Cookie Hybrid)
This viral pastry is basically cookie dough baked inside a croissant. You slice open a store-bought croissant, stuff it with chocolate chip cookie dough, and bake until both parts are cooked. The result is flaky pastry on the outside and gooey cookie on the inside. Some bakeries sell these for like $8 each but you can make them at home for way less. The contrast of textures is what makes these special.
Get the recipe here.
Dubai Chocolate Bar
These went mega-viral for their over-the-top filling of tahini, pistachios, and crispy phyllo dough inside chocolate shells. The homemade version uses chocolate molds or just spreads melted chocolate in a pan. The filling is crunchy, nutty, and surprisingly good even though it sounds fancy. You can buy the components at Middle Eastern stores or adapt with what you have. The green pistachio color against dark chocolate photographs really well.
Get the recipe here.
Strawberry Matcha Latte Cake
This combines the aesthetic appeal of matcha with strawberries for maximum Instagram appeal. It’s usually a simple vanilla cake with matcha buttercream and fresh strawberry layers. The green and pink colors together look amazing in photos. Some recipes marble the matcha through white batter for a tie-dye effect. Matcha can be bitter so start with less than you think you need. This tastes like spring in cake form.
Get the recipe here.
Biscoff Stuffed Cookies
These are chocolate chip cookies with Biscoff spread stuffed in the middle. You freeze dollops of Biscoff, wrap cookie dough around them, and bake. The spread stays gooey inside while the cookie bakes around it. The first bite reveals the melty center which is satisfying to film and eat. Biscoff is basically fancy European cookie butter that tastes like caramelized graham crackers. Way easier than it looks and always impresses people.
Get the recipe here.
Mini Pancake Cereal with Syrup
This trend involved making tiny pancakes the size of cereal and eating them with a spoon and milk. The novelty is in the miniature size – they’re basically just regular pancake batter piped into tiny circles. Time-consuming to make but weirdly fun to eat. Some people use baby food squeeze bottles to pipe them faster. Not practical for actual breakfast but great content. Kids go crazy for these even though they taste exactly like regular pancakes.
Get the recipe here.
Whipped Strawberry Milk Popsicles
These are basically strawberry milk frozen into popsicles but the whipped texture makes them different. You blend frozen strawberries with milk and sometimes cream until fluffy, then freeze in molds. They’re creamy and light, not icy like regular fruit pops. The pink color and creamy texture look amazing in videos. These actually taste really good and are healthier than most frozen treats. Perfect for summer content.
Get the recipe here.
Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake
This takes canned cinnamon rolls and turns them into a breakfast casserole that looks fancy. You cut the rolls into pieces, soak them in an egg mixture, and bake until golden. Some recipes add a cream cheese layer or extra glaze on top. It tastes like fancy brunch food but uses shortcuts that make it doable for regular people. Great for feeding a crowd or meal prep. The transformation from simple ingredients to fancy-looking dish is very satisfying.
Get the recipe here.
Levain Bakery Copycat Cookies
These New York bakery cookies went viral for being huge, thick, and gooey in the center. The trick is using lots of butter, brown sugar, and underbaking them slightly. They’re more like cookie dough with a slight crust than fully baked cookies. People obsess over getting the exact texture right. Some recipes chill the dough balls first which helps them hold their thick shape while baking. Way cheaper than ordering the real ones online.
Get the recipe here.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown butter cookies became trendy because they taste so much better than regular ones with minimal extra effort. You just cook the butter until it’s golden and nutty before mixing the dough. The flavor is deeper and more complex than regular cookies. Food bloggers love these because the technique sounds fancy but is actually simple. These photograph well because of their golden color and rustic texture. Once you try brown butter cookies, regular ones taste boring.
Get the recipe here.
Nutella Stuffed French Toast
This is regular French toast with Nutella spread between two slices before dipping in egg mixture. When you cut into it, the melted Nutella oozes out which looks amazing in videos. Some recipes roll the bread thin first so it seals better around the filling. The combination of crispy outside, custardy middle, and molten chocolate is pretty irresistible. Not exactly healthy but perfect for special occasion breakfast or late-night indulgence.
Get the recipe here.
Ube Cheesecake Bars
Ube (purple yam) became Instagram famous for its bright purple color. These bars have an ube-flavored cheesecake layer over a graham crust. The purple color is so vibrant it almost looks fake, which is perfect for social media. Ube extract is easier to find now and tastes mildly sweet and nutty. Some recipes use ube powder or frozen ube. The flavor is subtle but the color impact is huge. Great for anyone who wants to jump on the purple food trend.
Get the recipe here.
Honeycomb Candy (Dalgona Candy)
This became huge after Squid Game featured it. You melt sugar with baking soda which creates a foamy, crunchy candy with holes like honeycomb. The reaction of the baking soda with hot sugar is dramatic and fun to watch. It tastes like caramelized sugar with an airy texture. Some people press shapes into it while warm for the authentic game experience. It’s basically just two ingredients but the transformation is magical. Burns your tongue if you’re not careful though.
Get the recipe here.
Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
These are soft sugar cookies with freeze-dried strawberries mixed in and usually white chocolate chips. The freeze-dried berries give intense strawberry flavor and pretty pink specks throughout. Some recipes add strawberry extract too for more flavor. They taste like strawberry shortcake in cookie form. The pink color and chunk texture photograph really well. Freeze-dried fruit in cookies became a big trend because it adds flavor without moisture that would mess up the texture.
Get the recipe here.
Lotus Biscoff Cheesecake
Biscoff spread became trendy and this no-bake cheesecake shows it off perfectly. The crust is made from crushed Biscoff cookies and the filling has Biscoff spread mixed in. Some recipes marble extra spread on top for visual appeal. It tastes like caramel cheesecake with a cookie twist. The golden color and smooth texture look fancy but it’s actually pretty simple to make. Good for people intimidated by baking since there’s no oven involved.
Get the recipe here.
Chocolate Lava Mug Cake
This single-serving cake you make in the microwave has been around forever but keeps going viral with new generations. The center stays molten while the outside sets up like cake. The key is not overcooking it – usually 60-90 seconds depending on your microwave. When you cut into it and the chocolate flows out, it’s very satisfying to film. Perfect for late-night chocolate cravings when you don’t want to make a whole dessert.
Get the recipe here.
Funfetti Birthday Cake Truffles
These are cake pops without the stick – you mix crumbled funfetti cake with frosting, roll into balls, and dip in white chocolate. The rainbow sprinkles inside make them look festive when you bite in. Some recipes add extra sprinkles on the outside too. They’re basically concentrated birthday cake flavor in bite-size form. Great for parties or when you want cake but don’t want to commit to a whole slice. The colorful interior looks amazing in cross-section photos.
Get the recipe here.
Glazed Donut Bread
This is basically monkey bread made with store-bought biscuit dough or homemade dough, but shaped and glazed to look like a giant donut. You arrange the dough pieces in a bundt pan, bake, then cover with glaze. The pull-apart texture is satisfying and the donut shape is clever. Some recipes add cinnamon sugar between layers. It’s much easier than making actual donuts but gives you that same glazed donut satisfaction. Perfect for weekend breakfast that looks fancy but uses shortcuts.
Get the recipe here.
S’mores Brownies
These have a graham cracker crust, fudgy brownie layer, and toasted marshmallow top. Some recipes add chocolate chips or Hershey’s bars for extra s’mores authenticity. The marshmallow layer can be tricky – you want it golden but not burnt. These taste exactly like campfire s’mores but you can make them indoors. The layered look in cross-section photos really well. Great for summer parties or when you’re craving s’mores but don’t have a fire.
Get the recipe here.
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
These use store-bought puff pastry instead of making yeast dough from scratch. You roll out the pastry, brush with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, roll up, slice, and bake. They’re flakier than regular cinnamon rolls and way faster to make. The laminated layers of the puff pastry create nice texture. Some recipes add a cream cheese glaze on top. Perfect for when you want homemade cinnamon rolls but don’t want to deal with rising dough.
Get the recipe here.
Oreo Mug Cake
This is the chocolate version of mug cake using crushed Oreos in the batter. Some recipes put a whole Oreo in the center so when you cut in, there’s a surprise cookie inside. The cookies add texture and intense chocolate flavor. Usually takes about a minute in the microwave. The contrast between the soft cake and crunchy cookie pieces is really good. Perfect late-night dessert when you’re craving something chocolate but don’t want to bake.
Get the recipe here.
Whipped Coffee Ice Cream
This takes the viral dalgona coffee and turns it into no-churn ice cream. You fold the whipped coffee into whipped cream and freeze. The result is creamy coffee ice cream with a light, fluffy texture. Some recipes swirl in extra coffee or add chocolate chips. The coffee flavor is intense since it’s concentrated. Way easier than making traditional ice cream and the texture is actually really good. Perfect for coffee lovers who want a frozen treat.
Get the recipe here.