10 Alternatives to Serving Sweets at Events

More attendees are actively skipping desserts to manage their sugar intake, leaving planners to make some difficult decisions. Are there healthy dessert alternatives that actually taste good? What can replace the confectionary creations that greet guests in their rooms?

Here are 10 suggestions for desserts and edible room amenities that will help attendees stay on track with their healthy eating habits.

Desserts

1. Cheese

Who said dessert needs to be sweet? Speak with the chef about creative ways to serve cheese as a dessert, such as a fondue of gruyère or emmental. Add crusty croutons or crisp fruits for dipping. Whipped feta has become a popular choice, drizzled with honey and served with honeycomb.

2. Frozen Desserts

Healthy alternatives to ice cream include sorbets, “nice cream” (frozen fruit whipped with milk or fruit juice), and fruit consommés, clarified fruit infused with spices and served with shaved ice.

3. Custards 

Greek yogurt custards, sabayon, and panna cotta are light on sugar but still delicious. Served with roasted pears or berry compotes, they will still satisfy those seeking a sweet dessert.

4. Fruit Caviar

These light desserts are made from flavored liquids shaped into gel-encapsulated spheres through a process known as molecular spherification. Nitrogen caviar, one example, is fruit puree flash-frozen into caviar-like pearls. 

5. Mignardises 

Planners who can’t completely ban sweets are serving those small sweets that used to be a parting gift from the chef with coffee as the main dessert. These could include macarons, mini tarts, or other confections, and are meant to be eaten in one bite. Serve them with a digestif such as amaro, sherry, or Chartreuse, a French herbal liqueur known for its secret recipe of 130 plants and botanicals.

Room Amenities

6. Dips and Boards

Instead of chocolates, hotels are leaning into edible room amenities for their VIPs, such as artisanal charcuterie and cheese boards, or mezze with homemade hummus and tzatziki paired with olives and pita. Or offer a selection of granola bars, vegetable chips, and other healthy snacks, paired with vitamin or electrolyte-enhanced waters.

7. Fruit

Known as nature’s candy, fruit satisfies people’s craving for something sweet. Speak with the chef about sourcing some exotic, local, or seasonal fruits instead of the typical grapes and berries, such as starfruit, dragon fruit, or rambutan. These are likely not something most people can find every day at home.

8. Nuts

Nuts are not only healthy but an excellent source of protein, which can keep people satiated between meals. Include packaging so attendees can pack the extras in their carry-ons for an airplane snack. Accommodate those with tree nut or peanut allergies by offering dried fruit as an alternative.

9. Dark Chocolate

The one type of chocolate that’s acceptable to most  health-conscious attendees is dark chocolate made with 70% cacao or more. When consumed in moderation, dark chocolate actually offers health benefits from its antioxidants (flavanols and polyphenols), including improved heart and brain function, and can stabilize blood sugar. A selection of bars from a local chocolatier will also allow attendees to take home what they don't finish. Pair these with nuts, or a sweet, red wine.

10. “Healthy” Sweets

When there’s still a demand for sweets, hotels are responding with creative room amenity alternatives such as gluten-free vegan cookies or “Dream Bars” made of chia seeds, almonds, and coconut. The focus is on using organic ingredients and sugar alternatives, such as honey and agave.