36 Unusual Desserts That Rely on a Shocking Ingredient
Updated: Jul. 19, 2022Desserts with vegetables? Tofu? Baby food? Surprise your family and friends with these unusual desserts that have crazy secret ingredients!
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Summer Squash Pound Cake
Ingredient: Yellow SquashThis golden brown, tender pound cake is the perfect treat to make when you have an abundance of summer squash in your garden. It’s not overly sweet, so it appeals to everyone. —Lisa Brockwell, Necedah, Wisconsin
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Fried Ice Cream Dessert Bars
Ingredient: CornflakesFried ice cream is such a delicious treat, but it can be a hassle to make individual servings. This recipe gives you the same fabulous flavor in an easy and convenient bar form. —Andrea Price, Grafton, Wisconsin
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Peaches and Cream Whiskey Loaf
Ingredient: WhiskeyI love when fresh peaches are in season! This recipe is sweet from the ripe peaches with a slight tang from the whiskey. This is a perfect after-dinner treat, but it’s just as good with your morning coffee. It also makes a welcome gift for neighbors and friends. —Anne Ormond, Dover, New Hampshire
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Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Ingredient: AvocadosMy son is allergic to dairy and eggs, so I created this silky vegan chocolate mousse recipe that he could enjoy. It’s also gluten free and grain free. If you’re having company over, it can be prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator. —Sarah Meuser, New Milford, Connecticut
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Pink Peppercorn and Sake Ice Cream
Ingredient: PeppercornsThere’s plenty of sake flavor in this rich ice cream studded with peppercorns. You’ll get an interesting pop of heat with every bite. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Black Bean Brownies
Ingredient: Black BeansYou’d never guess these rich, velvety chocolate treats contain a can of black beans. Who would have thought black bean brownies would be so amazing? —Kathy Hewitt, Cranston, Rhode Island
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Pineapple Carrot Cake
Ingredient: Baby FoodThis moist cake with cream cheese frosting is the best I’ve ever eaten. It’s so simple, too, because it uses two jars of baby food instead of fresh carrots that need to be grated. —Jeanette McKenna, Vero Beach, Florida
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Blood Orange & Goat Cheese Galette
Ingredient: Goat CheeseI made this French galette for my mother-in-law’s birthday, and it was a sensational hit. There is something about the gorgeous hue of the blood oranges that transforms a rustic pie into an elegant dessert. —Tia Laws, Enterprise, Oregon
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Potato Chip Clusters
Ingredient: Potato ChipsJust three offbeat ingredients add up to one unique, delectable, no-bake treat. These super-easy, sweet-and-salty candy clusters make for merry munching during holiday trips or parties. They travel well in containers without melting or getting soft. —Donna Brockett, Kingfisher, Oklahoma
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Tropical Compote Dessert
Ingredient: JalapenoTo make a more adult version of this recipe, use brandy instead of the extra tropical fruit juice. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Easy Pink Lemonade Pie
Ingredient: Saltine CrackersI love bringing something sweet to a potluck, but I don’t like spending all day in the kitchen. Saltine crust is amazing with a no-bake, tart-sweet strawberry lemonade filling. — Gina Nistico, Taste of Home Food Editor
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Contest-Winning Chocolate Potato Cake
Ingredient: PotatoesI won grand champion honors in a potato festival baking contest with this moist chocolate cake. The icing recipe can be doubled for real sweet tooths. A great-grandma, I’ve spent over 85 years on the farm.
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Rosemary Citrus Sorbet
Ingredient: RosemaryThis pretty pastel dessert bursts with the fresh flavors of grapefruit, lime and rosemary. —Rebecca Baird, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Raspberry Moscow Mule Cake
Ingredient: Ginger BeerThis Moscow mule cake is my favorite cake I’ve ever made from scratch. It’s so moist and flavorful, and it reminds me of my favorite cocktail. —Becky Hardin, St. Peters, Missouri
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Butternut Harvest Pies
Ingredient: TofuThis egg- and dairy-free pie is a great alternative to standard pumpkin pie! We love to make the pies with squash from our garden. Feel free to adding more of your favorite spices! You’ll be glad the recipe makes two. —Juliana Thetford, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Ingredient: MayonnaiseMom always made this special chocolate mayonnaise cake for my birthday meal. It is very moist and has a nice light chocolate taste, and the flavorful frosting is the perfect topping. —Deborah Amrine, Grand Haven, Michigan
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Lavender Honey Cheesecake
Ingredient: LavenderI love the scent of lavender, and the edible flowers make this cheesecake one of the most spectacular I’ve tasted. You can use lavender honey in this recipe for extra flavor, but even without it, the lavender is very distinct. —Julie Palmer, Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania
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Dark Chocolate Ice Cream with Paprika & Agave
Ingredient: PaprikaPair this rich and creamy ice cream with a cup of hot or iced coffee. It’s mildly sweet with a hint of paprika. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Chocolate Guinness Cake
Ingredient: StoutOne bite and everyone will propose a toast to this silky-smooth chocolate Guinness cake. The cream cheese frosting reminds us of the foamy head on a perfectly poured pint. —Marjorie Hennig, Seymour, Indiana
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Quinoa, Fresh Fig and Honey-Balsamic Parfait
Ingredient: Balsamic VinegarThis quinoa yogurt parfait is special to me because of its wholesome ingredients. Quinoa is gluten-free, which is good for those who have food allergies, like my daughter. And I love fresh ripe figs when they are in season. Enjoy this for breakfast or dessert. —Dawn Hutchins, St. Johns, Florida
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Olive Oil Cake
Ingredient: Olive OilA good olive oil cake isn’t overly sweet, so it can just as easily be a breakfast treat or an afternoon snack as a dessert. —Lisa Kaminski, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
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Bacon Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Blondies
Ingredient: BaconIf you’re a sweet and savory fan like me, you’ll go wild over this bacon cookie bar recipe. You just can’t beat a cookie, brownie and cheesecake all mixed up and sprinkled with bacon. —Katie O’Keeffe, Derry, New Hampshire
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Sauerkraut Chocolate Cake
Ingredient: SauerkrautFor an adventurous cake, try this recipe. People might need a little coaxing to try it but once they do, they will love it.—The Fremont Company
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Red Curry-Pandan Ice Cream
Ingredient: Curry PowderThe curry and coconut flavors are subtle, allowing the flavor of pandan leaves to shine. Pandan is a tropical plant that grows in Southeast Asia with a naturally sweet, bright flavor. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Chocolate Cayenne Souffles
Ingredient: CayenneThis rich, chocolaty souffle has a surprise ending…a little kick of heat from the cayenne pepper. It’s very yummy. —Diane Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas
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Spiced Toffee Cookies
Ingredient: Toasted Wheat GermI bake these cookies for family gatherings because my crowd likes cookies thin and chewy with a crispy exterior. The toffee bits make a happy surprise.—Gloria Bradley, Naperville, Illinois
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Green Tomato Pie
Ingredient: Green TomatoesWhen frost nips our garden, I quickly gather all the green tomatoes still on the vine and make this old family favorite. It’s been handed down from my grandmother, and now my granddaughters are asking for the recipe.—Violet Thompson, Port Ludlow, Washington
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Creamy Corn Custard
Ingredient: CornI make this custard all summer long! When I serve it to guests, I try to make them guess the secret ingredient. Not many guess corn, so it’s a fun surprise. —Margee Berry, White Salmon, Washington
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Blueberry Zucchini Squares
Ingredient: ZucchiniI saw a bar recipe on a box of muffin mix using apple and lemon zest. I tried it from scratch with shredded zucchini and fresh blueberries instead. It’s a tasty combo. —Shelly Bevington, Hermiston, Oregon
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Sour Cream Sugar Cookie Cake
Ingredient: Sour CreamMy husband requested a giant sugar cookie for his birthday. I wanted to do something a bit more exciting than birthday cookies, so I came up with this sugar cookie cake. The secret to a dense, yet cakelike texture is to make sure that you don’t overbake the cake. —Carmell Childs, Orangeville, Utah
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Watermelon Cupcakes
Ingredient: Lemon-Lime SodaMy granddaughter and I bake together each week. She was inspired by her mommy’s flavored syrups, so we came up with these watermelon cupcakes. If you are not going to pipe the frosting, you can reduce the amount of frosting by half. —Elizabeth Bramkamp, Gig Harbor, Washington
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Haystack Cookies with Peanut Butter
Ingredient: Chow Mein NoodlesPeanut butter haystacks are one of my favorite desserts. I love to serve them to guests because they marvel at how something so simple tastes so good! —Starrlette Howard, Ogden, Utah
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Molly's Sweet and Spicy Tzimmes Cake
Ingredient: White WineMy husband and I are always on the lookout for new ways to incorporate Jewish traditions into our interfaith home. Rich with apples, carrots and sweet potato, this sweet and spicy cake is perfect for Rosh Hashana or any fall holiday. —Molly Haendler, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars
Ingredient: Sweet PotatoYour whole house will be filled with the aroma of pumpkin spice when you bake these wonderful sweet potato cheesecake bars. They look complicated but are so easy, you can whip up a batch anytime. —Nancy Whitford, Edwards, New York
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Popcorn Cookies
Ingredient: PopcornIt’s so much fun to surprise people with the crushed popcorn in these yummy cookies. They’re definitely a distinctive cookie on the holiday tray.—Leigh Anne Preston, Palmyra, Indiana
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Cola Cake with Strawberries & Cream
Ingredient: Cola SodaWe Southerners have been eating cola cake for decades. This easy version has strawberries, too. Chill it in the fridge for a dreamy summer dessert. —Peggy Walpert, Fort Worth, Texas
Originally Published: April 05, 2021
