30 Orange Desserts for a Color Party Potluck
Color themed potlucks are super trendy right now and today we will be discussing orange colored desserts to bring to a color party potluck! For Color Parties everyone is asked to bring everythign in one color, or the guest list is divided into different colors. Either way, we are here to help!
Color Themed Potlucks also work really well for holidays and favorite colors of the guest of honor. Orange Colors would work really well for a rainbow party, a Halloween event, a Thanksgiving gathering, or a summer barbeque!
What are orange desserts to bring to a potluck?
Not every dessert will work for a potluck, so we have assembled a list of desserts that are easy to make or buy, easy to travel well, and are easy to serve yourself. This list is full of a variety of different, orange-colored desserts that will hopefully inspire you on what to bring to your next potluck event.
If you need some snacks for the party, check out our List of Orange Junk Food!
1. Pumpkin Pie
This classic dessert is a wonderful fall dessert but really you can serve it all year round. This is a pie that you can make from scratch, semi-homemade with a premade crust, or just buy it from the bakery. (Pro Tip: a typically pie serves 8 people, but at a potluck with multiple desserts then you can easily serve 16 people per pie!)
2. Orange Candies
If you are in a rush or just don’t want to cook, then consider making a platter of different orange colored candies. I would head over to the Dollar Tree and grab a bunch of peach sour patch kids, orange slice gummies, M&Ms, peach slices, orange skittles, candy corn, and other orange candies. (Pro Tip: You can combine all these in a giant bowl for a fun candy mix, or you can arrange each candy onto a platter to make a fun design!)
3. Orange Cheesecake
Cheesecake is always a hit for a potluck, and you can make it orange flavored by making a simple glaze using orange marmalade. If you want to really add some pop, you can candy orange slices or just buy orange slice gummy candies to decorate the top! (Pro Tip: Cheesecake is best served cold so I would skip this dessert for an outside event. You also may want to check with the potluck host to make sure there is room in the fridge to keep it cold!)
4. Orange Cake with Frosting
Cake and Frosting are some of the few items where I think it is okay to go use food coloring. This is because cakes are expected in a zillion different colors, so an all-orange cake would not look unappealing! If you are short on time, or want to go semi-homemade, go ahead and grab a white cake mix and white frosting. Slowly add a few drops of orange food coloring and you are good to go. (Pro Tip: if you don’t have orange food coloring, mix red and yellow food dye in a shot glass until you get the perfect color and then add it to your batter or frosting. This way if you mess up and add too much of one color, it won’t take a ton more to correct it!)
5. Peach Pie
This humble dessert is often overlooked but it is the ultimate yummy comfort food! You can start with fresh peaches or canned ones, and then use a premade pie shell. I like to add a little brown sugar to the filling for a little extra sweetness. The peaches baked into a beautiful golden orange color! (Pro Tip: Instead of doing a solid pie top, consider cutting your pie crust into long strips and layering it on top. Not only does this create a beautiful lattice top but it lets the orangey peaches shine through the top too!)
6. Cantaloupe Sorbet
Cantaloupe sorbet has to be one of the easiest and yummiest summer desserts! This works super well at an outdoor barbeque or for a summer potluck at work. All you need is a blender or food processor, and you really just add fresh cantaloupe, some honey, and lime juice. Blend or process until creamy smooth and then freeze. This is a great dessert for those that are gluten free or looking for a low-calorie option! (Pro Tip: you can portion the sorbet out into little cups with lids and store in the freezer or spread the mixture out into a large Tupperware style container. Don’t forget to bring an ice cream scoop to make it easier to self-serve!)
7. Mandarin Orange Cake
This fun cake is sweet and light so it is perfect for spring or summer potluck events. The super easy way to make this cake is to start with a box of yellow cake mix, a can of mandarin oranges with the juice, 4 eggs, and a cup of vegetable oil. Once this is mixed together you pour it into a cake pan and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees in the oven. For the frosting, we will mix together a container of whipped topping, a can of crushed pineapple with juice, and a box of vanilla instant pudding. Once the cake is fully cooled, you can frost the cake! (Pro Tip: the cake itself is a beautiful orange color and to add more you can garnish the top with slices of orange. If you cut the orange whole into thin slices, you can make a tiny cut and twist the orange into a neat little topper!)
8. Mandarin Orange Jell-O Cups
Staying on the mandarin oranges because they are super sweet and yummy, you can make your own Jell-O style parfait in cups! I like to start by making orange flavored Jell-O and you can add mandarin oranges to it or leave them separately. Once the Jell-O is firm you can arrange your parfait by adding Jell-O to the bottom of the cup of pan, and then top with whipped topping and crushed vanilla wafer cookies or graham crackers. (Pro tip: I like to save some oranges and put them on the very top of the parfait so guests can see this is an orange flavored dessert!)
9. Circus Peanuts Salad
This must be a southern thing where they call it a salad but it’s actually more of a cake! This retro dessert starts with about 32 orange circus peanuts that you chop into small pieces and then dissolve them into boiling water. Then you take your orange circus peanut liquid and mix it with dissolved gelatin and crushed pineapple. This mixture is then folded into a container of whipped topping and poured into a greased baking dish. The dish is refrigerated until firm and then you can top it with any remaining circus peanuts for garnish! (For the full recipe and directions, check out LoveBakesGoodCakes!) (Pro tip: go ahead and slice your “salad” into small squares so they are easy to serve. This dessert is pretty over the top sweet, so cut into small squares!)
10. Orange Creamsicle Cake
Nothing says summertime like an orange creamsicle popsicle! This dessert takes that kid favorite and makes it seem more sophisticated but keeping that awesome yummy taste! It is actually really simple to make and just requires a vanilla cake mix, orange Jell-O, and orange juice & zest of the orange. The resulting bright orange cake is then topped with a mixture of whipped topping, mandarin oranges with juice, and instant vanilla pudding. (Pro Tip: I like to make this cake in a rectangular 9 x 13 pan and then serve it in that pan. You could make a double layer cake with this but that would be harder to self-serve. You could also do this as cupcakes or even mini cupcakes!)
11. Peach Pie Cookies
If you think a peach pie is not quite impressive enough, try these mini peach pie cookies. The ingredients are the same with 2 pie crusts, a can of peaches, nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Instead of making 1 large pie, you will use a round cookie cutter to cut out circles in your pie dough. These will be the base of your cookie, then you will add a little peach pie filling to each circle and use the leftover pie crust cut into strips to be the top. (Pro Tip: These mini pies are time consuming, but the final product is sooooo cute! If you want to go extra fancy, bring some vanilla ice cream to top each cookie with so it is ala mode.)
12. Carrot Cake
Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts and it is actually really versatile! Some people like to add golden raisins, crushed pineapple, or shredded carrot to them so you can mix it up a little if you want. You can also buy a premade carrot cake or go semi-homemade with a box mix. My favorite part is probably he cream cheese frosting! (Pro Tip: For fun you can buy little tubes of orange and green decorator icing and draw some carrots on top to add to the orange color of the cake! These are pretty cheap and can be found at any grocery store.)
13. Butterscotch Pudding
Butterscotch is an often-overlooked flavor that is part brown sugar and part caramel! Butterscotch pudding can be made from scratch, or you can use a box of instant pudding. I like to take it a step farther and make a large parfait or individual pudding cups. My go-to is a layer of pudding at the bottom, whipped topping, and then sprinkle with crushed butterscotch or Werther’s candies on top. (Pro tip: butterscotch has a golden brownish orange color so it’s nice to add to an orange party because it is not the super bright orange that is what most people bring.)
14. Ambrosia
Ambrosia is known as food for the God’s, but it seems like everyone’s grandmother or great aunt would make this for a family dinner. It is so simple and easy to make, so that is why it is a classic! All you need is whipped cream, sour cream, mini marshmallows, mandarin oranges drained, pineapple drained, grated coconut, chopped pecans, and maraschino cherries. This classic dish is really just all mixed together and served in a giant bowl. (Pro Tip: For extra orange color, add twice as much mandarin oranges as normal. Also don’t forgot a large spoon for serving!)
15. Orange Pound Cake
Pound Cake is a humble easy dessert that is so versatile and take on a million flavors! For an orange version, I would take a basic pound cake recipe and substitute orange juice for water and add in chopped mandarin oranges. I typically love to make a super simple glaze out of powdered sugar, the juice from the mandarin oranges can, and vanilla to drizzle over the top. (Pro Tip: Even though pound cakes are typically made in a loaf pan, I like to make them in a Bundt pan. This makes it super easy to slice and it just looks really pretty. Wait until the cake is fully cooled before adding your glaze on top or the cake will just absorb it all and you won’t see the pretty drizzle.)
16. Pumpkin Scones
Pumpkin has a beautiful rich orange color and when you make scones it shows through too! I love to make a simple brown sugar cinnamon glaze to go one top to add a little sweetness because unlike biscuits, scones tend to be a little dry. You can also add golden raisins or chopped nuts like walnuts to the mix for more flavor. (Pro Tip: Make scones ahead of time and store in airtight container. Don’t refrigerate or you will have very hard scones that are not as tasty!)
17. Orange Cookie Bars
Orange Cookie bars are a dense cookie that has a light frosting on top. They remind me a of a brownie in texture and the light frosting is just a little extra treat. Taste of Home has a really good recipe that includes dried cranberries, but I would leave those out so the color is just orange. (Pro Tip: Pre-slice the bars and arrange them on a platter for easy serving. Remember these bars are pretty decadent so make them very small. This allows everyone a chance to try them and the other desserts as well!)
18. Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies
Two of my favorite desserts (oatmeal cookies and pumpkin pie) have combined to make the ultimate un-chocolate dessert! Skip the raisins and add in pumpkin puree to your next batch of oatmeal cookies and not only will they have a beautiful orange color but are super tasty too! (Pro Tip: if you want to add raisins, add the golden ones to keep the color in line with an orange dessert!)
19. Candy Corn Blondies
Blondies are basically a light-colored brownie, and you can add candy corn candies as an extra sweet surprise. These dessert bars will have a light orange color and then have the pop of orange from the candies. (Pro Tip: Remember that we want everyone to try all the desserts so cut your brownies into half servings or even just individual bites. I love the cute tiny ones arranged on a platter. This takes a simple dessert and elevates it to an elegant treat!)
20. Papaya Bars
If you are looking for a unique flavor for an orange dessert, check out a papaya. It has a beautiful orange color and is not overwhelmingly sweet. You can buy a fresh papaya in the produce section or you can check the ethnic section for canned papaya. This super simple recipe from ACozyKitchen makes a great crust with a smooth papaya glaze that goes on top. The bars have a beautiful orange color and are sure to be a nice change on the dessert table. (Pro Tip: When cutting the bars, make sure to use a sharp knife and keep cleaning it with hot water. This will make your cuts nice and not leave jagged edges.)
21. Orange Cinnamon Rolls
There is something about the flavor combination of oranges and cinnamon that just screams yummy. You can buy the canned cinnamon rolls or you can make them from scratch. I like to add fresh orange zest to the glaze to up the orange color and to give the most amazing aroma. (Pro Tip: if you make the glaze from scratch, first zest your oranges and then juice them for the liquid in the glaze. You can also make the rolls mini by cutting them in half or even quarters before baking. This will allow you to make more for everyone to enjoy!)
22. Apple Honey Bread Pudding
I love bread pudding and love to add to it with extra ingredients! One of my favorites is to use golden delicious apples and honey for a little tartness and extra sweetness. When the bread pudding bakes it turns into a golden brownish close to light orange, so I think this qualifies! (Pro Tip: Leave the skins on your apples for the extra fiber/ nutrients and to add that beautiful color! Also make sure to bring a large metal spoon to serve this dessert.)
23. Peach Apricot Crisp
Move over apple pie and meet its fun cousin! Inside of plain old peach crisp, try adding in chopped dried apricots. The ultra sweet of the peaches is punched up with the tartness of the apricots for a really interesting flavor combination. (Pro Tip: Crisps, cobblers, and crumbles are all basically the same idea but have slightly different toppings. A Crisp tends to have an oat or streusel topping, a cobbler has a biscuit like topping, and a crumble is more streusel without oats. Either way you top it, it is sure to be yummy!)
24. Cantaloupe Pie
I always think of cantaloupe as just a fruit you eat plain, but you can actually make a really yummy light pie with them! You start with a fresh cantaloupe that you put into a food processor or blender until a smooth orange colored liquid. That liquid cantaloupe is then combined with cream cheese and then mixed with gelatin, sugar, and orange juice to create a firm filling. I like to make this with a graham cracker crust, but you can also do it with a vanilla wafer or cookie crust. (Pro Tip: Save a little cantaloupe to make some melon balls for garnish on top. Or make super then slices to place on top!)
25. Cracker Crack Candy
This super simple candy is made with saltines crackers and ends up almost like a brittle that you break into smaller pieces. If you skip the traditional chocolate and go with the brown sugar caramel flavor, you will also have a nice golden orange color. For fun you can add orange candies like Reese’s Pieces, candy corn, or orange sprinkles to up that orange color. (Pro Tip: You can also use other items as the base instead of saltine crackers. We have made it with broken pretzels, ritz crackers, and even graham crackers and it turns out awesome. You can even add a drop or two of orange food dye to the caramel if you really want to up the orange color!)
26. Rice Krispie Pumpkins
This is a super cute idea to make during the fall, but you can also make this year-round and call them Rice Krispie oranges. You basically make Rice Krispie treats and add a few drops of food coloring to the marshmallow to make them orange. You can also add colored sugar in orange if you want to skip the dip. For the pumpkins you make a small batch in green and then after you form the balls into pumpkins you top them with the green for a stem. (Pro Tip: these are really cute just made into orange balls and served in a bowl or platter! Make sure to bring tongs for serving since they are a little sticky to the touch.)
27. Fanta Pound Cake
This is another great option using a pound cake! Switch up your liquid for the bright orange soda Fanta, and not only will you have a brilliant orange color, but you will have that super sweet orange flavor as well! (Pro Tip: you can also save some soda to make a glaze with to drizzle on top.)
28. Orange Juice Popsciles
This fun idea is perfect for an outdoor potluck or for any event that includes children! Simply take orange juice and dilute it with a little water. Then fill popsicle molds and freeze overnight. These popsicles are a huge hit and less sugar than the kind at the grocery store. (Pro Tip: I love to use orange juice with the pulp still in it for a little extra flavor. At the end of summer, most big stores sell off their popsicle molds for super cheap so this is a great cheap dessert, and you can reuse the molds over and over again.)
29. White Chocolate Orange Truffles
If you want to bring some wow factor to your next potluck, try your hand at making white chocolate orange truffles. They are not super difficult to make but they are a huge crowd pleaser and look like you spent forever on them. Check out OMGChocolateDesserts for an awesome recipe. They add a little orange food coloring to really make them stand out! (Pro Tip: Use a small melon baller when portioning out the truffles so each one is uniform in size. Then arrange the truffles on a pretty platter or nice bowl. Bring a small set of tongs for easy serving!)
30. Punch Bowl Cake
Punch Bowl Cakes are always a huge hit and you can make a million different versions of them. For this orange version, I would start with a yellow cake, whipped cream, drained mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits drained, and Instant vanilla pudding mix. Basically, you will use all of these to make fun layers that are assembled in a giant punch bowl. (Pro Tip: It works better if you make multiple layers of each item. For instance, start with the some cut up cake, then pudding, then pineapple & oranges, and then whipped cream. Then repeat this another 2-3 times. After you put the cake layer down, use your hands to kind of smush it down to make more room. The result is super pretty and tasty too!
Orange Desserts for a Party
You may be wondering why this list is not miles long for orange potluck desserts. I like to use fruits and foods that are naturally orange and try to avoid using a ton of food coloring. There are two main reasons for this.
First, artificial coloring adds nothing to a dish. In fact, food coloring can aggravate food allergies and make a dish look very unappealing.
Lastly, when food looks unappealing because it is unnaturally orange, people are just not going to eat it. So why waste my time, effort, and money if my dish doesn’t get eaten.
I know that potlucks are fun, and a color theme is supposed to up the fun, but I still want to bring good food that people actually eat.
Hopefully this list has inspired you for your next Orange Color Potluck. If you need more ideas, check out our list of Orange Side Dishes and Brown Foods List!
