Image Credit: Love + Butter
The NFL season kicks off today with a Super Bowl 50 rematch as the Carolina Panthers take on the defending champion Denver Broncos, and there’s no better way to celebrate football coming back than with some sweet treats. Kick off parties and tailgates are full of hot dogs, chips, and other savory foods, and desserts are often overlooked. But never fear! We’ve got some of the best football themed desserts that are sure to score you an extra point at your next party or tailgate.
Football Cake Pops {via love and butter}
Though they might seem intimidating at first, cake pops are actually quite easy to make. This recipe even says to use a boxed mix, though you could definitely use your favorite chocolate cake recipe instead. All you have to do is crumble up some chocolate cake, add frosting to the mix, shape them like footballs, and let them chill in the freezer. The decorating is pretty easy too, and the supplies are all ones that are widely available in most grocery stores. Cake pops are a nice twist on the traditional cake or cupcake, and shaping them like a football adds an extra layer of fun.
Image Credit: Bella Baker/The Cake Blog
Football Whoopie Pies {via the cake blog}
Who doesn’t love whoopie pies? I mean it, find me someone who doesn’t love whoopie pies or else I won’t believe they exist. These delicious chocolate cakes are shaped like a football with cream cheese frosting sandwiched in between. They are quite simple to make, assemble, and decorate, plus they are pretty easy to store and transport too. These are the perfect bite sized dessert to bring to a party or tailgate, and they are sure to be a hit!
Championship Chocolate Cupcakes {via cakewalker}
These are a bit different from the standard chocolate football cupcake because instead of making the cupcake into a football, they turned the cupcake into the grass field and decorated a chocolate covered almond to look like a football. Generally, the key to football themed desserts is the presentation. Sure it has to taste good, but the presentation is really what sells the dessert. This recipe includes easy to follow instructions on how to make the cupcakes, frosting, and which piping tips to use for the grass effect and the thin white lines that make up the “field.” It’s all laid out in a very simple, easy to understand manner, and it’s obvious to see how you could change things up if you wanted to. It could be as simple as switching out the chocolate covered almond for a chocolate covered espresso bean or frosting the cupcakes smooth if you don’t have access to piping tips. This is a good template recipe, and it looks absolutely adorable to boot.
Peanut Butter Football Dip {via crazy for crust}
Now, I’m not trying to knock chips and dip. Trust me, I love pretty much every kind of dip I’ve encountered. However, you’re not going to score any points by bringing the same old chips and dip to a party. If you bring this peanut butter dip, though, it’s sure to turn a few heads. Cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and chocolate chips come together to make this crowd-pleasing deliciously sweet dip. All you have to do is form it into a football and cover it in sprinkles. It’s that easy. You can dip all kind of things in this, from salty pretzels to vanilla wafers or even just eat it with a spoon. I bet regular potato chips would probably taste good dipped in this as well. This dip is incredibly versatile and so easy to make that you almost have to bring it to your next party or tailgate.
Image Credit: Momtastic Food
Football Cake {via momtastic}
There is no way I could make a football desserts recipe post without including a cake shaped like a football. This recipe is more about instructions to decorate the cake rather than bake it (they also use a box mix, but this could easily be substituted with your favorite vanilla or chocolate cake recipe) but this is very simple and lays out the directions clearly. There are even ways with this particular decoration style where you could probably get away without needing different piping tips (or piping tips all together) though it would be a bit more difficult and time consuming. While this cake might look intimidating, with a couple different piping tips and an oval pan, you can make your very own football cake that looks just as good as anything you could get from a store.
Hopefully these recipes will inspire you to bring something different to your next tailgate. A sweet treat is a great way to celebrate a win by your favorite team, and it’s a nice change of pace from the usual chips and dip. Besides, it’s always nice to have a reason to make a dessert that is shaped like a football.
What’s your favorite dessert to bring to a tailgate? Let us know in the comments!
The Hudsucker 
These are so fun and cute !!