Create Affordable Indulgences with Minimal Effort: Rethinking Restaurant Desserts

Food costs are at the forefront

If you’re like most operators today, you are looking for efficiencies wherever you can find them. In fact, 75% of operators see higher food costs as their biggest business challenge.¹ And as the cost of food outpaces labor, menus are becoming more streamlined. Despite all this, foodservice and restaurant desserts menu still offers plenty of opportunity without a ton of work, in the form of “affordable indulgences.”

An easy upgrade to your offerings without breaking the bank

Desserts are an easy way to enhance your offerings without making major changes—or requiring additional labor. Simply add some exciting inclusions from consumers’ favorite brands to your desserts. It’s a quick, surefire way to add quality, consistency and favorability to your menu. Nearly 60% of consumers prefer desserts made with name-brand ingredients—like the consumer-preferred brands from Nestlé Professional Solutions—and they are willing to pay more for them.²

Focus on affordable indulgences

The idea is to create something that feels, looks and tastes premium using less money, less effort, and ingredients that are easy to source. It’s called affordable indulgence³ and should be cost-effective for both you and your customers. Desserts that are easy to batch, require little prep, or are simply easy to make (like cookies, cupcakes, cobblers, and ice cream) typically have a high profit margin. With a simple inclusion from Nestlé® Toll House® or LIBBY’S® Pumpkin, you’re able to add a cost-effective upgrade that matches consumer dessert preferences. It makes the decision to splurge on a dessert a little easier for them with no new skills or extra labor required for your kitchen.

Plus it up with Nestlé Professional Solutions products

According to Nestlé Chef SyEnna Hackbarth, “This is the year of the ‘+1’—a time when operators are focused on elevating existing menu items by enhancing them with irresistible additions their customers already love. Innovation in dessert menus is taking center stage.” So if you’re looking for some inspiration for your next dessert menu makeover, we’ve got just what you need. Take a look at these simple restaurant desserts additions featuring Nestlé® Toll House®, LIBBY’S® Pumpkin, and Nestle® Carnation®.

Make it better with Nestlé Professional Solutions

Want to make your menu even more effective? Check out our “Made With” program and leverage the powerful portfolio of Nestlé Professional Solutions brands in your operation.

See "Made With" program

^{1Datassential, Table Stakes Tracker, December 2024; 2CSP Daily News, The Sweet Success of Desserts: A Cornerstone of Convenience Store Sales, 2024; 3Restaurant Business, Forget Ozempic. In the U.S., There’s a Bakery Boom, 4/11/2025}