Brian Nagele
Savor a delicious trip through the alluring world of chain restaurant desserts to satisfy your sweet taste. This article reveals the best selections that will delight even the pickiest dessert connoisseurs, ranging from well-known classics to inventive innovations. Discover the delectable assortment of tastes, textures, and presentations that these well-known chains have perfected. There is something for everyone, whether your preference is for the chilly, velvety embrace of a delectable ice cream masterpiece or the cozy warmth of a freshly baked delight. Take a virtual dessert tour with us as we highlight the best desserts from chain restaurants, honoring the sugary symphony that elevates every dinner to a sugar-coated, unforgettable finish.
Salted Caramel Cookie Skillet at Outback Steakhouse
One of Outback Steakhouse’s best desserts is their salted caramel cookie skillet. It’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet. At the bottom of the skillet, you have a salted caramel cookie cooked to perfection. It’s warm, gooey, and delicious. It’s filled with white chocolate chips, almond toffee, salted pretzels, and topped with vanilla ice cream. It’s perfect for sharing with another person or enjoying all to yourself. I won’t judge you. You can always ask for the vanilla ice cream on the side if you prefer it that way. Either way, this has to be on your list of desserts to try. Check out our other Outback favorites before you visit!
Banana Spring Rolls at P.F. Chang’s
Next up, we have P.F. Chang’s banana spring rolls. While some people don’t prefer fruit in their desserts, you still have to try these banana spring rolls at least once. Chefs here wrap banana pieces in their classic spring roll paper before frying it to get it nice and crispy. Once the banana pieces are crispy, they drizzle golden caramel across the spring rolls. This looks aesthetically pleasing, but it adds some extra sweetness to the dish. They serve the banana spring rolls with coconut and pineapple ice cream scoops. It’s decadent, sweet, and refreshing.
Adam’s Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory
Let’s face it. The Cheesecake Factory is known for its amazing desserts and cheesecake selection. A lot of people even go to this restaurant solely to feast on their delicious cheesecake flavors. There are dozens to choose from, but one of their best is Adam’s peanut butter cup fudge ripple cheesecake. Yes, it’s a mouthful to say, but you won’t care once you take the first bite. The dessert is their classic cheesecake recipe swirled with Butterfinger, caramel, and peanut butter. Then, they top it with melted fudge and whipped cream.
Chocolate Brownie Lasagna, Olive Garden
If Olive Garden is your go-to chain restaurant, you don’t have to miss out on dessert. You may feel too full after her delicious salads, breadsticks, and pasta dishes, but their chocolate brownie lasagna is divine if you can manage to save room. Don’t worry. There aren’t any lasagna noodles in this dessert. That would be weird. This dessert could easily feed a few people, but it’ll be hard to share once you take your first bite. The chocolate brownie lasagna is layers of fudge brownie and vanilla cream cheese frosting and drizzled with more chocolate.
Molten Chocolate Cake at Chili’s
I can’t talk about chain restaurant desserts without talking about a classic from Chilis. The molten chocolate cake at this joint is bar far the best dessert on the menu and one you’ll want to try. Even if you don’t eat it at the restaurant, you can take it home with you to enjoy later. The dessert is chocolate cake with a molten center and topped with vanilla ice cream. They put a hard chocolate cover on top of the ice cream. They serve it warm, and the ice cream is the perfect addition to the chocolate cake. Find other popular Chili’s items to order the next time you go!
Key Lime Pie at Bonefish Grill
Another popular chain restaurant is Bonefish Grill. They’re known for their delicious seafood, bang bang shrimp, and cocktails. After you’ve finished feasting on your entree, I wouldn’t pass on the dessert menu. They have several desserts to choose from, but I’ll save you the hassle of browsing. While there’s plenty of chocolate on the dessert menu, their key lime pie is one of their best options. It’s the perfect combination of tangy and sweet, making it so tasty. It’s rich but light enough that you can easily still enjoy it after a large meal.
Sogno di Cioccolata, Carrabba’s
If you manage to save room for dessert after your dinner at Carrabba’s, you will have a decent amount of desserts to choose from. I can’t recommend their sogno di cioccolata enough. This dessert ticks all the boxes. It has chocolate, vanilla, brownies, cake and is almost like a little slice of heaven. It’s a fudge brownie mix layered with chocolate mousse and topped with a coffee-flavored frosting and chocolate drizzle. This massive dessert comes with several spoons and is perfect for sharing with friends and family. As much as I love this dish, it’s so rich that it’s challenging to finish it in one sitting. Luckily, it saves well in the fridge.
Pizookies at BJ’s Brewhouse
BJ’s Brewhouse is famous for its beer, great food, and desserts. Most specifically, their pizookies. The pizzokies here are world-famous, and you have to try them at least once. If you’re like me and are looking at their menu wondering what on Earth a pizookie is, let me tell you. It’s essentially a pizza and cookie! It’s a cookie they flatten into a skillet and then add toppings. Some of the options you can get are their churro pizookie which is my favorite, strawberry shortcake, hot fudge brownie, salted caramel, and so much more. Each one is topped with a different flavor of ice cream. If you can’t decide, you can order a trio of smaller pizookies so you can sample a few.
Great Wall of Chocolate, P.F. Chang’s
I know I’ve already mentioned the banana spring rolls from P.F. Chang’s, but I couldn’t resist adding this second dessert from them to the list. Their great wall of chocolate is a real crowd pleaser and will make any chocolate lover happy. I find that sharing this dessert is the best way to go, but who am I to judge if you want the entire thing to yourself. The great wall of chocolate is a thick, six-layer chocolate cake with layers of chocolate frosting in the middle. They line the outside with mini chocolate chips and serve the dessert with fresh raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries for a pop of color.
Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake, Cracker Barrel
I know there’s been a lot of chocolate cakes mentioned on this list, but who doesn’t love a good chocolate cake? Next time you find yourself eating at Cracker Barrel, you have to try their double chocolate fudge Coca-Cola cake. This isn’t your average chocolate cake, though. As you may have guessed by the name, yes, it does have Coca-Cola in it! We’re talking the real deal, straight from the can. It adds a slightly different flavor that’s too good to pass up. The chocolate cake has a fudge frosting, and they typically serve it with cold vanilla ice cream. The cake is perfectly warm, allowing the chocolate to melt in your mouth. You can always order it without the ice cream if you prefer.
Gigi’s Butter Cake at Maggiano’s Little Italy
Last but certainly not least, we have to talk about a dessert from Maggiano’s Little Italy. While everything on their menu is tasty and impressive, Gigi’s butter cake is the best dessert if you ask me. The cake is a short, round shape of vanilla cake, served with fresh fruit and vanilla ice cream.
P.F.chang’s banana spring roll pastries are based on a dish originally from Spain, called Turrón de Platáno. In the Philippines it is called Turon de banana, is also found in some countries of Latin America, and in Roussillon, France.
It’s commonly made of thinly sliced bananas, with a strip of jackfruit, and with a dash of brown sugar. The best type of banana that you can use is the saba. It is rolled in spring roll wrappers, and then deep fried crispy with caramelized sugar glaze.
The chocolate brownie lasagne you found on Olive Garden’s menu is a twist on the Italian cake Tiramisu.