17 Gatsby Dessert Recipes, Sorted by the Technique Behind Each

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These Gatsby dessert recipes are sorted by the technique that makes each one work. A crème brûlée and a lemon tartlet look nothing alike, but both depend on eggs heated gently to the right temperature, so learn the move once and the whole group gets easier. All 17 have yields, measured ingredients, F and C temperatures and the food-safety step that matters. Since it is mid October, the last section turns them into a Halloween speakeasy table and a Thanksgiving spread.

Links marked (paid link) are affiliate links. The pictures are styling inspiration, so search results will vary.

Planning Christmas? Our 1920s Christmas desserts cover fruitcake, pecan pie and a Yule log on a bake-ahead calendar, and none of those recipes repeat here. For music and dress code, see our Gatsby Roaring 1920s guide.

How These Gatsby Dessert Recipes Are Grouped

• Custards: crème brûlée, lemon tartlets, cherry clafoutis, brandy parfait.
• Frozen: brown sugar gelato, gin rickey sorbet.
• Whipped: macarons, pavlova, mint julep mousse.
• Butter doughs: fig tart, apple tart, blackberry cobbler, honey eclairs.
• Melted chocolate: chocolate torte, whiskey truffles.
• Creamed batters: champagne cupcakes, rhubarb cheesecake.

One tool helps in every group: an instant-read thermometer (paid link). It tells you when a custard is cooked, when a gelato base is cold enough and when a cheesecake is set.

Custards: Eggs, Dairy and Gentle Heat

Custards thicken slowly. Too little heat and they stay runny; too much and they curdle. Temper the eggs by whisking in a little hot liquid first, stir constantly over low heat, and strain the result. Egg mixtures are safe at 160°F (71°C), and most of these go a little past that to thicken. Chill within two hours and keep cold.

Charleston Crème Brûlée

The Charleston was the dance of the decade, and this is its dessert match: four ingredients and a sugar crust you crack at the table.

Serves 6.

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 6 teaspoons for the tops
• Pinch of salt

1. Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Set six 6-ounce ramekins (paid link) in a roasting pan.
2. Warm the cream until steaming. Whisk the yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and salt, slowly whisk in the cream and vanilla, then strain into the ramekins.
3. Add hot water halfway up the ramekins. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until the centers wobble and read about 170°F (77°C).
4. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
5. To serve, spread 1 teaspoon sugar on each and melt it with a kitchen torch (paid link) until amber.

East Egg Lemon Tartlets

The curd is cooked on the stove, not in the shells, so the pastry stays crisp. This dough also makes the fig tart below.

Makes 24 tartlets.

• Crust: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 large egg yolk plus 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water
• Curd: 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

1. Pulse the flour, powdered sugar and salt, pulse in the butter, then add the yolk and enough water to clump. Chill 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Press 1 tablespoon dough into each cup of a 24-cup mini muffin pan (paid link), prick and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.
3. Whisk the eggs, sugar, juice and zest in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and 170°F (77°C), about 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the butter, strain and chill 2 hours. Fill the shells up to 4 hours ahead and keep cold.

Speakeasy Cherry Clafoutis

A French farmhouse custard baked around fruit. Fresh cherries are out of season in most of the US by October, so use frozen dark sweet cherries, and see our Gatsby cherry desserts for more.

Serves 6.

• 3 cups pitted dark sweet cherries, frozen and thawed, or fresh
• 3 tablespoons bourbon or orange juice
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for the pan

1. Soak the cherries in the bourbon 30 minutes. A cherry pitter (paid link) speeds up fresh fruit.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (paid link).
3. Blend the remaining ingredients until smooth. Scatter the cherries in the pan and pour the batter over.
4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until puffed and a knife in the center comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Baking does not remove all the alcohol, so label it; orange juice makes it zero-proof.

Prohibition Parfait

Pastry cream is custard thickened with cornstarch. It must bubble a full minute, which cooks the starch and the yolks.

Serves 6.

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 3 cups mixed berries

1. Heat the milk. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and yolks, whisk in half the milk, then return it all to the pan.
2. Whisk over medium heat until thick and bubbling, then 1 minute more.
3. Off the heat, add the butter, vanilla and brandy. Cover the surface and chill at least 3 hours, to 40°F (4°C).
4. Layer with berries and whipped cream in tall parfait glasses (paid link). Chill up to 4 hours.

Frozen: Start Cold, Churn Fast

A warm base turns icy, so chill it to 40°F (4°C), ideally overnight, and freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker (paid link) for 24 hours. Sugar and alcohol keep frozen desserts scoopable, but too much alcohol and they never set. Next project: our vintage ice cream cake.

Gatsby’s Gold Gelato

Brown sugar gives this custard gelato its amber color and a light caramel flavor.

Makes about 1 quart.

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• edible gold leaf flakes (paid link) (optional)

1. Heat the milk, cream and half the sugar until steaming. Whisk the yolks, salt and remaining sugar, temper with hot milk and return to the pan.
2. Stir over low heat until it coats a spoon at 170°F (77°C). Do not boil.
3. Strain, add the vanilla and chill to 40°F (4°C).
4. Churn, freeze 2 to 4 hours and serve in vintage-style coupe glasses (paid link).

Use only gold labeled edible; non-toxic craft glitter is not food.

Gin Rickey Sorbet

Tom carries in gin rickeys on the novel’s hottest afternoon. This keeps the lime and gin and adds cucumber.

Makes about 1 quart.

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups peeled, seeded, diced cucumber
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons gin (optional)

1. Simmer the sugar and water until dissolved; cool.
2. Blend the cucumber, lime juice, zest and salt, strain, stir in the syrup and chill to 40°F (4°C).
3. Churn, adding the gin in the last minute, then freeze 4 hours. Without gin it sets firmer, so soften 5 minutes before scooping.

Whipped: Egg Whites and Cream That Hold Air

Egg whites need a grease-free bowl, room temperature and sugar added slowly. Cream needs the opposite: cold cream, cold bowl. Store meringue airtight on humid days. None of these use raw egg.

Manhattan Macaron Tower

The fussiest recipe here, so weigh if you can. A tiered dessert stand (paid link) is easier than a stacked tower and just as striking.

Makes about 30 filled macarons.

• 1 1/4 cups (120 g) superfine almond flour
• 1 1/4 cups (150 g) powdered sugar
• 3 large egg whites (100 g), room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup filling: the truffle ganache below or buttercream

1. Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar twice. Line sheets with silicone macaron mats (paid link).
2. Whip the whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks, add the sugar gradually and whip until stiff and glossy.
3. Fold in the dry mix until the batter flows in a thick ribbon. Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds with a piping bag (paid link), rap the sheets and rest 30 to 60 minutes, until dry to the touch.
4. Bake one sheet at a time at 300°F (150°C), 16 to 18 minutes. Cool, fill and refrigerate 24 hours before serving.

Roaring Raspberry Pavlova

Named for ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s; both countries claim it.

Serves 8.

• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3 cups raspberries and blackberries

1. Heat the oven to 250°F (120°C) and mark an 8-inch circle on parchment.
2. Whip the whites to soft peaks, add the sugar a tablespoon at a time and whip until glossy and not gritty. Fold in the cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla.
3. Spread in the circle and bake 75 minutes, then cool in the closed oven 1 hour.
4. Top with cream and berries just before serving.

Mint Julep Mousse

Daisy offers mint juleps in the novel’s hotel suite scene. Gelatin sets this one, so there is no raw egg.

Serves 4.

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 4 ounces cold mascarpone
• 2 tablespoons bourbon or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Steep the mint in 1/2 cup steaming cream for 15 minutes; strain. Soften the gelatin in the water.
2. Rewarm the mint cream, dissolve the gelatin and sugar in it, add the bourbon and cool to about 70°F (21°C), still liquid.
3. Whip the remaining cream with the mascarpone to soft peaks, fold in the mint mixture and chill in glasses 3 hours.

Butter Doughs: Tart Crust, Puff Pastry, Biscuits and Choux

Cold butter makes flaky layers, so chill dough whenever it softens. Choux is the exception: melted butter, cooked flour, eggs for lift. Bake every dough until properly golden; pale pastry goes soggy under fruit.

Flapper Fig Tart

Figs are still in many stores in early fall. A crisp shell, honey mascarpone and a sparkling wine glaze.

Serves 8.

• 1 batch East Egg tartlet dough
• 8 ounces mascarpone
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 10 to 12 fresh figs, halved
• 3/4 cup sparkling wine or white grape juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Press the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (paid link) and freeze 15 minutes.
2. Bake with pie weights at 375°F (190°C) for 15 minutes, then 10 to 12 more without, until deep golden. Cool.
3. Simmer the wine and sugar down to 1/4 cup of syrup (with grape juice, use 1 tablespoon sugar).
4. Beat the mascarpone, honey and cream, spread in the shell, top with figs and brush with glaze. Chill up to 6 hours.

Art Deco Apple Tart

Tight rings of apple echo Deco geometry, and puff pastry makes it an easy Thanksgiving alternative to pie.

Serves 8.

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 3 firm apples, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut a 10-inch pastry round, score a 1-inch border and prick inside it.
2. Toss the apples with lemon, then overlap them in rings from the outside in.
3. Brush with butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden underneath.
4. Brush with warmed jam and serve the same day.

Bootleg Blackberry Cobbler

Frozen blackberries work perfectly here, straight from the freezer.

Serves 8.

• 6 cups blackberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Topping: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss the filling ingredients in a 10-inch skillet or 9 by 13-inch dish.
2. Rub the butter into the dry topping ingredients, stir in the buttermilk and drop 8 mounds on the fruit.
3. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, longer from frozen, until bubbling thickly in the center and the biscuits are cooked underneath. Rest 20 minutes so the juices thicken.

High Society Honey Eclairs

Choux sounds grand but is mostly stirring.

Makes about 16.

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• Filling: 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup honey
• Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon milk

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Boil the water, milk, butter and salt, add the flour and stir 2 minutes until it forms a ball.
2. Cool 3 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time until glossy.
3. Pipe 4-inch logs. Bake 15 minutes, then 20 to 25 at 350°F (175°C) until deep golden. Poke a steam hole in each.
4. Whip the cream with the honey and fill the cooled shells. Stir the glaze until thick but pourable, dip the tops and refrigerate until serving, the same day.

Melted Chocolate: Torte and Truffles

Chop chocolate fine, melt it gently over barely simmering water or in short microwave bursts, and keep water out of the bowl, since even steam can make it seize. Bittersweet bars melt more smoothly than chips, which contain stabilizers.

Jazz Club Chocolate Torte

Cocoa replaces flour, so it bakes dense and fudgy in 25 minutes. It is a different cake from the layer cake in our Christmas collection.

Serves 8 to 10.

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• Ganache: 4 ounces chocolate and 1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a buttered 8-inch pan with parchment.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter. Whisk in the sugar, salt and vanilla, then the eggs, then the cocoa.
3. Bake about 25 minutes, until the top has a thin crust and the center reads 160°F (71°C). Cool and unmold.
4. Pour simmering cream over the ganache chocolate, stir until glossy and pour over the torte.

West Egg Whisky Truffles

A ganache rolled in cocoa, a different treat from the no-cook crumb bourbon balls in our Christmas desserts of the 1920s. The same ganache can fill the macarons.

Makes about 24.

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 tablespoons bourbon, rye or strong coffee
• Pinch of flaky salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder for rolling

1. Pour just-simmering cream over the chocolate, wait 2 minutes and stir smooth. Stir in the butter, bourbon and salt.
2. Chill 2 hours, until scoopable.
3. Scoop 2-teaspoon balls, roll quickly in cool palms and coat in cocoa.
4. Refrigerate covered at 40°F (4°C) or below up to 2 weeks; let them sit out 20 minutes before serving.

Creamed Batters: Cupcakes and Cheesecake

Use butter soft enough to dent and eggs at room temperature, and mix lightly once flour goes in, or cupcakes turn tough. Cheesecake wants the opposite of fluffy: beat on low so you add little air, and bake slowly in a water bath so it does not crack.

Daisy’s Champagne Cupcakes

Sparkling wine replaces the milk, and flat leftover bubbly is fine.

Makes 12.

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup champagne
• Frosting: 1/2 cup butter, 2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons champagne

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin pan.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, then the eggs and vanilla.
3. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the champagne. Bake 18 to 20 minutes and cool.
4. Beat the frosting ingredients and pipe.

The raw frosting keeps its alcohol; use sparkling white grape juice for kids.

Roarin’ Rhubarb Cheesecake

Frozen rhubarb is easy to find in fall, and its tartness cuts the rich filling.

Serves 12.

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 cups chopped rhubarb
• 2/3 cup sugar plus 1 cup for the filling
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream

1. Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Press the crumbs and butter into a foil-wrapped 9-inch springform pan (paid link) and bake 10 minutes.
2. Simmer the rhubarb, 2/3 cup sugar and lemon juice until jammy; puree.
3. Beat the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla on low, then the eggs and sour cream. Pour over the crust and swirl in half the rhubarb.
4. Bake in a water bath 60 to 70 minutes, until the center jiggles at 150°F (66°C). Cool in the oven 1 hour, chill 6 hours and spread the remaining rhubarb on top.

150°F is below the 160°F egg guideline, so use pasteurized eggs for pregnant, young, older or immunocompromised guests.

A Fall Gatsby Dessert Table, One Technique at a Time

Pick from different groups so the work spreads across fridge, freezer, stove and oven. Add our delightful mini desserts or a modern take on Gatsby hors d’oeuvres.

• Halloween speakeasy: whiskey truffles, chocolate torte, cherry clafoutis, mint julep mousse and gin rickey sorbet, mostly made the day before.
• Small dinner for 6: parfaits layered that afternoon and macarons filled two days ahead, so the oven stays free on the night.
• Thanksgiving: cheesecake and crème brûlée bake the day before at the same 325°F (160°C). Bake the apple tart and cobbler that morning and rewarm at 300°F (150°C) while the turkey rests.

Food Safety Before the Plates Go Out

• Keep custards, mousse, parfaits, eclairs, the fig tart and cheesecake at 40°F (4°C) or below, and out no more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F, or 32°C).
• If cold desserts will sit out, set them on a tray of ice and swap in a fresh batch rather than topping up.
• Label anything with alcohol: clafoutis, parfait, sorbet, mousse, truffles, fig glaze and cupcake frosting.
• Label the macarons for nut allergies, since they are almond based.
• Honey is not safe for babies under 1 year old, so keep the eclairs and fig tart off the youngest guests’ plates.
• Use only decorations labeled edible, gold leaf and pearls included.

Hosting a Gatsby night? Our Gilded Christmas Soirée Party Kit has invitations, a menu and cocktail cards, our Amber Table Thanksgiving Party Kit covers November, and you can see more printable party kits in our shop.

Still planning the party? Set the mood with vintage Gatsby Christmas decorations, dress the powder room with lavish 1920s bathroom ideas or Gatsby roaring 20s bathroom decor, fill the bowl with Roaring 20s punch recipes, and round out the menu with Gatsby-inspired entrees, gothic hors d’oeuvres, Mad Men vintage appetizers, tiny Coruscant gala bites, Coruscant nightclub small plates, 1920s Christmas desserts and dark Halloween desserts, or save Star Wars dinner recipes and Star Wars-inspired bars for a different crowd. On the style side, pick a Gatsby cocktail dress or a sequin mini dress with Roaring 20s party accessories, borrow from 1960s men’s fashion basics, and compare Star Wars wedding dresses with Gotham villain wedding dresses. At home, browse hand-painted furniture and vintage hand-painted furniture, paper a moody Gotham kitchen, give the bedroom a Gotham-inspired makeover, build the kids natural backyard play spaces, and find printable kits in the Inspired Realms shop.