Printed Paper Dessert Cups for Bakeries and Dessert Tables

Who uses printed dessert pots

Dessert cups are bought by people who sell or serve one pudding at a time. Bakeries fill them for the chiller, and caterers line them up on tables at weddings and parties.

The small size is the point. A guest can take one, eat it standing up and go back for another flavour without wasting a full slice of cake.

Schools, offices and care homes order them as well. A labelled pot makes it easy to count how many puddings went out at lunch.

• Patisseries selling chilled pots by the till
• Wedding and party dessert tables
• Corporate caterers serving buffet puddings
• Cafés adding a sweet option to a lunch deal
• Home bakers selling at markets

Sizing a pudding portion

Dessert pots are smaller than most people expect. Rich puddings such as chocolate mousse or tiramisu satisfy in 3oz or 4oz.

Lighter desserts, fruit salads and layered trifles need a little more space. A 6oz or 8oz pot gives room for cream and a topping above the layers.

If you are unsure, plate your usual portion and pour it into a measuring jug. Add about a fifth for toppings and choose the nearest size.

Pots sit alongside our other food cups in the food and dessert cup range, which is handy if you also sell savoury snacks.

Patterns and colours that sell puddings

Dessert pots carry patterns better than almost any other cup. Our photos show bright polka dots, rainbow stripes and pastel brushstrokes, all printed as a full wrap.

A pattern makes a row of pots look like a planned display rather than a stack of tubs. It also hides small drips of cream better than plain white.

If you would rather show your logo, keep it simple and centred on one side. Pots are small, so a busy logo can become a blur.

Some bakeries order one pattern in several colours, one per flavour. Staff and customers can then tell a lemon posset from a raspberry one at a glance.

Dessert tables at events

For a wedding or birthday, match the pots to the theme. A pastel stripe suits a baby shower, while a black and gold design works for an evening party.

Short runs for one event are common, so plan the design before the menu is final. You can try ideas on a real pot photo with our free online cup designer.

Halloween and Easter dessert tables are popular too. One seasonal run can carry a spooky pattern or pastel eggs while the rest of the year stays on your usual design.

Lids for chilled desserts

Pots sold from a fridge need a lid to keep the top neat and stop other smells getting in. A clear dome shows off piped cream, berries or a chocolate curl.

Flat lids suit puddings that set level, such as panna cotta or a baked cheesecake. They also let pots stack two or three high in a chiller.

Each pot size takes its own lid, and our matching paper cup lids are quoted by rim size.

Spoons can sit under a dome, resting on the topping. That saves a separate cutlery station on a busy buffet.

Ordering dessert cups

Dessert pots start from £0.25 per cup, confirmed in a written quote that lists each size and lid.

When you are ready, send the details through our dessert cup order request.

1. Choose the pot sizes that match your puddings.
2. Pick a pattern, colour or logo layout for each size.
3. Upload artwork as AI, PDF, EPS, SVG, PNG or JPG, or ask for free design help.
4. Approve your free digital proof after any revisions.
5. We print the pots in 4 to 6 working days and send them tracked, arriving 2 to 3 working days later.

Filling and presenting pots

Pipe or spoon the filling to just below the rim. A pot filled flush to the top smears the lid and looks messy through a clear dome.

Layered desserts look best in pots with a light inside wall, so the layers show from above. Add the topping last, after the pot is in its place on the table.

For a large event, set out a test row the day before. It shows how many pots fit on each stand and whether the design reads well from a few steps away.

• Leave a small gap below the rim for the lid
• Chill pots on a tray, not stacked
• Put spoons beside the pots on a buffet
• Fill on the day for cream-topped desserts

Single wall works for desserts

Puddings are served cold or at room temperature, so single wall board is all most bakers need. It keeps the pot light and leaves more room in your chiller.

Double wall is available if you serve warm crumble or sticky toffee pudding in a pot. It is rarely needed for chilled desserts.

Leaving out the second wall also means more pots fit in each carton. That is useful when storage is a single shelf behind the counter.

Mistakes to avoid with dessert pots

Ordering pots too large is the most common slip. A 3oz chocolate mousse looks generous, while the same amount in an 8oz pot looks stingy.

Fine lettering on a tiny pot is the second. Text below about 8pt tends to fill in when printed on a curve.

Last, remember that toppings need height. If you sell piped or berry-topped pots, budget for domes instead of flat lids.

• Pots sized larger than the portion
• Tiny text that fills in when printed
• Flat lids on cream-topped pots
• One design used for every flavour when labels would help

Dessert cups and ice cream tubs

Some bakeries also sell ice cream, and the pots can look similar. Ice cream tubs tend to be bought in larger takeaway sizes with a lid for the walk home.

If your frozen trade is growing, look at our lidded ice cream tubs. Printing both in one design gives your counter a matched set.

The two products share print files, so a design approved for one can be adapted to the other quickly.

Delivery and our reprint promise

Delivery of dessert pots is free to the UK, on a tracked service.

Should anything arrive misprinted or damaged, email photos within 10 days of delivery. Those pots are reprinted or refunded.