20 Desserts that Start with R [Ricotta Donut Is Just One of Them]
In the mood for something sweet? Let me help you in your search for the perfect dessert. How about one that starts with the letter “R”? We’ll look at some of the best sweet miracles that will tickle your taste buds and make your mouth water. From rich, creamy ice cream to crumbly shortbread cookies, there are plenty of tasty treats to explore.
Whether you opt for a no-bake option or an old-fashioned favorite, you will find something that shouts “Yum!” from each alphabet letter. Let’s go on a delicious adventure and explore 20 desserts that start with R.
Raspberry Rhubarb Tart
Nothing can beat the combination of tart rhubarb and sweet raspberries in a flaky, buttery crust. It’s a classic that never goes out of style.
This delightful tart is really relatively easy to make, but the results are prime-time-worthy! To start, you’ll need butter and flour for a basic short-crust pastry – whisking together eggs and sugar provides stability, while a bit of cream helps bring everything together. Then comes the fun part – mixing fresh raspberries and rhubarb with sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest to create a delicious filling.
Once your tart has cooled after its turn in the oven, top it off with a dusting of icing sugar for an extra special touch.
Red Velvet Cake
Ah, red velvet cake. It’s a classic that never gets old! I love a good moist red velvet cake with a dollop of rich cream cheese frosting, and it’s the perfect indulgence!
Named after its distinctive deep red color and velvet-like texture, this cake is traditionally made with cocoa powder, vinegar, and buttermilk for its unique flavor. Red food coloring enhances the red hue, with some recipes calling for up to two tablespoons of food coloring!
The classic cream cheese frosting perfectly complements the cake’s soft and subtly sweet richness.
Rum Raisin Ice Cream
Rum raisin ice cream adds a bit of the Caribbean to your sweet treat of choice. Made with pieces of juicy raisins marinated in dark rum and added to creamy vanilla ice cream, this frozen sweet provides a delightful balance of creamy and crunchy.
If you want to make it yourself, you don’t need much – just some dark rum, raisins, and your favorite vanilla ice cream. You can also get creative by adding different spices like cinnamon or cardamom or even nuts like pistachios or almonds.
Ricotta Pie
This classic Italian pie is made with an almond-flavored pastry crust and a creamy ricotta cheese filling, plus it’s often topped off with a layer of chocolate or citrus zest. It’s incomparably delicious – light and fluffy yet still rich and indulgent, just like a good dessert should be.
This is undoubtedly an irresistible sweet that everyone will enjoy! Whether you choose to use chocolate chips or citrus zest (or both!), ricotta pie is an impressive finish to any meal.
Red Fruit Cheesecake
This special edition of a classic cheesecake dresses it up with a delicious red fruit topping.
To make this delectable treat, you’ll make the classic crumb crust, which you can use store-bought cookie crumbs for. Then, you beat cream cheese until light and fluffy for the filling and combine it with eggs and sugar.
After baking it in the oven, top it off with a mixture of fresh berries like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, or even cranberries. For an extra layer of tartness, you can even add a teaspoon of citrus zest.
Raspberry Crumble Bars
These raspberry crumble bars look and taste just like a raspberry tart in bar form. They have a sweet, buttery, shortbread-like base studded with fresh raspberries and topped with a buttery crumb topping.
The best part about these bars is that the recipe requires no special equipment or ingredients – just butter, sugar, flour, raspberries, and some oats. If you want to mix things up, add some chopped walnuts or almonds to the crumble topping for extra crunch.
For a sensationally sweet treat, it’s hard to go past these raspberry crumble bars!
Rocky Road Fudge Brownies
Are you a fan of the rocky road? I know I am. So why not have it in the form of a fudge brownie? Rocky road fudge brownies are an indulgent treat made with rich and creamy chocolate, marshmallows, and walnuts.
Melt the butter and mix the semi-sweet baking chocolate in a bowl over boiling water. In another bowl, beat the brown sugar and butter mixture until light and creamy before adding the eggs and vanilla extract. Gradually fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Then stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallows, and walnuts. Pour this mixture into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake it. Voila!
Rainbow Jello Cake
There’s something special about rainbow jello cake.
This cake is all about layering up the jello, using different colors and flavors. Start with one jello mixture, spoon it an inch deep into the pan, allow it to set, and then repeat with your other colors until you have all seven rainbow colors in one cake. Before serving, you top it off with a whipped cream layer and some fresh fruit on top.
So go ahead – try making this delicious Rainbow Jello Cake for your next gathering or party!
Raspberry Panna Cotta
Raspberry panna cotta is one of my favorite “R” sweets. The classic Italian specialty is made with cream, sugar, vanilla, and gelatin. It’s a light creamy delight that is perfect after a heavy meal!
To make it even more delicious, you can top it with crushed pistachios, hazelnuts, and, of course, homemade raspberry jam. You can also try adding some rosewater or jasmine tea to give your raspberry panna cotta an extra light and fragrant flavor. Then, you have to wait for it to set, chill it in the fridge and enjoy!
Rum Balls
Rum balls are perfect for holidays and special occasions when you want to impress your friends and family with a unique dessert. Plus, they’re easy to make in bulk and require no baking.
Rum balls are traditionally made from a combination of crumbled cookies or cake, syrup, cocoa powder, coffee liqueur, and of course – rum!
To make each rum ball, all you have to do is combine the ingredients together in a bowl until everything sticks together. Then roll them into bite-sized balls and chill before serving. For added flavor, I usually roll my rum balls in icing sugar to give them a sweet coating. Delicious!
Ricotta Donuts
What’s better than donuts? Ricotta donuts! Ricotta is a classic Italian cheese with a unique taste, and I’m here to tell you that it tastes fantastic in donuts.
Ricotta donuts get their distinct flavor from the ricotta cheese. Making ricotta donuts involves first making a basic dough, which is then filled with dollops of sweet ricotta cheese. This makes them incredibly tender, creamy, and full of flavor. The addition of some citrus zest makes them even more delicious.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red velvet cupcakes are a classic I’m sure many of you have tried before. This gourmet-style treat is made up of a red velvet cake topped with a light and fluffy cream cheese frosting.
The deep red color and sweet cream cheese frosting make for a unique flavor you won’t find in any other type of cupcake. They can be served as individual cupcakes or arranged into a cake for special occasions, like birthdays or anniversaries.
Raisin and Oatmeal Cookies
These cookies are a classic combination of tart raisins and oats, made even better by adding extra brown sugar and cinnamon. They’re the perfect treat for the winter months when you want a warm, sweet snack.
The ingredients in these cookies are simple but effective: rolled oats, raisins, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix them all together in a bowl to make a thick cookie dough that you can roll into balls and bake.
When they come out of the oven, the cookies will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside – ideal for dunking into hot cocoa or milk!
These raisin and oatmeal cookies are so easy to make that even baking novices can succeed in making them.
Rice Krispie Treats
Soft and gooey yet still packed with crunchiness, these treats keep my cravings at bay every single time.
Rice Krispie treats are incredibly easy to make and require almost no ingredients. You only need cereal, butter, and marshmallows – no baking required! To take it up a notch, try making them with chocolate-covered marshmallows for added sweetness.
These bars only take about 20 minutes to prepare, but the results will surely last longer as long as you cannot eat them all in one sitting!
Russian Tea Cakes
Russian tea cakes or Snowball cookies are the perfect choice if you’re looking for a delicious bite-size treat. With a buttery yet crumbly base and lightly sprinkled with either powdered sugar or nuts, these delightful treats are an excellent way to end a meal. Plus, you can make them ahead of time and store them for when unexpected guests arrive!
These little morsels trace their origins back to medieval Europe when they were known as “Kourabiedes” but have been enjoyed in Russia, Poland, and the Balkans for centuries.
Ribbon Candy
This delicate, sugary treat is a syrup that has been continually boiled until it reaches the hard-crack stage. The resulting candy is then stretched and twisted into thin decorative strips, and its looks can be compared to glasswork in its sheer beauty and delicate structure.
Ribbon candy is usually bright, vibrant colors that make it almost too pretty to eat. However, it gets even better once you take a bite; its sweet and crunchy texture makes for a truly delightful experience.
Red Berry and White Chocolate Mousse
The combination of tartness from the berries and sweetness from the chocolate is subtle yet sublime. Every spoonful is a burst of sweetness and tartness that will leave you wanting more!
Not only does it taste great, but it is also one of the easier desserts to make. All you need is white chocolate, cream, and your favorite red berries (raspberries, strawberries, or cranberries).
Rice Pudding
If you haven’t enjoyed trying rice pudding, you’re in for a treat! Rice pudding is a creamy, sometimes custardy, dessert made by cooking rice with milk and add-ins like cinnamon, nutmeg, or raisins. The final product is a delicious and comforting treat you can enjoy, warm or cold.
And if you’re feeling adventurous, some recipes involve baking the pudding in the oven for a creamy yet crunchy texture. But regardless of how you make it, rice pudding makes for a fantastic pre-bedtime snack or after-dinner treat that I’m sure everyone will enjoy!
Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie
This peanut butter pie is easy to make and can be customized to suit different tastes. This simple and tasty pie starts with a pre-made graham cracker crust, melted butter, and sugar. The filling is a no-bake combination of peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped cream. To finish it off, you can use melted chocolate chips to glaze the top of the pie.
The result is an incredibly rich and creamy pie with sweet notes of peanut butter balanced by the sharpness of cream cheese.
Rock Candy
Rock candy is a sugar candy that starts with sugar syrup being boiled and cooled before it is stirred with a wooden spoon, then left to dry and form into crunchy sugar crystals. It’s often served on a stick, too.
Rock candy comes in many flavors and colors, so why not get creative? You can have fun making your own colorful concoctions in the kitchen or store-bought versions that are ready to go. Not only that, but you can even add some glitter and sparkle for an extra special touch!
