I think we all can agree that 2016 was pretty much the worst. Luckily, this was not the case when it came to the top dessert trends of 2016. You've either seen them all over Pinterest or you've tried them for yourself and documented the experience on Instagram. Because I am a broke college student and can't afford to spend $14 on a single dessert (all of the time,) I attempted to make some of these tasty, trendy treats in my own apartment. Let the delicious disasters begin.  

1. Outrageous Milkshakes 

The Inspiration: 

My Attempt:

sweet, ice, milk, caramel, cream, chocolate
Gabby Barnes

This trend was easy to make at home, because when it comes to outrageous milkshakes, the more over-the-top and messy, the better. I believe that peanut butter and chocolate are two things that should never be eaten without the other, so this shake's theme is, you guessed it, PEANUT BUTTAH CHOCOLATE. Outrageous milkshakes can pretty much be customized however your heart desires, but I discovered that it's best if you just pile on as much candy as you can. 

2. Colorful Cake 

The Inspiration: 

My Attempt:

sweet, cream, cake
Gabby Barnes

After making my version of a colorful cake, I can honestly say I have no idea how to dye the colors as vibrant as they are in the inspiration photo. An entire box of food coloring later and my colors are still a bit shabby. Oh well, this cake was simple to make and even tastier than it looks. 

3. Edible Cookie Dough

The Inspiration:

My Attempt:

cake, butter, peanut, peanut butter, cookie, dough, chocolate
Gabby Barnes

Looks pretty good for a homemade attempt, right? Wrong. This edible cookie dough may look edible, but that's only if you add extra cups of sugar and chocolate chips to distract from the slightly weird flavor. One of my roommates was right when she said, "I would probably just eat regular dough and risk salmonella."

4. Stuffed Cookies

The Inspiration: 

My Attempt:

cookie, chocolate, butter, peanut butter, peanut
Gabby Barnes

Because I can never get enough of a peanut butter chocolate combo, I stuffed these bad boys with Reese's. They don't look nearly as majestic as the inspiration cookies, but you can bet they tasted just as good. 

Even though the homemade versions of these 2016 trends are less picturesque than the professional versions, a little bit of work can save you a lot of dough the next time you're in the mood for a sweet treat.