I am lucky enough to live a short car, bus, or train ride from one of our country's greatest food meccas: New York City. This busy city is filled with delicious sweets at every street corner, and I decided to try out some of the best desserts in Manhattan. Here is my unofficial ranking of some the city's sweetest places.
1. DŌ Cookie Dough Confections
This was the most anticipated spot on my list, as I had seen hundreds of posts on Instagram about how amazing this edible cookie dough is. And, after trying four of DŌ's signature flavors, I was hooked. All of the flavors were perfectly sweet and creamy.
My favorites were Nuts For Nuts, which was a peanut butter based dough with Reese's Pieces and Reese's Cups, and DunkaDŌ, which is a sugar cookie dough with vanilla frosting, sprinkles, and Teddy Grahms.
#SpoonTip: Get to DŌ right when it opens like I did to avoid waiting on lines that can be up to two hours long.
2. New York Frost Factory
While less known than DŌ, NY Frost Factory should be just as popular. This place serves up shaved ice in flavors like mango, matcha, and chocolate (pictured above). The fluffy shaved ice is then topped with anything you want, from classics like sprinkles, Oreos, or fruit, to exotic toppings like mochi or mango jelly. With so many options, anyone would be able to find something to satisfy their sweet tooth.
3. KITH Treats
I'll sum up KITH in one word: incredible. This shop lets you customize your creation. You start with a base of vanilla ice cream, and then choose which toppings you want to have blended in. KITH also has a menu of already planned out options in case you struggle with making decisions.
I ordered both The Elephant (Cap’n Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Mini Marshmallows) and The Game Royal (Cap’n Crunch Berries, Fruity Pebbles, Cheesecake Bites). Each treat tasted like pure perfection. Think about the sweet milk that is left over from a big bowl of cereal as a perfectly swirled ice cream, and KITH is what you get.
4. Union Fare
While not on my original list of places to visit, when we passed Union Fare, I knew I had to go in and try one of their famous flavored croissants. After making the hard decision between the birthday cake and red velvet croissants, I decided to go with the red velvet. The flakey exterior along with the sweet cream filling made for the perfect (and messiest) bite. This is definitely not a spot to miss for any pastry lover.
5. Baked By Melissa
Baked By Melissa sells quarter-sized cupcakes that are filled to the brim with flavor. I tried the peanut butter and jelly flavor, and was pleasantly surprised. While tiny, the moist cupcakes and mouthwatering toppings and fillings make for the perfect one-bite treat.
New York City is a magical place, filled with innovative and delicious sweets on every block. If you every find yourself craving something sweet on the streets of Manhattan, check out these places and you will not be disappointed.