In the food world, the fall season means the start of pumpkin, apple, and cinnamon-spiced EVERYTHING—especially when it comes to sweets. Some of Chicago's best bakeries created delicious seasonal sweets for their fall menus, and we got you started with a list to get your fall sweet tooth satisfied.
1. Pumpkin Spice Buttermilk Bar from Glazed & Infused
For all the donut lovers out there, we’ve got you covered. Glazed & Infused hit the fall jackpot with this seasonal treat. This pumpkin-flavored buttermilk cake donut is coated with a five-spice glaze and topped with a crunchy cinnamon topping.
The crispy flavorful edges on the outside and the super soft pumpkin cake on the inside will leave you in fall-flavored heaven. Not to mention, this thing is huge. Grab a friend and split it, or eat the whole thing yourself. We won’t judge – it’s that good.
2. Apple Pie from Hoosier Mama Pie Company
Apple pie is synonymous with the fall season. It’s like peanut butter and jelly, or chips and guac—you can’t have one without the other. The question is not when you’re going to eat apple pie this season, it’s where.
Make sure you hit up Hoosier Mama Pie Company for one of the best slices of apple pie in the city. The crust is thick, the apples are gooey and cinnamon-y, and the slices are big. If you’re feeling ambitious, try out some of their other fall pie flavors, like pumpkin or pear apple cranberry, with a three flavor pie flight (no, really, it’s a thing.)
3. Sweet Potato Eclair Ice Cream from Jeni's Ice Cream
Just because the weather is getting cooler doesn’t mean you need to stop eating ice cream! Make sure you head over to Jeni’s and try this seasonal flavor infused with roasted sweet potatoes, cinnamon, vanilla pastry flakes and bits of white chocolate.
Jeni’s is famous for their creative ice cream flavors and their Sweet Potato Éclair ice cream is a definite standout. If you love ice cream, get yourself over to Jeni’s ASAP and indulge in a scoop or three of this to-die-for seasonal sweet. You will not regret it.
4. Spiced Molasses Cookie with Vanilla Buttercream from Sweet Mandy B's
There’s no question that Sweet Mandy B’s pretty much nails it when it comes to sweet treats. Their iced molasses cookie combines warm spices with a vanilla buttercream that is the ideal complement to the cookie’s sweetness. One bite and you’ll be in cookie heaven. Trust us and #treatyoself with this one.
5. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish from Floriole Bakery
Want something sweet for breakfast or a snack that won’t leave you feeling heavy? Head to the adorable Floriole Bakery in Lincoln Park and grab one of their Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danishes.
The light, buttery layers of the crust go perfectly with the spiced pumpkin and cream cheese filling. It’s just the right amount of sweet infused with the fall flavors you love—without making you feel like you just ate a sugar bomb. Pair it with a cup of their Intelligensia coffee and a seat in their skylit loft and you’re set.
6. Caramel Apple Cider Doughnut from Firecakes
You know those delicious apple cider donuts you find at apple orchards, pumpkin patches, or roadside farm stands in the fall? The caramel apple cider doughnut from Firecakes creates its own spin with its caramel apple glaze and soft cakey interior.
It’s smaller than some of their other donuts so it’s a perfect fix when you need to escape the city and imagine you’re eating warm donuts in a pumpkin patch (to be honest, don't we all need to do that sometimes?).