Summer vacation is coming to an end, which means hitting the books, hitting the gym, and hitting the supermarkets for all the instant ramen packets our arms and reusable canvas bags can carry. BUT WAIT. We can’t say goodbye to our long-awaited summer vacation (which honestly, in my opinion should last until Sep. 22, when the summer season officially ends) without eating all the frozen desserts our stomachs can handle!
Here’s my roundup for the coolest desserts to scoop up before heading back to school.
UBAE: Why I love it; Vegan
Vegans, rejoice! No longer do you have to settle for sad knock-offs of your favorite flavors, or bear with terrible textures in your mouth from sub-par pints of ice cream. Here’s why:
UBAE has started selling VEGAN. UBE. SOFT. SERVE.
That’s right. This soft, creamy, luscious swirl of 100% purple magic is made with a coconut base, meaning it’s vegan-friendly, and it’s so light that it doesn’t weigh you down after selfishly hogging the whole cup to yourself!
The coconut flavor is definitely there, and it pairs so well with the ube. It’s a match made in dessert heaven!
And trust me when I say that you can’t go to UBAE and just get one thing. Their insanely rich Ube Cheesecake, super soft Ube Crinkle Cookies, and adorable little Ube Cheesecake Tarts are literally one of the hardest things to resist, so make sure you swipe some up and take as many pictures as you can, because these hella photogenic snacks always rack up hundreds of likes on our feed too!
We’re so excited for the future of UBAE, which is going strong through their second year, and you should be too, because rumor has it they’re trying to bring back their popular Ube Sauce by the end of 2019!
*Spoon Tip: Unless you want to unleash your hangry wrath on some innocent customers, I’d suggest avoiding lunchtime, because they tend to get CRAZY busy. We suggest checking them out on a Tuesday or Wednesday, right when they open to beat the lines, and to get first-pick.
*Spoon Tip #2: Get the Ube Crinkle Cookies & stick 'em into your soft serve! It makes a hella nice photo and the contrast between the sweet ice cream & subtle cookie are honestly out of this world.
1284 Kalani St, Honolulu, HI 96817
(City Square Shopping Center)
(808) 439-3224
9am – 6pm every day
Via Gelato: Why I love it; Earth-Loving & Sustainable
There’s really no one category that Via Gelato fits into, because it’s one of those stores that’s all-encompassing. They’re modern, chic, adorable, community-based, homey, trendy, and vegan-friendly. But above all else, I love Via Gelato because of the owner, Melissa Bow, and her team’s commitment to leaving as small a carbon footprint as they can, while still serving up some sick scoops.
They provide silverware, ceramic bowls, and glass cups when sitting in, and use paper materials whenever possible for any takeout orders people may have. Did we also mention that the furniture you see in the store is all upcycled or built by the owner herself?!
They rotate through 14 flavors weekly, and are constantly coming up with creative concoctions in their kitchen, like Butterbeer and Pickled Mango Sorbetto, along with vegan-friendly options like their Golden Milk Pistachio, Dark Chocolate Sorbetto, and Li Hing Shiso. Via Gelato is probably one of the go-to hang out places for the hipsters and youngins’ on Oahu, but they’re also super family-friendly, especially nestled in the homey Kaimuki neighborhood.
1142 12th Ave, Honolulu HI 96816
(808) 732-2800
Sunday – Thursday: 11am – 10pm
Friday & Saturday: 11am – 11pm
https://www.viagelatohawaii.com
Cream n’ Roll: Why I love it; Rolled. Ice. Cream 👏
You could hear the wails of locals as the iconic Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream closed its original location on University Ave. a few years back. We thought the world was coming to an end, because there was no other ice cream shop that could take its place.
… BUT WE WERE WRONG. Cream n’ Roll scooped up the prime location in 2016, which is a walking distance from the UH Manoa campus, and switched the ice cream scoopers out for some of those fancy flat spoons to make some sick rolls of ice cream.
Trends in Hawaii tend to come quick and leave quick, and some may argue that the rolled ice cream trend is dead, but oh, how wrong some people can be. Not only is rolled ice cream super satisfying to watch, hella Instagrammable, and the perfect summer treat, but it’s also just so good. There’s something about customizing your own flavors and using fresh cream that makes your ice cream taste so much better.
At Cream n’ Roll, you start with your base (Original, Matcha, or Milk Tea), pick what you want to be crushed into the cream, figure out your toppings, and choose a drizzle.
We got a classic rolled ice cream with the Strawberry Shortcake flavor (basically a boujee version of a Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream) and a Waffle Taco (+$1) which comes with two filled taco-fied waffles.
*Spoon Tip: You can mix flavors! That Waffle Taco that we got, yeah, it was a combination of the Banana Baddah & Cookies & Cream. You’re welcome.
1010 University Avenue #B4 Honolulu, Hawaii 96826
(808) 670-6117
Monday-Thursday 1pm-10:30pm
Friday: 1pm-11:30pm
Saturday: 12pm-11:30pm
Sunday: 12pm-10:30pm
Double Three: Why I love it; Hella Photogenic
Are you suffering from lack of social media followers? A decline in likes on the same ol’ boring pictures? Well, Spoon Hawaii has found the perfect cure for that! Double Three, located in the City Square Shopping Center, has the coolest insta-worthy desserts that you need to try.
Not only is it one of the prettiest desserts you’ll ever consume in your whole life, but it’s also so, so good. Just imagine this: The best-of-the-best ice cream (aka housemade or sourced from Dave’s Ice Cream or something similar) nestled inside a warm, fluffy, chewy bubble waffle blanket, with so many toppings like Pocky sticks, M&M’s, and sprinkles, finished off with a sauce to tie it all together.
The store was packed the entire time I was there, with like-minded teens and families that realized ice cream is perfect for any meal. The lines can get a tad bit long but they're honestly worth it because nothing beats that irresistibly chewy bubble waffle that’s just so different from those other places that just used pre-mixed waffle batter (bleh, no thank you).
As a self-proclaimed food connoisseur, I can tell you that any combination is bound to be perfect. Both the original and green tea bubble waffles were AHHMAZING – perfect amount of chewiness on the inside with a crisp outside, and oh-so warm and soft. Double Three hasn’t even been open for a year yet, but my Instagram feed is constantly blowing up with photos of these cones.
1284 Kalani St #D-105A, Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 650-2733
Monday – Saturday: 11am – 8pm
Sunday: 10:30am – 7pm
Stir: Why I love it; Variety
Remember a few years back when everyone would choose frozen yogurt over ice cream because “it was the healthier option”? Yeah, well I’m still sticking to that story because I’m a froyo freak and I believe it is a superior dessert that I can eat whenever.
I love that everything at frozen yogurt stores are customizable – you choose your own froyo flavor combination (original, taro, and honeydew are my go-to at Stir, fyi) and load up your cup from a toppings bar that has so many choices – almond slices, cheesecake, fresh fruits, mochi, popping boba – the combinations are literally endless.
And while I always love me a good cup of froyo, sometimes I’m craving some other sugary items too. This is where my favorite part of Stir comes in – they have desserts that aren’t just froyo! Dessert smoothies and acai bowls are something I find myself coming back for constantly, because ya know, sometimes you get tired of chewing so why not drink your dessert in liquefied smoothie form? And I never waste my time in long lines to get overpriced acai bowls at an over-hyped location, when I could just get one from Stir that uses only organic fruits.
This place is also in a prime location in Kaimuki, meaning you can do some shopping at local businesses to #KeepitKaimuki and enjoy one of my favorite neighborhoods on the island. Did I mention there’s always parking here? No more having to fight your way through a small little lot, because the shared parking is so huge and so cheap compared to other places on the island.
3583 Waialae Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 732-9411
Monday – Thursday: 11am – 10pm
Friday & Saturday: 11am – 10:30pm
Sunday: 11am – 9pm
Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery: Why I love it; Not-Your-Classic Ice Cream Scoop
Repeat after me: “I ate it at Pipeline”
This is their slogan, and my recent mantra, because everything that I’ve tried here is hands-down the best, and every time friends see my Instagram stories asking where it is, well, you know how I respond.
I initially became a regular at this shop after taking a single bite out of their Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, which were soft, chewy, caramelized, chunky, and so. big. Fast forward to Taste of Paradise when I experienced their signature Cake Bombs, and my love for this place grew even more.
I am just one of many of their avid Instagram followers, but I’ve had my eye on their ice creams for a while – especially their fun creations like the ice cream sandwiches, bubble waffles, and their signature Malamodes.
Let me break down the anatomy of a Malamode for you:
The outside is a housemade, fresh-out-of-the-fryer malasada, just a little crisp on the outside and super fluffy on the inside. When you bite into it, you get a cold, creamy explosion of flavor from your choice of one of their signature handmade ice creams. The malasada isn’t super sweet like Leonard’s Bakery, meaning you’re not passing out from sugar-overload.
Speaking of (m)Ala-Mode’s, this place lets you ala mode ANYTHING in their bakery cases. Anything. Cake Bomb Ala Mode, Brownie Ala Mode, Cookie Sandwiches, even Energy Bar Ala Modes for your post-gym sesh!
I’m obsessed with their malasadas, so obviously I had to ala mode-ify my Malasada Bread Pudding with a scoop of their Ube Ice cream for another perfect combo of cold ice cream with a warmed up baked good. The possibilities are pretty much endless, since they rotate half their ice cream flavors and their special cake bomb flavor every week, so dig in and try ALA the ala mode combinations!
*Spoon Tip: Malamodes are only available from 2-9pm, and psst, check out their Instagram for weekly updates on their newest flavors!
3632 Waialae Ave #102 Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 738-8200
Wednesday – Saturday 7am – 9pm
Sundays 8am – 9pm
https://pipelinebakeshop.com