I love traveling to New York City more than any other place in the world. Why? It’s bustling with people and opportunities, and more importantly, access to amazing, unparalleled food.
During my most recent trip there, I made an obligatory stop at an all-time favorite foodie destination, Magnolia Bakery. And not just any of the chain Magnolia Bakeries sprinkled throughout NYC, but the original shop on Bleecker Street. It’s a small place given its huge name, but its modest size allows for the sweet smell of sugary treats to fully saturate the room when you walk into the establishment.
Photo by Jamie Caccavaro
I was literally a kid in a candy store when I stepped foot in the door. I wanted to dive right through the glass, but I used some self-restraint. I must emphasize “some.” Here’s what I ate, and what you should eat there too.
Banana Pudding
Photo by Jamie Caccavaro
A classic and a must-have if you’ve never been to Magnolia. Even if you have been to Magnolia, you should still order it every single time you go. It tastes like banana, vanilla wafers, and rainbows. Perfect for a quintessential Magnolia Bakery experience.
Chocolate Banana Pudding
Photo by Jamie Caccavaro
The chocolate version of their original pudding was a novelty item for their 20th anniversary, but it is so delicious that I wouldn’t be surprised if it stayed on the menu forever. It was an amazing food experience, and probably my favorite treat out of everything we ordered. It was soft, it was sweet, it was chocolatey. It made every salivary gland in my mouth fire off from its deliciousness. The familiarity of the Oreos made me feel like a kid, but the delicacy of the banana chunks somehow made me feel more like an adult.
Get this chocolate pudding as soon as you can, and say a prayer that Magnolia keeps it on the shelves long after the bakery’s 20th anniversary passes.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Photo Courtesy of @magnoliabakery on Instagram
I will admit that this wasn’t my favorite item, but then again, cupcakes are not my drug of choice. My drug of choice is anything with peanut butter and chocolate, which I’ll come back to very soon. This was a chocolate cupcake, plain and simple.
Certainly better than something out of your average grocery store’s bakery aisle, but about as good as you’d think a standard chocolate cupcake from a true bakery would taste. Not surprising, not very special. But certainly a safe choice if you’re a fan of chocolate on chocolate.
Peanut Butter Icebox Bar
Photo by Jamie Caccavaro
I have a love affair with peanut butter, especially when paired with chocolate. Omg. As mentioned before, this is my drug of choice. Layered with graham cracker, caramel, some sort of peanut butter whipped cream concoction, cream cheese, and topped with Reese’s peanut butter cups. Just, omg.
German Chocolate Cake
Photo by Jamie Caccavaro
So rich, so moist, so decadent. What more could you want in a dessert? This was actually an accidental order, since the staff members started boxing it up before realizing we didn’t ask for it. When we told them the slice wasn’t ours, they generously told us they had extra slices and we could take it anyway. 10 points for Gryffindor Magnolia Bakery and their fabulous staff. The coconut caramel pecan icing on this slice of cake sold me at first bite. Definitely a good choice in the case that you order it on purpose.