When New York City comes to mind, people often think of bright lights, diverse people and endless opportunities. One thing that people might not always think of are the epic desserts that can be found all across the boroughs.
If you ever find yourself craving dessert in New York City, look no further than this guide to the 25 best places you can eat something sweet.
Warning: Viewer discretion is advised. If you are on any sort of diet, stop reading now.
Matcha Lava from Spot Dessert Bar
Spot’s original take on a classic dessert leaves customers satisfied as they indulge in a warm chocolate cake filled with green tea ganache. Plus, it can’t even be that bad for you because it’s made with green tea… right?
Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery
Anyone can make banana bread pudding, but no one can serve it up quite like Magnolia’s Bakery. Every mouth full of banana, vanilla wafer and pudding mix tastes like a tiny bite of heaven.
Ube Milkshake at New Territories
Ube is a purple sweet potato commonly used in ice creams and pastries. This colorful treat from New Territories includes vanilla ice cream and ube. It can be topped with anything from condensed milk and toasted marshmallows, to cantaloupe shavings and Teddy Grahams.
Piggy Buns from Joy Luck Palace
Although these treats look like piggies, I can assure you that no pigs are harmed while making these buns. In addition to being adorable, the pigs are filled with a yummy custard. Enjoy them alone, or eat them after a meal of Chinese cuisine at Joy Luck Palace.
Birthday Cake Croissant at Union Fare Bakery
Rainbow bagels, rainbow milkshakes, rainbow grilled cheese… I bet you thought you heard it all. However, pastry chef Thiago Silva has now whipped up a new rainbow dessert that is taking NYC by storm.
The birthday cake croissant is everything a person could want for their birthday cake in a small French pastry. Nestled between flakey layers of dough are three types of cream and rainbow sprinkles, of course.
Cronuts from Dominique Ansel Bakery
Everyone knows croissants and doughnuts equate to happiness. That’s why Dominique Ansel spent two months tirelessly working on the Cronut.
These unique creations are made of laminated dough that is fried, rolled in sugar, filled with cream, and perfected with a glaze. Each month, a new flavor is sold in stores. However, the flavors never repeat so you can only enjoy each type just once.
Face Cookies at Cupcake Market
We may not get to hang out with celebrities like Jay-Z and Beyoncé on the daily, but we are able to eat them whenever we’d like! These cookies are humorous, yummy, and almost a little too realistic looking. A personal favorite is the Kim Kardashian crying face. This is probably because I can relate to it on multiple levels.
Chocolate Chunks Pizza from Max Brenner’s
Calling all chocolate lovers: Max Brenner’s is home to a variety of foods that all incorporate chocolate. Perhaps their most epic sweet is a pizza that includes Nutella sauce with marshmallow, milk and white chocolate chunks, melted peanut butter, and bits of crunchy hazelnut.
“Hit Me” Chocolate Cake from Catch
While dining at one of New York City’s trendiest restaurants, follow these steps. First, order the “Hit Me” Chocolate Cake. Next, read the dessert. Then, do as the dessert says. Finally, enjoy a four layer tower made with brownie, cake, ice cream, and liquid Klondike bar.
Funfetti Cookie from Shmackary’s
For a delicious dessert that includes a burst of color in each bite, treat yourself to a Funfetti cookie from Shmackary’s. These cookies are big enough to fill you up, pleasing to look at, and of course, tasty.
Croyaki from Taiyaki NYC
Meet New York City’s first croissant and taiyaki dessert: Taiyaki NYC. If you’re wondering what taiyaki is, you’re not alone. Taiyaki is an ancient Japanese dessert made of fish-shaped cake with a paste tucked inside.
The filling is usually red bean but could be anything from a custard, to a cheese, and more. However, Taiyaki NYC decided to put a spin on this famous street food. The owners combined ice cream, croissants, and signature Taiyaki to create the Croyaki.
Doughnut from Doughnut Plant
It’s impossible to choose just one doughnut as the most epic of them all, considering each hollow circle is equally as tasty as the next. From peanut butter and blackberry jam filled doughnuts to creme brûlée doughnuts, you can’t go wrong.
Farmer Boy at Ice and Vice
If you can’t decide exactly what you want for dessert, I suggest stopping by Ice and Vice. The shop creates unique flavors of ice cream, such as “3 Little Pigs” (bacon salted caramel and bacon praline) and “Movie Night” (buttered popcorn, toasted raisins, chocolate chips).
Then, they stack different flavors on top of one another but not before sandwiching between doughnuts, ice cream sammies or cookies.
Rocky Roadhouse Cone from Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
For a chewy yet crunchy dessert, head over to one of the many Big Gay Ice Cream Shop locations and order the Rocky Roadhouse. The flakey cone is filled with chocolate soft serve and topped with toasted marshmallows, chocolate morsels and almonds.
S’mores from Marc Forgione
Unlike a traditional s’more, Marc Forgione separates each component of the camp fire treat to put an unconventional twist on it. The toasted marshmallow will make you want to put its scent in a bottle and smell it forever, while the decadent chocolate cake eaten with the cool vanilla ice cream creates the perfect contrast to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Floating Island at Le Coq Rico
To anyone’s eye, this dessert looks anything but ordinary. A soft meringue sits in a crème anglaise pool with red praline circling along the dish. If you’re in the mood for a light pallet cleanser after a meal, go for the Floating Island.
Any Pie at Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Of course, New York is famous for their incredibly delicious slices of pizza. However, thanks to Four and Twenty Blackbirds, it should be recognized for its slices of pie. Customers may choose from either a custard, fruit or chocolate filling from their two locations in Brooklyn. If you’re feeling trendy or adventurous, definitely dabble in the shop’s matcha pie.
Raindrop Cake from Round K Cafe
*Cue Migos’ Bad and Boujee*
First, let me clarify that the Raindrop Cake is not actually a cake. In actuality, it is a jiggly substance that melts in your mouth like water. Its strange consistency and foreign shape make it a “must try” if you’re ever in New York.
Chocolate and Bacon Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich from Benson’s NYC
Before entering Benson’s, there are three B’s that you must know: burgers, beer and bacon. Enjoy the former B’s first and indulge in the latter with a bacon cookie ice cream sandwich after.
Gelato Ice Cream Sandwich from Popbar
Popbar’s distinct spin on a classic ice cream sandwich is exactly what you need during this hot summer. The shop offers three different types of sandwiches and over 24 different flavors of other gelato.
Cannolis at Marinara Pizza
Forget about the typical cannoli pastry filled with vanilla cream and chocolate chips. Instead, step into a world of cake batter and chocolate mint filled treats. For just a short time now, Marinara Pizza has been serving customers the most creative cannolis in all of NYC. The sweet fillings go perfectly with a slice of any one of their pizzas.
Shaved Ice from BingBox Snow Cream
There’s no doubt BingBox has everyone screaming for snow cream. This bowl of fun is great for anyone who is too indecisive about what they want for dessert. With a variety of preset flavors and the ability make your own, there’s no way you can go wrong.
Golden Opulence Sundae at Serendipity
With at least 48 hours notice and $1,000 to spare, you could get your hands on this golden treat. The reason the dessert is so expensive and has earned the Guiness Book of World Records title of the world’s most expensive sundae, is because it is decorated in 23k edible gold leaf.
In addition to the aesthetically pleasing color, the scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream are infused with Madagascar vanilla and topped with one of the most expensive chocolates out there.
And if you don’t have an extra $1,000 to throw down, you can never go wrong with the frozen hot chocolate.
Macaroon Doughnut from Patisserie
Francois Payard’s Patisserie is known to serve the most elegant of pastries. One of these epic desserts includes a macaroon doughnut that was introduced fairly recently to the world. The crumbly outside compliments the dollops of soft, chewy filling perfectly.
Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwich at Holey Cream
For a small store in Hell’s Kitchen, this place surely delivers big flavor. When you’re in need of a sweetness overload, look no further than Holey Cream.
The shop takes doughnuts and sandwiches three to four scoops of ice cream in between. As if the dessert wasn’t epic enough, they top the doughnut off with any topping your heart desires.
So, if you aren’t located in NYC, you’ll definitely need to make a trip to try some of these epic desserts. And if you are in the city, hit the streets this summer and add these spots to your summer bucket list.