New York City is truly a foodie heaven. With an approximated 800 languages spoken in the city, New York’s extremely diverse population makes it a hub of cultural innovation. Especially when it comes to food. Having a major sweet tooth growing up, naturally, my mouth (and stomach) has explored many of the desserts the city has to offer. If you’re visiting, here are some memorable NYC desserts that make the city stand out from the crowd.
Note, this list is in no particular order. All of the desserts listed below are amazing, and everyone’s taste is different when it comes to dessert preferences 🙂
Cruff (Stuffed Ice Cream)
139 1st Ave, New York, NY
I literally am in love with this place, so I guess I’m biased. To be fair though, everyone who I’ve brought here has loved it. Tucked away in Manhattan’s East Village, Stuffed Ice Cream has both fantastic ice cream and deliciously fresh donuts. The combination of the two just make your mouth water. The fact that Stuffed Ice Cream’s ice cream sandwiches are photogenic is just the icing on the cake (pun intended).
Stuffed Ice Cream’s claim to fame is their cruffs, which are donuts sliced in half and filled with ice cream. With both unique and classic flavors to choose from, such as Thai Tea and Cookie Monster, you can personalize your cruff to your tastebuds’ liking. My personal favorite is their white chocolate lavender flavor. You get to choose up to two ice cream flavors to put in your donut as well as a topping. View their signature cruffs here.
Cronut (Dominique Ansel Bakery)
189 Spring St, New York, NY
NYC is the home of the Cronut, a cross between a croissant and a donut (hence the name). When it launched in 2013, Times Magazine awarded it the best invention of the year. The mastermind behind this genius dessert is none other than Chef Dominique of Dominique Ansel Bakery. Although the award-winning pastry chef has bakeries around the globe, the Cronut is only available in three locations, one of which is nested in the streets of SOHO in New York.
Dominique Ansel has many other incredible creative baked goods as well. Ones that you’ll have a hard time finding anywhere else. One of which is the Cookie Shot, which is a twist on the classic cookies and milk. If you love sweets and you’re in New York City, you cannot miss the unique experience you will get at Dominique Ansel Bakery.
Banana Pudding (Magnolia Bakery)
Original Location: 401 Bleecker Street (at W. 11th Street), New York, NY
Originally famous for its cupcakes appearing in the movie “Sex and the City,” now Magnolia Bakery’s is famous for its banana pudding. In fact, its banana pudding is so famous it makes up to 50% of their online sales. You have to try it yourself. It’s sweet and fluffy and brings a smile to many New Yorkers’ faces. If you’re not a fan of bananas (or pudding), you can try one of the many other tasty baked goods Magnolia has to offer such as cupcakes, cakes, and more. Established in 1996 as a small local bakery in the West Village, it’s rising popularity and delectable treats has since expanded to over 30 locations worldwide!
Mochi Donut (Alimama Tea)
89A Bayard St, New York, NY
When I tried this donut guys, let me tell you it was life changing. Honestly, hands down I think it was the most delicious donut I’ve ever eaten in my life. It was so chewy and sweet– something a bit different from a regular donut, something so magical and hard to explain.
A mochi donut is a donut made with mochi, a Japanese rice cake, that will make you feel like a cute little anime character on a sugar high. Mochi has a very different texture than regular dough and when combined together with donut dough, it creates a beautiful unique texture that fills your mouth and tummy with joy.
In addition to its mochi donuts, which are made fresh every single day, Alimama Tea also has incredible cold brew tea, cream puffs, and munchkins. They also have gluten and dairy free options for people with allergies or dietary restrictions.
Levain Bakery Cookie
Original Location: 167 W 74th St, New York, NY
Levain’s cookies have a cult following, and for good reason. They’re perfectly gooey sugary goodness just melts in your mouth and creates an unforgettable experience. Breaking them apart is so satisfying and makes for a great photo-op!
Started in 1995 by two friends, Levain instantly became loved for its thick cookies which will make anyone drool. Their most popular cookie flavor is Chocolate Chip Walnut, which Spoon University claims is also their best.
For people with dietary restrictions, their website says that their ingredients are certified kosher, although the bakery itself is not. Additionally, they have a gluten-free cookie option, but since all of their cookies are made on shared equipment, there is a risk of cross contamination. For more information, see their website.
Chocolate Babka (Breads Bakery)
According to New York Magazine, the best NY Chocolate Babka is at Breads Bakery. If you don’t know what babka is, it is a sweet braided cake that originated within the Jewish community of Eastern Europe. Traditionally, it’s filled with either chocolate or cinnamon, and its insanely good. When Jews immigrated to New York in the 20th century, they brought with them what New Yorkers today all know and love as chocolate babka.
Opened in 2013 by Danish-Israeli pastry chef Uri Scheft, Breads Bakery’s mouthwatering baked goods quickly made it a culinary icon. Although their chocolate babka is truly a New York City staple, you can find various other sweet-smelling items such as different breads (like the name), burekas, rugelach, and more. You can see all the items on their menu here.
Taiyaki NYC Ice Cream
Manhattan: 119 Baxter St, New York, NY
Williamsburg: 294 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY
For all you Instagrammers out there this is the place for you. Taiyaki’s cute ice cream cone is easily the most Instagrammable dessert on this list. This spot is known for serving ice cream in fish shaped cones! Sounds weird? Let me explain. Taiyaki means something like ‘fried fish’ in Japanese and is an important cultural symbol in Japan. Traditionally, it’s served with a red bean paste filling, but Taiyaki NYC serves theirs with soft serve ice cream!
DŌ
550 LaGuardia Place New York, NY
This place launched while I was in high school and it painted my NYC high school experience. Cookie dough has a special place in many peoples hearts. DŌ had the incredible idea to open a cookie dough shop. It’s kind of like an ice cream shop, but instead of ice cream they serve cookie dough! You can eat your DŌ in many different ways– in an ice cream sandwich, inside of a cookie sandwich, in a cone, a cup, or even in a milkshake! With a variety of toppings and flavors, you’re sure to find the DŌ for you!
There are gluten-free options here as well.
Conclusion
Wow, just writing this post made me crave some sweets. Let me know in the comments what you think about these New York City dessert spots!
Until next time,
Take a shans!
Brb trying the mochi donut 😍
girl, it’s to die for 😋😋😋