Got a sweet tooth? You’re in the right place. Getting sick of the usual Pinkberry? Try something new! Los Angeles is home to almost every dessert trend, from outrageous cupcakes, to swirly frozen yogurt, to gourmet donuts. As if that wasn’t enough, some even allow you to create your own masterpiece, making it a dessert experience you won’t soon forget. So grab your sweetest friend and go check out L.A.’s dessert scene!
Sprinkles Cupcakes
Though it has since expanded, Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills is one of the world’s first cupcake bakeries, and arguably still the best. Now the bakery has even opened Sprinkles Ice Cream, serving up delicious flavors such as Salty Caramel, Red Velvet, and Triple Chocolate. Customers can also order the ice cream sandwiched in a cupcake, cookies, or brownies! Didn’t make it to the bakery before it closed at 9pm? No problem! Just use the Cupcake ATM, which is exactly what it sounds like: instead of releasing cash when you swipe your credit card, the machine releases the cupcake of your choice!
Ice Cream Lab
A trip to the Ice Cream Lab is quite the unique experience, as it begins as an awesome science experiment and ends with a delicious result! Not only is the ice cream being whipped up at Ice Cream Lab made with fresh, natural ingredients, but it is made to order, right when you order it. How do they do this? Simply choose your favorite flavor, and lab techs will mix the ingredients, instantly freeze with a blast of liquid nitrogen, and voila – fresh, all-natural, instant ice cream. Choose from unique flavors like Salted Caramel Pretzel, Blue Velvet, Strawberry Basil, Banana with Nilla Wafers, and Cookies and Cream with crushed Oreos. Become a mad scientist at the Ice Cream Lab, and leave with delighted taste buds.
Crumbs Bake Shop
Famous for serving up enormous cupcakes in outrageous flavor combinations, at Crumbs there is something for everyone. Not only is each cupcake a work of art, but the combinations are to die for: the cookie dough cupcake is “vanilla cake with chocolate fudge filling covered in vanilla cream cheese frosting mixed with soft chocolate chip cookie pieces and topped with a chocolate chip cookie.” For a limited time, Crumbs is even serving up Girl Scout cookie-inspired cupcakes that model favorites such as Samoas and Tagalongs. Grab a spoon (you’ll need it) and dig in!
Sweet Rose Creamery
Who need’s Ben & Jerry’s when you can get ice cream like this? This is not your average ice cream, but ice cream for the sophisticated palate. Sweet Rose Creamery whips up small batches of homemade ice cream using only the freshest, organic, local ingredients for authentic gourmet, creamy ice cream the way it should be! Feeling adventurous? Try an interesting flavor like carrot cake with cream cheese or even the olive oil ice cream. Want to go classic? Old Fashioned Vanilla and Caffe Luxxe Coffee are popular favorites. Either way, don’t forget the gooey hot fudge, freshly whipped cream, and homemade fudgy brownie bites to top it off.
Duff’s Cake Mix
“Ace of Cakes” star Duff Goldman’s new bakery combines two amazing things: delicious baked goods AND a Do-It-Yourself Cake Decorating Studio! Make a reservation, and you can create your own beautiful cake creation. Playing with your food as a full-grown adult? Totally allowed! Now you can create and decorate your own cake, and eat it, too.
Kippy’s! Ice Cream Shop
Are you vegan or lactose intolerant, but still crave a cold sweet treat? Then Kippy’s! Ice Cream is the place for you. This organic, non-dairy frozen treat is lovingly made with raw coconut cream and local honey. No matter what fresh ingredients are added to each flavor, no flavor has more than 5 ingredients. The crazy thing is that you can’t even tell, as the ice cream tastes just as delicious as the real thing would. Whether or not you enjoy dairy, stop by Kippy’s! to try a light, healthy, refreshing, and exciting new treat. You won’t be disappointed.
Sweet Lady Jane
Entering Sweet Lady Jane Bakery is a little bit like entering dessert heaven. With every sweet treat you can imagine, it is so hard to choose! Sweet Lady Jane is most famous for serving up their giant slices of cake. Grab a group of friends or your significant other and a bunch of forks, and share a slice of the Triple Berry vanilla cake with buttercream frosting or Chocolate-Covered Strawberry with dark chocolate ganache frosting. And don’t skip the glass of cold milk! Sweet Lady Jane feels old-fashioned, cute, cozy, romantic, and homey… after finishing off your desserts, you won’t ever want to leave.
Milk
Around 8 or 9 pm on almost any night of the week, there will be a long line curving around the corner outside of the famous Milk – but trust me, the wait will be well worth it. Milk serves up a huge variety of creative, tasty treats, but is most famous for the giant macaron ice cream sandwiches in flavors such as coffee toffee and red velvet, and their ridiculously unique milkshakes like the Strawberry Shortcake: vanilla ice cream, malted milk, strawberry sorbet and buttery crunch cookie crumbles!
Peddler’s Creamery
Forget liquid nitrogen! This tiny, hipster ice cream shop churns their ice cream by peddling a bike. If you come at one of the peddling slot times, you can peddle the bike for 15 minutes. The reward? A free ice cream! The ice cream is made with local, organic ingredients, and Peddler’s Creamery offers a wide variety of interesting flavors. Burn off some calories and reward yourself with a scoop of cold, creamy, simply delicious ice cream.
Yogurt Shoppe
Though this frozen yogurt shop takes some time to drive to, you won’t regret taking the time to get the best frozen yogurt in the Los Angeles area. This tiny, locally-owned shop prides itself on offering the simplest, purest, creamiest real yogurt flavors using local, organic ingredients. It’s self-serve, so make yourself a fantastic creamy creation with flavors such as nutella, cake batter, and peanut butter, and toppings such as double chocolate cookie dough, yogurt pretzels, and fresh strawberries. Head out to the Pacific Palisades for a truly incredible fro-yo experience!
Honorable Mentions: Manhattan Beach Creamery, Susie Cakes, Coolhaus, Diddy Riese Cookies, Sweet E’s Bake Shop, Vanilla Bake Shop, Milk Jar Cookies, Georgetown Cupcakes, Millions of Milkshakes.