Looking for ideas on best dessert NYC? Here’s a list of 10 must-try places that are totally instagrammable, and delicious too! This summer I was on a mission to try some of the spots near my work in Soho, so most of these are within the area of Lower Manhattan. This list features unique and delicious soft serve flavors, a few Japanese style sweets, home-baked pies that taste just like grandma’s, and more. If you’re visiting NYC or even a local these places won’t disappoint.
Croissant butter soft serve topped with croissant crumble
1. Supermoon Bakehouse
Tucked away on Rivington St. in Lower Manhattan is a delightful dessert spot called Supermoon Bakehouse. The desserts are definitely otherworldly and there’s a plethora of interesting flavors on the menu. Goodies like the Black Sesame & Magic Miso Caramel Croissant, Matcha Yuzu Croissant and Turkish Delight Donut. Their cruffins are like a croissant/muffin hybrid. I tried the Croissant butter soft-serve and it was melt-in-your-mouth goodness, served in a galactic color-changing bowl. Fun fact: croissants are actually soaked in milk to make it. New flavors come out often, so it’s definitely worth multiple visits!
How to get here: F train to Delancey. Walk to 120 Rivington St.
2. Petee’s Pie Company
Every so often I miss my mom’s home cooking. But with a trip to Petee’s Pie Company it brought me back to her kitchen. With classic favorites like Banana Cream Pie, Apple Pie and other various fruit pies, seasonal pies like Pumpkin, ice box pies like Chocolate Cream, and even interesting flavors like the Black Sesame. There’s also some mini pies for purchase or cookies and other sweets. You can buy by the slice or a whole pie. You can even mix it up a bit and order a Slice Cream, with a mix of both ice cream and pie. It feels like a little mom and pop shop from a small town. Everything is so fresh with all the homemade feels.
How to get here: F train to Delancey or B/D to Grand St. Walk to 61 Delancey St. b/n Eldridge and Allen St.
Key-lime slice at Petee’s Pie
Strawberry-Rhubarb kakigori flavor from Bonsai Kakigori
3. Bonsai Kakigori
Native to Japan, Kakigori is a shaved ice dessert sweetened with various flavors and condensed milk. Traditionally it’s created with a special hand-cranked machine. It’s refreshing, light and fluffy. Bonsai Kakigori specializes in this dessert in NYC. They offer various flavors such as Coconut Lime, Matcha, Strawberries and Cream, and Vietnamese Coffee. Some seasonal flavors include Rhubarb, Mango and Mandarin Clove. It’s conveniently located at Canal St. Market so you can easily grab after a meal.
How to get here: N/Q/R/W/6/J/Z to Canal St. Walk to Canal St. Market at 263A Canal St.
4. Bar Pa Tea
Bar Pa Tea is a beautifully modern small bubble tea shop located in Nolita. They have a small menu of various bubble teas and bubble tea soft serve. Their tapioca pearls are healthier and made without artificial additives. You can choose from teas with cold fresh-squeezed juice, in cold or hot latte form, hot teas and caffeine-free drinks. Their soft-serve is available in black or oolong tea with various toppings to choose from. Their bubble tea is one of the best I’ve had in the city and having it in soft-serve form is a nice bonus!
How to get here: B/D to Grand St, R/W to Prince, J/Z to Bowery, 6 to Spring St. Walk to 85 Kenmare St.
Oolong tea latte soft serve with bubbles and Honey-Wheat Braided Twist toppings
Planet Earth and Salted Caramel Vegan flavors
5. Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream
One of my favorite ice cream shops in NYC is Van Leeuwen. With humble beginnings from a small ice cream truck, it’s no surprise they have reached such success. Everything is made from scratch with simple fresh ingredients. They change out their flavors every so often and some are seasonal, which are usually the ones I like to try. They also feature vegan flavors and dairy-free options. The Planet Earth flavor is such a fitting name being that it’s made from spirulina, almond extract and topped with homemade matcha green tea cake, one of my personal faves. Some other notable flavors are Kalamansi and Mellon Sorbet, Honeycomb, Earl Grey Tea, Snickerdoodle and Jam, and Vegan Dark Chocolate.
How to get here: N/Q/R/W/6/J/Z to Canal St. Walk to Canal St. Market at 263A Canal St.
6. Soft Swerve
For some interesting Asian-inspired soft serve flavors in the city, head to Soft Swerve. Flavors like Matcha, Ube (purple yam), and Black Sesame, available solo or with a twist. You can choose your own toppings or opt for one of their specials, like the Halo Halo inspired by the refreshing Filipino dessert. Other specials include the Woodside with Ube ice cream, toasted coconut and mochi, or the Brooklyn Bridge with Black sesame ice cream, caramel drizzle, toffee and mochi, yum!.
How to get here: B/D to Grand St, F to Delancey, J/Z to Bowery. Walk to 85B Allen St. b/n Broome and Grand.
The Halo Halo special
Apple jacks mixed with vanilla soft serve topped with strawberry drizzle and teddy grahams
7. Milk and Cream Cereal Bar
Take a guilt-free trip back to childhood in this fun ice cream shop called Milk and Cream Cereal Bar. The concept is simple, pick a cereal, then an ice cream to swirl it with, and finally some totally sweet toppings to finish it off. Lucky Charms, Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops, Cap’n Crunch are just a few of the choices. For toppings you can go healthier with some fruit and nut options like berries or almonds, and for going all out there’s brownie bites, Fruity Pebbles, gummy bears and drizzles. The end result is total nostalgia in a bowl or cone and a cool instagram shot. The possibilities are endless so it’s definitely worth going back again and again. I’m already dying to try it with some Trix next time!
How to get here: N/Q/R/W/6/J/Z to Canal St., B/D to Grand St., 6 to Spring St. Walk to 159 Mott St. b/n Broome and Grand St.
8. Taiyaki NYC
If you’ve ever gone to Japan, you may have tried taiyaki, a traditional dessert cake in the form of a fish typically filled with red bean paste. Taiyaki NYC has put a sweet twist on it by combining it with soft serve. This warm sweet pancake combined with the delicious flavors of soft serve is quite a treat. They have specials to choose from or you can create your own flavor combo. You can pick either taiyaki, a waffle cone or cup to hold the soft serve, and choose from flavors like Black Sesame, Matcha, Coconut, Chocolate and more. They also have a wide range of toppings to make it extra cute. My personal fave is the Unicorn special, complete with horn, ears and rainbow sprinkles, a magical treat!
How to get here: N/Q/R/W/6/J/Z to Canal St., Walk to 119 Baxter St.
Japan Special and Unicorn special with Black Sesame/Matcha twist.
Array of choices at Popbar
9. Pop Bar
For a healthier dessert option there’s Popbar, which is essentially deliciousness on a stick. They have gelato, sorbet or frozen yogurt to pick from. You can customize it with a dipping or topping, or eat as is. You can also add cookies to it and turn it into a sandwich on a stick. They have bites and mini pops for those just wanting a little treat. There’s also gelato shakes served in a milk jug. I truly enjoyed my Popbar and my waist did too, no regrets to indulge here!
How to get here: A/B/C/D/E/F/M to W.4th. or 1 train to Christopher St. Walk to 5 Carmine St.
10. M’O Il Gelato
You can’t ever go wrong with gelato, the quintessential Italian treat. This small little cozy shop serves up a myriad of gelato flavors, along with some dairy-free sorbetto options as well. Just a few of the flavors available are Stracciatella
Caffè, Tiramisù, Cioccolato Al Latte, Pistacchio Siciliano, Mango, Fragola, and Limone. They have waffle cones or cups for serving. The gelato is so delightfully creamy and melts in your mouth. The shop is located in a more quiet street of Nolita and there are benches outside the shop to eat and enjoy a beautiful day.
How to get here: 6 to Spring St., B/D to Grand St., J/Z to Bowery St. Walk to 178 Mulberry St.
Monella gelato flavor with cherries, dark chocolate and toasted almonds.
We hope this inspires you to make a special visit to some of the best dessert in NYC.
Have you tried any of these? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!
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