These are the best dessert and treat shops in the US
Whether you want candy, donuts, ice cream, chocolate, pie, cookies, or other desserts, you can find a shop in the U.S. that specializes in satisfying your cravings. From coast to coast, there are shops that make donuts with fresh ingredients and unique flavors, and there are ice cream parlors that serve creatively flavored scoops of homemade ice cream.
If you’re a chocolate lover, you can indulge in handcrafted truffles, bars, and bonbons from chocolatiers, and for those who enjoy candy, there are stores that sell everything from fudge and caramel apples to taffy and nostalgic candy. And for something quick and convenient, you can visit dessert chains that offer consistently good creations like cupcakes, ice cream, donuts, and more.
To find the top spots to indulge, a panel of experts made their selections for the best places to go for desserts and treats across seven categories. To decide the winners, our readers voted for their favorites over a period of four weeks — and the results are in.
Click on each category below to see the full winners list:
Best Candy Store: The Taffy Shop in Estes Park, Colorado
Try a number of unique flavors at The Taffy Shop — Photo courtesy of The Taffy Shop
Since 1935, visitors have popped into The Taffy Shop to watch candymakers create the store’s iconic Estes Park Salt Water Taffy. Not only can you get your favorite tried-and-true flavors such as lemon, vanilla, and peppermint, but also daily flavors such as blueberry, chocolate cherry, and orange creamsicle.
Full list of winners: Best Candy Store »
Best Chocolate Shop: Pizzelle’s Confections in Huntsville, Alabama
Stop in at Pizzelle’s Confections for chocolate with a Southern twist — Photo courtesy of Lauri Patterson / E+ Getty Images
Made with fair trade Felchlin chocolate, Pizzelle’s Confections look almost too good to eat. Almost. After all, who could resist their eye-catching and uniquely flavored bonbons and chocolate bars that taste as good as they look? For a taste of Alabama, try the Steel Magnolia, crafted with chicory and coffee.
Full list of winners: Best Chocolate Shop »
Best Cookie Shop: Grandma’s Cookies on Main in St. Charles, Missouri
Grandma’s Cookies on Main is ready to satisfy your cookie cravings — Photo courtesy of Sara Schulte Photography
Perched just west of the banks of the Missouri River, Grandma’s Cookies on Main offers a wide array of sugary snacks to the St. Louis metro area. Visitors can dine on oatmeal raisin and coconut cookies during a visit, while dairy-free options like snickerdoodle and sugar sprinkle are up for grabs as well.
Full list of winners: Best Cookie Shop »
Best Dessert / Treat Chain: Crumbl Cookies
Crumbl Cookies wins Best Dessert / Treat Chain for second year in a row — Photo courtesy of Crumbl
Two cousins tirelessly tested recipes until they created what they thought was the world’s best chocolate chip cookie, and the first Crumbl store debuted in Logan, Utah, in 2017. Expect that award-winning milk chocolate chip cookie on every menu across all 50 states as well as chilled pink sugar cookies and others inspired by desserts like brownies, cake batter, and dulce de leche.
Full list of winners: Best Dessert / Treat Chain »
Best Donut Shop: City Donut in Orange Beach, Alabama
Flavor options abound at City Donut — Photo courtesy of City Donut
Your taste buds will be humming when they see City Donut’s freshly made doughnuts. Choose from traditional yeast or cake doughnuts that come with a variety of flavors, such as key lime-filled, Oreo-topped, maple iced, and many more. To up the decadence, grab a milkshake or boba drink to go with your sweet treat.
Full list of winners: Best Donut Shop »
Best Ice Cream Shop: An’s Dry Cleaning in San Diego, California
Expect gelato as unique as the ice cream shop’s name at An’s Dry Cleaning — Photo courtesy of Kris Warren, An’s Gelato
The made-from-scratch gelato flavors at An’s Dry Cleaning are named after fabrics, like taffeta and twill, as an homage to the dry cleaning business that originally inhabited the historic 1934 building. The rotating menu offers options such as mango and peaches, macadamia, and lavender with honey and oats.
Full list of winners: Best Ice Cream Shop »
Best Pie Shop: Stockholm Pie and General Store in Stockholm, Wisconsin
Stop in for a slice or order a whole pie at Stockholm Pie and General Store — Photo courtesy of Stockholm Pie & General Store
Stockholm Pie and General Store offers more than 20 pie flavors on weekends, drawing visitors with favorites like chocolate cream, raisin sour cream, and butterscotch pecan. Those hoping to sample a Swedish-inspired favorite can spring for the lingonberry lemon, a decadent dessert that combines citrus with one of Scandinavia’s favorite fruits.
Full list of winners: Best Pie Shop »
Congratulations to all these winners! Remember to visit 10best.usatoday.com daily to vote in more Readers’ Choice Awards.
