I have been to New York City multiple times throughout my life and even lived in the city for six weeks this summer. As a complete dessert-junkie, it was only natural for me to flock to every dessert place I came across. Here are some of my favorites:
Levain Bakery.
I would like to thank Taylor Swift for helping me discover this place. I first saw Levain’s giant cookies on her Instagram page, and decided to give them a try. Best decision I ever made. These cookies are life changing, and they give them to you fresh out of the oven. They have a crunchy outside, and a gooey inside. The trek to the Upper West Side is a must for these bad boys.
What I recommend: The Chocolate Chip Walnut cookie.
Serendipity 3.
Serendipity is a small, quaint restaurant on the East side of Manhattan famous for their desserts. It is a popular hangout for many celebrities, and has been featured in many movies. They even have a $1000 sundae with shavings of real gold. They are famous for their frozen hot chocolate, which comes in many flavors. They also have old-fashioned sundaes that are unlike anything you could ever dream of (and you might want to share because they are HUGE).
What I recommend: The Frrrozen Hot Chocolate.
Momofuku Milk Bar.
Located throughout Manhattan, Momofuku is definitely unique. They are famous for their cereal milk soft serve ice cream, which is made out of cornflake-soaked milk (aka the equivalent to the milk you drink after you finish your cereal). They also have out of the box flavors of cookies, pies, whole cakes, and cake truffles.
What I Recommend: The Cereal Milk Soft Serve with the Cornflake Crunch, as well as the Birthday Cake Truffles.
Elieen’s Special Cheesecake.
Located in Soho, Elieen’s is a hole-in-the-wall shop with all things cheesecake. They have one giant display case filled with individual cheesecakes in just about every flavor you can imagine. Elieen’s is a must because you can’t leave NYC without having cheesecake.
What I Recommend: The Salted Caramel Cheesecake.
Schmackary’s.
Schmackary’s is located in the Theater District, so it is the perfect stop for a pre, or post, show dessert. They have a wide variety of cookies both in classic and unique flavors.
What I Recommend: The Classic Chocolate Chip (which has a hint of sea salt) and the Red Velvet (which has cream cheese icing).
Dominique Ansel Bakery.
Located in Soho, this bakery is known for its very innovative creations. Ansel was the original creator of the Cronut (half croissant, half doughnut), which is nearly impossible to get unless you get in line at 7 a.m. Some of his other creations that are possible to try are the Frozen S’more and the Cookie Shot (which is only available after 3pm).
What I Recommend: The DKA (Some people say it’s even better than the Cronut) and the Cookie Shot.
Sprinkles.
Coined as the first cupcake bakery, Sprinkles is based out of L.A. but opened a shop in the city a few years ago. They recently added ice cream and cookies to their menu as well. They have best red velvet cupcake you will ever have. They also have a Cupcake ATM (!!!!)
What I Recommend: The Red Velvet Cupcake.
Carlo’s Bakery (Times Square location).
The famous bakery from the hit TLC show Cake Boss is a hot spot for NYC tourists located across the river in New Jersey. Forget traveling to the original shop in Hoboken and waiting in line for hours. The Time Square location has all of the same desserts, and you can be in and out in 20 minutes.
What I Recommend: The Lobster Tails.
Georgetown Cupcake.
The famous cupcake shop from the TLC show, DC Cupcakes, has a location in the city. I have heard horror stories of people waiting in line for hours at the original shop in D.C., so I never even attempted to go there. The Georgetown in Soho is hardly ever full, and you can be in and out in 5 minutes.
What I Recommend: The Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cupcake.
Traveling to NYC for the dessert is a good enough reason, isn't it?
