The Las Vegas Dessert Blog

Las Vegas has become a foodie hotspot, and any great foodie tour ends with dessert. For some of us, foodie tours also begin with dessert. Here are all our best dessert blogs in one place. BEWARE - You'll be in a sugar coma before you reach the end of the page.Let's start our Las Vegas dessert tour alphabetically with donuts. Donuts put the 'D' in dessert. Probably. On your mark, get set, dough!

Donuts

Donut Bar

Donut Bar, located at 124 S. 6th St., has a large selection. Literally. Their Big Poppa Tart is over a pound, and the center is an entire blueberry ‎Pop-Tart®. They added blueberry jelly and crumbled more Pop-Tart® on top. There's nothing subtle about Las Vegas, and Donut Bar wanted to make sure the same was true of the Big Poppa Tart. This is the doughnut that put them on the map and is probably big enough to be seen in Google's satellite view. If you need a challenge, love ‎Pop-Tarts® or believe everything is bigger in Texas, check out the Big Poppa Tart. If excess is not your thing, they also have a very popular Crème brûlée doughnut and even vegan options. You can finally commit to being a vegan Las Vegan.

Pinkbox Doughnuts

What goes better with pink than magical unicorns, rainbow frosting and poop? Wait, what??? Pinkbox has three locations, though only the 7531 W. Lake Mead Blvd. shop is technically in city limits. Chef Amanda, working out of the Henderson location, dreamed up a unicorn poomoji doughnut dubbed the "My Little Doughny". A vanilla cake doughnut piled high with rainbow buttercream frosting, white icing and edible glitter that will make the six year-old girl inside you squee with delight (then talk too much and run in circles until she passes out). If it's too early in the morning for four inches of frosting (as if), Pinkbox has many other unique and tasty creations. The blueberry cake doughnut gets rave reviews.

Coco Donuts

Coco Donuts at 10040 W. Cheyenne Ave. has an impressive variety of Dough'sants (also known as cronuts, also known as hipster baklava because we just made that up). You may have tried a standard-issue dough'sant, but Coco offers flakey layers of crunchy and sweet paired with glaze, powdered sugar, icings or coconut. If you're a croissant connoisseur or maybe glazed dough is just not bougie enough for you, Coco might be the place for you.

Dee's Donuts

If you're way out in the northwest visiting a hidden gem of a park like Floyd Lamb, you may think you've left civilization. There couldn't possibly be doughnuts anywhere in the area. You'd be wrong. Not about Floyd Lamb at Tule Springs, obviously. At 6401 N. Durango Drive tucked away in a shopping center, Dee's Donuts has a great, inexpensive selection and friendly staff. They have everything from apple fritters to buttermilk bars to cinnamon rolls, but we settled on the chocolate covered strawberry doughnut. We all agreed it was PHAT (pretty, hot and tasty).

We had all just finished watching Clueless, but that's getting off topic. However, with over 160 five-star reviews on Yelp, Dee's must being doing a lot right.

Real Donuts

If you're in the famed Las Vegas Medical District (and hopefully not for any sugar-related ailments), there's a hole-in-the-wall (or doughnut-hole-in-the-wall, if you will) at 1811 W. Charleston Blvd. called Real Donuts. While they may lack the glitz and glamour of a Pinkbox or Donut Bar, they have great reviews online for their simple, fresh and inexpensive selection. We have brought a smile to many a coworker's face with some Real Donuts assorted doughnut holes.

No matter what you are in the mood for, these five doughnut shops in the city of Las Vegas are the best of the best as decided by you- the eating public. There are fancy doughnuts. There are bold and expressive doughnuts. Sometimes you don't need a doughnut to pretend to be anything more than it is- a fried piece of dough that will exist for about 10 seconds after you decide to devour it. Whatever your doughnut preference, Vegas is where it's at.

Ice Cream

Let's get real. During the summer months it can seem like we are living on the face of the sun here in Las Vegas. Keeping cool in Vegas is always a challenge, but never fear, we are here to help you chill with three fantastic frozen treats you have to try!

Bruled Banana Split

Ada's Kitchen

You can't beat a banana split for ice cream indulgence, and Ada's, though not technically an ice cream parlor, provides what just might be Vegas' best split. Start with luscious homemade vanilla, Amazonian milk chocolate and strawberry balsamic ice creams. Ada's brings all the toppings, hot fudge, pineapple, cherries, whip cream and nuts, but then they kick it up a notch with the bananas.

The bananas are sugared and torched creating a crispy texture to go with all the creamy goodness.

If a banana split is a little too much for you, try some of Ada's other amazing frozen flavors all made in house with fresh ingredients. The flavors change regularly to take advantage seasonal ingredients, and we highly recommend the peach ricotta, pistachio and sea salt caramel.

The Western

Luv It Frozen Custard

It's late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's favorite spot in Las Vegas, and if you visit Luv It Frozen Custard, you will see why. A Las Vegas staple since opening in a small shack on Oakey Boulevard just east of the Las Vegas Strip in 1973, Luv it has rotating flavors of Las Vegas custard with a laundry list of more than 25 toppings and 20 specialty sundaes.

Some of the specialty sundaes include the banana fudge crumble, featuring hot fudge, bananas and crushed Oreos, and the scotch jimmie with butterscotch, bananas and chocolate sprinkles.

If you are visiting for the first time, you will want the traditional and most popular Sundae, the Western. Hot fudge, caramel and salty pecans on top of your choice of frozen custard. We suggest vanilla as it is the perfect complement for the sweet and salty toppings.

Rainbow Shave Ice with Ice Cream

Frozen Frog

Being Hawaii's unofficial ninth island means Las Vegans know great shave ice when they taste it. In Las Vegas if you need an icy treat to beat the heat you head to the Frozen Frog. With more than 65 flavors to try on their huge servings of soft shave ice there is something for everyone.

We like variety so the recommendation here is to go rainbow and mix a few flavors, to get a perfect Instagram shot.

For the ultimate upgrade ask to add a scoop of Thrifty ice cream to the bottom of your Shave Ice, and don't forget to pick out what color of gummy frog you want on top!

Northwest Nom Noms

Great cookies are the perfect treat. Compact, delicious with more variations than one can imagine. I'm pretty sure in the Constitution there is a mention of an unalienable right to great cookies. If not, there should be.

Las Vegas is of course a great food city, but it is also a city that knows that beyond all the fancy four-star dining there is something so right about that perfect cookie bite. There is a plethora of great cookies here, but if you find yourself in the beautiful northwest part of the city, there are three must tries.

Bagel Café's Black and White Cookie

Simple but delicious, a black and white cookie is a classic, but only if done right. The folks at the Bagel Café know what they are doing. A spongy cake-like cookie with a rich chocolate icing meeting its snowy white counterpart. This cookie is straight out of a New York City deli and bakery.

Savvas and Shari Andrews moved to Las Vegas from Long Island, New York, in 1995 with their three children and wanted to open a place that felt like home for transplanted New Yorkers, and thus was born the Bagel Café. You want a bagel and schmear? A pastrami on homemade marble rye or a bowl of matzo ball soup? The Bagel Café has you covered, but today we are talking cookies.

How to eat a black and white cookie? I go Seinfeld style.

"The key to eating a black and white cookie… is you want to get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate."

Look to the cookie people. Look to the cookie.

Retro Bakery Megachip Cookie

You know something is going to be special when it is mega, and that is the case with this behemoth of a cookie. The Megachip brings all your favorite flavors together and is the ultimate "more is better" treat.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips are joined by white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and the topper - butterscotch chips. Retro Bakery puts them all together so that you are get a chip overload with every bite of their cookie.

Retro has been cranking out sweet treats since 2008, and has other great cookies and cupcakes to offer. Another monster is a sprinkle-laden sugar cookie that seems like it would be rocket fuel for elementary school-aged kiddos. Take note grandparents who like to spoil grandchildren then drop them off to their parents for the inevitable sugar-fueled meltdown.

However, at the end of the day, if you are going to cheat on your diet, you want to go mega and enjoy all those chips held together by an amazing cookie batter.

Ruby Snap Scarlett Cookie

So, you are strolling through the local Smith's Marketplace in Skye Canyon doing your weekly shopping when you stumble upon a cookie kiosk with Ruby Snap cookies. Life is good.

Ruby Snap is a growing cookie empire based in Salt Lake City, Utah, but you can get your hands on them in Northwest Las Vegas. The vibe is very Rosie the Riveter meets 1950's pinups, with cookies named Audrey, Judy, Betty, Frida and more. It is a lot of fun.

The Scarlett Red Velvet Amore is perfect in its simplicity. A thick dumpling of a red velvet cookie topped with a swirl of thick cream cheese frosting. Ruby Snap is all-natural when it comes to ingredients, so no need to worry about artificial coloring in the Scarlett.

Pancakes

Do pancakes qualify as desssert? Well, did you ever try them covered in whipped cream and chocolate or made out of red velvet cake? Read on.

MTO Cafe

MTO brings some unique offerings to the Las Vegas pancake scene. The vegan carrot and coconut with pecans and agave nectar is a healthier option that does not lack on the taste front.

The kids, or kids at heart, will be all over the seasonal berry or the banana chocolate chip. Both covered in whipped cream. You can add syrup to these two, but it is not necessary with all the toppings that MTO loads on.

Babystacks Cafe

Variety is the name of the pancake game at Babystacks with more than 22 combinations on the menu. The range of flavors is dizzying from rocky road to carrot cake and bananas foster to lemon ricotta, there are no wrong choices here.

Standouts include the unique orange creamsicle that utilizes a cream cheese syrup on bright orange flavored pancakes to create that creamy taste everyone remembers from their childhood.

The most popular flavor here is the red velvet. These are decadent with a capital D. Many joints have jumped on the red velvet bandwagon but Babystacks' version features crumbles of real chocolate on top and a sweet cream cheese based syrup that tastes just like red velvet cake frosting. These are pretty close to a desert and are a must for anyone who has ever wanted a red velvet cupcake for breakfast.

Pastries

Pastries are where it is at. These are treats that your average baker may not have the skill or patience to make. We can all roll out some chocolate chip cookies or a cake from a box, but sometimes we need an expert to construct us something special. Therefore, without further ado, here are five pastries you will want to try.

Cake World Sweet Bread

Can we talk about smells for a minute? Just go to Cake World midmorning and breathe in the smells. You can smell all the bread and baking goodness. It is amazing, and worth your time, even if you don't buy any of the succulent treats.

Of course, you are going to get a pastry and the one you want is the sweet bread. Cake World has all the Mexican pastries you know and love, concha, abrazo, orejas and more. You will want to get a variety, but the simple Pan Fino is our choice. A sweet bread with a slightly crunchy exterior and a soft interior that is chewy not unlike a traditional cinnamon roll.

This popular choice features a pink sugar paste that weaves through the dough and is made from sugar, vanilla, water, flour and shortening. The highlight is the sugared outside that brings another texture into play.

German Bread Bakery Apple Strudel

First off, the people at the German Bread Bakery are awesome. You will fall in love with them and their wonderful creations. Serving the Desert Shores and Summerlin area since 2011 this bakery specializes in traditional German breads and pastries. They even sell bags of pretzel crumbs to coat your schnitzel.

Schnitzel aside, you need to get the apple strudel here. A flakey crust with a sweet glaze packed with apples. The crust to apple ratio is perfect and they use both apple slices and cubed apples resulting in apple in every bite. Just eat it, you'll thank us.

Kneaders Chocolate Mousse Dome

Chocoholics rejoice! This one is for you. Chocolate cake topped with a mound of imported Swiss chocolate mousse and covered with a rich dark chocolate ganache. Add a dollop of whip cream and some chocolate shavings and you are ready to reach chocolate nirvana.

Kneaders is an Orem, Utah import that began in 1997 and now has two Las Vegas locations. They pride themselves on old-world bread baking techniques. Sounds fancy, but really I just want more of the chocolate domes.

Seriously, if you can finish an entire dome you will need a nap. So save room during those holiday gatherings and then unveil these beauties to cap off the meal.

La Belle Terre - Pistachio Sponge Cake

Ok pack your bags for France people. La Belle Terre translates to the beautiful earth. Impressive name, but the pastries fit the bill.

All the French favorites make an appearance in the pastry case here from croissants to macarons and napoleons. Their bakers are always coming up with new treats, and we recommend the pistachio sponge cake.

A base of sponge cake with a vibrant green pistachio buttercream and layers of tempered dark chocolate. Add some pistachios for crunch and you have a perfect treat for a special occasion.

PublicUs - Raspberry Crossada

The recent food trend of the cronut, a croissant fused with a donut has had its time in the sun. Now I introduce you to the crossada! That is right we aren't just marrying a croissant to a donut we are going to get the hook up with a malasada.

A malasada is a deep fried Portuguese donut that is more airy than its American cousin is. Combine it with the yeast-leavened buttery layers of a croissant and the mad scientists at PublicUs have created a masterpiece.

The crossada is a sugar-covered horn that has dense buttery layers once you crack the gloriously crispy outer shell. Just for good measure, PublicUs adds a tart raspberry jam to bring it to another level.

Amazingly instagrammable, the crossada also will not disappoint your taste buds.

Popcorn

Popcorn for dessert? Let us all play pretend. Imagine you are at the movies getting ready for a big summer blockbuster. Alternatively, maybe you are getting ready to watch the big game with your bros. Perhaps, you are snuggled in a blanket on your couch preparing to cry your way through your favorite sappy Hallmark Channel romance. In all three cases, you are going need a snack and everyone's go to is popcorn.

It'seasy to prepare and delicious. But this is Vegas. If we are going to do popcorn, why not a s'more's popcorn from local popcorn purveyor Popcorn Girl.

Popcorn Girl boasts three valley locations including the original store at 8550 W. Charleston Blvd. Laurie Sabol is the owner and original popcorn girl, starting the business in 2009.

Sabol's philosophy is high quality ingredients. If there is a flavor a customer can dream up, she and her team of popcornologists will try to make it.

"Our stores really have a small town country store feel to them," Sabol said. "We have a lot of flavors and our staff does a great job of talking to our customers to find out what flavor may be a good fit for them."

That job is easier said than done with more than 60 flavors that can be combined to create even more tasty sensations. Some Popcorn Girl customer favorites include:

• Crazy Cornfetti - a colorful mix of different fruit flavors
• Sea Salt Carmel - with homemade caramel and a pinch of salt
• S'mores - Hershey's chocolate bars, graham cracker pieces and a drizzle of marshmallow
• Jalapeno Ranch/Dill Pickle - the spicy with the dill is a favorite according to Sabol
• Denver Mix - White cheddar and caramel corn mixed together

Other unique flavors include red hot cinnamon, wacky watermelon, peanut butter chocolate, banana cream and strawberry cheesecake.

Strawberry Cake

Freed's Bakery

Freed's strawberry shortcake gets its own category because it's that good. Freed's has been around since the 1950s and has been voted the "Best of Las Vegas" for over 30 years running. With a famous location on South Eastern Avenue near Henderson and a new one in the northwest on North Decatur Boulevard near the Clark County 215 beltway. You can watch the Freed's team create their famous masterpieces on the Food Network's hit show "Vegas Cakes," which gives viewers an inside look at the unbelievable creations.

Waffles

Hey, if pancakes get to join the Las Vegas dessert tour then we can't leave out their sturdier cousin the waffle.

Stacks & Yolks: Churro Waffle

If you are one of those people who can't visit Disneyland without having multiple churros, then you are in luck, because you can now get your fix right here in Las Vegas in waffle-form at Stacks & Yolks. This is a match made in heaven - fluffy waffle meets cinnamon churro. This plate-sized treat comes out with an ice cream scoop of melting butter on top. The crispy, crunchy outer shell is completely covered in cinnamon sugar and inside is a fluffy donut-like consistency. You do not even need syrup to enjoy this delicacy. When you finish the waffle you will find a combination of butter and cinnamon left on your plate that will remind you of what is left in the pan after baking cinnamon rolls. Go ahead and use your fork to scrape up that last little bit of cinnamon-goodness, we won't judge.

Waffelato: Waffelato

What is a waffelato? Exactly what it sounds like, a waffle with gelato. Located in Container Park, Waffelato specializes in Hong Kong style egg waffles and Italian gelato. Their waffles are made to order and available in chocolate, vanilla and marble (you're going to want to get the marble.) The combo of a fresh hot waffle with a scoop or two of cold gelato is the perfect yin and yang. And if you opt to do the waffle on its own, it makes for a just as delicious snack!

We'll update this blog when we find a dessert that starts with Z.

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