Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025 - Full List

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked wth an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25, #21-25, #16-20, #11-15, #6-10, and #1-5.)

• • •

It's been a great week exploring the top sweets in Chicago. Click the links above for longer write-ups and tips. Here's the full list:

(1) Afternoon tea bun at Lost Larson*

(2) Caramel cake slice at Brown Sugar Bakery*

(3) Goat cheese cashew caramel gelato at Black Dog Gelato

(4) Strawberry rhubarb pie at Bang Bang Pie (rotating menu)
(5) Ellen from Alliance Bakery

(6) Bread pudding at Bar Roma*

(7) Valrhona chocolate iced doughnut at Firecakes

(8) Iced housemade chai with ube syrup at Del Sur Bakery*

(9) Panna cotta at Spacca Napoli

(10) Earl grey swirl ice cream at Bartleby's* (rotating menu)

(11) Vanilla sour cream doughnut at Downstate Donuts*

(12) Sour cream dutch apple pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company (rotating menu)

(13) Cookie dough peanut butter milkshake at Chicago Diner

(14) Authentic drinking chocolate at XOCO

(15) Lemon-raspberry brioche French toast at M. Henry

(16) Purple velvet cupcake at Jennivee’s Bakery

(17) Tiramisu at "Original" Ferrera Bakery

(18) Pecan caramel crisp popcorn from Garrett Popcorn

(19) Death by chocolate sundae at Vaca's Creamery*

(20) Chilled drinking chocolate from Katherine Anne Confections*

(21) Cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather*

(22) Earl grey custard and sea salt caramel Japanese soufflé pancakes at Hanabusa Cafe*

(23) Raspberry pie at Shaw's Crab House*

(24) Tagalong cake at Defloured (rotating menu)

(25) Oreo frosted brownie from Sweet Mandy B's*

Honorable mention: Pretty much anything from Mindy's Bakery*

Gone, but not forgotten: Chai-infused French toast from Orange (R.I.P.)

Favorite non-Chicago dessert spot in Chicago: Jeni's Ice Creams (nationwide, originally from Columbus, OH)

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #1-5

Lost Larson spread, left to right: almond croissant,
lingonberry cake, afternoon tea bun, chocolate croissant

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25, #16-20, #11-15, and #6-10.)

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(1) Afternoon tea bun at Lost Larson*: Flaky dough rolled into a spiral, covered in granulated earl grey sugar and lemon zest. There is always a slight caramelization on the bottom. It is simple, yet mind-blowing. At Chicago's best bakery, this one stands on top. But, honestly, other pastries there could've made this list, too.

(2) Caramel cake slice at Brown Sugar Bakery*: It's sticky, it's gooey, it's caramel-y. I did not know cake icing could be like this. And the cake itself is moist and delish. Probably the best cake slice I've ever had. I will forever be missing their Navy Pier outpost because I don't get down to E 75th St. all that much.

Black Dog Gelato

(3) Goat cheese cashew caramel gelato at Black Dog Gelato - When I moved away from Chicago for a brief spell, this dessert was the last thing I ate before driving out of the city. A subtly sour goat cheese gelato base, a bitter burnt caramel swirl, and crunchy cashews. What it does to my taste buds is borderline erotic.

(4) Strawberry rhubarb pie at Bang Bang Pie (rotating menu) - I've said it before and I'll say it again: The best slice of pie I have had in my life. Sadly, these fruits are not always in season, but at Bang Bang Pie it's pretty much all incredible.

(5) Ellen from Alliance Bakery - The Ellen is a layered pistachio, white chocolate, and cinnamon mousse dessert. It is delicate, which means you have to pretend to be eating it daintily while you shovel it in your face.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #6-10

Valrhona chocolate iced doughnut at Firecakes

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25, #16-20, and #11-15.)

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(6) Bread pudding at Bar Roma*: Tart cherries and dark chocolate always go well together; in an expertly prepared bread pudding they are pure bliss. Top it with salted caramel and *mwah* chef's kiss. (I recommend getting the vanilla gelato on the side.) Side note: Bar Roma is my wife and I's favorite date spot. Don't miss their cacio e pepe.

(7) Valrhona chocolate iced doughnut at Firecakes: Without a doubt the best chocolate icing I've ever had on a doughnut. It's definitely icing textured, but it tastes like a bite of fine chocolate. And Firecakes' yeast doughnuts are where it's at, whether this classic or their more creative flavors that rotate in and out, like dulce de leche and strawberry mascarpone.

(8) Iced housemade chai with ube syrup at Del Sur Bakery*: There is no shortage of items with complexity to their flavor at Del Sur, but the best example may be their chai. Their website notes that the chai contains "clove, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, star anise, cardamom, rose water, and orange." I added some of their housemade ube syrup. I have had numerous ube beverages; this one was the truth.

Spacca Napoli

(9) Panna cotta at Spacca Napoli: If you close your eyes, you might think you are eating the silkiest vanilla gelato ever, punctuated by fruit and a balsamic drizzle. This jiggly Italian custard delivers. An elegant ending after eating the best Neapolitan-style pizza in Chicago.

(10) Earl grey swirl ice cream at Bartleby's* (rotating menu): This was a seasonal fall flavor almost a year ago and I dream of it still. The swirl was a tart raspberry, adding a punch to the warm flavor of the earl grey ice cream base. I'm also a big fan of their honeycomb crunch and my wife always brings home a pint of their dairy-free chocolate ice cream.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #11-15

Downstate Donuts spread

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25 and #16-20.)

• • •

(11) Vanilla sour cream doughnut at Downstate Donuts*: My absolute favorite donut from Downstate Donuts is the strawberry rosé, but it's a rare find. The good news is it's only a hair better than this, their most classic doughnut. Downstate incorporates potatoes into their dough, making their cake doughnuts standouts regardless of the glaze/topping. This vanilla sour cream glaze adds a tang to the experience.

(12) Sour cream dutch apple pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company (rotating menu): As I've said before, Hoosier Mama is the queen of the custard pies in Chicago...but her sour cream fruit pies are even better. I've also had the sour cream blackberry, which would rank equally high on this list. The dutch apple one is just a titch better in my opinion.

(13) Cookie dough peanut butter milkshake at Chicago Diner: The best milkshake in the city is vegan. From the makers of the famous veggie Reuben sandwich comes a perfect milkshake that tastes like peanut butter cookie dough if it had been named by Yoda. Did I mention it's vegan? It's vegan.

Xoco

(14) Authentic drinking chocolate at XOCO: From Chicago chef Rick Bayliss, this spot offers tasty tortas, ho hum churros and, the best of the bunch, Mexican drinking chocolate. They offer it in classic or Aztec, which has a spicy kick to it. Which is better? Honestly, depends on one's mood. You can't lose.

(15) Lemon-raspberry brioche French toast at M. Henry: I take all of my out-of-town guests to M. Henry. Usually when I go to brunch, I like to split with a friend, so we can get half savory and half sweet. At M. Henry splitting isn't necessary because the morning sugar high of downing all the French toast is well worth it.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #16-20

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25.)

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(16) Purple velvet cupcake at Jennivee’s Bakery: As I've said before, while purple velvet is also available as an airy cake slice, the dense cupcake is the better choice for this particular flavor. While ube can sometimes be a delicate flavor, as a cake frosting, it packs more punch. The denseness of the cupcake helps bring the flavor back down to earth.

(17) Tiramisu at "Original" Ferrara Bakery: Everyone has their preference of what component of their tiramisu should be front and center. Is it the espresso? The chocolate? The ladyfingers? For me, it's the custard, offset by the cocoa dusting on top. And that is why this is the perfect tiramisu. One of several tasty items at Ferrara.

(18) Pecan caramel crisp popcorn from Garrett Popcorn: I defy any dessert-loving omnivore to pass by a Garrett Popcorn without salivating; they pump the intoxicating scent of melted butter and sugar out into the street in front of their stores, making such resistance an impossibility. Most Chicago popcorn fans will point you toward the cheese and caramel popcorn mixture, but I say hold the cheese and add pecans.

(19) Death by chocolate sundae at Vaca's Creamery*: Vaca's offers delectable vegan soft serve in chocolate, vanilla, or twist with homemade vegan toppings based on nostalgic treats. Death by chocolate has chocolate shell--their version of magic shell--and brownie bites. Gobs of chocolate here. They also offer two additional soft serve flavors of the month along with pints of other flavors featuring mix-ins.

(20) Chilled drinking chocolate from Katherine Anne Confections*: A perennial favorite for me at the Andersonville farmer's market, Katherine Anne is best known for the chocolates and caramels. The chilled drinking chocolate features some salted caramel, homemade whipped cream, and cocoa nibs for texture. Simply divine.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #21-25

Shaw's Crab House raspberry pie

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018.

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(21) Cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather*: A Chicago staple that I'm ashamed to have not included in my 2018 list of Top Chicago Sweets. Breakfast entrees come with two sides and each side of cinnamon rolls comes with two, so conceivably you can have two now and two later. I would know. As for the meal, I tend to go (mostly) savory with the Swedish breakfast sampler.

(22) Earl grey custard and sea salt caramel Japanese soufflé pancakes at Hanabusa Cafe*: Ever have soufflé pancakes? They're airy and lite...and they jiggle. If that weren't enough, at Hanabusa they top the pancakes with something more unique than syrup. The earl grey custard and sea salt caramel wage a delicious battle in my mouth where the winner is always me.

(23) Raspberry pie at Shaw's Crab House*: If jam is the more fruit-forward version of jelly, what is the even more fruit-forward version of jam? Answer: This pie. Just crust and loads and loads of raspberry filling. There's nothing gelatinous about it. I recommend getting a scoop of ice cream on the side to balance out the tartness.

Oreo frosted brownie
from Sweet Mandy B's

(24) Tagalong cake at Defloured (rotating menu)* - This gluten-free bakery features a cake of the week and only offers this one once a year around Girl Scout cookie season, but everything about it is worth the wait. One of my favorite chocolate peanut butter things! Also grab the almond fruit bar, which may not look as fanciful as their other stuff, but gives the Tagalong cake competition, imho.

(25) Oreo frosted brownie from Sweet Mandy B's*: This is a lot of brownie right here. Typically, I buy the Oreo brownie at the Streeterville location, eat about half and go to the movies nearby. Then, once I'm seated, I usually decide saving the second half of the brownie for later was unnecessary bargaining and down the rest of it post haste. Just make sure you have water with you because it is suh-weet.

Del Sur Bakery in Chicago, IL

Choose wisely -or- buy one of each.

My various feeds inform me that this new-ish Filipino bakery has gone "viral" and has long lines full of "influencers" filming themselves with different pastries. (I don't know if they, like, dance with the pastries or what exactly...) Here at Ice Cream U Scream we love words most, so here is my long-winded ranking of the different things my wife and I tried at Del Sur, from absolute favorite to good-but-not-my-favorite:

1. Housemade Chai with Ube Syrup - There is no shortage of items with complexity to their flavor at Del Sur, but the best example may be their chai. Their website notes that the chai contains "clove, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, star anise, cardamom, rose water, and orange." I'm sure it would have been a rollercoaster of flavor all by itself, but I had to add some of their housemade ube syrup for my iced chai latte. The beverage may be cold, but hot dang! I have had numerous ube beverages; this one was the truth.
2. Pandan Basque Cake - Buttery, dense cake that surely has some toasted rice flour mixed in, topped with pandan namelaka (think thick, yet light) cream and seasonal jam, which was guava. Guava and pandan? Holy moly, I may have a new favorite flavor combo!
3. Pumpkin Seed Croissant - Nutty and slightly earthly. This pastry is delightful, laugh-inducing pumpkin seed frangipane in a croissant topped with toasted pumpkin seeds. I don't usually consume pumpkin seeds en masse and, if you never have, eating a concentrated amount is, in a word, a thrill.

4. 

   Most of the spread.
   

   Calamansi Chamomile Bun - Just a big ol' punch of citrusy sunshine. The calamansi curd has a lightness to it that made me wonder if it was cut with a custard base. If so, the website makes no mention of it. And, my oh my, that dough with granulated sugar. (While it is chamomile sugar, the citrus kind of overpowers it.)
5. Bibingka (with guava and cream cheese filling) - The only item they were selling that isn't featured on their website, the bibingka was like an upside down muffin. This was the best way to serve it because the fillings sunk to the bottom while baking, so eating it upside down was clutch. More toasted rice flavor, more yum.
6. Adobo Brownie - My wife's first words after taking a bite were, "This is a very grown-up brownie." Not too sweet and with a host of subtle flavors. I'm just not sure that chocolate was the best vehicle for the multitude of flavors. Still good, though.
7. Toasted Rice Croissant - I mistakenly was expecting some sort of filling, something between buko and sticky rice. It was an unfilled croissant that partially used toasted rice flour. If someone gobbled it up without savoring they may mistake it for a normal, artisan croissant...not that there's anything wrong with a normal artisan croissant. But why get this when the pumpkin seed croissant uses the same dough?

Somewhat nondescript storefront
with line out the door.

8. Oatmeal Cream Pie - Cream pies have never been my favorite because it is a LOT of buttercream and cookies aren't exactly known for cutting through the richness. I had hoped for a bigger splash of ube flavor than the buttercream had.

Also available was a sesame seed covered hand pie (next time), a savory pastry with longanisa sausage, and a sweet pastry featuring banana. Needless to say, I did not purchase the pastry with the curséd fruit.

Classic Frozen Custard in Des Moines, IA

My only pair of shoes are wet, my umbrella is only mildly helping, and we've arrived in Des Moines much later than I had hoped after a 350 mile drive from Chicago. There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be than studying the menu at a clearly storied frozen custard stand. The spot is Classic Frozen Custard. I'm curious what this place looks like in the daytime, because it ain't much to look at at night. Luckily the menu is looking real nice.

Most frozen custard spots only have three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and a flavor of the day. Here at Classic Frozen Custard, their worn out signage shows nine(!) flavors and all of them sound tasty. I observe that this place is, as their name suggests, a classic custard joint with the huge machine behind the counter, not one of these new, fangled places serving up fancily named soft serve. So how does one explain the veritable cornucopia of options here? Either they don't make it fresh every day--no biggie--or they do good enough business that they are constantly in production. Given that the stand is both run-down and busy, it could go either way. That said, it's after 9:30pm on a Wednesday in Iowa and there has been a constant stream of cars in the drive-thru, plus a few chilly customers like me at the walk-up window.

After much chin stroking, I settle on a tree nut sampler: butter pecan, caramel cashew, and coconut. After they bring me more than a pint of freshly scooped frozen custard, a take it back to the car to enjoy. My lactose intolerant wife-to-be agrees that this place looks LEGIT, takes a Lactaid, and digs in to the butter pecan. She and I are both taken aback by how good it is. The caramel cashew is even better, but only by a hair. And the coconut (also euphoric) is chock full of toasted coconut bits.

This place is real good, y'all. Their menu is more than just scoops of custard, too; they offer twisters, sundaes, malts, shakes, and root beer floats, so there's something for everyone. If you're headed to Caitlin Clark's birthplace, stop at Classic Frozen Custard. "Once you lick it, you'll luv it!"

Macaron Bar (multiple Midwest locations)

I didn't truly understand macarons until I went to Paris in 2018. The place that did the trick for me was Pierre Hermé, which I've already blogged about. Since a new spot has opened up here in Andersonville-- Macaron Bar--I decided to give it a try. I walked through the doors and quickly realized that narrowing down to a few options would be a trial. I committed to a 12-pack, being sure to buy two with the same flavors so my sweetie and I could do a taste test.

Overall, the flavor varieties were mostly classic with an imaginative flare, the sweetness level was subtle and never cloying, and the texture was right--soft and slightly chewy, but with that fragile shell.

Here is my ranking of the flavors I tried, which is very close to my sweetie's ranking.

The best:

(1) Pistachio

(2) Snickerdoodle

(3) Black Raspberry Chocolate

(4) Earl Grey Tea

(5) Dark Chocolate

(6) Coconut

The rest:

(7) Hazelnut

(8) Salted Caramel

(9) Red Velvet

(10) Chicago Mix

(11) Lemon Lavender

(12) Strawberry Chocolate

Macaron Bar is a small chain, mostly located in the Midwest. Locations are on their website. Worth the try!

Parlor Doughnuts (located in multiple states)

Pictured: Cookies N' Cream, Cherry Cheesecake,
Coconut Cream, and Hibiscus Glazed

I have seen the future and it is Parlor Doughnuts. Just as Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams has grown from a humble Columbus, Ohio operation into a nationwide phenomenon, so will Parlor Doughnuts take over the USA. They are already off to a good start with locations in 13 states. Happily, I have eaten at them thrice: twice in Indiana (including their headquarters in Evansville) and once in Kentucky on my recent tour de south.

So what makes Parlor Doughnuts so special? Creative flavors, new spins on classics, and a donut design that is guaranteed to please.

What is this doughnut design, you ask? Beyond being gigantic, these doughnuts solve the cronut problem. Parlor Doughnuts makes layered doughnuts, fried to perfection with a crisp exterior and a flaky, doughy middle. Whatever they have done to seal the exterior successfully keeps the oil from seeping into the center--my biggest complaint with cronuts. They are neither a yeast doughnut nor a cake doughnut. Appearance-wise, Parlor's doughnuts are like croissants baked into a circle, whereas cronuts looked like doughnuts, only taller. And best of all: ALL of their doughnuts are made in this style, unlike cronuts which were always a specialty doughnut in short supply.

In my three visits to Parlor Doughnuts, I have tried a bunch of flavors: Strawberry Shortcake, Cookies N' Cream, Turtle, Coconut Cream Filled, Raspberry Pistachio, Hibiscus Glazed, Cherry Cheesecake, and their best seller, French Toast. Some of their doughnuts have filling, while others offer creative toppings. My favorites have been Hibiscus Glazed, which is their classic doughnut with no filling, and French Toast, which has cinnamon on top and layers of maple within. A lot of their flavors skew in the dessert column vs. the breakfast column, but for an occasional treat I will make an exception and eat dessert for breakfast.

Another cool thing is that each Parlor Doughnuts location has a unique logo. My only complaint is that the headquarters in Evansville, IN was out of their location-specific XL shirts.

Gibson's Donuts in Memphis, TN

Photo courtesy of Gibson's Facebook page.
My photos from Gibson's are missing, sadly.

Gentle readers, my research is never over. Every time I go on a trip, I research "best desserts," "best ice cream," "best doughnuts," "best bakery," and more. Often I arrive at a place that is good, but is missing that je ne sais quoi that makes it blog-worthy. Sometimes the destination is everything I wanted it to be and more. But rarely do I come across an instant classic, something so positively wonderful that not blogging about it would be a crime. Keep that final category in mind and I ramble on in my next paragraph...

My sweetie and I arrived at Gibson's Donuts between 8am and 9am on a Sunday and were greeted by a line out the door. The kind woman in front of us chatted with us about Memphis before marveling at how my sweet tooth brought us arrive at Gibson's. (My research is unparalleled.) She assured us that Gibson's is home to the best glazed doughnut anywhere. I tried not to pre-judge; I've heard such declarations before. Once our friendly line neighbor reached the counter, she ordered a dozen glazed and single blueberry cake doughnut. My order would be more modest, trying to check all the boxes one finds in a classic doughnut shop (fruity, custard-y, chocolate-y, etc.) in just four doughnuts--two for me and two for my beloved. Oh, and one of them had to be the aforementioned plain glazed, a solid choice for any classic doughnut shop.

Much to our delight, once it was our turn at the counter we were greeted with one free glazed each because we were first-timers, one warm and one room temperature. Both were as good as advertised, though I felt the room temperature offered slightly more of a flavor journey. I'll be honest that I don't remember much about the other doughnuts we got. Why? Because our friend from the line was correct: Gibson's glazed doughnut is home to the best glazed doughnut anywhere. Period.

This doughnut is the perfect mixture of the traditional yeast doughnut found at one of those classic mom 'n' pop doughnut shops (meaty and filling with that hint of something special in the glaze) and Krispy Kreme (sweet, airy, and gone in seconds). But how does Gibson's accomplish such a mixture of meaty and airy? It's just another secret of Memphis, the crossroads of country, soul, and rock 'n' roll.

Jeni's - Three Winners and a Dud

The aforementioned "three winners."

When I first blogged about Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in 2012, they were only in area of Columbus, Ohio (AKA the perfect halfway point when driving from Chicago to Virginia). Based on those visits, they made my list of Top 25 to Visit. Since then, they have slowly started taking over the country with pint in many grocery stores plus locations in eleven states, including several locations in Chicago. Jeni's is always innovating, so occasionally I find myself placing orders online to get the latest flavor since they don't always last long in scoop shops. Here is my review of four recent flavors:

Strawberry Pretzel Pie - From first bite I started asking myself, "Is this the best ice cream I have ever had?" While I think Toscanini's probably has an edge over Jeni's, this is undoubtedly the best I've ever gotten from a mass produced facility and the best to have ever graced the inside of my freezer. Sure the strawberry and pretzels are nice, but there is something magical in the base that made my tastebuds pause to savor. Made in collaboration with Dolly Parton to benefit her non-profit, you can feel good eating it as well. Get on Jeni's email list for the next time they manufacture this flavor because it sells out FAST.

Maple Soaked Pancakes - They could have just lazily made a maple ice cream with pancakes thrown in, but, no, they incorporated the buttery flavor necessary to make this a genuine breakfast experience. Promoted for National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, I only consumed the flavor at more conventional times because some slopes are too slippery to risk taking.

Sunshine - A flavor designed to raise awareness (and funds) towards children's mental health, I knew I wanted to support...and not just because it sounded delicious. A grey ice cream boasting of tasting "like sunshine on a cloudy day," it is a fruit ice cream with mouth-puckering punches of lemon, tangerine, and passion fruit. While not as over-the-top incredible as Jeni's buttermilk frozen yogurts--perhaps their best creations overall--this is still a must-try flavor.

Everything Bagel - Cream cheese ice cream is an excellent base for cheesecake ice cream. So imagine that. Now subtract enough sugar from the cream cheese base to make it more savory than sweet. Not add onion and garlic. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Thankfully, I only sampled the flavor, which was enough to send me running away at full speed. But some people must love it because this is not the first time they've had the flavor. So don't take my word for it; try it for yourself!

Carina's Cupcakery in Chicago

(Editor's note from 2025: Carina's Cupcakery shut down business on February 1, 2025. Just six months previous, Carina made the cakes for my wife and me's wedding celebration in Chicago. Gone, but not forgotten.)

• • •

A little over a year ago, a theatre artist friend posted that one of his theatre artist friends had started a cupcake business out of her home kitchen. I investigated, saw that she delivered (which has been so necessary in pandemic-land), and dove in, sweet tooth first. Her business, Carina's Cupcakery, may primarily be cupcakes and cakes, but she does many other things, too; over time she has delivered cake pops, caramel corn, and macarons along with my cupcake orders. (These additional items haven't made it to her website's menu yet, but I can attest to their quality for when they do!) 

Carina's specialty is flavors of the Philippines, some flavors I'd first been introduced to by another Jennivee's Bakery and others I first had from Carina. Another menu often features monthly specialty flavors, which means there's often something new I haven't tried on the menu. I've tried the ones I am most excited about and decided it was time to blog about it.

Without further ado, here is my personal ranking from favorite to not-my-favorite-but-still-tasty:

• 

  From Carina's Cupcakery's
  Facebook page.

  Date Night (chocolate covered strawberry, seasonal)
• Ube Jammin' (ube)
• Philippine Sun (mango pineapple)
• Ginger Spice (cinnamon and spices, seasonal)
• Chocolate Cravings (quadruple chocolate)
• Lemonade Stand (raspberry lemonade, seasonal)
• Spill the Tea (chai spices, seasonal)
• Cupcake de Coco (brown sugar and coconut)
• CocoJoy (coconut almond chocolate)
• Cupcakes 'n Cream (Oreo)
• Big Buko (pandan and coconut)
• So Corny (corn and coconut)

If you're like me, you'll try them and soon want to make your way through the menu. It's dangerous, but worth it. So if you're in Chicago, give Carina's Cupcakery a try!

Lost Larson in Chicago

If there's one reason to retcon my Best of Chicago Sweets List, it is Lost Larson. The bakery has become my favorite in Chicago. It's located in Andersonville between two of the neighborhood's longest Swedish holdouts--the Swedish Bakery and the delicatessen--before both tragically disappeared in the past five years. But while Lost Larson is definitely modern, it still keeps things Swedish, offering a lingonberry almond cake, limpa bread and semla, among others delicacies. In addition to their chai latte (the best I've ever had) and their cheddar and kale scone, these are my favorite items from Lost Larson:

(1) Afternoon Tea Bun - To the naked eye, it is a cinnamon roll shape that's merely covered in granulated sugar. Incorrect. There is sugar, lemon zest and earl grey. It is simple, yet mind-blowing. My favorite by far.

(2) Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding - Like everything at Lost Larson, the cinnamon rolls are good. The cinnamon roll bread pudding, however, is great. Dense and sweet. It may not have a cream cheese frosting, but it doesn't need it.

Afternoon Tea Bun.

(3) any seasonal fruit dough-y pastry - Croissant, danish, whatever they're calling it that day, get it. My favorite is when they have rhubarb, but that is more personal preference than studious recommendation.

(4) Chocolate Passionfruit Caramel Tart - Did I mention they do pastry of the non-dough variety? Lost Larson excels at this, too! What would you say to a dark chocolate tart topped with a caramel that has been flavored with passion fruit? You would say, "Yes. I would like to eat that now, please."

(5) Almond Croissant - Almond croissants were perfected in my mind by West Seattle's Bakery Nouveau. Here at Lost Larson, we have a worthy local option. The almond paste in the middle of this powdered sugar topped delight doesn't taste like marzipan and it doesn't taste like amaretto; it tastes like--who'da thunk?--almonds.

Downstate Donuts in Chicago, IL

Many of us Chicagoans have been craving the foods we cannot access easily during quarantine due to them being outside walking distance. Imagine my delight when a friend spread the gospel of a new doughnut place that delivers! The purveyor in question is Downstate Donuts, where the doughnuts are made with potatoes. Indeed when the half dozens have arrived at my door, they smelled like potato chips. They didn't taste like potato chips, but there's no denying that smell.

As the weeks continue to pass in quarantine, I've allowed myself to make more than one order to this wonderful establishment and create a list of their donuts, from my favorite to my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, though: all of them are good!

L-to-R: Wild Blueberry, Strawberry Rosé,
Lemon Mascarpone, Vanilla Sour Cream

Strawberry Rosé - My favorite of their offerings, they actually boast that this is their first savory doughnut...but it tastes sweet to me! The strawberry glaze is the best I've encountered.

L.R.P. (Lemon Ricotta Pistachio) - Hot on the tail of the previous doughnut, the layered combination gets better with each bite.

Vanilla Sour Cream - Don't bypass this one just because it sounds simple. This classic is classic for a reason.

Sweet Potato Maple - A delightful balance of sweet potato and maple, I actually prefer this version to their other option Maple Pecan, which has too much going on flavor-wise in my humble opinion.

Lemon Mascarpone - As you have probably deduced by now, in addition to having a variety of glazes, Downstate Donuts also uses different doughs. This particular doughnut is decadent and rich.

Italian Cream Cake - I ate the whole thing, but I'm still not totally clear on what was going on with it. All I know is that it was good. The website says the cake doughnut has coconut milk in it!

L-to-R: Vanilla Sour Cream, L.R.P.,
Chocolate Sea Salt, Brown Butter Chai

Wild Blueberry - The glaze has more than a hint of lemon in it, which sadly overpowers the blueberry, even though there are hunks of blueberries in the doughnut.

Brown Butter Chai - I expected more of a punch of flavor than I got in this doughnut, but when has cinnamon on a glazed doughnut ever been bad?

Chocolate Sea Salt - More salt than I prefer on this tasty chocolate glaze. I feel it necessary to reiterate that while this is near the bottom of the list, it still was good!

Salted Peanut Butter - This was the only doughnut of theirs that didn't taste unique to me. I feel I can grab something similar at other doughnut spots.

Delivery from Downstate Donuts is available on Saturday mornings only, so get your orders in before 5pm on Friday this week.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2018 - Full List

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25, #16-20, #11-15, #6-10, #1-5.)

• • •

1.) Strawberry rhubarb pie at Bang Bang Pie (seasonal)
2.) Ellen from Alliance Bakery
3.) Cioccolato at Osteria Langhe (rotating menu)
4.) Goat cheese cashew caramel gelato at Black Dog Gelato
5.) Strawberry mascarpone doughnut at Firecakes (seasonal)
6.) Apple pie at Chopping Block (only at Apple Fest)
7.) Sour cream Dutch apple pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company (rotating menu)
8.) Chai-infused French toast at Orange (pictured above)
9.) Cookie dough peanut butter milkshake at Chicago Diner
10.) Tagalong cake at Defloured (seasonal)
11.) Panna cotta at Spacca Napoli
12.) Chocolate chip cookie at Publican Quality Meats
13.) Authentic drinking chocolate at XOCO
14.) Stuffed French toast at M. Henry
15.) Almondolas from Amy's Candy Bar (seasonal)
16.) Katie cakes at Taste of Heaven
17.) Purple velvet cupcake at Jennivee’s Bakery
18.) Pumpkin cupcake at Molly's Cupcakes (seasonal)
19.) Tiramisu at "Original" Ferrera Bakery
20.) Pecan caramel corn from Garrett Popcorn

21.) Cheese and honey gelato from Frio Gelato 

22.) Cherry pie from First Slice Pie Cafe 

23.) Strawberry milkshake at Allende

24.) Mango Italian ice at Miko’s Italian Ice (closed during the winter)

25.) Coconut bao at Wow Bao

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2018: #1-5

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. (Jump to #21-25, #16-20, #11-15, #6-10.)

• • •

1.) Strawberry Rhubarb pie at Bang Bang Pie
I've said it before and I'll say it again: The best slice of pie I have had in my life. Sadly, these fruits are not always in season.

2.) Ellen from Alliance Bakery
The Ellen is a layered pistachio, white chocolate and cinnamon mousse dessert. It is delicate, which means you have to pretend to be eating it daintily while you shovel it in your face.

3.) Cioccolato at Osteria Langhe
Their menus change, but look for it if you go. The dinner I had there was my favorite ever in Chicago, though again the menu changes. All I can say is that while I ate this I understood chocolate in a new way.

4.) Goat Cheese Cashew Caramel gelato at Black Dog Gelato
When I moved away from Chicago for a brief spell, this dessert was the last thing I ate before driving out of the city. The things it does to my taste buds is borderline erotic.

5.) Strawberry Mascarpone doughnut at Firecakes
As I've said before, my second favorite doughnut of all time. This one is seasonal, though, so if you go when it's out of season, grab the Valrhona Chocolate Glazed yeast doughnut.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2018: #6-10

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. (Jump to #21-25, #16-20, #11-15, #1-5.)

• • •

6.) Apple Pie at Chopping Block
Don't tell my dad this, but this is the best apple pie I have ever eaten. Only available one weekend a year at Lincoln Square's AppleFest.

7.) Sour Cream Dutch Apple pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company 
As I've said before, Hoosier Mama is the queen of the custard pies in Chicago...but her sour cream fruit pies are even better. I've also had the sour cream blackberry, which would rank equally high on this list. This one it just a titch better in my opinion.

8.) Chai-infused French Toast at Orange (pictured above)
I've blogged about this before, but I still believe it puts other French toasts to shame.

9.) Cookie Dough Peanut Butter milkshake at Chicago Diner
The best milkshake in the city is vegan. From the makers of the famous veggie Reuben sandwich comes a perfect milkshake. Did I mention it's vegan? It's vegan.

10.) Tagalong cake at Defloured
The best slice of cake I have eaten in my life...and it's from a gluten-free bakery! Defloured features a Cake of the Week and only offers this one once a year around Girl Scout season, but everything about it is worth the wait.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2018: #11-15

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. (Jump to #21-25, #16-20, #6-10, #1-5.)

• • •

11.) Panna cotta at Spacca Napoli
If you close your eyes, you might think you are eating the silkiest vanilla gelato ever, punctuated by fruit and a balsamic drizzle. This jiggly Italian custard delivers.

12.) Chocolate chip cookie at Publican Quality Meats
This cookie is the best cookie I've had that wasn't made by a family member.

13.) Authentic drinking chocolate at XOCO
From Chicago chef Rick Bayliss, this spot offers tortas, churros and, the best of the bunch, Mexican drinking chocolate. Mexican drinking chocolate hot chocolate.

14.) Stuffed French Toast at M. Henry
I take all of my out-of-town guests to M. Henry. Usually when I go to brunch, I like to split with a friend, so we can get half savory and half sweet. At M. Henry splitting isn't necessary because the morning sugar high is worth it.

15.) Almondolas from Amy's Candy Bar
These are chocolate hazelnut paste-covered almonds. They are seasonal, because Amy likes to play with our hearts. Either that or because she also injects some elf magic into them.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2018: #16-20

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. (Jump to #21-25, #11-15, #6-10, #1-5.)

• • •

16.) Katie Cakes at Taste of Heaven
Buttermilk pancakes, triple berry compote, whipped cream, lemon streusel crumb topping. The challenge, if you choose to accept it, is for the majority of bites to contain a little bit of all four components. Taste of Heaven also serves up a variety of cakes, including the Katie Cakes-like Jeanine's Cake.

17.) Purple Velvet Cupcake at Jennivee’s Bakery
From an earlier post: Also available as a cake slice, the dense cupcake is the better choice. If you've never had ube before, this is an excellent place to start. It's a delicate flavor knocked up a few notches into something truly unique to the Chicago dessert scene.

18.) Pumpkin cupcake at Molly's Cupcakes
I've written about Molly's before. What I might not have said is that, come fall, this is the best pumpkin option to be found in the city. Good luck savoring it. Or go up for a second to really get that autumnal spirit going.

19.) Tiramisu at "Original" Ferrera Bakery
I've blogged about this before. Everyone has their preference of what component of their tiramisu should be in the forefront. Is it the espresso? The chocolate? The ladyfingers? For me, it's the custard, offset by the cocoa dusting on top. To me, this is the perfect tiramisu.

20.) Pecan caramel corn from Garrett Popcorn
I defy any dessert-loving omnivore to pass by a Garrett Popcorn without salivating; they pump the intoxicating scent of melted butter and sugar out into the street in front of their stores, making such resistance an impossibility. Most will point you toward the cheese and caramel corn mixture, but I point you toward the pecan.