12 spots for desserts and ice cream in New York City

New York has a lot of restaurants, as I mentioned here a lot of times. And, the city also has a huge selection of dessert places. In these almost four years living here, I’ve tasted a little bit of everything and today I bring 12 must-visit-see places for dessert and ice cream lovers!

Levain Bakery –  it is the most famous cookie in New York. The bakery was founded in 1994 by friends Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes. Today the place is famous for its cookie – and by the long queues. The most famous flavor is chocolate –  a lot of chocolate – and nuts, in a generous, chubby form and warm, of course. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Other flavors: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter chip, Oatmeal and Dark Chocolate Chip. Each cookie costs $ 4 on average. Check out 4 cookies to try in NYC.

Locations: 167 West 74th St / 2167 Frederick Douglass Blvd. / 351 Amsterdam Avenue.

Wafels & Dings – your trip to New York needs one of Wafels & Dinges’ delicious waffles. The food truck is famous in the city and there is no way to resist, you will feel the smell: warm waffle, with crunchy dough  the outside and soft inside. The toppings include flavors like Nutella, chocolate, dulce de leche … Seriously, it’s going to be the best waffle of your life! Price range from $5 to $7

Click here and check out the locations.  

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream –this Ice Cream place started in 2008 out of a buttery yellow truck on the streets of NYC. They make all their ice cream from scratch in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The Classic scoops are crafted with nothing more than fresh milk and cream, cane sugar, and egg yolks. The Vegan scoops are made with housemade cashew milk, organic coconut milk, organic extra virgin coconut oil, organic cane sugar, pure cocoa butter, and organic carob bean. There are a lot of flavors and it is delicious!

Locations: Brooklyn: 204 Wythe Ave / 620 Manhattan Ave / 81 Bergen St / Manhattan: 48.5 East 7th St / 152 West 10th St / 224 Front Street / 172 Ludlow St.

Two Little Red Hens -My favorite cupcake here in New York is the one from Two Little Red Hens Bakery. There is no explanation, you have to try it. I love Red Velvet, with a slightly acidic icing, which provides an irresistible taste! There are other options, such as peanut butter, chocolate and vanilla. Other highlights are the pies, cheesecakes and cookies. This bakery also serves coffee and it is very small, but there are a few tables to sit. Each cupcake costs $ 3 on average.

Address: 1652 2nd Avenue.

il laboratorio del gelato – this place serves about 200 flavors at its location in the Lower East Side – and beyond the classic and traditional flavors to which we are used to, the place also has other, super unusual. Do you want some examples? Olive oil, sweet potato, red beans, rosemary, basil, ricotta, avocado, beet … That’s the reason of the name “laboratory”, where chefs and caterers are encouraged and welcomed to work with them to develop unique flavors for their individual menus. The place provides ice cream to restaurants in the city, who use the product in their desserts. Obviously, the offer of flavors varies according to the day and the time of year, but there is always a varied mix of ice cream and sorbet (which does not have milk, ideal for those who are vegan or lactose intolerant). Two flavors costs $4,25. Try the chocolate one – it tastes like a mousse!

Address: 188 Ludlow St.

Max Brenner – Maybe it’s an obvious place, but we can’t talk about chocolate without talk about Max Brenner! The chocolatier is famous here in the city and you can grab a super creamy hot chocolate  (I recommend the spicy version) with a slice of chocolate pizza and sit at Union Square Park and enjoy the area. But if you’ve got time and want to have an even better experience, ask for a table (better make a reservation) and indulge in the dishes of the place. There are several plates, plus brunch. For dessert, you can order one of the many drinks or sweet dishes – all with chocolate, of course: hot chocolate, choctails, milkshakes, crepes, foundes … Before leaving the place (or at the time you arrive), be sure to check the Chocolate Shop. The name speaks for itself, but there are several options for gift or for yourself. Pizzas and hot chocolate are $4 on avreage.  Check out the menu.

Address: 841 Broadway.

Magnolia Bakery – this place is on the list of everyone traveling to New York – all because of the Sex and the City phenomenon. Magnolia Bakery was featured only in one episode of the series, but it was enough to enshrine its worldwide success and make the cupcakes very famous. I don’t think the cupcakes are bad, but they are far from the best in the city. I recommend to check out the place to try another delight: the Banana Pudding! It costs $4 on average.

Check out all the locations.

Spot Dessert Bar – Have you thought of a restaurant that serves only dessert? Yeah. In New York this exists! Spot Dessert Bar specializes in desserts that are created to be a blend of distinctive flavors.  They take Eastern and Western influences, balancing unique ingredients such as Green Tea, Kabocha, and Yuzu to create one of a kind confections. The options are usually seasonal and change from time to time. But there are three options that are the signatures of the place: Matcha Lava, Golden Toast and The Harvest. The last one is served in this unusual format, it looks like a plant – but it takes a mix of ingredients like berries, cheesecake and Oreo. Check out the menu. The desserts are $10.

Locations: 13 St Marks Place /  13 St Marks Place / 11 West 32nd Street (na Food Gallery 32) / 39-16 Prince Street (Flushing).

Ladurée – if you never have been in Paris, you can take the opportunity in New York City to try the famous macarons. Ladurée is a classic spot.  The house is specialized in macarons of various flavors. The SoHo locaion also has a restaurant – and, in the warmer months, they open a garden. The decor is cute.

Locations: 398 West Broadway / 864 Madison Avenue.

Big Gay Ice Cream –  Big Gay Ice Cream seasonal truck debuted in June 2009 and since then the business has seen a whirlwind of publicity and has been become an NYC favorite. Mixing high quality ingredients with guilty pleasures, traditional flavors with the unexpected, the place became famous.  The first Big Gay Ice Cream Shop opened in September 2011 in New York City’s East Village. In June 2012, Dessert Professional featured Big Gay Ice Cream in their 10 best ice cream parlors in the U.S. issue. Then in May 2013, The Daily Beast and USA Today ranked Big Gay Ice Cream as the #5 best ice cream parlor in the world – the highest ranked U.S. ice cream parlor on the list. The Salty Pimp is a customer favorite, consisting of vanilla soft serve, dulce de leche, and a sprinkling of sea salt, all dipped into a chocolate shell. I am a confirmed addict of sweet and salty desserts, so this is the perfect ice cream cone for me. $5 on average

Locations: 125 East 7th Street / 19 Fulton Street / 61 Grove Street.

Dominique Ansel Kitchen / Dominique Ansel Bakery – chef Dominique Ansel runs these two locations in New York. If his name does not refresh your memory, you may know the name of one of his most famous creations: the cronut. Mix of donut and croissant, the sweet was famous for the interminable queues. To this day, the cronut is produced on a small batch, every day, maintaining its unique character. But there are several other delights to try!

Locations: 189 Spring St / 189 Spring St.

Martha’s Country Bakery – sweet lovers paradise! This bakery is very famous here in New York and the Williamsburg is huge! They offer everything: cakes, puddings, muffins, cookies, besides coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Awesome! And the slices are huge! When we’ve been there, we shared the warm chocolate cake with ice cream.

Locations: 70-28 Austin Street / 36-21 Ditmars Blvd / 41-06 Bell Blvd / 263 Bedford Ave  / 175 Bedford Ave.