7 Best Dessert Places in Manhattan, New York City

We came across many tantalizing dessert shops in Manhattan NYC. These served as good pit stops for us to recharge with sweet treats before continuing our exploration of Manhattan. Below are seven awesome dessert places we love!

Also read: 12 Best Places to Eat in Manhattan NYC

1. Big Gay Ice Cream

Big Gay Ice Cream is a popular ice cream parlor chain. It has come a long way since starting as an ice cream truck. It was founded by Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff, who are both gay. However, the use of “gay” in the shop’s name also simply refers to being happy. We visited the West Village branch at 61 Grove Street and ordered the Rocky Roadhouse Cone ($5.74). This is basically luscious chocolate ice cream topped with toasted almonds, chocolate chips and soft marshmallows. I loved the velvety texture of the sweet ice cream! The chocolaty ice cream flavour was punctuated by the crunch of tasty almonds and chocolate chips. The sweet marshmallows completed the experience. On the whole, it was an awesome experience eating the delicious Big Gay ice cream in the cold Spring weather of Manhattan NY. You can check out the various Big Gay Ice Cream locations in Manhattan.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigGayIceCream

2. Dominique Ansel Bakery

Dominique Ansel Bakery is a upscale dessert shop famous for inventing the Cronut, a croissant-doughnut hybrid pastry. It was founded by Dominique Ansel, a renowned French pastry chef. We ordered the Cookie Shot ($3), which was a satisfying dessert because well, it’s hard to go wrong with cookies and milk. We also indulged in the Frozen S’more ($7), a sophisticated dessert comprising mainly marshmallow with a caramelized crust. This was a novel dessert with an intricate blend of flavours. Click here to see the Dominique Ansel Bakery Menu. You can also read our full review of Dominique Ansel Bakery!

Directions: This fine bakery is a three-minute walk from Spring Street Station.

Dominique Ansel Bakery
Address: 189 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thur: 8am to 7pm | Fri to Sat: 8am to 8pm | Sun: 9am to 7pm |
Phone: +1 212 219 2773
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Dominique.Ansel.Bakery

3. Lady M

Lady M is a cafe that is famous around the world for its delicious Mille Crepes. We visited the Bryant Park Boutique branch, and ordered the Green Tea Mille Crepes and Strawberry Mille Crepes. Both the crepes were sweet and delicious, though we preferred the Green Tea crepes a little more.

Lady M (Bryant Park Boutique)
Address: 36 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thur: 9am – 8pm | Fri: 9am – 10pm | Sat: 11am – 10pm | Sun: 11am – 6pm |

4. Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery is a chain of bakeries founded in New York City. It is famous for its delicious cupcakes! We went to the branch at Grand Central Terminal. We visited near New Year’s Day, so the cupcakes were specially decorated. I loved the texture of the luscious cream topping and how it went perfectly with the fluffy cake. On the whole, the delicate sweetness of the cupcakes romanced my taste buds and left me wanting more. You can check out the list of Magnolia Bakery shops in Manhattan.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MagnoliaBakery

5. Momofuku Milk Bar

Momofuku Milk Bar is known for its delicious cereal-flavour treats. These include cookies, cakes, soft serve and even milkshakes. It is helmed by Christina Tosi, who serves as a judge on FOX’s MasterChef and MasterChef Junior! I ordered the Cereal Milk Soft Serve ($5.50) with Cornflake Crunch ($1) toppings. As I took my first bite, I was immediately hooked by the sweet, velvety soft serve, from which emanated the unmistakable aroma of cereal. The tasty cornflakes completed the experience. This was definitely an interesting and scrumptious dessert. In fact, we loved Momofuku’s soft serve so much that we went back twice! Click here to see the Momofuku Milk Bar Menu.

Directions: The Milk Bar is a three-minute walk from 57 Street Station.

Momofuku Milk Bar
Address: 15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019
Opening Hours: | Sun to Wed: 8am – 11pm | Thur to Sat: 8am – 12am |
Phone: +1 347 577 9504 ext 5
Facebook: www.facebook.com/milkbarstore

6. Taiyaki NYC

Taiyaki NYC is a popular Japanese ice cream shop in Manhattan. We decided to order the famous “Ice Cream Taiyaki”, which is a fusion dessert that comprises delicious ice cream served in a fish-shaped waffle. We chose the Straight Outta Japan ($7) flavour. It tasted great! The black sesame and matcha soft serve had a sweet flavour that was not over cloying. This sweet flavour was balanced nicely by the tasty red bean filling and waffle. Together with the mochi and wafer toppings, this was definitely a satisfying treat. Click here to see the Taiyaki NYC menu.

Directions: The dessert shop is a three-minute walk from Canal Street Station.

Taiyaki NYC
Address: 119 Baxter St, New York, NY 10013
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 12pm – 11pm | Sat: 11am – 11pm | Sun: 11am – 10pm |
Phone: +1 212 966 2882
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TaiyakiNYC

7. The Doughnut Project

The Doughnut Project is a super popular doughnut shop located along Morton Street. It is famous for its scrumptious doughnuts with wonderful rich flavours; it’s like doughnuts on steroids! We were feeling a little tired and decided to perk ourselves up with The All Nighter. This is essentially a doughnut covered with velvety Espresso Milk Coffee cream and topped with tasty Coffee Crumbles. I was sold once I took my first bite. The crisp doughnut had just the right amount of bite. It was matched perfectly by the aroma of the coffee-flavoured cream and coffee crumbles. Click here to see The Doughnut Project Menu.

Directions: The Doughnut Project is a four-minute walk from West 4 Street Washington Sq Station.

The Doughnut Project
Address: 10 Morton St, New York, NY 10014
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 8am to 6pm | Weekends: 9am to 6pm |
Phone: +1 212 691 5000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thedoughnutproject

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate New York Travel Guide for First Timers. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?