The front counter at this European-inspired bakery is a confectionery dreamland, brimming with all manner of sugary treats, each homemade on the premises by skilled in-house pastry chefs. Best known for their croissants (which run out quickly), other tempting fare includes cobblers, tarts, muffins, danishes, éclairs, tiramisu and more. The Chocolate Decadent Cake (pictured), a favorite in our house, is especially divine!
My gluten-free neighbors discovered this delightful spot years ago, and we’ve never looked back since! Serving up some of the best cupcakes in the Valley, with everything made fresh in-house utilizing only the finest ingredients, it is not hard to see how owners Tiffany and Ben Thorpe wound up on the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” back in 2013. Offering more than 20 flavors daily (nearly all also available gluten and dairy-free), Tiffany’s Sweet Spot is my desert dessert go-to!
Established 24 years ago by amiable pastry chef Samatha Ward, Exquisite Desserts has grown to become one of the area’s most beloved bakeries, with its fare served at such exclusive spots as The Pink Cabana, Copley’s, On the Mark, and more than 20 area country clubs. Open to the public daily, the charming pâtisserie features a dazzling array of freshly baked goods, including flourless chocolate cakes, French macaroons, bars, brownies and cookies. The bakery is best known, though, for its stellar array of custom cake and specialty dessert items, which include gluten-free and vegan varieties. As such, their calendar books up far in advance, so plan accordingly.
This adorable establishment serves up gourmet hand-crafted frozen custard in a wide range of flavors out of a gleaming airstream. While on the pricier side, owners Gabby Nagengast and Jordan Panaiotov (who started the creamery in 2021 after losing their restaurant jobs due to the pandemic) utilize only the highest quality ingredients, including Tahitian vanilla beans, Belgian chocolate and the Valley’s own Brandini Toffee. The result is one of the richest, tastiest desserts you’ll ever sample! A second location can also be found at Desert Hills Premium Outlets in Cabazon.
This authentic European bakery, which also made my breakfast list above, is worth a visit just for a peek at the wide selection of baked goods alone! Homemade on the premises each day, the front counter is stacked with decadent treats ranging from pastries to muffins to cookies to tarts, each seemingly more exquisite than the last. Il Sogno also offers several gluten-free options and fabulously strong lattes for a nice morning boost.
In the wise words of Peter Clemenza in “The Godfather,” if you’re at Palm Desert landmark Castelli’s, you should definitely “Take the cannoli!” This place became a staple for my family’s cannoli cravings pretty much the day we moved to the Valley. Over a decade later, we still find ourselves picking up to-go orders to serve for dessert at dinner parties or for at-home weeknight treats. The dish is light, creamy and deep-fried to perfection!
Rich, thick and oh-so-velvety, Handel’s ice cream offerings are hand-crafted daily on the premises – and it shows! Featuring a smorgasbord of flavors, including Buckeye, Oree Do (an Oreo cookie dough concoction that is mouth-wateringly delicious!), and (the most popular) Strawberry Cheesecake Chunk, plus some vegan options, there is something for everyone at Handel’s. The prices are amazingly affordable, to boot! Bonus – the creamery boasts another location in Indio for those who catch a craving on the other side of town.
As incredible as it may sound, this landmark was established from the family kitchens of Palm Springs high schoolers Brandon Weimer and Lea Post in the pursuit of funding a class trip to Italy in 2006. The enterprise took off like a rocket, sealing the two youngsters’ futures and launching one of the area’s most well-known businesses! Today, Brandini Toffee is a stalwart, with three brick-and-mortar locations dotted across the desert, tins of their Sofi Award-winning confections sold in pretty much every local gift shop and such high-profile fans as Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey! Buttery, rich, and wholly preservative and GMO-free, Brandini Toffee is the best of the best! Bonus – the Rancho Mirage outpost offers free tours of its candy-making factory on weekdays
The chocolate chip cookies at Palm Springs’ popular Bar Cecil are one of the city’s must-have treats! House-made, freshly baked, topped with salt crystals, and served straight out of the oven, the confections are warm, effortlessly chewy, and melt-in-your-mouth delectable. A side of vanilla ice cream makes the dish all the more tasty!
In need of an insanely artistic special occasion cake? Look no further than Over the Rainbow Desserts, Palm Springs’ most celebrated bakery. With absolutely everything handmade from scratch on the premises and offering truly inspired designs, it is not hard to see why this spot is booked out weeks (sometimes months) in advance for custom orders (which even include gluten-free options). But not to worry, as plenty of cupcakes and cakes are available in-store each Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to closing, or until they sell out, which they most often do.