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.
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!
Spencer’s has long been one of Palm Springs’ most celebrated eateries. Their stellar dessert menu likely has something to do with the esteem, namely their Banana Split offering, which comes complete with hearty scoops of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream, homemade whipped cream, candied pecans, fresh berries, and chocolate, caramel and strawberry sauces. Absolutely massive in size, it is easily large enough to feed four! I have several friends who head to Spencer’s solely for the pleasure of noshing on this dish.
Housed in the one-time dining hall of the now-defunct Lloyd Wright-designed Oasis Hotel, this den of all things sugary, which is locally owned and operated, is a true throwback. Offering countless nostalgic sweets like candy cigarettes, Necco Wafers and Jelly Belly jelly beans, stepping inside will bring you right back to your childhood. Also on hand are such scrumptious favorites as caramel apples, chocolate-dipped strawberries and old-fashioned fudge. Be sure not to miss the shop’s impressive scissor truss roof!
While this spot is part of a chain with nearly 30 locations across the U.S., it is worth a visit nonetheless. Stacked to the brim with gourmet sweets and treats in an adorable Tiffany blue setting, Lolli & Pops’s extensive inventory of cocktail-flavored gummy bears, chocolate-covered delights, cotton candy and French macarons (including the shop’s signature Mac Pops, aka “macarons-on-the-go”) is sure to satisfy the sweet tooth of even the most discerning patrons.
