As temperatures rise and summer starts making its way into Delaware County, there’s one thing that deserves a spot on your warm-weather bucket list: dessert! Order a towering scoop of ice cream, a nostalgic frozen treat, a bakery favorite, or something piled high with toppings, there’s no shortage of stops to satisfy your sweet tooth on this dessert crawl.
BAKERY GOODS
If your idea of a perfect dessert stop involves having way too many tempting choices, Cocoa & Cream Collective makes narrowing it down nearly impossible. Find flaky croissants, cheesecake slices, cinnamon rolls, macarons, cannoli, and fresh-baked breads in their display case. Everything is made from scratch by their team of pastry chefs and bakers! Pro tip: keep an eye on their Facebook updates if you want to plan ahead or claim a favorite. They also take pre-order requests.
Concannon’s Bakery & Coffee Bar
A Delaware County favorite since 1959, Concannon’s Bakery & Coffee Bar has been serving up sweet traditions for generations. Walking through the doors means being greeted by rows of doughnuts. Beyond the bakery case, you’ll also find homemade pastries, candies, gourmet popcorn (a fan fav), and plenty of treats ready to satisfy a sweet craving. One patron has even made it a must-visit stop every time they travel to town from Florida!
ICE CREAM & SWEET TREATS
A summer dessert crawl almost feels incomplete without an ice cream stop, and Barking Cow in Gaston delivers plenty of reasons to pull over. The menu always seems to offer something new between rotating flavors and fun creations that keep regulars coming back. If you’refeeling adventurous, there’s also the famous Pig Trough Challenge featuring brownies, five scoops of hand-dipped ice cream, syrups, candies, and more — all to be finished in 15 minutes. If you happen to catch waffle nachos on the menu, consider it your sign to give them a try.
Dairy Dream in Albany has the kind of nostalgic summer feel that instantly brings back memories of warm evenings and drive-up dessert runs. If you’ve traveled down Walnut, chances are you’ve spotted the line of cars and wondered what everyone was waiting for. Well, there’s a lot! Try a classic sundae, smoothie, shaved ice, dirty soda, and other rotating menu flavors. Pack up the kiddos and make it part of a summer evening trip.
The Frozen Boulder (Yorktown & Muncie)
Turn dessert into an activity at both of The Frozen Boulder locations. The Muncie location is connected to Boulder Falls Mini Golf & Bat Zone, making it easy to fit in a little friendly competition before grabbing a treat. Meanwhile, the Yorktown location sits along Buck Creek, offering a relaxing spot to enjoy the scenery while cooling off. Beat the summer heat with Dippin’ Dots, shaved ice, and Ashby Ice Cream on their menu.
Iceburg Ice Cream in Albany puts a creative spin on classic summer treats with made-from-scratch ice cream and plenty of toppings to explore. The menu is filled with fun creations, like sherbert slushies and shortcakes topped with soft serve or a Dubai ice cream sundae. Next time you stop in, try their soft serve flavor of the week!
Whatever sweet craving happens to strike, Mancino’s Sweet Shop can help. They have hand-dipped Hershey’s ice cream, fresh-baked gourmet cookies, acai bowls and fruit smoothies. A favorite combo for many visitors is pairing a warm cookie with a scoop of ice cream for the best of both worlds. While you wait for your treat, take some time to browse the small gifts and surprises around the shop.
