Where To Buy Ice Cream, Cakes, & Cookies In Des Moines
If you are trying to figure out the best places to buy ice cream, cakes, and cookies in Des Moines this post will surely help you out. There are plenty of great shops selling sweets around town and we will do our best to point you in the right direction.
We will start off with the best ice cream shops in your area. Anyone that is searching for vanilla, chocolate, gelato, frozen yogurt, malts, ice cream cakes, and other frozen delights has plenty of options to choose from.
Up next we will get into bakeries where you can buy cakes, cookies, pastries, and all kinds of sweet treats. Then we will niche down and get into donut shops, where to buy cupcakes, candy stores, and chocolate and fudge shops near you.
Following that we will discuss some healthy dessert options in Des Moines like gluten free bakeries and smoothie shops. Our last section will be about restaurants known for must have desserts in your area.
Towards the end you will find a local dessert map that has all the various venues we are mentioning throughout the post pinned on it. And all of you are welcome to look through our other posts on the region at that link if you want.
Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
When you want to eat the best ice cream in Des Moines or some healthier frozen yogurt try:
Avalanches, shakes, malts, pizza, sundaes, banana splits, parfaits, tenderloins, and burgers are among the items available at LJ’s Burgers & Ice Cream. Smokey Row Coffee is a cafe in an industrial-chic setting that serves fresh-roasted coffee, diner-style eats, and fabulous ice cream in your area.
Snookies Malt Shop is a famous local ice cream parlor in retro digs that serves a variety of frozen desserts with creative toppings. Soft serve ice cream, shakes, malts, and other treats are available.
Culver’s is a fast-food restaurant chain known for its frozen custard and signature burgers made from Midwest beef and dairy.
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is a cheerful self-serve chain that offers dozens of frozen yogurt flavors and toppings by the pound. Nonfat, gluten-free, vegan, no sugar added, and low carb options are available. Fresh fruit, sprinkles, cookies, candy, and chocolate fudge are among the toppings to choose from. They also have a customizable froyo cake that we bet you will love.
Bakeries In Your Area
These bakeries near you should have great cakes, cookies, pastries, and more:
La Mie Bakery serves sweets and breads in addition to cafe fare such as sandwiches and soups. Scenic Route Baker is a family-owned cafe with a modern interior design. Pastries, Tugboat coffee and espresso drinks, lunch, and a variety of sweets are available.
They can host your next private event, such as rehearsal dinners and wedding receptions, as well as corporate business meetings and open houses. Hiland Bakery is a veteran bake shop that opened in 1946 that offers traditional cakes, cookies, donuts, and pastries in your area.
Pasteleria Raquel creates delectable custom cakes and desserts in a variety of flavors, with their Tres Leches cake and Flan Napolitano topping the list. Aside from cakes and desserts they also serve traditional Mexican fare including tacos, tortas, burritos, quesadillas, and more.
Local Donut Shops
Start your morning off right at one of these donut shops:
Daylight Donuts is a counter-service chain that serves donuts and its own brand of coffee for dine-in or takeout. ChuChu Donuts allows you to customize your donuts with various types of cream or jelly.
Bavarian crème, chocolate fluffy, vanilla fluffy, strawberry, raspberry, and lemon filling are among their custom filling options. No peanut products are used in any of their ingredients or toppings.
Where To Buy Cupcakes
There are some really good cupcake shops around town:
Crème offers over 36 cupcake varieties, custom cakes, cookies, and other treats in-store and for catered events. The evening dessert lounge serves specialty desserts and cocktails after 5pm and is one of their most popular features. The space can hold up to 20 people and has a few great party options.
Molly’s Cupcakes is a full-service bakery near you that specializes in gourmet cupcakes, cakes, cookies, bars, and coffee beverages. At Molly’s you can design your own cupcake or try one of their famous center-filled cupcakes.
Nan’s Nummies makes desserts that evoke memories of favorite family traditions including decadent cupcakes, fantastic Dutch letters, and cookies and bars that are integral to their Midwestern heritage. They also have a nice candy store that sells chocolates, bulk candy, and a large variety of truffles.
Candy Stores Near You
These local candy stores should have a wide variety of sugary treats to choose from:
Beaverdale Confections makes their own marshmallows, chocolates, and candies from scratch using cane sugar, real cream, real butter, natural and organic flavors, and imported Belgium chocolate. They strive to make delectable, fresh candies.
Lolli & Pops at Jordan Creek Town Center brings a wide variety of treats from international candy and handmade truffles to a bulk bar that offers dozens of unique gummies and chocolates by sourcing the best confections from around the world.
Remember that we mentioned Nan’s Nummies in the local cupcake shops list and they also have a nice selection of candy available.
Chocolate Storybook is a well-known spot for gourmet chocolates, sweets, snacks, and cotton candy. Stam Chocolate is a contemporary chocolate shop near you that is steeped in old-world Dutch traditions.
Beaverdale Confections is also famous for their handmade candies and chocolates.
Gluten Free Bakeries
Sweet Treat without Wheat at 2809 Arthur Avenue is a gluten-free certified bakery where all of their baked goods are gluten-free and celiac-friendly. They make every effort to accommodate all allergies and food sensitivities, and many of their products can be made dairy-free.
Smoothies
Smoothies are a good combination of tasty and healthy:
The Juice Company takes pride in producing high-quality smoothies and juices from a bounty of juicy, succulent fruits and crisp, colorful vegetables with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They grow, plant, and harvest wheatgrass from organic seed, and their tasty nutritious juices are sold by the serving, half gallon, or gallon.
Since 2018, Evolve Juicery & Kitchen has been a leading juice shop in your area serving Polk and Dallas counties. Fresh juices, meal prep, cold brew coffee, smoothie bowls, paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options are available. Weekly smoothie specials are also available.
Local Restaurants With Great Desserts
Lastly, these restaurants are known for their must have desserts in Des Moines:
The Iowa Taproom is a historic, industrial establishment serving over 100 regional craft beers and locally sourced New American fare. The Capitol Pie is one of their most famous desserts, a tower of peanut butter and cookies n’ cream ice cream on a chocolate cookie crust topped with whipped cream, hot fudge, and almonds.
Latin King Italian Dining is a landmark restaurant in a country-villa setting serving a classic Italian menu and an extensive wine list. The restaurant uses high-quality, fresh ingredients and only serves fruit-based desserts when they are in season.
Eatery A serves creative Mediterranean dishes and wood-fired pizza. One of their best desserts is the Salted Caramel Budino which is an Italian dessert served in a parfait-style glass jar with a scrumptious custard topped with a luscious caramel sauce and drizzled with cracked sea salt.
For now that is all we have to share but check back in because we plan to update this post often. After reading about all these local shops to buy ice cream, frozen yogurt, cookies, cakes, pastries, other bakery items, cupcakes, donuts, chocolate, fudge, candy, gluten free baked goods, smoothies, and even restaurants with can’t miss desserts in your area you should be ready to find your next sweet indulgence.
Please use the comments to let us know if any shops have closed down, or if we posted anything that is incorrect. Now have fun eating your ice cream, cookies, and cakes in Des Moines.
