Everyone that is trying to find out about the best places to buy ice cream, cakes, and cookies in San Diego has found the right post. There are plenty of great dessert 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.
Contents
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 San Diego 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 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 local Southwest dessert guides right there if you want.
Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
When you want to eat the best ice cream in San Diego or some healthier frozen yogurt try:
- Mariposa Ice Cream at 3450 Adams Ave
- Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream at 3077 University Ave
- Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream at 425 Market St
- Lighthouse Ice Cream at 5059 Newport Ave #102
- Paradise Yogurt at 5664 Mission Center Rd #401
- Rockie’s Frozen Yogurt at 7612 Linda Vista Rd #114
- Tocumbo Ice Cream at 1172 3rd Ave, Chula Vista
- Halo Halo Cafe at 2326 Proctor Valley Rd # 103, Chula Vista
- NuYo Frozen Yogurt Telegraph Canyon at 555 Telegraph Canyon Rd, Chula Vista
- Ocean Rainbow Ice Cream Shop at 3784 Mission Ave # 147, Oceanside
- Fugu Ice Cream & Taiyaki at 410 Mission Ave, Oceanside
- Yogurtland at 1284-A Auto Park Way, Escondido
- EscoGelato at 122 S Kalmia St, Escondido
- Dondurma at 725 Jamacha Rd, El Cajon
- Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt at 1710 E Main St, El Cajon
- GelatoLove Carlsbad Village at 300 Carlsbad Village Rd #104, Carlsbad
Mariposa provides a variety of flavors such as hot fudge, dulce de leche, marshmallow, caramel, and butterscotch for ice cream and sundaes with vegan choices. Hammond’s Gourmet has over 300 types of premium ice cream in your area with flavors like Tahitian vanilla, chocolate coconut macadamia nut, lilikoi sorbet, peanut butter, guava jelly, and more.
Vegan and nondairy options are available at Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream. Lighthouse offers malts, cones, sundaes, sorbets, and their signature hot waffle and pancake ice cream sandwiches. GelatoLove makes Italian ice cream with fruit flavors like kiwi, raisin, and fig.
Paradise offers local frozen yogurt with vegan, gluten free, nonfat, and nondairy options. Rockie’s sells over 15 different flavors of frozen yogurt, acai bowls, smoothies, coffee drinks, and shakes.
NuYo Frozen Yogurt provides almost 16 flavors with more than 50 toppings. Menchie’s prepares waffles, sorbets, and frozen yogurt with 24 dry toppings and 3 sundae sauces as well as a fresh fruit chill bar.
Bakeries In Your Area
These bakeries near you should have great cakes, cookies, pastries, and more:
- 85C Bakery Cafe at 5575 Balboa Ave # 330
- Edelweiss Bakery at 11639 Duenda Rd
- La Concha Bakery at 334 E St, Chula Vista
- Hogetsu Bakery at 1210 3rd Ave, Chula Vista
- O’side Bakery at 3815 Mission Ave # 101, Oceanside
- Petite Madeline Bakery at 223 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside
- Cute Cakes Bakery & Cafe at 345 W Grand Ave, Escondido
- Al Sultan Baklava and Bakery at 131 Jamacha Rd, El Cajon
- Flour Power Cakery at 2389 Fletcher Pkwy, El Cajon
- Carlsbad Danish Bakery at 2805 Roosevelt St, Carlsbad
- Prager Brothers Artisan Breads at 5611 Palmer Way C, Carlsbad
La Concha specializes in traditional Mexican pastries and baked goods. Specialty cupcakes, cookies, freshly baked pastries, and breakfast are all available at Cute Cakes. Flour Power creates handcrafted cakes and custom desserts near you along with cupcakes, cake pops, cookies, and more.
Carlsbad has been in business for over four decades and provides custom cakes, croissants, and cookies. Prager Brothers offers artisanal breads, pastries, and sandwiches.
Local Donut Shops
Start your morning off right at one of these donut shops:
- Nomad Donuts at 3102 University Ave
- Rose Donuts at 5201 Linda Vista Rd
- Copper Top Coffee & Donuts at 101 W Washington St
- Devil’s Dozen Donut Shop at 2001 Kettner Blvd
- Yum Yum Donuts at 618 E St a, Chula Vista
- Sunny Donuts at 601 Broadway, Chula Vista
- Mission Donut House at 1502 Mission Ave, Oceanside
- Parlor Doughnuts at 331 N Cleveland St, Oceanside
- Peterson’s Donut Corner at 903 S Escondido Blvd, Escondido
- Donutgram at 1131 E Washington Ave # A, Escondido
- Christy’s Donuts at 657 Jamacha Road, El Cajon
- Holey Donuts at 795 Arnele Ave, El Cajon
- The Goods at 2965 State St, Carlsbad
Where To Buy Cupcakes
There are some really good cupcake shops around town:
- Pure Cupcakes at 1772-A Garnet Ave
- Cupcakes Squared at 3772 Voltaire St
- Frost Me Cafe & Bakery at 555 W Date St
- The Crimson Cake at 830 Oceanic Rd #410, Oceanside
- SusieCakes at La Costa Town Square 7610, Via Campanile St 144, Carlsbad
Pure provides a variety of flavors for cupcakes, bars, cakes, biscuits, and cake pops with vegan and gluten free options. Cupcakes Squared offers 9 to 12 flavors daily in small and standard sizes. A wide selection of sweets and pastries are available at Frost Me.
Personalized and customized cakes, cupcakes, and desserts are offered at The Crimson. SusieCakes creates delectable cookies, bars, pies, and many more items.
Candy Stores Near You
These local candy stores should have a wide variety of sugary treats to choose from:
- The Candy Pushers at 1295 University Ave #1B
- Cousin’s Candy Shops at 2711 San Diego Ave
- It’Sugar at 450 Fifth Ave
- My Mexican Candy at 1220 3rd Ave, Chula Vista
- Cheryl’s Caramels at 879 Oro Grande St, Oceanside
- Candy Land at 356 W Valley Pkwy, Escondido
- Le Caramel at 1181 Pioneer Way, El Cajon
The Candy Pushers offers over 1,000 different candies, fudges, chocolates, truffles, toffees, caramels, and ice cream floats. Cousin’s is a great place to buy traditional and sugar free candies in your area including taffies, fudges, licorices, Jelly Bellies, huckleberry jams, and chocolates.
Giant candies and gummies from popular brands are available at It’Sugar. My Mexican Candy provides selections of caramels, lollipops, gummies, chocolates, rim dips, hard candies, marshmallows, gums, wafers, and more.
Chocolate & Fudge Shops
Buy homemade chocolate and fudge at these shops:
- Chocolate Haus at 947 Turquoise St
- Seaport Fudge Factory at 859 W Harbor Dr
- Sweet Petite Confections at 3582 Mt Acadia Blvd
- Bridget Rose Delights at 4138 Alabar Way, Oceanside
- Carlsbad Chocolate Bar at 2998 State St, Carlsbad
Chocolate Haus specializes in local artisanal gourmet chocolates and ice cream. Fudge Factory sells sundaes, soft serves, ice cream bars, milkshakes, frappes, caramel apples, chocolates, and more.
Sweet Petite Confections offers handcrafted and personalized chocolates near you as well as ice cream, sorbets, bonbons, salted caramels, and other delectable treats.
Gluten Free Bakeries
Gluten free bakeries are a good healthier alternative:
- The Gluten Free Baking Co at 4594 30th St
- Starry Lane Bakery at 3925 Fourth Ave
- Paleo Treats at 3275 Adams Ave # A
- Deanna’s Gluten Free Bakery at 2250 S Escondido Blvd, Escondido
- Plantiful Kitchen at 5661 Palmer Way St G, Carlsbad
Gluten Free Baking Co sells breads, bagels, cupcakes, cookies, donuts, muffins, dry mixes, and more with vegan and nondairy options. Keto bread, cassava tortillas, cakes, and other baked items are available at Paleo Treats. Deanna’s offers breads, pizzas, dinner rolls, baguettes, pies, cookies, and brownies in your area with gluten free, vegan, and nonallergenic selections.
Smoothies
Smoothies are a good combination of tasty and healthy:
- LIV Juice Bar and Smoothies at 1251 University Ave
- Vitality Tap at 650 1st Ave
- Juice Alchemy at 3156 Fifth Ave
- Juice Adventure at 935 Otay Lakes Rd, Chula Vista
- Robeks Fresh Juices & Smoothies at 374 E H St, Chula Vista
- Roots Craft Juice at 631 S Cleveland St, Oceanside
- Gofruit Escondido at 272 E Via Rancho Pkwy, Escondido
- Frutimania Juices & Delights at 330 W Felicita Ave # E-6, Escondido
- Tropifruit Juice Bar at 762 N Johnson Ave, El Cajon
- Surf City Squeeze at 2525 El Camino Real, Carlsbad
- Choice Juicery at 430 Carlsbad Village Dr, Carlsbad
Local Restaurants With Great Desserts
Lastly, these restaurants are known for their must have desserts:
- Chocolate Cremerie at 509 Fifth Ave
- The House of Cuban Flavor at 1372 3rd Ave, Chula Vista
- Bliss Tea & Treats at 301 Mission Ave #101A, Oceanside
- Cafe 88 at 737 Jamacha Road, El Cajon
Some of the best desserts in San Diego can be found at Chocolate Cremerie including their tasty gelato and pastries. Traditional short baked cookies and cheese pastries are available at The House of Cuban Flavor.
Bliss Cafe serves their popular bread pudding which is one of the best desserts near you. Cafe 88 provides a selection of smoothies, acai bowls, cookies, crackers, and other items.
We have also discussed:
Enjoy Ice Cream, Cookies, & Cakes In San Diego
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 San Diego.