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12 NYC Desserts to Try This Year

By Julie SchneiderSep 6 2024
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New York City is enjoying a golden age of desserts. Dubbed a “cake renaissance” by The Washington Post, a “pastry renaissance” by Vogue, and a "bakery renaissance” by Eater, the city has a dazzling array of inventive and delicious treats currently popping up across the five boroughs.

To help you figure out where to get a taste of New York City’s dessert era for yourself, we’ve gathered 12 must-try treats to guide your explorations. Seeking a grab-and-go afternoon treat or an elegant place to linger and celebrate a special occasion? Craving something chocolatey or fruit-forward? Hot or iced? Whichever way you’re leaning, you’re sure to find the perfect sweet dessert at Rockefeller Center.

Hand holding an ice cream cone with two scoops of Ben & Jerry's ice cream

The Tonight Dough ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s

30 Rockefeller Plaza, Rink Level

For a real New York moment, grab a scoop of ice cream named after late-night host Jimmy Fallon at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the same building where his show is filmed. Yes, we’re talking about Ben & Jerry’s crowd-pleasing flavor The Tonight Dough, which features two types of ice cream (chocolate and caramel) and two types of cookie dough (peanut butter and chocolate chip), united by chocolate cookie swirls.

Two hands holding crookies from Chip City at Rockefeller Center

Crookies at Chip City

30 Rockefeller Plaza, Rink Level

Croissants stuffed with cookie dough, known as “crookies,” first debuted at a French bakery in 2022 before taking off as a viral TikTok sensation in March 2024. Known for its “ooey-gooey” cookies, Chip City now offers its own take on the crookie in four cookie flavors (chocolate chip, triple chocolate, cookies and cream, and confetti, which are embedded with rainbow sprinkles), each encased in a buttery croissant. These crookies are available for a limited window each day, from 11am to 3pm — so get there early for the best selection.

Hand holding a doughnut from Dough at Rockefeller Center

Big, fluffy doughnuts at Dough

10 Rockefeller Plaza

Since Dough first started slinging doughnuts in Bed-Stuy in 2010, the shop has built a devoted following around its signature sweet: big, fluffy doughnuts hand-dipped in vivid, flavor-packed glazes. Get favorites — like the tangy hibiscus, passionfruit with cocoa nibs, dulce de leche doughnuts, and several vegan versions — year-round. Or pick up a limited-time variety, like pumpkin with candied pumpkin seeds or white chocolate peppermint, from the rotating seasonal menu. Truly, every doughnut on Dough’s menu is a winner!

Box of truffles from La Maison du Chocolat at Rockefeller Center

Artisanal truffles at La Maison du Chocolat

30 Rockefeller Plaza

Artisanal French company La Maison du Chocolat has been crafting artful chocolates, which bring out the exquisite subtleties and flavors of cocoa beans, for decades For gift-worthy chocolates that Wirecutter calls “luxurious yet understated,” pick up a green, ribbon-wrapped box of the chocolatier’s truffles with rich-yet-airy centers, available in three flavors (classic dark chocolate ganache, caramel fleur de sel, and blackcurrant cassis) in sets ranging from two to 58 bonbons.

A mille-feuille cake with a slice taken out of it from Lady M at Rockefeller Center

Mille crêpes cake at Lady M

30 Rockefeller Plaza, Rink Level

“If mille-feuille and Parisian street crêpes had a baby, it would be Lady M's delicate, nine-inch mille crêpes cake,” says Harper’s Bazaar. Each bite of Lady M’s iconic mille crêpes cakes, composed of 20 alternating layers of cream and exceptionally thin, lacy French crêpes, feels like a decadent treat without being overly sweet. The stacked cakes come in an array of mouthwatering flavors, including passionfruit, pistachio, matcha, purple yam, jasmine calamansi, and strawberry shortcake.

Cup of pudding from Magnolia Bakery at Rockefeller Center

Banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery

1240 Sixth Avenue

Made with creamy vanilla pudding, vanilla wafers, and chunks of fresh banana — and served in a cup — Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding is the ultimate nostalgic comfort food. Though the beloved bakeshop’s pastel-frosted cupcakes dotted with cheerful, round sprinkles (and boosted to fame by the TV show Sex and the City) might win in the looks department, don’t snooze on the chance to sink your spoon into this delicious, homey pudding, too.

Three cakes on display at The Tipsy Baker at Rockefeller Center

Honey cornmeal olive oil cake at The Tipsy Baker

30 Rockefeller Plaza, Rink Level

Some cakes are good any time of the day, and the honey cornmeal olive oil cake from The Tipsy Baker — the latest venture from the folks behind bakery and cafe Pain d’Avignon and Café d’Avignon — is one such sweet. Cut into generous wedges, this moist loaf cake is drizzled with wildflower honey syrup and dusted with flaky sea salt and zippy lemon zest. Enjoy with coffee to start your morning right, or have it after dinner to end your day on a sweet note.

A cup of affogato from 5 Acres at Rockefeller Center
Photo by Julie Schneider
Photo by Julie Schneider

Affogato at 5 Acres

30 Rockefeller Plaza, Rink Level

For an all-in-one pick-me-up and dessert, grab an affogato at 5 Acres. Their take on this popular Italian dessert of murky origins involves a scoop of housemade vanilla bean ice cream in a mug paired with a mini pitcher of espresso from the Brooklyn-based Parlour Coffee’s Prospect blend — a brew the company describes as having a “balance of adventurousness and comfort.” Pour the potent coffee over the scoop and spoon up the melty hot-cold, bitter-sweet treat with an endearingly tiny spoon.

A slice of Jupiter's 30 Rock Cake on a plate
Photo by Julie Schneider
Photo by Julie Schneider

30 Rock Cake at Jupiter

620 5th Avenue, Rink Level

For a delicious way to cap off a shared meal of savory antipasti, handmade pastas, and Italian wines at Jupiter, order the epic 30 Rock Cake. A chocolate lover's joy made with 30 alternating layers of chocolate cake and whipped chocolate ganache made from Valrhona guanaja, the 30 Rock Cake is cut from a towering cake and served on its side on an oblong platter. The size of this mega slice makes it great for a group.

Peach vacherin on a plate from Le Rock at Rockefeller Center
Photo by Julie Schneider
Photo by Julie Schneider

Peach vacherin at Le Rock

45 Rockefeller Plaza

When visiting Le Rock, it’s hard to pick just one thing from the much-raved-about desserts menu, which features the beloved salty-sweet profiteroles doused in buckwheat honey fudge and Les Mignardises, an impressive tower of tiny confections for the table. Eater, for example, recommends “all the desserts,” but, if you’re pressed to pick just one and peaches are in season, go with the gorgeous peach vacherin. It’ll land on your table like a vision: an orb of meringue holds a cake and crème fraîche concoction, crowned with peachy sorbet and the juiciest, most perfect peach wedges imaginable.

Mango bingsu from NARO at Rockefeller Center

Mango bingsu for two at NARO

610 5th Avenue, Rink Level

For a mango lover, this show-stopping treat is a dream come true. Dubbed the dessert of the summer and made for sharing, NARO’s take on the popular Korean shaved ice tastes like a tropical vacation. Plus, it’s incidentally vegan. Fresh chunks of juicy champagne mangoes and mango-banana-lime sorbet are heaped on a base of coconut shaved ice and mango sauce, topped with lime zest and a zig-zag drizzle of sweetened condensed coconut milk — a combination of flavors, temperatures, and textures that’s fun to eat and discover anew from bite to bite.

A glass of tiramisu from Lodi at Rockefeller Center
Photo by Julie Schneider
Photo by Julie Schneider

Tiramisu at Lodi

1 Rockefeller Plaza

Concocted with hazelnut liqueur and strata of espresso-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone, topped with a layer of cocoa powder, Lodi’s generously portioned tiramisu comes in an elegant glass goblet. The cafe-restaurant’s sweets and spirits menu suggests pairing it with Bosca Cardamaro, an amaro liqueur. Or, enjoy it with one of Lodi’s impeccable espresso drinks. For a date, ask for two spoons and post up at the marble counter for some prime people watching on the Plaza.

To find more treats to try in New York City, explore all of Rockefeller Center’s options for confections and desserts.


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