Ready for your trip to Seattle? We’ll bet you have quite the itinerary planned. Of course, the Space Needle and Pike Place Market are on your list of attractions. You might even explore the Emerald City’s grungy-chic neighborhoods — Nirvana won’t be around, but you’ll still find some cool record shops, colorful bars, and vintage clothing shops.
Smell that? You probably smell the Starbucks beans on Pike St., but wait — it’s actually Victrola Coffee Roasters, a dolphin-blue heritage building with house-blended espresso wafting through the windows.
But nothing follows a hot cup of joe sweeter than a delicious, sugary snack. Seattle is an exquisite place for anyone with a sweet tooth. But where to begin? You might pop by Fran’s Chocolates, a shop selling salted caramels that even President Obama couldn’t resist.
Intrigued? Whether you’re a budding chocolatier or a candy-eyed queen, Seattle offers you a world of desserts right outside the door of your vacation rental home.
We’ll walk you through 20 local spots to satisfy that sugar craving to get you started.
Dahlia Bakery
- Price point: $$
- Address: 2001 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121, United States
- Famous menu item: Triple Coconut Cream Pie
Owned by prominent author and chef Tom Douglas, Dahlia Bakery is a one-stop spot for several breakfast and brunch options. It’ll be hard to pick an item from their wide selection of cookies, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries. No matter what you order, save some room for their coconut cream pie — it’s divine!
Bakery Nouveau
- Price point: $$
- Address: 4737 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116, United States (multiple locations)
- Famous menu items: Twice-Baked Almond Croissant, Macarons
A haven for delectable baked goods, Bakery Nouveau is a tiny West Seattle spot serving the flakiest croissant in Seattle. Love at first bite is guaranteed! Owners William and Heather Leaman pay special attention to the latest, innovative technology in the baking industry, adapting blast chillers, batter depositors, and more to their Bakery.
This joint is small and the lines are long, so we don’t recommend it for a sit-down meal. Invite a flaky, buttery date on your stroll and take it to go!
Gelatiamo
- Price point: $$
- Address: 1400 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
- Famous menu item: Chocolate Hazelnut
You walk into an authentic ice cream shop selling melt-in-your-mouth gelato, instantly transporting you to Rome — that’s Gelatiamo for you. Thoughtful artisans create small batches of gelato using hand-picked organic ingredients and fresh fruits.
To make the ice cream 100% Italian, owner Maria Coassin imports hazelnuts straight from the Italian region of Piedmont. She recommends pairing a scoop or two of Hazelnut ice cream with Lemon Sorbet — Italian style!
Gelatiamo also sells delicious coffee, sorbet, pastries, and desserts at a fair price.
The Flour Box
- Price point: $$
- Address: 5520 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118, United States
- Famous menu items: Brioche donuts, Cinnamon rolls, Vietnamese coffee
Pamela Vuong began The Flour Box with pop-up events sprinkled across Seattle. This one-woman operation reached crazy popularity super fast. When demand for her airy hand-rolled brioche donuts skyrocketed, she opened a vibrant storefront in the heart of the Hillman City neighborhood.
Line up before opening hours to grab a bag of donuts, brownies, and cinnamon rolls with a cup of aromatic Anchorhead Coffee.
Salt & Straw
- Price point: $$
- Address: 714 East Pike Street Deli, Suite A, Seattle, WA 98122, United States (multiple locations)
- Famous menu items: Special Seasonals, Pear and Blue Cheese ice cream, Gooey chocolate brownie ice cream.
If you’re in the mood for a sweet chill, Salt & Straw has you covered. This portland-founded brand carefully selects local ingredients and offers a unique twist based purely on the chef’s intuition. His sorcery creates deliciously bizarre flavors like bone marrow and green corn tamale ice cream.
Want to play it safe? Salt & Straw’s velvety gooey brownie or sea salt ice cream are timeless classics.
Pie Bar Capitol Hill
- Price point: $$
- Address: Capitol Hill 1361 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122
- Famous menu items: Deserted Island Crumble, Chocolate Cream Pie, Keylime Pie-tini
Feeling sleepless in Seattle? After dinner in Capitol Hill, make your way to Pie Bar, a charming late-night cocktail bar on Capitol Hill. This hole-in-the-wall bar serves creamy pies, dessert cocktails called pie-tinis, and a handful of savory items. Their boozy concoctions are made up of locally distilled vodka fused with pie.
Eat a slice or grab a whole pie at their takeout window for your next party. If you have a sweet tooth, this might just become your favorite bar in town.
Hello Robin
- Price point: $
- Address: 522 19th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112, United States
- Famous menu items: Mackles’more Cookie, Orange Habanero Cookie, Salted Butterscotch Cookies
We dare you to resist Hello Robin’s thick & chewy freshly made cookies. Chef Robin Wehl balances the classic cookie flavor with unexpected ingredients. Habanero, anyone? Go with a group of loved ones and split a dozen-cookie box, each with a different flavor. If you have to pick one, you can’t go wrong with the Mackles’more cookie.
Pair it with the best ice cream from the store’s Molly Moon counter, and thank us later.
Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream
- Price point: $$
- Address: 917 East Pine Street Seattle, WA 98122 (multiple locations)
- Famous menu items: Yeti, Salted Toffee ice cream, Nutmeg scented cookie dough ice cream
Nothing spreads joy quite like homey artisanal ice cream. Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream store will comfort you with whiffs of warm waffle cones as soon as you step in.
Owner Molly Moon Neitzel uses organic fruits and dairy from local farms and chocolate from locally renowned Theo Chocolate. Their vegan cookie dough ice cream is perfect for people that don’t want the dairy but yearn for creamy ice cream.
Sneak in ice cream for breakfast by adding berries, nuts, and marmalade to your frozen treat from their topping bar. We won’t tell anyone.
Theo Chocolate
- Price point: $$
- Address: 3400 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103, United States
- Famous menu items: Ghost Pepper Chocolate, Classic Chocolate Bar
Theo Chocolate is a Seattle landmark, supplying high-quality chocolate to several local bakeries. A fair-trade store selling imaginative flavors of chocolates makes for a great snack and souvenir. Plus, their educational tours come with free chocolate samples. It’s a guilt-free way to munch on treats while learning about a fascinating chocolate-making process.
They get extra points for their clean and minimal packaging, making their chocolate bars a wonderful souvenir.
Cupcake Royale
- Price point: $$
- Address: 106 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101, United States(multiple locations)
- Famous menu items: Tiramisu Cupcake, Lavender Cupcake, Butterfinger Cupcake, Espresso Shake
A list of Seattle’s dessert spots is incomplete without Cupcake Royale, who holds popular opinion’s first place for the best buttercream frosted cupcakes in Seattle. Hang on, is that Jason Segal wolfing down a red velvet? Fans have spotted him Forgetting Sarah Marshall over a comforting cupcake or two.
Forget about calories for a moment — you can make up for it later. Right now, just indulge in a seasonal maple sweet potato cupcake or classic chocolate cream, topped with ice cream.
And if you’re planning a kid-friendly afternoon? Try the Alien Invasion–themed dozen, with spaceships and stars plastered onto each treat.
Hot Cakes
- Price point: $$
- Address: 5427 Ballard Ave NW Seattle, WA 98107 (multiple locations)
- Famous menu items: Dark Decadence, Peanut Butter Cake, Hazelnut Cake
Born as a passion project in Seattle’s Farmers Markets, Hot Cakes has evolved into a widely successful cakery. They’re famous for their sinful chocolatey, gooey, molten cakes — every chocolate lover’s dream.
Chef Autumn Martin’s legendary confection creation, the Dark Decadence molten chocolate cake, is a drool-worthy must-eat. Aside from cakes, they also do boozy shakes, chocolate pudding, and vegan variations of their popular desserts.
Make your way to Hot Cakes’ Ballard or Capitol Hill location to eat some of the best desserts in all of Seattle.
Shug’s Soda Fountain
- Price point: $$
- Address: 1525 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
- Famous menu item: S’more Sundae, Coffee flavored soda
Shug’s Soda Fountain is a family-owned retro-inspired shop, aimed at pulling the nostalgic strings in your heart. They sell sundaes, ice creams, sandwiches, and, of course, sodas made in-house. Keeping up with the vintage vibe, the interiors include cheerful barstools, mint walls, and a 1930s-restored soda fountain.
Go back in time and share a s’mores hot fudge sundae topped with roasted marshmallows. Located in the touristy Pike Place Market, Shug’s Soda Fountain is perfect for a post-dinner pick-me-up spot for couples, families, and friends.
Le Panier
- Price point: $$
- Address: 1902 Pike Pl, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
- Famous menu items: Almond Chocolate Croissant, Pistachio Eclair, Pumpkin Macaron, Pain au Chocolat
Another Pike Place Market gem, Le Panier is an elegant patisserie, selling tempting baked delicacies since 1983. Owners Kristi Drake and Thierry Mougin keep the French spirit alive through their recipes and carefully curated ambiance.
There are no seats, so grab a box of their pastel macarons with a couple of croissants on the go for a quick portal to Paris.
Lady Yum
- Price point: $
- Address: 2130 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121, United States
- Famous menu items: Raspberry Chardonnay Macaron, Hennessey Hazelnut Macaron, Fruity Pebble Macaron
Founded in Kirkland, Lady Yum is a pastel pink and wallpaper-heavy macaron parlor and wine bar. With their bright macarons and fun packaging, they’ve found a way to make these colorful treats less pompous and more fun.
Stop by after lunch to knock back a flute of champagne while nibbling on a macaron. And just like that, your ordinary noon will turn into a celebratory one in an instant.
Pro Tip: Their eclectic chairs look great in social media snaps.
Buy multiple packs of 10 macarons for $25 as the tastiest, most colorful souvenirs for friends and family.
Dochi Donuts
- Price point: $$
- Address: 515 Weller St Seattle, WA 98104 (Located inside the Food Hall @ Uwajimaya) (multiple locations)
- Famous menu items: Matcha Donuts, Taro Donuts
Here’s a riddle for you: what’s chewy on the inside but crunchy on the inside, and delicious all around? Dochi Donuts! These Japanese mochi-inspired donuts have taken Seattle’s donut by storm.
Since these donuts are made with rice flour, just like authentic mochi (Japanese rice cake), they don’t have the overpowering sweetness or grease of ordinary donuts.
Fran’s Chocolates
- Price point: $$$
- Address: 1325 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, United States (multiple locations)
- Famous menu items: Salted Caramel Chocolates, Dark Chocolate Bars, Truffles, Gold Bars
Some enjoy a small piece of chocolate after dinner. Others polish off the entire box — that’s how we like to devour the luxurious, salted caramel chocolates at Fran’s Chocolates. Pssst… If you want a rental with luxurious amenities to match, check out our Seattle rentals.
Fran Bigelow is a queen of gourmet in the chocolate crowd. What started as one shop in 1982 now has four locations in Seattle and three in Japan.
Pick up a box of truffles, chocolate-covered fruit, or gold bars and snack on a piece while you wander down First Avenue. Just make sure you gobble everything up before heading to the Seattle Art Museum.
General Porpoise Coffee & Doughnuts
- Price point: $$
- Address: 1020 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122, United States
- Famous menu items: Lemon Curd Donut, Custard Donut, Espresso
General Porpoise’s homemade treats will change your perception of what a scrumptious donut should look, feel and taste like.
You can’t go wrong with any donut, but if we had to pick one, it would be the lemon curd.
Simply Desserts
- Price point: $
- Address: Fremont Building, 3421 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103, United States
- Famous menu items: Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, Blueberry Cake
An unpretentious bakery serving sinful treats, Simply Desserts must be added to your Seattle dessert bucket list. Warning! Their cakes are so good, one slice won’t be enough. Especially famous is their out-of-the-world light and fruity lemon blueberry cake, which sells out super fast.
Full Tilt Ice Cream
- Price point: $
- Address: 9629 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106, United States (multiple locations)
- Famous menu items: Thai Iced Tea ice cream, Root Beer Float
Beer, ice cream, and arcade games — that sums up Full Tilt Ice Cream. In other words, it’s a dive bar masquerading as an ice cream parlor.
Owner Justin Cline always has some experimental flavors on the menu, like Mango Chili and classics like chocolate and oreo. Their thick stretchy ice cream is so good, you’ll end up taking a pint back to your rental.
Not all ice cream parlors can make creamy vegan ice cream, but Full Tilt does it best.
Baked From the Hart
- Price point: $$
- Address: 2801 S Hanford St, Seattle, WA 98144, United States
- Famous menu items: Pecan Pie, Sweet Bean Supreme, Chess Pie
In Southeast Seattle lies Baked From the Hart, a welcoming pie shop tucked inside a converted house. Bill Hart (better known as pie guy) opened his shop almost 50 years ago, and his popularity only keeps growing. We especially love the flexible sizes, from bites and mediums to 9-inch cakes.
We recommend getting a table and soaking in the homey atmosphere. Read through magazine clippings and browse the walls’ family photos to get to know more about this historic pie place.
You might be overwhelmed with flavors, but that’s what the helpful staff are there for. They’ll likely give you a slice of the freshest creation of the day.
Experience a Luxurious Rental in Sweet Seattle
By now, you’ve probably picked your ideal dessert spot. Don’t blame us for your postponed diet — save it for after your Washington vacation. In the meantime, you’ll need a comfy abode to relax after the sugar rush dies down.
Will it be a classic Ballard townhome or Queen Anne 6-bedroom for your family reunion? No matter your selection, enjoy uninterrupted WiFi, fresh linens, and a fully stocked kitchen.
Book your Seattle Vacation Home today!
Featured Image Credit: Brian Logan Photography