Our list of the 10 best dessert restaurants in Durham is based upon TripAdvisor reviews from diners in The Bull City. After you have a delicious dinner, you must follow it up with dessert, right?
The Parlour (117 Market Street; 919-564-7999) makes and serves incredibly delicious ice cream (a wide variety of handmade flavors) seven days a week in Downtown Durham. They offer in-house baked goods, coffee, and other hot and cold drinks. They also receive special orders for ice cream cakes.
Rise (8200 Renaissance Parkway, Suite 1003; 919-248-2992) is known for their freshly baked biscuits and their delicious donuts that come in a variety of flavors. In the “sweet stuff” section of their menu: apple fritter, glazed blueberry biscuit, flaky strawberry biscuit, cinnamon pecan biscuit rolls, donut with vanilla icing and sprinkles, raspberry and jelly-filled donut, creme brulee (a crowd favorite), chocolate icing donut, maple bacon long john, and chocolate glazed donut.
Dulce Cafe (5826 Fayetteville Road, Suite 106; 919-797-0497) gets rave reviews for their desserts. Gelato flavors include chocolate, strawberry, mint chip, caramel-peanut butter, banana, and passion fruit sorbetto (non-dairy). They make chocolate, plain vanilla, carrot, and red velvet cakes with delicious options for mousse filling flavors and frostings. They also feature palate-pleasing, one-of-a-kind pastries and there is always something new to taste.
The Mad Hatter’s Bake Shop (1802 W. Main Street; 919-286-1987) is famous for their cakes and their cupcakes are an Indy’s Best of the Triangle winner. They also offer delectable cookies, muffins, pies, scones, and tarts. Did you know they have creamy, New York-style cheesecakes perfect on their own, flavored (like turtle cheesecake), or topped with fresh fruit (including strawberry cheesecake). All made from scratch and always made with love.
Loaf (111 W. Parrish Street; 919-797-1254) bakes their enticing pastries in a brick oven. Pastries include Caneles de Bordeaux, Cinnamon Rolls, Croissants, Fig Scones, Gougeres, Nanaimo Bars, Pain au Chocolates, Strawberry Bread Pudding Muffins, and many others. They also make fresh raspberry tarts and assorted homemade cookies.
Locopops Gourmet Popsicles (2600 Hillsborough Road; 919-286-3500) in response to the question about why their menu changes so often, had a great answer. “Well, over the years, we’ve learned that some folks want the same flavor every time and others like to experiment. So we try to offer both camps what they want. We have ‘Regulars’ which we serve all the time and ‘Guest Stars’ which vary either monthly or weekly. If you have a favorite that you’d like to see featured, make sure to vote in our monthly guest star menu poll to lobby for your fave.” Their chocolate brownie popsicle seems to earn the most praise.
The French Corner Bakery (2005 North Pointe Drive; 919-698-9836) has temptations for those with a sweet tooth, such as coffee cake, brownies, cookies, and cupcakes. Receives reviews like “cannolis and eclairs made to perfection” and “chocolate and peanut butter desserts to die for.”
Ninth Street Bakery (136 E Chapel Hill Street; 919-688-5606) makes a variety of desserts. Their Chocolate Babka French Toast is a moist chocolatey swirl in a rectangular challah loaf enjoyed by kids of all ages. Their Bear Claw is a flaky pastry with a chocolate nut filling. Shortbread cookies are “competely, delectably buttery and crunchy.” They also have chocolate chip and double chocolate with walnuts. Their decadent chocolate brownie has a sweet coconut bottom. Ninth Street Bakery also makes popular vegan and gluten-free pumpkin bars (with oats) as well as vegan and gluten-free coconut banana chocolate-chip cookies.
True to their name, Carolina Glazed Donuts (5400 S Miami Blvd; 207-252-9218) serves a variety of glazed donuts (plain, chocolate/coconut, chocolate/peanut butter, chocolate/sprinkles). They also offer apple fritters, eclairs, long johns, cinnamon rolls, and bear claws. Cake flavors like blueberry, vanilla, and chocolate.
Pelican’s Snowballs (3217 N Roxboro Street) features over 100 flavors of Original New Orleans Shaved Ice. You can add cream to any flavor. Flavors range from pina colada to carrot cake, dill pickle to passion fruit, and candy apple to red velvet cake. They are sure to have something you will love.
Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast, in the heart of Durham, North Carolina, welcomes you to stay at our Colonial Mansion. Conveniently located near The Durham Bulls Stadium and The Durham Performing Arts Center. We are close to shopping, museums, galleries, and much more. During your visit, be sure to taste some of the tasty treats available at these 10 best dessert restaurants!
