Who is on your list of favorite Seattle dessert shops?
Known by her fellow dessert lovers as the Dessert Geek (@dessert.geek on Instagram), Jess took a moment to share a bit about some of her favorite Seattle dessert shops.
Read all about it, then create your own favorite Seattle dessert shops list and share your Sweet InTENtional List. Be sure to tag Intentionalist for the chance to win a Baked From the Hart pie! We’ll be announcing winners weekly on Fridays (Pie-days) for the next month.
Amandine has long been one of my favorite quiet spots on Cap Hill with excellent macarons, tea, and other treats like their lovely scones and tiny tiered cakes. (Also: they have fruit ganaches in their cakes! It’s so good!) And Sara always has something fresh and awesome brewing!
Ever had taiyaki, the Japanese fish-shaped stuffed pancakes? You need to go to Beanfish – but be sure to ask if they have a secret menu that week! I’m a big fan of the Jiro (red bean desserts are so good!) but Brady always has the best suggestions.
Deep Sea Sugar & Salt is the place to go to live out your childhood dreams of eating giant slabs of cake, especially if you’re a fan of cream cheese frosting. Pro tip: eat the cake at Oxbow Park if you can, eating cake by the giant cowboy hat and boots is always a delight. And I always love hearing what Charlie and her team are baking up!
Seattle’s most (in)famous cheesecake spot, known for their awesome Filipino inspired flavors like pandan and my personal favorite, the mango calamansi. (FYI Ballard has the best selection, though it’s down a super narrow stairway.) Chera’s always baking up something new or working on new awesome collabs and ideas, like the Sari Not Sorry boxes!
Hot Cakes are a classic for a reason! We’re talking lava cakes, or chocolate cakes with gooey chocolate centers, and they are just wonderful. I love the chill vibe at the Ballard store but prefer the Cap Hill location, especially since they have soft serve. Autumn’s seasonal menus are always super fun, so check them out when you can! (I wish the sheep’s cheese custard would come back, it was like eating a warm black bottom cupcake!)
Another classic! Molly Moon’s is probably my favorite place to get classic ice cream with a twist, in super comforting flavors. The Columbia City location is my favorite because it’s adorable and you can walk to the nearby park to eat your treats. And Molly herself is also super into equity and I love seeing that in the stores!
Just the cutest 1950s style ice cream shop, complete with ‘phosphates,’ a classic riff on sodas! And Colleen is so friendly and always up for trying new things with her menu. (I miss going here to hang with friends!) Get the s’mores sundae if you can, the marshmallows are toasted to order and it’s super fun.
One of our favorite ice cream spots and we love that they have pint delivery! (No seriously, I need to order more.) Darkside, chocolate ice cream with brownie chunks, is my go to flavor, but really I love Lois’s experimental flavors! She brings so much joy to everything she makes and I’m always excited to try her latest creations. And there’s always a vegan and gluten free option, so I feel like I can bring most of my friends with allergies here.
Tokara is known for wagashi, or traditional Japanese confections made with mochi and fillings like red beans, white beans, and black sesame paste. While you can get her wagashi in a few places in town, going to the open houses is one of my favorite dessert experiences in Seattle. Here in a tiny Japanese house you can people watch, learn about the sweets, and if you’re lucky join in on a tea ceremony! I always love asking Chika where she sourced her ingredients – there’s almost always a neat story!
My favorite bubble tea store in Seattle! They have such good teas, and it’s one of the most tea forward bubble tea spots in town, with so many to try! (Favorite orders: Signature milk tea 50% with boba, honey lemon black tea 50% with boba, Earl Grey milk tea 50% with boba.) Caroline’s knowledge of tea and tea properties is amazing! Ask her questions if you can, she knows just so much!
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