The mantra “life is short, eat dessert first” will always ring true here at St. Augustine Social. We’re willing to find pretty much any excuse to have a mini celebration and treat ourselves to something sweet, and the bakeries, cupcakeries, and dessert shops of St. Augustine are doing their part to fuel that sugar addiction. The city’s pastry chefs are endlessly talented, so if you find yourself with a craving, pop into one of these shops to satisfy your sweet tooth. From donuts to cupcakes to ice cream and more, they’re dishing up more sweetness than we can handle.
Datil Dark
Mayday Ice Cream
The perfect St. Augustine summer dessert (or really any time of year), the Datil Dark ice cream is an unusual but delicious flavor. It’s perfectly rich chocolate ice cream with just a hint of datil pepper – some unexpected heat to a chilly treat.
www.maydayicecream.com
Sour Cream Old Fashioned
Happy Cakes
Tucked away in the quaint Sea Grove Plaza, Happy Cakes makes all their baked goods fresh daily. And while any of the rotating flavors are delicious, we prefer the classic Sour Cream Old Fashioned – tangy and sweet and utterly unbeatable.
www.happycakescupcake.com
Chocoholic
Luli’s Cupcakes
There are few pleasures in this world that match a tasty little cupcake. And it gets even better when you deck that cupcake out in layers of chocolate. The Chocoholic is rich, moist chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream and a coating of chocolate sprinkles.
www.luliscupcakes.com
Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie
Sugar Island
Sometimes when you’re feeling a dessert, you need to go all out. We’re not saying that you have to eat this pie all on your own. All we’re saying is that we wouldn’t judge if you didn’t share the delectably chocolatey and peanutty Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie.
www.sugarisland.info
Salted Caramel Macarons
Creme de la Cocoa
This adorable San Marco sweet shop dishes out desserts like no other, but if you’re just popping in to satisfy a sweet tooth craving, we suggest picking up a Salted Caramel Macaron. It’s just enough sugar, with the crunch of the shell and the creamy filling for texture.
www.cremedelacocoa.com
Normandie Crêpe
Les Petits Pleasures
There’s no rule that we know of that insists crêpes must be a dessert, so feel free to enjoy these at any time of the day. The Normandie Crêpe is a light pastry wrapped around sautéed apples, brown sugar, and sliced almonds. A little sweet, a little salty, a lot delicious.
www.facebook.com/Les-Petits-Pleasures-French-Pastry-and-Bakery
Couch Potato
Swillerbees Craft Donuts
Unless you’re a little adventurous with your desserts, this one might be a hard sell. But hear us out. The delicious-on-its-own donut is topped with chocolate icing, a drizzle of caramel, and potato chips. Yes, you read that right. But the salty crunchiness is the perfect complement to donut sweetness.
www.facebook.com/swillerbees
Cinnamon Roll
Dessert First Bistro
We’re always on board with the kind of dessert that you can eat for breakfast and no one will judge you for it. That’s why an icing-covered, warm, soft cinnamon roll will always have a place in our hearts and on our plates.
www.dessertfirstbistro.com
The Marilyn
Sweet City Cupcakes
Delicate, adorable, sweet, and fruity, we can’t get enough of this pink cupcake dream. A moist strawberry cupcake with a divine strawberry buttercream, it’s the perfect homage to its 1950s sweetheart namesake. Though it is a seasonal treat, so check availability before your heart is set on it.
www.thesweetcitycupcakes.com
Blackberry Cheesecake
The Hyppo
On the ever-lengthening summer days in St. Augustine, sometimes the best dessert is a chilly one. That’s why we turn to the city’s popsicle geniuses at The Hyppo. The Blackberry Cheesecake popsicle brings the tartness of blackberry together with the sweetness of cheesecake for perfect dessert harmony.
www.thehyppo.com
Featured image by Rob Futrell