Spring Dessert Roundup | Best Desserts Little Italy has to Offer

The best things in life are always dolce (sweet)! If you have a sweet tooth or are simply looking for the best desserts in the area, then you have come to the right place. Anything from gelato and pastries, to cakes and donuts, we guarantee you there’s a spot in Little Italy that has what you’re craving. Below are some of our top picks!

Pastries, Donuts, Cakes & Cookies

Zucchero

Zucchero brings some amazing traditional Italian desserts with a modern flair created by Chef Frank Buslacchi.  Housed one of the Busalacchi Family resutranats, Nonna, Zucchero gives you a feeling like being in your Nonna's (Grandma's) dining room as you enjoy the sweet flavors that Zucchero has to offer.

Extraordinary Desserts

If your dessert of choice is cake, then your go-to spot is Extraordinary Desserts. They are known for their show-stopping cakes and desserts. Some of their staples include Chocolate Dulce De Leche, Extraordinary Carrot Cake, and Passion Fruit Ricotta to name a few. Feeling like you want to cut back on sweets, but just *need* to have a small bite? No worries! Extraordinary Desserts offers Petit Desserts which are the same delicious desserts, but mini. Be sure to check their menu before ordering though, as their dessert menu varies day-to-day.

Frost Me Café and Bakery

If you’re more of a cupcake type gal or guy, then you should stop by Frost Me Café and Bakery. They make the most beautiful and delicious cupcakes you’ve ever seen. What’s their secret? They use the perfect combination of savory to sweet and frosting to cake ratio. Besides cupcakes, they also have a wide variety of pastries and other desserts all made with high-quality ingredients.

Devil’s Dozen Donut Shop

You can never go wrong with a fresh donut for dessert. Get them powdered, sprinkled, glazed or cream-filled and everything in-between. Devil’s Dozen Donut Shop offers a carefully curated selections of donuts made using only the highest quality ingredients available. Their motto is, “If you’re going to be bad, make sure your donuts are good” – so go ahead, be bad, take your favorite donut and enjoy!

Ice Cream, Gelato & Paletas

Pappalecco

Do you ever just crave coffee and ice cream at the same time? Lucky for you, Pappalecco has just what you need. Their Affogato, espresso over a scoop of gelato of your choice, is incredible! They also have an array of homemade desserts including Tora Nonna, Apple Crumb, Crostata Nutella, Tiramisu, Chocolate Mousse Cake and the list goes on.

Caffe Italia

Caffe Italia isn’t just the go-to spot for a delicious cappuccino, it’s also home to deliciously homemade gelato from Gelato Vero Café. Flavors include spumoni, dark chocolate, strawberry, espresso bean, vanilla bean, and coconut. What can we say? We LOVE gelato!

Salt & Straw

No matter the age, ice cream is an all-time favorite for most people, and Salt & Straw is a local favorite here in Little Italy. They offer epic ice cream flavor combinations, so there is something for everyone! The current monthly flavors for March are Strawberry Tres Leches, Salted Caramel Cupcake, Lemon Cheesecake, Crumble, Cinnatopia Cinnamon Bun, and Brown Ale & Bacon. Grab a scoop or two of your favorites and enjoy!

iDessert

iDessert is a unique place where you customize your own futuristic dessert, crepes, sundaes and milkshakes. Kids love this spot as it’s the perfect place to create whatever they want! The first step in building your dessert is selecting a crust, gelato and cream. Then, you need to decide whether you want to add a layer of a flavored cake, a sauce, some fruits and/or a crunch. Lastly, savor your masterpiece!

Bobboi Natural Gelato

Another amazing gelato spot in Little Italy is Bobboi Natural Gelato. They are known for both their traditional and untraditional gelato flavors, including Charcoal Vanilla, Vanilla Hibiscus, Dragon Lemon and Pistachio and all are made from local, seasonal ingredients.

Holy Paleta

Holy Paleta offers handcrafted paletas (ice cream popsicles) made with all-natural, local, premium ingredients. They put a playful twist on the traditional paleta, including toppings like nuts, cookie crumbles and hot fudge or caramel.

Desserts are what dreams are made of! With endless dessert places in Little Italy, the only hard part is choosing which one to go to. Why not try them all? Visit a new spot every week and find out which one is your favorite while curving your sweet tooth.

For the latest updates on Little Italy, please visit us at LittleItalySD.com or follow us on Instagram @LittleItalySD, Twitter @LittleItalySD and Facebook @LittleItalySD.