Your Guide to Houston’s Best Dessert Spots

Written by Kelli Colbert

Tis the season to indulge! I don’t know about you, but I have always had a sweet tooth. Growing up, I can remember Carrie giving me her Halloween candy, as sweets just did not interest her. We’ll dive into my cardio commitment in another post to compensate for my unrequited love of sugary goodies. (Hello DEFINE Rev!)

My love of Houston and sweets have merged together with a delightful list of my top 10 dessert spots throughout Clutch City.  How many of these have you visited? What’s your favorite?

Our 11 Favorite Dessert Spots in Houston

1. Common Bond Cafe & Bakery

   1706 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006

This modern chic café and bakery is in the heart of Montrose off Westheimer. Never fear the line around the block, it moves quickly and is most certainly worth the wait. The kouign amman, a flakey caramelized sugar croissant, is their signature. Other favorites to try at this Zagat darling: the fresh berry tart (the buttery crust is a delight!) and the Fig + Goat Cheese Macaron. Pair your sweet treat with their Vanilla Latte and let the sugar high commence.

2. Crave Cupcakes

   5600 Kirby Dr, Houston, TX 77005

Oh, Crave Cupcakes – you are truly a Houston treasure. The original Uptown Park location often has a line out the door, as the smell of daily fresh baked goods wafts throughout the store. For years, our favorite flavors have been the classic Red Velvet (the most heavenly cream cheese frosting you will ever taste!) + Chocolate on Vanilla Bean.  Newcomers to their menu are not to be ignored – try the Vegan Red Velvet (so moist!), Texas Maple Pecan Bar, and their healthiest treat: the Vegan Protein Bar, packed with steel cut oats, soy protein, and carob chips. CONFESSION: When I moved to Dallas for a little over a year, CRAVE was one of the top 3 things I missed about Houston.

3. Dessert Gallery

   3600 Kirby Dr D, Houston, TX 77098

When we think of moist fluffy cakes in Space City, we think Dessert Gallery! While this retro styled diner offers just about anything you can dream of, their delectable cakes really do take the cake! Our Favorite: their Old Fashioned Diner cake is truly just like your Grandma used to make: multiple layers of sweet, golden cake with the most generous, glutinous portions of chocolate buttercream to hold it all together. Pro tip: Keep a glass of milk nearby when consuming to wash it all down. Also, be sure to load up on their Christmas Petit Fours for gift giving. Located in Upper Kirby off Richmond.

4. Fat Cat Creamery

   1901 N Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77008

This ice cream shop in the Heights is heaven in a cone or cup! Fat Cat makes all of their ice cream with local ingredients from Texas dairy and fruit farmers. The proprietors here turned their weekend passion of creating unique flavors into a full-fledged business when they opened up shop in their neighborhood. The menu consists of 5 delicious constants: 1. Cat’s Meow Mexican Vanilla, 2. Milk Chocolate (FAVE!), 3. Waterloo Strawberry Buttermilk, 4. Amaya Coffee & Cream, 5. Chai Tea Coconut.

And they seasonally rotate a multitude of creative flavors. Our seasonal favorites right now are Pumpkin Cheesecake and Chocolate Wasted.

5. Fluff Bake Bar

   314 Gray St, Houston, TX 77002

Local celebrity pastry chef Rebecca Maason, dubbed the Sugar Fairy, opened Fluff Bake Bar after winning a slew of culinary awards. You may be familiar with her pastries from Revival Market, as she sold her products there prior to opening her own shop.She also consults on creating dessert menus for the likes of Gravitas and Vic & Anthony’s.  Her passion for baking translates into her creatively original menu.  Stop by this midtown location and try a few of our favorites:  Sugar Hooker Oreos, fluffernutters (peanut butter oatmeal cookies with peanut butter cream and marshmellow fluff!), and the PB & J Cupcakes.

6. Macaron by Patisse

   2033 W Gray St, Houston, TX 77019

It’s easy to taste why this charming concept won the title of Houston’s Best Macarons. They create the most amazing macarons that rival those famous Parisian shops. The original location in The River Oaks Shopping Center is our personal fave – but you can also find them at The Galleria + The Woodlands. Owner Sukaina is as welcoming + beautiful as her treats are sweet!  Pro tip:  The Birthday Cake and Salted Caramel are our favorite flavors, and at 50 calories each, you can most certainly have more than one!

7. Petite Sweets

2700 W Alabama St, Houston, TX 77098

This West Alabama small venue packs a BIG taste with a wide array of offerings to satisfy your sugary cravings. This sweet sister of Lee’s Fried Chicken + Pi Pizza offers everything under the sweet sun: cake balls, macarons, mini cupcakes, whoopie pies, gelato, frozen custard…and more! The ice cream is made by Lee’s Creamery with the most creative flavors like avocado lime, maple bacon bourbon and buttermilk cookie. Our personal recommendations: the salted caramel marshmallow and the frozen custard in a funfetti dipped cone.

8. Pinkberry

3838 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77027

The OG of frozen yogurt shops keeps it real and never disappoints. This LA phenomenon that went nationwide is the perfect frozen treat year round. Bonus: Inner Looper Houstonians have three locations to choose from: Galleria, Highland Village, and Blvd Place. While the original tart flavor piled high with pineapple and blueberries is my personal favorite, their new to the menu and holiday flavors are making my mouth water: hello Peppermint Cookies & Cream! Trying to stay on the healthy side here?  Try the dairy free flavor options or a greek yogurt smoothie! Stay trill, Pinkberry!

9. The Chocolate Bar

1835 W Alabama St, Houston, TX 77005

Their slogan is: Where Every Hour is Happy Hour – and, we most certainly agree! This one of a kind shop has been featured on Food Network and is a choc-a-holic’s Willy Wonka-like fantasyland. Anything you can dream of is dipped in white, milk and dark chocolate:  fruit, twinkies, oreos, cereal, popcorn, potato chips, and sooooo much more! Do not neglect their homemade ice cream either – Teddy Camp Smores + Candylicious Junkyard are our faves here. Keep an eye out for their seasonal Girl Scout Cookie themed ice cream!

This Houston dessert institution has two locations:  off West Alabama in Montrose and in Rice Village.

10. Three Brothers Bakery

4036 S Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77025

Three Brothers Bakery is a Houston bakery legend. And what a gem this bakery is! Owned by the Jucker family, this bakery is on its 5^th generation of bakers that originated in Poland in the 1800s. The family immigrated to Houston after surviving the Holocaust, and opened the original Three Brothers on Holman in 1949. Suffice to say, their baked goods are seriously legit.  Check out their 3 locations in Braeswood, Memorial, and off Washington Avenue.

Their most legendary recipe? The holiday cake, PUMPECAPPLE PIE CAKE, that has been featured on Food Network and Good Morning America to name a few. It is 23.5 pounds, 11 inches tall and features pumpkin pie baked in a pumpkin cake, chocolate pecan pie baked in a chocolate cake, and apple pie baked into a spike cake. And, then they top it with thick layers of cream cheese icing. Boom.

11. Tiny Boxwood’s

3614 W Alabama St, Houston, TX 77027

Last but certainly not least… We could write poetry about our love of the Tiny Boxwood’s chocolate chip cookie. Seriously, it is hands down THE best chocolate chip cookie we’ve ever tasted, and we’ve tried a lot of them! They call it the “Daymaker” – and it truly is a little pillow of heaven! They bake 20 cookies at a time, every 20 minutes – so you ALWAYS have a fresh, warm cookie.

And big news: As of November 14^th, the West U location now features the walk up window called Milk & Cookies, serving 8-10 homemade ice cream flavors each week, a full espresso bar, pastries, and of course that famous cookie.

One More Thing

Hope you enjoyed our guide to all things sweet in Houston.  We’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments below. Where is your favorite place to go in Houston (or elsewhere) for something sweet?!