Decadent pancakes
Pancakes have always been a popular food craze. But a slab of butter and syrup just doesn’t cut it anymore. Sweet aficionados have stepped up the flapjack game with stacks on stacks of warm hotcakes, ooey-gooey syrup(s), and, of course, crazy toppings. When it comes to pancakes, the sky’s the limit.
Rainbow bagel sandwiches
Rainbow bagels made their appearance last year in New York City, and the nation pretty much went bananas. Now, this wildly colored snack has stepped into the realm of sweet. Square Bar Cafe in San Diego, California is dishing out rainbow bagels with birthday cake cream cheese or fruity pebbles cream cheese, topped with sprinkles. Because who said bagels couldn’t be dessert?
Galaxy cakes
Sweeping the nation is the utmost awe-inspiring cake: the galaxy. Sweeping colors of the sky and glistening stars make this sweet one for the books. DBakers in Miami has it down to a science, pumping out some of the most incredible cakes we’ve seen – so good, you might think they are from another planet.
Decked out hot chocolate
Chicago‘s Bar Siena is known for Italian fare and cocktails. But do yourself a favor and head to its walk-up window, Bombobar, where you can get your hands on the ‘hotter chocolate.’ This beverage isn’t your average hot chocolate – expect things like sprinkles, shortbread or biscotti, and possibly half a doughnut.
Egg waffle cones
If you’re going to get your hands on any of America’s many dessert crazes, egg waffle ice cream cones should be it. A popular Hong Kong street snack, the egg waffle cone arrived by way of New York’s Eggloo, a dessert shop in Chinatown that tops freshly made cones with a mound of ice cream and toppings. The trend has spread, and dozens of dessert shops are now following suit. But honestly, isn’t that the most beautiful sundae you’ve ever seen?
Macaron ice cream sandwiches
The French have capitalized on America’s love for all things pretty – and delicious – by bringing these little goodies overseas to upscale bakeries and dessert shops. And while you can get macarons in pretty much any flavor, they’ve taken a back seat to their big sister: the macaron ice cream sandwich. A larger version of the merengue-based confection sandwiched together with a scoop of ice cream and toppings of choice (fruity pebbles, cinnamon toast crunch, and sprinkles pictured).
Rolled ice cream
Hailing from Thailand, the newest addition to the dessert game is rolled ice cream. Places like Sweet Charlie’s Ice Cream in Philly and I CE NY in Manhattan roll out ice cream on an icy-cold sheet of metal, chopping and smashing until it’s spread into a thin layer. The ice cream is then scraped, rolled, and piled high with toppings of choice. Fro-yo, who?
Cotton candy ice cream cones
If waffle cones aren’t enough to keep you happy, foodie entrepreneurs continue to dream up new vehicles for ice cream – such as Shock Ice Cream & Candy Cafe in Westhampton Beach, New York, where you can get a cone made with cotton candy. This trend is all the rage in London and is rapidly making its way to the US. Watch out summer 2017, expect to see these babies beachside.
Light bulb drinks
Here’s a new trend that most of us wouldn’t even dream of fashioning: drinks in a light bulb. All signs point to Southeast Asia as the culprit of the light bulb trend, but it wasn’t until a café in Taiwan posted photos of light bulbs filled with bubble tea that fans on social media went wild. Now places like Snow Monster, Square Bar Cafe, and Chomp Eatery are serving up liquid sugar in this unusual stemware. Even cocktail bars Canon in Seattle and ROKC in Manhattan have jumped on the bandwagon.
Lavishly topped milkshakes
We all love milkshakes. But what’s a milkshake without a mound of cookies, half a cake, and possibly three candy bars? Plus, you can even get a vegan one (if that’s your kind of thing).
