The Best Places for Dessert in Chattanooga

Updated October 2019. It’s National Dessert Day. I’ll start this post with a confession: I have an insatiable sweet tooth. It’s a blessing and a curse, and also probably why I bake almost every weekend. I also find baking oddly relaxing (is that weird?). But sometimes I just want to treat myself to something nice, that I probably can’t bake myself at home, or that I don’t have the patience to bake myself. Thank goodness there is no shortage of places to enjoy a good dessert in Chattanooga.

As far as dessert goes, I’m not that picky, but I definitely have my favorites. If there’s chocolate, Nutella, strawberries, cookie dough, sprinkles and/or peanut butter in it, chances are I’ll be all about it.

We already know there are some fun ice cream spots in Chattanooga, but there’s so much more to dessert and sweet treats than ice cream. Heck, I even think donuts qualify as dessert.

Here are some of the best spots to get your favorite sweet treat or dessert in Chattanooga!

Your sweet tooth is about to go on an adventure.

Ice Cream Show // This was one of the first spots I checked out when I moved to Chattanooga. The Ice Cream Show is a really unique spin on an ice cream parlor. Pick chocolate or vanilla soft serve (or yogurt), add in any number of mix-ins (sprinkles, cookies, brownies, fruits… literally everything) from their massive variety, and watch as it’s blended into your own soft-serve ice cream creation. This is an especially great spot to bring kids!

Clumpies // This is more my kind of ice cream shop. Clumpies reminds me a lot of the ice cream shop I worked at in high school, minus the farm aspect. All of Clumpies’ ice creams and sorbets are handcrafted, just as they’ve been since the 90s. My personal favorites are chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies and creme, and sweet cream; they have rotating seasonal flavors, too. Lately I’ve been loving their Campfire ice cream, which is like s’mores. In the summer, I’m all about some peach ice cream.

The Hot Chocolatier // For those of y’all with a really massive sweet tooth, The Hot Chocolatier is the place you need to be. They’ve got gelato, truffles, cakes, brownies, bars and all kinds of chocolate-covered treats. They have a peanut butter and chocolate mousse that is to die for. If eating chocolate isn’t enough, you can drink it, too. And their hot chocolate is some of the best in town.

Julie Darling Donuts // Donuts are my excuse to start my day with dessert. And Julie Darling’s donuts are anything but ordinary. Whether cake or yeast donuts are your preference, you can choose any number of donuts that will surely satisfy any sweets craving you may have.

Koch’s Bakery // Koch’s is a true Chattanooga gem. The bakery, located on Broad Street, has been in business for more than 70 years! People have been loving their donuts–and other sweet treats like cookies, cupcakes, breads, brownies and more–for decades, and it only takes one visit to see why. It’s also home of the iconic Chattanooga donut mural.

What I love about both donut shops mentioned above is the donuts aren’t overly decorated or loaded with icing. They’ve got just the right amount that isn’t overpowering and doesn’t take away from the actual donut.

Cupcake Kitchen // When I found out I was moving to Chattanooga, one of the first things I Googled was fun places to eat downtown. The Cupcake Kitchen came up in my search and I knew I had to check it out ASAP. My mom and I stopped here when we came for the apartment search and it quickly became one of my favorite sweet spots in town. With more than 20 cupcake flavors–from classic chocolate and vanilla, to strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, banana cream pie and more–you can’t leave the Cupcake Kitchen without at least one.

Fun fact: Cupcake Kitchen has been recognized as the Sweetest Bakery in Tennessee! So now you have to go.

Adelle’s Creperie // Crepes are never a bad idea, and they’re super fun to switch up your routine with every now and then. Adelle’s opened a little over a year ago and was the idea of a local 13-year-old girl and her family. Together they share their love of crepes, both sweet and savory, with locals and visitors who want something unique. As a plus, Adelle’s uses only fresh, wholesome and hormone-free ingredients in everything they make and serve.

Rembrandt’s // If a quieter, European-style cafe is more your style, check out Rembrandt’s Coffee Shop up in the Art District. They offer a wide variety of desserts and pastries that are great for breakfast or dessert, from eclairs to grasshopper brownies. Pair it with a coffee or tea and you’ve got yourself a really pleasant treat. Rembrandt’s tiramisu is top-notch.

Moon Pie General Store // Okay, so it’s not a true restaurant or bakery, but you can’t come to Chattanooga and not have a Moon Pie! The actual Moon Pies are baked elsewhere in town, but you can purchase factory-fresh Moon Pies at the General Store on Broad Street (which is, conveniently, caddy-corner from the Cupcake Kitchen).

Frothy Monkey // My friends and I had dinner here during Restaurant Week this summer, and I finished off my meal with a slice of their special Tiramisu Cake. Y’all, I love classic tiramisu, but that cake was some of the best dessert I’ve had in all of Chattanooga. Frothy Monkey has some dessert regulars and also some rotating daily cake and pie specials.

Milk & Honey // Can we say, hello gelato? Milk & Honey is another “must” in Chattanooga. All of their gelato is made fresh, from scratch every day, with fresh, organic, locally-sourced ingredients. Milk & Honey has delicious classic flavors like chocolate, strawberry and their namesake, but don’t miss any of their special or seasonal flavors throughout the year. They change almost weekly!

There are some other really great restaurants in town with killer desserts to wrap up your meal. Take a look at the dessert menu (or ask about the specials) at these places:

• Easy Bistro
• Main Street Meats
• FEED Co. Table & Tavern
• Flying Squirrel
• Food Works
• Public House
• STIR
• St. John’s / The Meeting Place

To me, no meal is complete without some kind of dessert. I’ll always use my sweet tooth as a reason (or excuse) to try new sweets, especially with so many awesome places to get dessert in Chattanooga.

Where is your favorite place to eat dessert in Chattanooga? What’s your favorite sweet treat?