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Dessert in Metro Detroit doesn’t have to mean just a scoop of vanilla or a simple slice of cake. Across the area, shops are turning treats into full-on experiences, layering unexpected flavors, playing with texture and temperature, and giving classics a serious glow-up. From churros dressed up like gourmet pastries to cookie bowls piled high with ice cream, these spots prove that sweets can be fun, surprising, and anything but ordinary.
Sweet Stacks
28235 Ford Road, Garden City
At Sweet Stacks, mini pancakes are the star, and they definitely aren’t just for breakfast. Classic batter becomes a base for combos like Chunky Monkey with walnuts, bananas, caramel, and white chocolate, Birthday Cake with funfetti bits and sprinkles, S’mores with halal marshmallows and graham crackers, and Cinnamon Roll topped with pecans and cinnamon sauce. The creativity continues with bubble waffles stuffed with ice cream, crepes dressed up in everything from berry cheesecake to spiced apple crumble, and over-the-top treats like the Fruitty Pebbles Waffle Stick, crowned with Sweet Stacks sauce, Fruitty Pebbles cereal, and strawberry sauce, or a Waffle Banana Split layered with multiple ice cream flavors and toppings. Party trays, churros with dipping sauces, and fruit cups tossed with mini pancakes make Sweet Stacks an easy pick for sharing or turning dessert into the main event.
Ice Cream Detroit
3762 Second Avenue, Detroit
Ice Cream Detroit brings small-batch creativity to the scoop shop experience, with a specialty of spirit-infused flavors and bold flavor combinations. “Every scoop is made in-house and handcrafted in Midtown with bold ingredients and Detroit soul,” says owner and confectioner Ysahai Honor-Marie, who notes that many flavors are booze-free, vegan, and dairy-free, “so everyone can indulge.” Signature flavors include Midtown Love, a peach basil ice cream infused with peach honey brandy, Double Dip, a go-to infused espresso martini ice cream option, and Creamy Comfort, with matcha flavors paired with a touch of cognac. Dairy-free sorbets and ice creams keep things inclusive, from a strawberry Faygo Red Pop sorbet with coconut rum to avocado passion fruit and classic nonalcoholic flavors like vanilla bean, chocolate, SuperWoman, and traditional butter pecan. Workshops and flavor-making classes add an extra layer of fun for anyone curious about how the magic happens.
La Niña Churrería
2886 West Maple Road, Troy
La Niña Churrería takes churros to a whole new level, offering them in just about every form you can imagine. There are classic churritos and churro bites with dips like caramel, chocolate, and custard, as well as filled churros served by the piece or in packs. The real showstoppers are the specialty churros: Tiramisu topped with mousse and cocoa, Gansito with strawberry jam and meringue, Arroz Con Leche with horchata buttercream and cinnamon, Pistachio Raspberry, Dulce de Leche with salted caramel buttercream and Maria cookies, and even Mango Habanero for a sweet-heat twist. Guests can also build Concha Ice Cream Sandwiches or Churro Bowls filled with gelato and toppings, cool off with sorbet and gelato in flavors like cinnamon, coconut, and cappuccino, or go for fruit-forward treats like Bionico fruit cocktail layered with tres leches cream, nuts, granola, and more. Mexican-inspired drinks, like Mazapán shakes, Abuelita chocolate shakes, and specialty Mexican mocha lattes, round out a menu that’s as playful as it is inventive.
Cookieee Boys
774 West Big Beaver Road, Troy
Cookieee Boys turns the classic cookie-and-milk duo into something much more decadent. Their Cookie Bowls start with warm, fresh-baked cookies as the base, like chocolate chip, Reese’s peanut butter, brownie-based “Brookie,” or sugar cookie, then layer on ice cream and toppings. The OG Bowl pairs a chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle, while the S’mores Bowl stacks marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate over a s’mores cookie and vanilla ice cream. There are also cereal-inspired creations with Fruity Pebbles or Cinnamon Toast Crunch-flavored ice cream, plus a lineup of traditional cookies in flavors like Cookie Monster with M&M’s and chocolate chips, Red Velvet with macadamia nuts and chocolate chunks, and Reese’s pairing chocolate and peanut butter. Milkshakes made from these cookies and flavors keep the theme going in handheld form.
Evana’s Cafe
2107 15 Mile Road, Sterling Heights
Evana’s Cafe is a playground for dessert lovers who like options. Rolled ice cream starts with bases like chocolate, cotton candy, matcha, ube, vanilla, or vegan, then gets turned into creations like the Banana Nutella Roll, Pistachio Roll with pistachio butter, S’mores Roll with graham crackers and marshmallows, or Strawberry Cheesecake Roll loaded with fruit and cheesecake. Beyond the rolls, guests can build out desserts as bubble waffles, cream puffs, crepes, or mini pancakes, all topped in themes like Biscoff, Ferrero Rocher, Fruity Pebbles, Raffaello, or Reese’s, to name just a few. Milkshakes, smoothie bowls, and smoothies made with ingredients like acai, dragon fruit, coconut, and matcha round out the menu, making this a spot where you can go from super indulgent to fresh and fruity in one visit.
From rolled ice cream and churro bowls to cookie-based sundaes and liquor-kissed scoops, Metro Detroit’s dessert spots are redefining what it means to grab something sweet. Each of these businesses leans into its own style, whether that’s over-the-top toppings, international inspiration, or handcrafted chocolate, giving you plenty of excuses to skip the ordinary and try something unforgettable the next time a craving hits.
