SWEET TOOTH

The Best Desserts in Boulder County and beyond

BY ALLYSON REEDY

You look like you could use some slow-churned cream and sugar, a big slice of super-fluffy cheesecake or a bite (or several) of tender fruit nestled inside a buttery crust. Or maybe you need a springy cake, a shiny, caramelfilled chocolate or just a flaky, cream-filled pastry with a fancy name. Let’s be real, with the way things are going, we all need a little more dessert in our lives, and here’s where to find the best around.

Photo courtesy of Robin Chocolates

Photo courtesy of Piece, Love & Chocolate Everyone knows that the best beautiful things are edible beautiful things, which makes the stunning creations from Robin Chocolates the best of

all. Each truffle, from the bananas foster to the

hazelnut latte to the chai caramel, is hand-made

using the best chocolate Belgium, France and Switzerland can produce. And besides being easy on the eyes, they’re pretty darn delicious, too. 600 S. Airport Rd., Longmont; robinchocolates.com

It’s like Valentine’s Day exploded inside this west Pearl Street chocolate shop. For more than a decade, Piece, Love & Chocolate has been tempering, pouring and filling more truffles than you can count. (Mostly because it’s way more fun to eat than count truffles.) Unique flavors include passion fruit caramel, Stranahan’s whiskey and sweet tomato and basil, but you can’t go wrong with any of the chocolatey bites. 805 Pearl St., Boulder; pieceloveandchocolate.com

Chocolate

Cake

Kim and Jake, of the aptly named Kim & Jake’s Cakes, fell in love over slices of cake, and if you, too, want to fall in love over cake, then you should probably head on over to their strip-mall bakery. The cakes, in flavors like red velvet, Italian cream

and chocolatey chocolate, are gluten-free but filled with deliciousness. 641 S. Broadway, Boulder; kimandjakescakes.com

Photo courtesy of Shamane's Bakery Photo courtesy of Kim & Jake's cakes It’s not easy to find this Japanese-style bakery (hint: it’s south of Flatirons Mall, diagonally across from Benihana) but once you find The Enchanted Oven, you’ll be back. They use less sugar than is typical in American baking to achieve a more balanced, slightly less sweet treat, and everything, from the fluffy cheesecakes to the special occasion-worthy cakes, is top-notch. 520 Zang St., Broomfield; theenchantedoven.cafe

Pie

There are many reasons people go to Shamane’s Bakery — cookies, cupcakes, morning buns — but we think the tastiest reason is for the pies. Named one of America’s top pie shops by Thrillist, the European butter-crusted circles are filled with the likes of sweet potato chocolate ginger, blueberry, lemon meringue and a whole lot of other mouthwatering flavors. 2825 Wilderness Pl., Boulder; shamanesbakery.com

The Huckleberry’s pie menu may be brief — you have your choice of peach huckleberry, apple crumble, cherry and chocolate bourbon pecan — but that’s just because they laser in on what they do best: a few really, really good pies. Top a slice with a scoop of ice cream to really live your best life. 700 Main St., Louisville; thehuckleberry.com

Photo courtesy of Jeannot's Patisserie & Bistro

Just how good is Gelato Boy? It has not one, but two locations on the Pearl Street Mall, because

by the time you’ve walked it end to end, you’ll be ready for more scoops of blackberry cornbread and chocolate fudge brownie. Bonus: Proceeds from select pints help local non-profits, like Mila’s Miracle Foundation and Sophie’s Neighborhood, both seeking cures for rare childhood diseases. 1433 and 1021 Pearl St., Boulder; gelatoboy.com

With more than 1,000 flavors of ice cream (just not all available at once), you’re bound to find something you like at Glacier. But really, all of the flavors are knockouts, and if you get a scoop or two topped with scratch-made fudge, whipped cream and sprinkles, even better. 3133 28th St., Boulder; glaciericecream.com

Frozen Treats

Photo courtesy of The Huckleberry

Who said dessert had to be an afternoon or evening thing? Start your day off right with the flaky French treats at Jeannot’s Patisserie & Bistro in Lafayette. Because Paris-Brest, puff pastry tarts and little lemon croissant boats topped with fresh berries are the real breakfast of champions. 2770 Arapahoe Rd., Lafayette; jeannotspatisserie.com

Pastries & More

Off the beaten path, in Longmont’s quaint Prospect New Town neighborhood, sits Babettes Bakery, a pilgrimage-worthy bake shop that specializes in patisserie-style items. Think: chocolatey croissants, cardamom buns and just overall laminated dough galore. Get there early for the day’s best selection. 2030 Ionosphere St. Longmont; babettesbakery.com

Yes, James Beard-nominated Moxie Bread Company might be best known for its almost-custardy loaves of sourdough, but trust us, you’re also going to want their cinnamon cruffins, croissants and kouign amanns. And maybe a Danish and cinnamon roll, too, because everything at this downtown Louisville and North Boulder staple is carb-tastic. 641 Main St., Louisville and 4593 Broadway, Boulder; moxiebreadco.com

Read More Online: travelboulder.com/suti-co-brings-scandinavian-baked-goods-to-boulder/