Whether you have a chronic sweet tooth or are just looking for an extra decadent treat, there are lots of dessert options for you to indulge in across the city.
Grab a friend and try out a new sweet spot! No matter what your preference is – ice cream, cake, donuts, pie – you can satisfy your craving at one of these ten dessert destinations in London, ON.
Merla Mae Ice Cream
Perhaps London’s best-known ice cream shop, the iconic pink and green “Merla Mae” signage is hard to miss and likely to give many Londoners’ a nice dose of nostalgia.
On sunny days, the garage door is rolled up, and there’s usually a line out onto the sidewalk, but don’t worry – it’s worth the wait! As you step into the pastel, mid-century diner, complete with working jukebox, transporting you to the past. Ever since it first opened in 1957, Merla Mae has been serving cold treats on Adelaide Street. Their soft serve may be the best in the city. You can get a simple cone or if you’re in the mood for a fancier treat, try one of their specialty sundaes – they have over 40 options. No matter what, you’ll find something to satisfy that sweet tooth.
Find them: 1080 Adelaide Street North, London, ON
The Boombox Bake Shop
This cute little shop on Adelaide Street specializes in delicious vegan and gluten-free, vegan baked goods.
The bright and eclectic storefront welcomes you in to enjoy a range of delicious treats, all baked daily. Try one of the Boombox Bake Shop‘s gourmet cupcakes, whose flavours change weekly. With adorable names, like A-Camping We Will Go (smores), A Little Less Conversation (red velvet), and Afternoon Delight (strawberries and cream), you’ll want to try them all. Other baked goods on the menu include cakes, cinnamon buns, pies, cookie sandwiches, cake pops, marshmallow bars, and more.
Find them: 520 Adelaide Street, London, ON
Roli Poli Ice Cream
If you’re looking for unique, bespoke ice cream, look no further than Richmond Row’s Roli Poli Ice Cream.
Their hand-rolled and handcrafted ice cream is both beautiful to look at and delicious to eat. Plus enjoy as they hand-roll it right in front of you. With unique flavours, such as cookie smash-up, avo-licious, smores, matcha made in heaven, and mint to be, Roli Poli’s creations will wow you. Vegan and dairy-free options are also available. Pick your favourite or try something new and go for a stroll around Victoria Park.
Find them: 484 Richmond Street, London, ON
Chick Boss Cake
Are you a fan of outrageously fun desserts? Don’t miss Chick Boss Cake. Founded in St. Thomas, a London location opened in spring 2019 near Wellington Street and Horton.
Chick Boss Cake takes dessert to the next level. With elaborate toppings and extravagant flavours, their desserts are anything but simple. Enjoy unicorn donuts, cotton candy cupcakes, bubblegum cookie dough pops, a smores shake, or a fuzzy peach lemonade. You can find a wide range of cupcakes, donuts, cakes, tarts, ice cream sandwiches, fancy lemonades, shakes, and more. Plus, they even have dog treats for your canine companions!
Find them: 222 Wellington Street, London, ON and 381 Talbot Street, St Thomas, ON
Haven’s Creamery
This handmade ice cream shop tucked away on Piccadilly Street, just off Richmond, is truly a haven for ice cream lovers.
Haven’s Creamery‘s flavours change with the seasons as they use local, fresh ingredients to inspire their menu. With distinct flavours, such as strawberry cheesecake, apple pie, blueberry lavender, cinnamon roll, smores, cereal milk crunch, carrot cake, and many more, you can try something new and unique each time you visit. Vegan and dairy-free options are available as well.
While you can also buy by the bowl or by the pint, I highly recommend getting it in one of their fresh-made waffle cones for an extra special treat.
Find them: 226 Piccadilly Street, London, ON
The Fritter Shop
Building on a family tradition, the Fritter Shop‘s Dutch roots have inspired a delicious and unique dessert – a delectable filled fritter, dusted with fine white sugar. Their fritters are made fresh daily with local ingredients.
With over ten flavours to choose from, plus seasonal options, you can try something new week after week. The classic apple fritter is a favourite, though the blueberry and cherry cheesecake is a dream. Each flavour is a unique shape, so you can tell which flavour you’re about to bit into and enjoy.
Find them: The Market at Western Fair District, 900 King Street, London, ON and 779 Talbot Street, St. Thomas, ON
Twistee Treat
It’s hard to miss Twistee Treat. Housed in a 25-foot rainbow-streaked ice cream cone on Southdale Road, Twistee Treat is best known for their dipped cones.
Choose from a variety of dips, including chocolate, butterscotch, banana, and cotton candy, and have it rolled in your favourite candy for an extra decadent treat. If dipped cones aren’t your thing, they also have soft serve, hard scoops, sundaes, banana splits, shakes, and more. You can grab a picnic table next to the cone during their open season, usually May – October.
Find them: 561 Southdale Road, London, ON
Tiramisu Bake Shop
Located on the second floor of The Market at Western Fair District, Tiramisu Bake Shop is a must-stop if baked goods are your dessert of choice.
Their dark chocolate sea salt cookies are my favourite, but their brownies, bars, scones, pies, and other pastries are all amazing. Plus, this summer, they started making ice cream sandwiches with their cookies.
Don’t worry if you can’t make it there during market hours on Saturday or Sunday. You can also treat yourself to a variety of their baked goods at Fire Roasted Coffee Co. locations.
Find them: The Market at Western Fair District, 900 King Street, London, ON
London Ice Cream Company
The London Ice Cream Company‘s bright pink factory store on Baseline Road is hard to miss. With matching pink picnic tables out front, it’s a great spot to grab a cold dessert.
Grab a cone of one the classics, such as Ah! Chocolate!, Cotton Candy, Acadian Vanilla, or Canadian Mint Chunk, or try one of their more unique flavours, like Moon Mist, Matcha Green Tea, Oh Canada, or County Fair Caramel Corn. In addition to the factory store, their flavours are also available in many shops across the region. London Ice Cream Co’s old fashioned, batch-made ice cream is a classic, and once you’ve tried it, it’s not hard to see why it’s so popular.
Find them: 43 Base Line Road, London, ON
Boxcar Donuts
Opening in March 2019, the new kid on the block Boxcar Donuts has made a ripple on the Forest City dessert scene with their creative, gourmet donuts.
With lots of traditional flavours, such as sprinkle, Boston cream, and apple fritter, they also have more unique varieties, such as Key lime pie, maple bacon, red velvet cookies and cream, and the salty pimp. Their flavours change weekly, so there are lots of opportunities to try something new.
Conveniently located within Commonwealth Coffee on Richmond, Boxcar Donuts’ treats pair perfectly with a coffee or tea. Be sure to get there early though – judging by their Instagram stories, I don’t think there’s a day that they haven’t sold out before closing. I think it’s safe to say that once you try Boxcar Donuts, you’ll have a hard time eating at Timmies again.
Find them: 478 Richmond Street, London, ON
Feature Photo courtesy of Boxcar Donuts.
