Ainsley Layland 
The most iconic dessert in New Jersey is officially the blueberry pie, which is fitting given its ranking as one of the top ten blueberry producers in the country. More specifically, the town of Hammonton is considered the blueberry capital of the world, so it makes sense this fruit-centered treat would take first place. However, if you’re on the hunt for something more unique than a traditional pastry, we’ve rounded up 25 mouth-watering options for the champion sweet tooth. Read on to see if you’re able to finish the article before texting a friend and heading out the door to tackle one of these scrumptious sweets.
Wukong Sundae at Cafe Archetypus | 266 Old River Road, Edgewater
Coming out of the gate strong, the Wukong Sundae has a base of warm brownies, topped with chocolate and banana ice cream, smothered in hot fudge, with a sprinkling of marshmallows and nuts on top. The banana ice cream makes for a fun twist and sets this sundae apart from the rest. The cafe itself is known for its cave-like vibe and cozy ambiance.
Fresh Cream Fudge at Douglass Fudge | 3300 Boardwalk, Wildwood
Photo credit: @douglasscandies
Douglass Fudge has been home to some of the best homemade fudge in the state since it opened in 1925. Known for its especially smooth recipe, each bite has a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Guests can have their pick of 20 different flavors which are also available for online orders.
Maple Bacon Doughnut at Montclair Bread Company | 113 Walnut Street, Montclair
Photo credit: @montclairbread
Just a quick trip away from Hoboken sits the adorable Montclair Bread Company, home of the maple bacon doughnut. We feel pretty confident that any food item could come after “maple bacon” and we would still love it. But a doughnut? Yes, please. The shop is currently open Wednesday to Sunday and only taking advanced orders, so plan accordingly.
Snickerdoodle Cupcake at Crowley Cupcakes | 7 Waverly Place, Madison
Photo credit: @crowleycupcakes
Forget the struggle of choosing between desserts, choose this one. A cinnamon-sugar cupcake dipped in butter and covered with cinnamon sugar, filled and topped with cinnamon-infused cream cheese, and topped with an entire snickerdoodle cookie on top. And yes, both are equally tasty. The shop has an array of amazing flavors but the snickerdoodle cupcake is a fan favorite.
Monkeys Choice Crepe at Ce La Vi Cafe | 16 Monmouth Street, Red Bank
Photo credit: @celaviredbank
Imagine sliced banana nestled in Nutella and peanut butter sauce, sprinkled with crushed walnuts, wrapped in a freshly-made crepe. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, this locale’s current limited menu also offers crepes stuffed with apple pie, cheesecake, or s’ mores.
Read More: Pastry Chef Tennille Ortiz Brings The Cupcake Carriage to Hoboken
Italian Pastries at Palazzone 1960 | 190 Route 23 South, Wayne
Photo credit: @palazzone_1960
If you’re craving an authentic Italian dessert, reviewers say this is as close as it gets without actually traveling. The sfogliatella filled with ricotta cheese and dried orange, bombolone filled with custard cream or Nutella, and cannoli filled with ricotta and chocolate chips will all transport your taste buds to underneath Tuscan skies.
Cannelé at Le French Dad Boulangerie | 10 Church Street, Montclair
Photo credit: @lefrenchdadboulangerie
The cannelé, an underrated but absolutely delicious French pastry. It is usually flavored with rum and vanilla with a soft and tender center and a thick caramelized crust. Although they are originally from Bordeaux, Le French Dad has infused them with beans from Paper Plane Coffee Co. to give it that unique taste of Montclair.
Ariana Doughnut at Broad Street Dough Co. | 177 Elton Adelphia Road, Freehold
Photo credit: @broadst_doughco
Take the classic Italian rainbow cookie and turn it into a doughnut. Voila! You have the Ariana doughnut The vanilla donut is brightly colored to be pink, white, and green with a layer of chocolate ganache between the three airy layers. The entire donut is then pumped full of Nutella and dusted in powdered sugar.
Topzels at The Candy Jar by 1892 | 144 Farnsworth Avenue, Bordentown
Photo credit: @thecandyjarby1892
Pretzels on their own would be an underwhelming snack but at The Candy Bar chocolate makes the world go ‘round. Freshly dipped chocolate-covered pretzels are embellished with fan-favorite candy toppings like mini M&Ms, shredded coconut, or crushed chocolate cookies. These topzels are a sweet-and-salty lover’s dream.
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Crazy Shake at Benny’s Bakery + Ice Cream Shoppe | 11-04 Saddle River Road, Fair Lawn
This is no ordinary strawberry shake. In addition to a fresh and creamy strawberry blend, topped with a mountain of whipped cream, the large soda glass is encrusted with chocolate cookie pieces. Chocolate covered strawberries and strawberry chunks are nestled in the whipped cream and drizzled with a topping of strawberry and chocolate syrup.
Octopus Sundae at Hoffman’s Ice Cream | 569 Church Street, Spring Lake
Photo credit: @hoffmansicecream
Thankfully, the only connection between the eight-armed sea creature and this dessert is the number. The Octopus Sundae consists of eight different flavors of ice cream with eight different toppings and a whipped cream octopus to top it all off. If you can single-handedly finish it in under eight minutes you get a t-shirt and your picture on the wall. The eight flavors are chosen from a selection of 40 different homemade flavors.
Red Velvet Fried Oreos at The Committed Pig | 339 Springfield Avenue, Summit
Photo credit: @thecommittedpig
Oreo lovers, unite. As if the classic black and white sandwich cookie couldn’t get any better, chefs at The Committed Pig decided to add this fair-inspired treat to the menu. Not only are these Oreos fried but the traditional batter has been swapped out for a red velvet cake batter. These fried morsels make for the perfect sweet ending to any night out.
See More: All About The Cookie Cake Co. in Jersey City
Rainbow Cookies at Calandra’s Bakery and Restaurant | 204 1st Avenue, Newark
Photo credit: @calandrasbakery
A classic, authentic dessert that should be qualified to go into the Italian hall of fame for desserts. These tricolor cookies are made fresh with their bright red, green, white layers as a tribute to the Italian flag.
Ice Cream Doughnut Sandwich at Luigi’s Ice Cream | 60 Broad Street, Red Bank
Photo credit: @luigisicecream
It’s the combination of doughnuts and ice cream with topping options that make this dessert sounds like a nine-year-old had free reign of the dessert list. Toppings include Fruity Pebbles, Oreo crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, rainbow sprinkles, walnuts, Fruit Loops, and chocolate chips. A childhood dessert dream come true, indeed.
Funnel Cake Fries at Frank Anthony’s Gourmet Italian Bakery | 667 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona
Photo credit: @frank_anthonys
No need to deal with the hustle and bustle of the fair for a tasty fried treat. The funnel cake fries at Frank Anthony’s are an innovative take on the classic carnival treat. Funnel cake fries come in an impressive arrangement topped with ice cream, powdered sugar, and chocolate sauce.
Dessert Pizza at Brother Bruno’s Pizza | 200 Hamburg Turnpike, Wayne
Photo credit: @brotherbrunopizzadeliandbagel
No list of New Jersey food is complete without pizza — enter the dessert pizza. Enjoy eight slices of dessert heaven when you choose up to four of the 29 different combinations like Samoa Girl Scout Cookie, Fruity Pebbles, Apple Crumb, and Peanut Butter Cookie Dough. Featuring nut-free frosting, peanut butter sauce, and a Nutella base options there is something for every sweet tooth on this menu.
Insane Shakes at Brownstone Pancake Factory | 860 River Road, Edgewater + 717 East Palisade Avenue, Englewood Cliffs
Photo credit: @brownstone_pancake_factory
There are no bad choices at Brownstone Pancake Factory, conveniently located in both Edgewater and Englewood Cliffs. Every dish and dessert is sure to blow you away, and the Insane Shakes are no exception. Changing it up with seasonal shakes guests can enjoy the Apple Pie a La Mode Shake this fall. The shake is topped with an entire slice of homemade apple pie and a scoop of ice cream. The large tumbler is encrusted with nuts and crushed graham crackers and the entire thing is drizzled with caramel sauce and sprinkled with nuts. Cheat day is every day at Brownstone Pancake Factory.
Triple Chocolate Brioche at Liv Breads | 184 Essex Street, Millburn
Photo credit: @livbreads
At Liv Breads, all of the pastries are baked daily on site and this brioche is no exception. They are hand-shaped in the cold room and made with high-quality and organic ingredients. This brioche is filled with chocolate pastry cream and topped off with shaved chocolate.
Bread Pudding at Antique Bar + Bakery | 122 Willow Avenue, Hoboken
Photo credit: @antique_bar_bakery
There’s bread pudding — and then there’s bread pudding at Antique Bar + Bakery. This vintage spot in Hoboken serves a lightly seasoned bread pudding that is piled high and toasted, creating the perfect combination of soft and crunchy. To top it all off, the tasty treat is smothered in a warm homemade sauce.
Cannoli Doughnut at Glaze Doughnuts | 2151 Lemoine Avenue, Fort Lee
Photo credit: @glazedonuts
Cooked in small batches throughout the day, patrons at Glaze Doughnuts are guaranteed a fresh, hand-crafted artisan doughnut all day long. The cannoli doughnut brings two classic desserts together making for a ricotta-filled pastry daydream.
Ice Cream at Nasto’s Ice Cream Co. | 236 Jefferson Street, Newark
Photo credit: @nastosicecream
The dessert menu at Nasto’s reads like one you would find in a small shop in Italy. Old world sweets like spumoni, tortoni, reginetta, and Tartufo are also on the list but Nasto’s is best known for its ice cream. Smooth, creamy, and full of flavor this shop would make a great addition to any ice cream crawl.
Read More: 7 Spots to Eat Delicious Pie In + Around Hudson County
Cookies at Bang Cookies | 128 Newark Avenue, Jersey City
Photo credit: @bangcookies
Soft baked, organic + natural cookies, these delicious giants are a cookie lover’s dream. Bang Cookies offers classics like peanut butter chocolate chunk, deluxe twists like a cookie covered strawberry jam, along with a few boozy options like cinnamon whiskey crackle and bourbon kitchen sink. These are the kinds of cookies you see broken in half and posted on Instagram. Yeah, those cookies.
Ice Cream at Torico Ice Cream | 20 Erie Street, Jersey City
Photo credit: @toricoicecream
Serving happiness since 1963, that’s exactly what customers will find at Torico. With 40 different flavors like pound cake, black sesame, coconut + cream, chunky cherry, and coffee cookies this ice cream spot has something for every taste. Sample a few flavors and attempt to choose a favorite, all while making a mental note to come back for more.
Mackinac Island Fudge at Kilwins | 16 Witherspoon, Princeton
Photo credit: @kilwinsprinceton
Using recipes developed by the original owners, Don + Katy Kilwin, the Mackinac Island Fudge at Kilwins is worth the stop in Princeton. Chocolate is the reigning best seller but the signature Turtle Fudge and four other flavors are equally smooth and creamy.
Cannoli at Carlo’s Bakery | 95 Washington Street, Hoboken
Photo credit: @carlosbakery
Originally owned by Carlo Guastaferro, Buddy Valastro Sr. bought Carlo’s Bakery on Adams Street in 1963. The shop was relocated to the present-day location on Washington Street with the hopes it would become a household name in Hoboken. Now owned by Buddy Jr., star of the reality show Cake Boss, everything in the shop is created with precision and the cannoli is no exception. The crisp pastry is filled with a smooth, sweet filling and dusted with sugar. An Italian classic, done right.
Ice-box cookies at Monteleone Bakery | 741 Newark Avenue, Jersey City
This old school bakery in Jersey City is a local gem. Serving classic treats like lobster tail and cannoli, the ice-box cookies are where Monteleone really shines. These molded cookies are delightfully crisp and delicious and make for the perfect not-too-sweet treat.
Japanese-Style Soufflé Pancakes Fluffy Fluffy Dessert Cafe | 30 Mall Drive West Unit VC12B, Jersey City
The viral Japanese-style soufflé pancakes can be found at the Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City. Fluffy Fluffy Dessert Cafe, under the franchise Fuwa Fuwa Pancakes, is a dessert spot in Jersey City serving savory “croffles,” burnt-top cheesecakes, coffee + espresso-based drinks, teas + refreshers, macarons, roll cakes, and — of course — soufflé pancakes.
Snowboken at Dino + Harry’s | 163 14th Street, Hoboken
Enjoy this inventive take on a sundae at Dino + Harry’s with classic vanilla ice cream, crumbled Oreo cookie, marshmallow creme, and shaved coconut. All served in an old-fashioned sundae glass, this treat is a great palate cleanser after a delicious steak dinner.
