Gooey butter cake deserves its place in St. Louis food history. But if it is the only dessert you seek out here, you are missing a lot.
Across the region, pastry chefs, ice cream makers, and neighborhood restaurants offer sweets with roots far beyond Missouri. You can find French pastries near Tower Grove Park, Balkan rice pudding in Webster Groves, and an old-fashioned ice cream dessert in Midtown. Some are reasons to plan a whole outing; others are the reward at the end of a good meal.
Here are seven desserts worth making a trip for.
1. Sutlija at Balkan Treat Box — Webster Groves
Balkan Treat Box is known for its savory street food, but save room for sutlija. The restaurant’s rice pudding comes topped with pistachio and rose petals, giving a familiar comfort dessert a fragrant finish. It is a gentler choice after a meal of grilled meats or wood-fired pide, and one you might overlook if you are focused entirely on lunch. The menu also lists baklava if you would rather end on flaky pastry.
Rice pudding rarely sounds like the most exciting thing on a dessert list. That is part of the appeal here: a few thoughtful additions make it feel specific to the meal you have just had. Order it for the table if everyone insists they are too full for dessert. There is a good chance those same people will ask for a spoon.
2. The Darkness at La Pâtisserie Chouquette — Botanical Heights
If chocolate is the reason you get out of the house, head to La Pâtisserie Chouquette at 1626 Tower Grove Avenue. Its pastry called The Darkness layers flaky chocolate dough with chocolate batons and a chocolate drizzle, then finishes with pink Himalayan sea salt. It is an excellent example of why a pastry can be more satisfying than a simply larger slice of cake: crisp edges, soft layers, deep chocolate flavor, and a little salt all have a part to play.
Chouquette’s display makes it tempting to leave with a box rather than a single pastry. Take that as permission. Still, if you need one clear mission for your first visit, The Darkness gives you one.
3. A fresh scoop at Gelato Di Riso — The Hill
A walk around The Hill is reason enough to visit Gelato Di Riso, but its gelato makes a strong case for lingering. The shop at 5204 Wilson Avenue says it makes its Italian gelato fresh, and the menu offers a range of flavors. Choose what sounds good when you reach the counter; part of the pleasure is seeing the selection in front of you rather than committing to a flavor before you arrive.
Gelato is a fitting finish after dinner in the neighborhood, though it hardly requires dinner as an excuse. Pick up a cup, find a place to sit, and give yourself a few minutes before heading home. Dessert tastes better when it is allowed to be the destination.
4. A plant-based bakery treat at SweetArt — Midtown
SweetArt Bakeshop & Café has been part of the St. Louis food scene since 2008. After years in Shaw, it moved to 3701 Lindell Boulevard in 2025. The kitchen is entirely plant-based, and sweets remain central to what it does: the shop highlights cakes, cookies, and cupcakes alongside its savory menu. The day’s dessert selection is best checked in person.
SweetArt is the stop for anyone who assumes a vegan dessert must be a compromise. Go with an open mind and choose whatever looks irresistible in the case. It is also a useful place to bring a group with different preferences: you can meet for lunch and make dessert the part everyone remembers.
5. A mochi doughnut at Mochi Donut Factory — Ellisville
For a dessert built around texture, drive to Mochi Donut Factory at 16023 Manchester Road in Ellisville. The family-owned shop specializes in mochi doughnuts, which have a distinct chew alongside the familiar sweetness of a doughnut. Its flavors offer plenty of reasons to bring home a box instead of buying just one.
They are fun to share, but try one while it is still fresh. Notice the texture before deciding which topping wins. If you usually treat doughnuts as a quick breakfast, this is an invitation to slow down and enjoy one as dessert.
6. A scoop at Clementine’s — Lafayette Square
There are ordinary ice cream stops, and then there are places where choosing a flavor becomes the main event. Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery makes ice cream in small batches and divides its offerings into “nice” and alcohol-infused “naughty” selections. Its current flavor list also includes options such as pomegranate sorbet and a coconut-based flavor with chocolate sandwich cookies; seasonal choices change and may sell out.
The Lafayette Square parlor, at 1637 South 18th Street, is an especially appealing stop for an evening walk. Bring someone willing to order a different flavor so you can both try more than one. If an alcohol-infused scoop catches your eye, check the description before ordering.
7. The Supreme Cream Puff at The Fountain on Locust — Midtown
At The Fountain on Locust, dessert feels like an occasion. The restaurant’s Supreme Cream Puff starts with a baked cream puff shell, fills it with vanilla ice cream, and finishes it with hot fudge and whipped cream. The contrast is the whole point: pastry against ice cream, hot fudge against a cold scoop. It is the sort of dessert that gives you a reason to meet a friend at 3037 Locust Street even if neither of you is hungry for dinner.
The Fountain has a long menu of sundaes, floats, and other ice cream creations, so choosing just one may take a minute. Start with the cream puff if you want something that feels more distinctive than a scoop in a bowl. Then make a note of what to try on your next visit.
St. Louis will always have gooey butter cake. It should. But the next time someone asks where to go for dessert, you have seven more answers—and seven good reasons to take a different route across town.
Elliot Hayes is a St. Louis-based contributor covering local restaurants, entertainment, small businesses, and community news.
