As usual, we’re a few days late to the party…but apparently October 14 was National Dessert Day. Fortunately, we’re up to the challenge of celebrating hard to make up for our tardiness! On the menu: desserts from these 8 amazing spots around Pittsburgh. Grab a fork and join us!
La Gourmandine Bakery
When you think of places to get dessert in Pittsburgh, La Gourmandine is likely near the top of your list. And for good reason! Their pastries are out of this world. Probably because owners Fabien and Lisanne Moreau were both born and raised in France. They grew up in families were sharing a meal with the family was of the utmost importance, with a bottle of wine and freshly baked bread on the table. Despite moving stateside, not much has changed!
Lisanne’s mother is from Pittsburgh, so it was a natural choice for them to move here to be near her extended family. Fabien, who studied at the famous Lenôtre Culinary Institute in Paris, didn’t speak English when they arrived. He started out at a line cook and worked in some of Pittsburgh’s best restaurants. They intended on opening a French restaurant until they noticed the lack of traditional French bakeries here…and the rest is history.
P.S. Take this Pumpkin Tart to your family’s Thanksgiving celebration, you’ll be a hero!
Prantl’s Bakery
Another iconic Pittsburgh bakery: Prantl’s. They’re considered one of the top bakeries in the country and continue to be recognized by local, national, and even international publications. You can’t stop by without picking up a Burnt Almond Torte – which has been named the Best Cake in America by the Huffington Post, the “Best of Weddings Cakes ” by the Knot, and the “Best Cake In Pennsylvania ” by the Food Network.
Prantl’s does have other dessert options, though! Protip: make sure you get a thumbprint. And their cake team create custom wedding, anniversary, birthday, and special occasion cakes that are gorgeous. Visit them in Shadyside, Downtown, or in Greensburg today!
Gaby et Jules
Looking for more French pastries…especially macarons? Perfect, because Gaby et Jules is next on our list. They started out at Paris 66 Bistro in East Liberty back in 2010, where Chef David Piquard brought his 20 years of French culinary experience to Pittsburgh. They were the first in Pittsburgh to introduce French Macarons, along with their high end desserts. After winning “Best Macarons in Pittsburgh” they knew they had to get out of the restaurant and open a bakery.
And so Gaby et Jules opened in Squirrel Hill, winning “Best Macarons” every year since. Their desserts are just as much art as food and taste just as good as they look. The Gaby et Jules team puts all its passion, energy and savoir faire for Pittsburgh because they believe Pittsburgh deserves the very best!
Call Me Crazy Cookie Lady
Apparently 2010 was a big year for Pittsburgh sweets, because that’s also when Call Me Crazy Cookie Lady began selling custom cookies! (PS we totally told you about here in our sugar cookie article.) In 2018 Jamie also started offering cookie decorating classes and parties at spots like Candlelab and J&D Cellars. This year during the holidays, she’s excited to offer decorate-your-own kits and Cookie Advent Calendars (yum!). Jamie believes that her cookies need to taste good enough to devour…because looking beautiful doesn’t mean anything if they don’t taste good!
AND if you see the new Kristen Stewart movie – Happiest Season – keep an eye out for cookies in several of the scenes…because Jamie made those! It comes out on November 25, and we think a watch party with some cookies sounds like a perfect night-before-Thanksgiving treat.
Great Harvest Bread Co.
Great Harvest Bread believes in baking the old-fashioned way, from milling their own whole grain flour daily, to following the long, traditional methods of baking. That allows their baked goods to develop the amazing textures and flavors naturally, without using additives. They have also adapted some of their recipes to accommodate dietary needs without sacrificing flavor. If you can’t tell, they’re proud of using wholesome, fresh ingredients!
While you get your fix on sweets – like pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, giant cinnamon rolls, and assorted cookies – you can also grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And, of course, make sure you stock up on a loaf of bread or two!
Pastries A-La-Carte
You also have to get dessert from Pastries A-La-Carte. They’re making fresh baked goods using homemade recipes, including custom cakes. We love that shopping here means you’re supporting local because they’re family owned and operated for over 14 years. Need a little more convincing? Pastries A-La-Carte is the official bake shop of the Pittsburgh Penguins…so how’s that for an endorsement?
Their sweets are uniquely crafted by pastry artisans and professional artists, which is obvious when you look at pictures of what they’ve made. Like this pumpkin cake…hello! They make pretty much every baked good we crave, from breakfast treats like donuts and danish to cheesecakes, cookies, cupcakes, and more. Protip: if you want something specific or prefer curbside pickup, we recommend ordering ahead!
Maggie’s Farm Rum
Maybe you prefer to drink your dessert? And PS we can totally get behind this idea! Maggie’s Farm Rum is saving the day with their coffee liquors. They use their own custom blend of coffee from Brazil, Columbia, and Sumatra which is sourced and roasted by Commonplace Roasters. Maggie’s grinds the beans fresh at the distillery and makes a 24-hour cold brew concentrate. Then they add white rum, brown sugar, and a house-made vanilla extract to finish off the 42proof coffee liquor.
We can’t wait to try their current seasonal version, because hello Pumpkin Spiced Coffee! To create this one, they also add pumpkin pie spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove and ginger. Keep an eye out for other seasonal flavors, too. You can find both their regular and seasonal coffee liquors at the distillery, at their sister location in PA Libations, or in Pennsylvania Fine Wines and Good Spirits stores across the state.
Fancypants Popcorn
Sometimes we don’t want a heavy dessert, which makes Fancypants Popcorn the perfect option. They’re a gourmet popcorn shop, and they recently opened a new location on Butler Street. If you love small batches of boutique popcorn, artisan beverages, and unique gifts then this is going to be your new favorite spot!
Their featured sweet popcorn flavor is “Delish” which is kettlecorn drizzled with Ghirardelli dark chocolate and Reese’s peanut butter. Don’t worry, we won’t judge if you eat an entire bucket in one sitting because we’re right there with you! Other sweet options include Jarbo, Zaneydoodle, Choc-o-Churro, Mama Mia!, Green Apple, and Crapple. If you like some savory with your sweet, you’d probably enjoy Sweet Heat or Chicago. Sounds like we need to order a sampler pack!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
