Best Desserts in Des Moines
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Article by Paige Finney and Emma Goode
Within the span of a week, we traveled around the Des Moines area to find the best dessert shop in the city. We researched many different options and decided upon 10 locations. At each location, we asked for their most popular dessert and talked with the owners or employees about the inspiration behind the business or why they have chosen to work there. After trying the dessert, we rated upon previously chosen criteria and determined the best dessert shop in Des Moines.
Home Sweet Cone
1188 SE University Ave, Waukee, IA 50263
Presentation
After choosing your ice cream flavor, Home Sweet Cone has a plethora of options on how to eat your ice cream, whether you choose a waffle bowl, waffle cone or just a plain bowl of ice cream they are promising deliciousness. They also have a plethora of toppings to choose from. So while the presentation is primarily up to your choices they always manage to add a hint of home sweet cone love, whether in the form of paper around your cone or the bowl it comes in.
Taste
Home Sweet cone has many flavors to choose from however, cookie dough twist and chocolate brownie with waffle cones were the flavors that were chosen. The cookie dough twist has a wonderful combination of chocolate and vanilla ice cream along with the delicious chunks of cookie dough in many of the bites. The chocolate brownie flavor is perfect for any chocolate lovers out there- it has the perfect base ice cream along with the delicious homemade brownie chunks mixed inside.
Environment
When walking into Home Sweet Cone, there is immediately a very light-colored positive vibe that has many ice cream touches. They have their merch displayed as well as their candles and to-go ice cream pints, sandwiches and cakes. It is a perfect neighborhood ice cream shop to go and celebrate all your wins or losses.
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The owner of Home Sweet Cone, Colleen Strohmaier, explained, “We make premium homemade ice cream here almost every day using the highest quality ingredients and it is made with a lot of fun and love.”
Molly’s Cupcakes
215 E 3rd St, Des Moines, IA 50309
Presentation
Each cupcake has its own identity and theme relating to the flavors inside it. The two cupcakes eaten were called ‘crème brûlée’ and ‘cookies and cream.’ The ‘crème brûlée’ cupcake was torched to create a crunchy topping just like the original dessert it was inspired by. It also had a single blackberry on top to create beautiful simplicity for this light and simple dessert. ‘Cookies and cream’ had a beautiful chocolate covering along with a fluffy buttercream frosting and oreo cookie crumble topping showing its relation to the oreo it was inspired by with a chocolate base, white frosting and chocolate crumbles.
Taste
When taking the first bite, you get a wonderful balance of cake, frosting, topping and eventually filling. Inside the crème brûlée cupcake, there was the typical vanilla custard found inside of the original crème brûlée dessert. All of the elements wonderfully complemented each other and created a wonderful plain but unique dessert. Inside cookies and creme held a filling that fit it perfectly- mainly chocolate but managed not to get too overpowering. There was also a wonderful buttercream frosting that helped level out the decadence of the chocolate cupcake.
Environment
Molly’s had a very cohesive theme of a schoolroom. There was a chalkboard in the back of the store that had the story of how Molly’s came to be. They also had vintage lunchboxes atop of lockers and the office is labeled the Principals office. Some tables consisted of desks and wooden chairs along with their popular swings at the counter.
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An employee of Molly’s Cupcakes, Jessie, stated, “[Molly’s] definitely [has] an amazing atmosphere.”
Mahalo’s Coffee
4800 Mills Civic Pkwy #105, West Des Moines, IA 50265
Presentation
Each type of mini donut has its own unique connection to Hawaii. In Hawaii, Mahalo is used as an expression of gratitude. The donuts are presented in a cardboard tray with a decorative umbrella added to it.
Taste
The flavors we tried were ‘cinnamon lava’ and ‘apple tiki’. Cinnamon lava has a vanilla and caramel glaze and a cinnamon sugar topping. Apple tiki has caramel glaze, unique apple cobbler and cinnamon sugar as well. The donuts were airy and the toppings were very sweet. They also offer coffee, made with beans grown and roasted at their own farm, and sent to their stores within 48 hours.
Environment
The store is welcoming and cozy, with a cohesive theme centered on the Hawaiian vision the founders had when they began the business back in 2014. When you first enter Mahalo’s, you will see the counter in the back and will walk through the happy Hawaiian dining space before you order your donuts. The donuts are made fresh, and the donut machine is the centerpiece of the shop.
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Tron Dandy, the current owner of Mahalo’s, said, “We want our customers to be satisfied and happy.”
The Outside Scoop
2410 SW White Birch Dr. Suite 100, Ankeny, IA 50023
Presentation
The ice cream comes in waffle bowls or cones, which hold up to three scoops of ice cream. This draws all of the attention to the creamy cold treat. Their glass display cases hold all of the available ice cream, which is on a rotational schedule.
Taste
The ice cream flavors we tasted and tried were ‘chocolate oreo cookie dough’ and ‘white chocolate raspberry cheesecake.’ Many ingredients from the Outside Scoop’s ice cream are sourced locally. One cone had rich chocolate ice cream with bits of brownie and cookie dough and the other had pieces of raspberry and cheesecake in white chocolate ice cream. The crunchy homemade waffle cones add even more to the delicious dessert.
Environment
There is ample seating both inside and outside the shop, which makes this the perfect stop regardless of the time of year. The shop is themed with the colors of pink and yellow, representing their iconic ice cream logo. The Outside Scoop also owns an ice cream truck that travels to events in the summer months.
- Black Cat Ice Cream
- Creme
- Donut Hut
- Donut King/ Bauders
- Scratch
- The Bake Shoppe