Article
Top Dessert Spots in Downtown St. Cloud
From ice cream to chocolate-covered strawberries, find your next favorite sweet treat at a local bakery or dessert shop.
Sweet moments outside Pops Waffle & Ice Cream Shoppe in Downtown St. Cloud, where every cone comes with a smile.
At a Glance
- Downtown St. Cloud, Florida, has a charming historic district offering a growing mix of locally owned dessert shops, bakeries, and frozen-treat spots.
- Visitors can enjoy a variety of sweets, including waffles, ice cream sundaes, pastries, macarons, cakes, and chocolates.
Serving up sweets like syrupy warm waffles, triple chocolate cakes, and fruity, flavorful popsicles, Downtown St. Cloud’s dessert shops have exactly what you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Savvy Sweets Bakery
Owners Savannah Thai and her partner started their baking journey at home, but when they met at the Downtown St. Cloud Monthly Market in 2019, they turned their hobby into a profession. Located inside Southern Roots Antiques on New York Avenue, Savvy Sweets Bakery is best known for their donut walls and treat boxes filled with stylized cookies. From creating mermaid-themed cupcakes to a giant pizza cookie, Savvy Sweets is sure to add a little something sweet to your vacation.
Blueberry baked goods at Savvy Sweets Bakery
ABBAletas Popsicle Shop
In 2015, husband-and-wife team Gabriel and Odalis had a vision to open ABBAletas Ice Cream & Pops to share their blessings with the community. Combining the Aramaic word for father, “abba,” with the Spanish word for popsicle, “paleta," each ABBAleta bursts with flavor. Bite in and enjoy tangy guava with tamarind or a creamy vanilla bean covered in crunchy cereal coating. Whatever you go with, you won’t be disappointed! And when you’re finished with your cool treat, make sure to read the special blessing inscribed on your popsicle stick.
Pops Waffle & Ice Cream Shoppe
As soon as you step inside Pops Waffle & Ice Cream Shoppe, you’re greeted with smiles and the smell of warm vanilla bowls. Pops opened its doors during the summer of 2022 and serves an array of mouthwatering waffle creations, from classic favorites like a warm Belgian waffle to a build-your-own waffle that you can top with every sprinkle, cherry, or flavor of ice cream you want. If you need to cool off, you can skip the waffle and order an ice cream sundae or creamy milkshake. Whether you order a waffle, an ice cream, or both, your sweet tooth will thank you.
Waffles stacked high at Pops Waffle & Ice Cream Shoppe
Fortuna Bakery & Coffee
For 20-plus years, Fortuna Bakery & Coffee has been Central Florida’s go-to spot for Colombian and South American pastries and breads. It's where you can experience the savory (and sweet) aroma of baked goods from across the world, made fresh daily. Bite into worldly pastries like milhoja sugar from France, guava roll from Spain, or chocolate roletto cake from Japan. And if you don’t have enough room to eat everything you want, just ask the staff to box it up so you can enjoy it for later.
Lafontaine French Macarons
While you walk along the brick streets of Downtown St. Cloud, you can take a short trip to France when you step into Lafontaine French Macarons. Owned and operated by a father-daughter duo, Albert and Monique opened their doors in July 2021 after running a booth at the Downtown Monthly Market and now work together to make delicious macarons every day. Whether you’re looking for dessert places after dinner or something to take home for someone, Lafontaine’s French Macarons make the perfect sweet treat.
Sweet Spot Snoballs
Not to be confused with a snow cone, Sweet Spot Snoballs brings the iconic New Orleans-style “snoballs” to Downtown St. Cloud since 2017. The biggest difference between a snoball and a snow cone is that a snoball’s ice is finer and fluffier, while the ice used in a snow cone is coarser and crunchier. With more than 30 flavor options, you can mix in a variety of sweet, fruity, or creamy syrups. P.S. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, Sweet Spot has massive chocolate-, caramel-, and candy-covered apples hauled all the way from Washington State.
Strawberry by Lemon
Strawberry by Lemon specializes in luxury-style desserts like strawberries dipped in rich chocolate and layered with velvety pistachio cream, all beautifully packaged and camera-ready. Not a fan of strawberries? There’s still plenty to love! Try the chocolate-dipped pineapple or banana for a fruity dessert. For something as personalized as it is delicious, build your own chocolate-strawberry box, choosing from milk, dark, white, or pink chocolate.
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but dessert is definitely one of the sweetest things you’ll eat! This local guide highlights just a few things to explore while visiting Downtown St. Cloud. To discover more local hot spots, read more about shopping local in this charming town. And for even more on all the things you can do during your trip, be sure to sign up for our newsletter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Popular dessert spots include Savvy Sweets Bakery for custom baked goods, Pops Waffle & Ice Cream Shoppe for waffle-based treats and ice cream, ABBAletas Ice Cream & Pops for handcrafted popsicles, Lafontaine French Macarons for authentic macarons, Fortuna Bakery & Coffee for international pastries, and Sweet Spot Snoballs for shaved-ice desserts.
Downtown St. Cloud is home to several popular dessert destinations, including Pops Waffle & Ice Cream Shoppe, which serves ice cream cones, sundaes, milkshakes, and customizable waffle creations. Visitors can also enjoy frozen treats at ABBAletas Ice Cream & Pops, known for its handcrafted popsicles in a variety of flavors.
Downtown St. Cloud offers a variety of desserts, including waffles, ice cream sundaes, French macarons, popsicles, chocolate-covered strawberries, baked goods, and New Orleans-style snoballs. Visitors can enjoy everything from classic bakery treats to creative, Instagram-worthy desserts.
A New Orleans-style snoball is made with finely shaved, fluffy ice that absorbs flavored syrups evenly, creating a soft and flavorful treat. It's different from a traditional snow cone, which uses coarser ice that doesn't absorb flavor as well.
Dessert shops in Downtown St. Cloud are typically busiest in the afternoon and evening, especially on weekends. Visiting earlier in the day or on weekdays can help avoid crowds, while evenings offer a lively downtown atmosphere.
Yes, many shops specialize in visually creative desserts such as colorful snoballs, over-the-top waffle sundaes, decorated cupcakes, and chocolate-covered fruit boxes. These items are both photogenic and tasty!