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.

Two young children sit outside on bright turquoise chairs, enjoying ice cream at a table in front of a shop in Downtown St. Cloud, Florida. One child licks a waffle cone while the other eats with a spoon.

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 is a charming historic district offering a growing mix of locally owned dessert shops, bakeries, and frozen treat spots.
  • Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of sweets, including waffles, ice cream sundaes, pastries, macarons, cakes, and chocolate-covered treats.

Downtown St. Cloud in Florida is at the center of big flavors that come in small, sweet packages! Nestled amidst the charming historic streets and friendly faces are tasty treats for dessert enthusiasts. Serving up sweets like syrupy warm waffles, triple chocolate cakes, and fruity flavorful popsicles, Downtown St. Cloud’s dessert places have exactly what you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Savvy Sweets Bakery

Owners Savannah and Diany 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 off Pennsylvania Ave., Savvy Sweets Bakery is best known for the Donut Walls and Treat Boxes filled with stylized cookies. The baking classes are popular with locals and something you and a small group could enjoy together! From creating mermaid themed cupcakes to a GIANT pizza cookie, you could add a little something sweet to your family’s vacation itinerary.

ABBAletas Popsicle Shop

In 2015, husband and wife, Gabriel and Odalis, had a vision to open ABBAletas Popsicle Shop and help share blessings with people in the community. Combining the Aramaic word for Father “Abba” with the Spanish word for popsicle “paleta”, each “Abbaleta” bursts with a unique flavor. Bite in and enjoy tangy guava with tamarind or a creamy vanilla bean covered in a 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, you’ll be greeted by smiles and the smell of warm vanilla bowls. Pops Waffle & Ice Cream Shoppe opened their doors during the summer of 2022 and serves an array of mouthwatering waffle creations, from classic favorites like a warm, homemade Belgian Waffle to building your custom 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, ice cream, or both, your sweet tooth will be happy.

Fortuna Bakery & Cafe

Since 2006, Fortuna Bakery & Cafe has been Central Florida’s go-to spot for Colombian and South American pastries and breads. With eight locations across Florida, you and your family can experience the savory (and sweet) aroma of a variety of baked goods from across the world. Made fresh each day, you and your family can bite into worldly pastries like milhoja sugar from France, a 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 back home for someone, Lafontaine’s French Macarons will be the perfect sweet treat.

Sweet Spot Snoballs

Not to be confused with a snow cone, Sweet Spot Snoballs brought the iconic New Orleans style “snoballs” to Downtown St. Cloud in 2017. The biggest difference between a snoball and a snow cone is that a snoball’s ice is more fine and fluffy while the ice used in a snow cone is more coarse and crunchy. With more than 30 different flavor options, you can mix in a variety of sweet, fruity, or creamy syrups. But the only way to really get the full Snoball experience is to add more sweet toppings like marshmallow cream, cheesecake, fresh fruit, and more! PS - if you’re looking for a healthy alternative, there’s also 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, including strawberries dipped in rich chocolate and layered with velvety pistachio cream, all beautifully packaged and camera-ready. If you’re not a fan of strawberries, there’s still plenty to love! Try the chocolate-dipped pineapple or banana for a fruity dessert. Want a dessert that’s as personalized as it is delicious? Build your own chocolate strawberry box, selecting from milk, dark, white, or pink chocolate. It’s the perfect gift, celebration treat, or just a well-deserved moment of joy for yourself.

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 represents just a few things you can explore while visiting Downtown St. Cloud. To discover more local hotspots in the big, bold heart of Florida, read more about this charming town on our blog. And if you want to know even more about 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 Popsicle Shop for handcrafted popsicles, Lafontaine French Macarons for authentic macarons, Fortuna Bakery & Cafe 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 Popsicle Shop, known for its handcrafted popsicles in unique flavors.

Downtown St. Cloud offers a wide 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 a frozen dessert made with finely shaved, fluffy ice that absorbs flavored syrups evenly, creating a soft and flavorful treat. It is different from a traditional snow cone, which uses coarser ice that does not hold 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 designed to be both photogenic and flavorful.