Whether your go-to comfort food tastes sweet, salty, or somewhere in between, Edmonton’s culinary scene is more than a match for your cravings. The local chefs design menus that reflect their talent, values, and creativity, making Alberta’s capital an ideal destination for foodies who like to eat their way through a city. In that light, we recently met up with Stephanie Truong, an Edmonton-based food blogger with a notorious sweet tooth, for a dessert crawl through her city.
Along the way, we sampled everything from macarons and Korean shaved ice to doughnuts and rolled ice cream. We still haven’t come down from our sugar high, and we’re okay with that.
Ready to dig in?
Duchess Bake Shop
Along Edmonton’s trendy 124th Street, you’ll find a French bakery that serves up the best macarons in the city (if you don’t believe Stephanie, just ask Buzzfeed). With its comfortable, open interior, Duchess Bake Shop is the perfect place to relax and indulge in a fresh pastry. Whether you meet a friend for a coffee date or stop in on your own, you’ll be in for a treat.
Our recommendation: You can’t go wrong with a madeleine or salted caramel macaron. If you’d prefer something savory, try the tartiflette or Gruyère croissant.
Tsujiri
Ever tried matcha? It’s a fine powder made from green tea leaves, and according to Stephanie, it’s also the wow factor in several desserts at Tsujiri. This Japanese tea house boasts several locations across Canada, and after digging into the menu, we can see why it’s enjoying steady growth throughout the country.
Our recommendation: Try the chiffon cake parfait, a dish that’s infused with matcha and topped with red beans and corn flakes.
Let Eat Snow
Edmonton’s weather can sometimes be unpredictable, and last summer, an unexpected flurry of Korean shaved ice shops descended upon the city. Stephanie has visited them all, and she can confidently say that Let Eat Snow is the best of the bunch.
Of course, shaved ice is a bit of a misnomer in this case, since Let Eat Snow actually makes the dish with frozen milk. The dessert café then adds layers of sweet toppings, like mango ice cream, raspberry purée, or red bean paste, depending on your order. Careful, though — these desserts will forever ruin standard shaved ice for you.
Our recommendation: Stephanie’s favorite is the green bing, a shaved ice dish featuring green tea ice cream, almonds, and cookie crumbles. When the weather calls for something warmer, she loves the blueberry cheesecake croissant.
Destination Doughnuts
Founded in 2017, Destination Doughnuts is a newcomer to Edmonton’s bakery scene. Even so, the family-owned shop has already become a local favorite — so, if you have a hankering for a gourmet doughnut, make sure you show up before the bakers sell out. You might also want to arrive on your first morning in the city, just in case you’d like to go back again (and again) before returning home
Our recommendation: The menu might surprise you with its unusual flavors, but you’ll be well rewarded for taking a risk. Our favorite is the triple play, a chocolate doughnut drizzled in caramel and sprinkled with potato chips. It shouldn’t work — but trust us, it does.
Block 1912
On Whyte Avenue, you’ll find a classic Edmonton stop offering everything from soups and sandwiches to gelato and hot drinks. Everything on the menu is delicious, but the food isn’t the only thing that locals love about Block 1912. The place also closes much later than most of Edmonton’s bakeries and cafés, keeping its doors open until midnight every single day.
Our recommendation: It’s not easy to narrow this extensive menu down to just a few items, but Stephanie’s favorites include the panna cotta, Oreo cheesecake, and ganache hot chocolate.
Hanjan
It’s no wonder that Hanjan is so popular among Edmontonians — this Korean restaurant does just about everything right, including dessert. For her part, Stephanie is hooked on the honey butter bread, a dish that she says “tastes like a giant cinnamon bun,” so she often shows up just for that. If you have the time, though, it’s best to come here for an entire meal. Your stomach will thank you!
Our recommendation: If you’re stopping by for lunch or dinner, order the bulgogi fries, mandu (dumplings), or samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly). And, as always, don’t forget to save room for dessert!
Doughnut Party
Here, you’ll find unlikely ingredients paired in inventive, yet delightful, flavors — resulting in combinations like pear chai, lavender rosemary, passionfruit chocolate, and matcha coconut. Most of Doughnut Party’s space is dedicated to its massive kitchen, so note that there aren’t any tables inside the shop.
Doughnut Party does lie off the beaten path, but the food is worth the drive. Just make sure you go early, before the highly coveted pastries sell out for the day!
Our recommendation: Doughnut Party’s menu changes weekly, but each rotation features several mouth-watering options. Take some friends with you, order a few different doughnuts, and divide your spoils evenly. Enjoy!
Scoop n Roll Creamery
If you’re visiting Edmonton in the summer, make sure that you add Scoop n Roll Creamery to your itinerary. The creamery proudly boasts that it’s one of Canada’s top 15 ice cream establishments, and Edmontonians just can’t get enough of the customizable rolled ice cream. With several locations and food trucks around the city, it’s easy to get your fix — just keep in mind that Scoop n Roll is closed during the winter.
Our recommendation: Stephanie always orders strawberry ice cream with Oreo and Ferrero Rocher. Yum!
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And that concludes our dessert crawl! If you’re hoping to find more food recommendations for your time in Edmonton, we have some good news. You’ll find everything you need to know about the city’s best restaurants, bars, and cafés in our food and drink guide. Bon appétit!
Cover photo by Alex Ortega
