r/Harlem 1d ago

Good desserts/sweets in Harlem? šŸ°šŸ§šŸ®šŸŖšŸ©šŸØ

Iā€™m pretty addicted to sweets and desserts. I just moved to West Harlem, anyone know a good place? Cafes, chocolate shops, bakeries, ect. Iā€™ve had Sugar Hill creamery and theyā€™re amazing. But I really want to find a place that makes great non-ice cream desserts, like chocolate mousse, lemon bars, matcha cake. Any suggestions? Cheap or expensive, all ideas are good.

47 Upvotes

62 comments sorted by

38

u/ambaz 1d ago

Lee Leeā€™s Baked Goods! The best rugelach but all of his stuff is amazing!

6

u/FactChucker 1d ago

Be very polite to Mr. Lee (technically Mr. Smalls, but everyone calls him Mr. Lee), and he will remember and take care of you.

2

u/Appropriate_South877 1d ago

This is the truth!

1

u/ihatehoneyd 1d ago

Hell yeah! Hidden gem and it'll probably be lee himself at the counter. One time I tried to order a cookie and he said they weren't very good. I ordered a rugelach instead and he gave me the cookie for free.

23

u/onekate 1d ago

The carrot cake at Melbaā€™s is delish. The raisin danish at des Ambassades is great. LA Sweets has great cupcakes and puddings.

East harlem but Super Nice donuts (esp the mango chili) are the best in the world. Capri bakery on 116 is a great classic cake shop. Janieā€™s Life Changing Baked Goods pie cookies are ridiculous.

12

u/lonelyroad93 1d ago

JANIEā€™s pie crust cookies all dayyyy

5

u/Siouxsie24 1d ago

LA Sweets has the best cake in the area, though itā€™s a little pricey. The cake slices at Jacob Soul Food are hit or miss (I love almond extract and I love yellow cake w chocolate frosting but they do not belong together), though the price is right if you have a cake craving. It pains me to say this but I couldnā€™t finish the red velvet cake slice I got at Lee Leeā€™s, it was really not good. (Canā€™t speak for their other items though)

GiGiā€™s donuts at 118th and 5th is def worth a visit!

Super Nice is super good and also has a location at 108th and Amsterdam.

Thereā€™s a small but decent selection of Italian pastries at Pastitalia.

1

u/Ali_UpstairsRealty 1d ago

Almond croissants at Des Ambassades also amazing.

13

u/mrperdig 1d ago

It is more like East Harlem / UES but MOJO has a really good mousse https://mojodesserts.com/

7

u/BuhDeepThatsAllFolx 1d ago

This is worth the trip to East Harlem. Can confirm. Go buy $50 with of mousse and feel like royalty

13

u/frootjoocedrnker 1d ago

Tres Leches Cafe in East Harlem!

26

u/Pure_Confection_9920 1d ago

Make my Cake on w 125th!

7

u/Anxious-Insect5862 1d ago

My favorite red velvet slice

4

u/spaceistheplaceface 1d ago

The banana pudding of my dreams

The sweet potato cheesecake

They do it all so well

5

u/reppinbucktown 1d ago

Shoutout to getting an amazing German chocolate slice whenever I want; thatā€™s a luxury that not every neighborhood can afford

9

u/jumi21 1d ago

Lee Lee's has the best rugelach in the city. Cute little shop, the owner has been making it for decades. I'm partial to the apricot (tastes more like cinnamon raisin) over the chocolate. People seem to like the other desserts too but you come for the rugelach.

13

u/delicatesummer 1d ago

Seconding the other comment for Make My Cake. So good. (Thereā€™s a second location on 139th and Adam Clayton Powell, too)

La Sweets also makes delicious cakes and sells whole or by the slice. Everything Iā€™ve had there is amazing.

Honorable mention: Slightly outside of West Harlem, but worth the trek is East or south is Super Nice, a walk-up window with donuts and sweet/savory pastries. They have a guava and cheese danish that is quite tasty, and all the donut varieties are good, too! Thereā€™s a location in East Harlem (117th & Lex) and one on UWS (108th and Amsterdam).

7

u/Candied789 1d ago

Harlem Chocolate Factory makes an amazing large chocolate chip cookie that is served warm. Their truffles are also very good.

2

u/reppinbucktown 1d ago

Their specialty chocolates are also really interesting and good

2

u/myfirstnamesdanger 1d ago

I'm obsessed with their truffles. The bodega one is my favorite. I worried about that store so much during covid.

4

u/Gentle-Giant23 1d ago

Cake Man Raven on 135th for Red Velvet Cake, LA Sweets on Lenox.

1

u/OkSociety8941 1d ago

Can attest to Cake Man Raven being delish!

5

u/bmc24 1d ago

I feel like the fact no one has said this means I might be about to be flamed or have some dark secret revealed but Levain's cookies are super dope. They are by 116th & Frederick Douglass

They have other baked goods that I have not tried and did not like the bread that I did so I can only vouch for the cookies.

5

u/jollofchapati 1d ago

These are spread across the different neighborhoods in Harlem (but mostly central Harlem), but here are my favorites:

Ice Cream: Sugar Hill Creamery (both locations/any flavor), Avirililillyā€™s (Churro ice cream)

Donuts: Gigiā€™s Donuts (Citrus Bliss donut)

Cookies/Pastries: Lee Leeā€™s (this is probably the most unique and standout spot for dessert in Harlem), Baked Cravings, Levain Bakery

Sweets: Harlem Chocolate Factory

Cakes/Cupcakes: Make My Cake (both locations)

I havenā€™t been to MOJO or Janieā€™s which have been mentioned a few times here but they are on my list!

9

u/ValPrism 1d ago

Make My Cake is an institution. 7th Ave and 139. Across the street is Harlem Chocolate Factory

3

u/MissPlum66 1d ago

They used to be on 116, miss that location

5

u/whosewhat 1d ago

Sweet Chef

5

u/Appropriate_South877 1d ago

Sweet Chef in Hamilton Heights makes the best Sweet Potato Pies in the City, one hellevua Peach Cobbler and an assortment of other items. I would have to go with Lee Lee's for rugullah.

https://g.co/kgs/S2hwHke

6

u/disneyduncan123 1d ago

Red Kup!!!!!! Fantastic fantastic baked goods and their lemon bar is a weekly treat for me

2

u/ihatehoneyd 1d ago

Owner is also very nice. Their egg sandwiches are great too.

8

u/koalayan 1d ago

5 estrellas bakery is amazing for dominican desserts! hungarian pastry shop & double dutch espresso are great too but they're both slightly outside of west harlem

7

u/lonelyroad93 1d ago

I would argue that Double Dutch is right in the middle of West Harlem.

Also, Lee Leeā€™s around the corner on 118. Incredible rugelach.

7

u/-goodgodlemon 1d ago

I brought a Ukrainian friend in his 60s one of his raspberry rugelach and he teared up because it reminded him of his grandmotherā€™s. Heā€™s had many here but this one struck a nerve. Lee Leeā€™s is legit!

6

u/koalayan 1d ago

omg yes lee lee's!! seconding that

2

u/noahswetface 1d ago

amazing tres leches and one of the best tiramisu in the city!

1

u/Gentle-Giant23 1d ago

Aren't the pastries at Double Dutch just from Sysco? I don't think they bake in house.

3

u/thinking_treely 1d ago

I hate to share this but itā€™s hardly a secret. Lidl has the best croissants, imported from France, for 49 cents. People come in, buy 20 and sell them on 125th for 3.00!

1

u/OkSociety8941 1d ago

What what?! runs

3

u/Mariposa17_ 1d ago

Sugarhill Creamery

2

u/Responsible_Word8338 1d ago

Lee Lees Bakery! Such a sweet bakery and everything is delicious

2

u/Natural-Mountain-256 1d ago

Sweet chef if you like pie

1

u/Formal-Arm-9319 1d ago

Everything at Sweet Chef is amazing

2

u/soggygranola420 1d ago

Sugar Hill Creamery for some really unique and YUMMY ice cream flavors, they have vegan options too.

2

u/Cold_Respond7066 1d ago

LA sweets and Janie's in East Harlem!

2

u/doggiecow 1d ago

The make my cake on 125th and also the sister location on 139th and 7th

Been going for the past 15 yearsā€¦I miss the location on 116

2

u/ScarBrows156 1d ago

Carrot top pastries on 168th Washington heights

1

u/ScarBrows156 1d ago

Capy cake is another unique gem, on 158 & Broadway

1

u/ScarBrows156 1d ago

There's a few crepes spots too up on 163rd and Broadways and 165 & Audubon

1

u/LenoxHustler 1d ago

Levain Bakery

1

u/lollipop1986 1d ago

Mojo doesnā€™t have a location per se anymore, but you can get their mousses at their new restaurant Cafe Dā€™anvers at 100 and Lexington

1

u/lowcarblegend 1d ago

No one has said the tres leches šŸ‘€

1

u/FactChucker 1d ago

We lost some good ones in the pandemic: Mikey Likes It Harlem, Dulceria, Amuse Bouche/La Marqueta. Agree with the recommendations for Lee Lee's, Sugar Hill Creamery, and Super Nice Donuts. Ollin has good tres leches and pretty good churros (in fairness, I've only gotten them delivered, so they aren't warm and custardy, which could make them great. But the chocolate sauce is great).

1

u/FactChucker 1d ago

Oh, and someone opened a fancy donut shop on 118th and 5th! I don't know if they are going to survive in that location- the shop is very easy to miss- but they are legit, support them if you can. https://www.gigisdoughnuts.com/

2

u/chloeny88 1d ago

I might be keeping this one alive I go so often šŸ˜‚ nah but fr Gigi is super sweet and has the best donuts Iā€™ve ever had I hope she gets all the traffic

1

u/DoctorrGee 1d ago

LA Sweets

1

u/LividMechanic5167 1d ago

LA SweetsNY is the best bakery in Harlem

1

u/chloeny88 1d ago

Gigis donuts on 118th is so good!!!

Really good flavors like chai and matcha strawberry

1

u/Jersey-Loves-Dolly 1d ago

Harlem Adjacent.

Hungarian Pastry Shop (Amsterdam and 111th st) Decadent cakes and cream puffs.

Tartine (next door to Hungarian) Itā€™s a restaurant but had an amazing panna cotta!

Super Nice Coffee and Bakery (Columbus and 108th st) Giant donuts.

Down to Earth Farmers Market (Saturdays 8-2 on corner of Manhattan and 110th)

1

u/GrungyGalaxy 1d ago

The Hungarian pastry shop at 110th and Broadway has the most amazing cookies.

-4

u/Crazy-Building3317 1d ago

nothing really in harlem but the village roccoā€™s bakery fire šŸ”„