Portland’s Best Desserts and Baked Goods

Papa Haydn

Papa Haydn has been in a league of its own since 1978 and secured a spot on Eater’s list of Portland’s best desserts. The triple chocolate cake is easily the best in the city — soaked with caramel and layered with velvety milk and dark chocolate ganache. Papa Haydn’s renowned case of confections also includes slices of fluffy hazelnut-coconut cake with huckleberry compote and an ethereal lemon chiffon.

Blue Star Donuts

A pioneer in the gourmet doughnut movement, Blue Star rose to national stardom for its pillowy soft brioche pastry and rich old-fashioned doughnuts, in original flavors that celebrate local and seasonal ingredients, from the knockout OG glazed to the vibrant raspberry-rosemary buttermilk. Order up a box of expertly selected assorted doughnuts to try the season’s best offerings.

Salt & Straw

With flavors fit for Willy Wonka, Salt & Straw’s farm-to-cone ice creams celebrate seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients. Skip the ever-present line and order a pint from more than 30 flavors. We suggest the strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper — sweet and tangy, it’s studded with ruby red local strawberries. Pair it with the chocolate gooey brownie flavor for your chocolate fix.

St. Honoré Boulangerie

Paris meets Portland at St. Honoré Boulangerie, where croissants, crusty baguettes, and rich quiches are buttery and freshly baked. Hailing from Normandy, master baker Dominique Geulin offers his customers the French pastries we all crave: rich, flaky pain au chocolat, caramel-hued almond croissants, and blueberry-lemon danishes filled with tangy house-made curd.

HK Cafe

HK Cafe has an undisputed reputation for the best dumplings and dim sum in Portland, but its not-so-secret star is the golden pineapple egg yolk bun, ranked as one of the “Best Desserts in Portland” by Eater. Forgivably misleading, there’s zero pineapple in this dessert. Instead, the pastry gets its golden color from rich custard that’s baked into a sugar-encrusted shell.

Doe Donuts

This women-owned shop offers strictly vegan doughnuts and ice cream, including a tiramisu doughnut that got VegNews’ vote for “the best vegan tiramisu in doughnut form.” Pick up a dozen from a menu of seasonal sweet and savory flavors, as well as faithful standbys like their vibrant pink Doe! doughnut glazed in homemade plant-based strawberry milk.

Fifty Licks

This brick-and-mortar that started as a food cart is serving up sophisticated scoops of both dairy- and plant-based ice creams. Soon after opening, Fifty Licks got noticed as one of the “16 Hottest Ice Cream Shops in the U.S.” by Eater. Locals love the classic Chocolate AF and the vegan mango sticky rice ice cream, made with a dairy-free jasmine rice base that gets swirled with alphonso mango.

Proud Mary

First opened in Melbourne, Australia, Proud Mary has a devoted following on both sides of the Pacific for its high-end ethically sourced coffee and ’gram-worthy baked goods. Basque cheesecake is browned to perfection, and house-made carrot cake is gilded with citrus-cardamom cream cheese frosting. Add on a cloudlike cappuccino to pair with any of their sweet treats.

Elephants Delicatessen

Established in 1979, Portland’s oldest deli has some of the city’s best classic desserts. Hefty chocolate chip cookies get snatched up fast, as do house-made Ding Dongs, made with velvety chocolate cake and filled with vanilla whipped cream. Elephants is certified B Corp, committed to maintaining a socially and environmentally sustainable operation, so you can feel good about ordering that extra pastry.

Tanaka

Miso finds its way into Tanaka’s soups, salads, and even their delicious chocolate miso croissants. This Osaka-inspired bakery and sandwich shop also offers beautifully decorated mousse-filled cakes and loaves of sky-high Japanese milk bread. Opened in 2022, Tanaka has already landed on Eater’s list of the best bakeries in Portland.

Waffle Window

Thick, Liège-style waffles are caramelized with pearl sugar at this family-run Portland restaurant. A favorite among locals, the signature strawberry cheesecake waffles are generously topped with cheesecake pudding, fresh strawberries, and graham cracker crumb topping. For the more adventurous waffle aficionado, Waffle Window delivers the sweet and savory Three B’s Waffle, an airy waffle topped with thick-cut bacon, brie, basil.

Voodoo Doughnut

Inspired by the local music scene, Voodoo opened its doors in 2003 as a late-night spot with a mission to feed hungry club-goers. Now, with multiple locations, they’re serving up the “Greatest Yeast Donut in America,” according to the renowned Underground Donut Tour. Skip the long lines and order up a dozen, like the strawberry-glazed Homer or the peanut-shaped marshmallow-filled Fluffer Nutter.

Burgerville USA

Chocolate, vanilla, and seasonal shakes made with local strawberries, cold brew, and hazelnut butter are in high demand at this popular Pacific Northwest burger chain. Along with serving great-tasting shakes, Burgerville is far from your average fast-food chain. Committed to environmental sustainability, Burgerville uses 100% wind power for all its restaurant headquarters and composts food waste at all its locations.

Screen Door

Portland’s favorite Southern restaurant delivers on dessert with its Creole pecan pie and its Ban-offee Pie, made with a pecan shortbread crust and caramel banana filling. One of the busiest restaurants in Portland, Screen Door is a favorite among locals and tourists alike, garnering national recognition from outposts like Thrillest, ABC News, and The Washington Post.

Jam on Hawthorne

Jam on Hawthorne is Portland’s favorite brunch spot, securing the Willamette Week readers’ vote for three years in a row. The “Sweet Stuff” section of the menu is hard to skip over, with options like Grand Marnier–infused challah French toast topped with salted caramel Bavarian cream and lemon-ricotta Fancy Maddie Cakes topped with bright lemon curd and warm blueberry compote.

Mother’s Bistro & Bar

Twenty years ago, Lisa Schroeder gave up her career in marketing to pursue her dream of opening a restaurant that serves dishes from mothers’ kitchens around the world. Scratch-made, with high-quality dairy and local fruit, the dessert menu is a dream of cakes, sundaes, and cobblers. The Cheesecake of the Moment is a must with its mousse-like texture and seasonal fruit sauce topping.

Kinnamon’s

Restaurateur Micah Camden and Portland-born NFL player Ndamukong Suh opened Kinnamon’s to offer elevated traditional cinnamon rolls with house-made fillings and glazes. Who knew the missing ingredient in cinnamon rolls was fresh seasonal fruit? At this Pearl District bakery there’s a roll for any palate, with options like coconut Key lime pie and raspberry pistachio.

Farina Bakery

There’s nothing quite like opening a box of jewel-toned macarons. With flavors like blueberry, salty caramel, and pistachio, Farina has a reputation for being Portland’s very own Ladurée. Feel French and fancy with a box of macarons, or choose from a carefully crafted menu of decadent cakes, artfully adorned cupcakes, and playful pastries.

Piece of Cake Bakery

Winner of Cooking Channel’s “Sugar Showdown,” Piece of Cake Bakery continues to rack up awards and praise for its fanciful cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and more. With ample gluten-free, vegan, and allergen-safe options, there’s something for all dessert lovers. The prized Fantasy Cake combines two ideal confections: creamy cheesecake on top of a layer of moist chocolate cake.

Best Friend

Since 2015, this smoothie truck–turned–brick-and-mortar has been a true BFF to its neighbors by offering an array of sweet smoothie bowls and nourishing snacks. The chocolate smoothie bowl is a decadent choice, made with cacao powder, blueberries, and creamy coconut milk. For dessert, nab a gluten-free, plant-based Margalaxy Snack like the house-made Samoa Cookies, Snick’rz Cups, and nutty halva balls.

Petunia’s Pies & Pastries

Lisa Clark started her gluten-free, vegan bakery right out of her home kitchen. Offering pastries, cupcakes, and pies at local farmers markets, Clark’s baked goods became an instant hit, and it wasn’t long before she opened Petunia’s as a permanent shop. Along with your cupcake order, add on a Chocolate Chipper Sandwich Cookie with your choice of filling.

Crema Coffee + Bakery

Crema Coffee + Bakery’s overflowing case of buttery confections is designed to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea. Muffins abound in options like blueberry, banana streusel, and orange-glazed zucchini. A morning bun always sweetens the day; it’s croissant dough coated in cinnamon sugar, spiced with cardamom, and glazed with orange.

Saint Cupcake

Dessert purists can order up vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet cupcakes, but they’ll also find distinctive flavors like toasted coconut cream, confetti, or The Salty Captain, made with fudgy chocolate and topped with salted caramel buttercream. A leader on the cupcake scene, the travel blog Global Grasshopper ranks Saint Cupcake as one of Portland’s best dessert destinations.

Best Baguette

Off Highway 26, Best Baguette is an East-meets-West bakery serving Vietnamese banh mis (the Best Baguette Special) and French croissants. Open since 2006 and now with multiple locations, Best Baguette offers some of Portland’s most prized baked breads and pastries, along with an extensive list of dessert-worthy bubble teas in flavors ranging from dragon fruit to Hokkaido milk tea.

Nuvrei

Traditional French macarons are a rare find in the City of Roses. As one of Eater Portland’s outstanding bakeries, Nuvrei offers delicately crafted sweet sandwich cookies in unexpected flavors like rose, sesame, and Earl Grey tea. Order a curated six-count box of macarons filled with the best of that day’s rotating flavors. 

PHOTO CREDITS:

Tanaka by AJ Meeker

Petunia’s Pies and Pastries by Celeste Noche