Chicago's Best Dessert Shops

Vacations are all about treating yourself, so why not pick up some sweet treats during your Chicago stay? This city has plenty of offer when it comes to delectable desserts, including everything from luscious hot chocolate to gourmet donuts and cupcakes. Make your trip a little more special by visiting one of these hot desserts spots in Chicago and sampling their signature treats.

HotChocolate: It's no surprise that the can't-miss dessert at this aptly named restaurant is the hot chocolate. The Mexican hot chocolate — made with rich dark chocolate, milk, cinnamon, and cayenne and topped with a fluffy house-made marshmallow — is a house favorite. HotChocolate also serves up donuts, cakes, bread pudding, ice cream, and sorbet.

Black Dog Gelato: This isn't your grandma's gelato. At Black Dog Gelato, diners are tempted to try out-of-the-box flavors like goat cheese cashew caramel and sesame fig chocolate chip. Perhaps one of their best desserts, however, is the salty-sweet whiskey gelato bar, whiskey-spiked gelato dunked in milk chocolate and sprinkled with crispy bits of salted bacon. Pictured is a mini-version served at this year's Baconfest in Chicago.

Molly's Cupcakes: Chicago has its own cupcake craze (it was ranked number 14 on The Daily Meal's Top Cupcakes in America), and Molly's Cupcakes is one of those rare places that doesn't try to be too trendy. They make the classics like red velvet with cream cheese frosting, but you can also create your own, too — pick a cake, choose a frosting, and dress it up with tasty toppings. Some of their cupcakes are the center-filled s with tasty filling flavors like cake batter, Kahlua, and blueberry cheesecake. One of their most popular flavors is The Ron Bennington, made with chocolate cake, peanut butter filling, and ganache on top, garnished with butterscotch and Butterfinger pieces. Little ones will love the shop's sprinkle station for creative finishing touches.

The Doughnut Vault: There's a huge difference between gourmet, small-batch donuts and the stuff you find at your local Dunkin' Donuts. Do donuts right at Doughnut Vault, a tiny little outpost where you'll actually have to stand in line early in the morning in order to nab a few of these precious sweet treats. Flavors like chestnut-glazed, old-fashioned buttermilk, and birthday cake are all carefully crafted — but get 'em while they're hot because they sell out quickly.

Ashley Henshaw is the Chicago City Travel Editor for The Daily Meal.