Since I never left campus as a young, naive freshman I truly believed that there was no such thing as a cupcake shop or ice cream parlor in the Coral Gables area. Once I got a car and made some older and definitely wiser friends, I soon realized that there are a number of dessert places near campus. You can even walk to most of them.
If you are anything like me and need a minimum of 2 desserts per day in order to avoid a headache (yes, I get ill if I don’t eat sugar), or if you're just a normal person that wants some sweets every once in a while, check out these 6 delicious places.
1. Buttercream Cupcakes & Coffee
Since cupcakes are one my favorite desserts, I have tried a number of them. Some good, some bad, some amazing. Buttercream Cupcakes definitely falls into the amazing category. Aside from having a wide variety of flavor choices and cupcake sizes, they also customize cupcakes so you can order them for almost any occasion.
2. Whip'n Dip Ice Cream Shop
Whip'n Dip is conveniently located right next to Buttercream Cupcakes & Coffee so you can get your cupcakes and eat your ice cream too. Whip'n Dip has dessert options for everyone that goes in whether you're looking for classic ice cream flavors, special holiday flavors, cookies, brownies, milkshakes or soft serve. I highly recommend getting a cookie cup warmed up with your choice of ice cream on top. It is truly life changing.
3. Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream
Chill-N will ruin your life, but in a good way. Not one day has gone by since the first time I had it where I wasn’t craving it. This made to order ice cream shop lets you choose your base. Options include ice cream, yogurt, coconut milk and tart yogurt. Once you choose your base, you choose your flavor. Some of my favorites include chocolate, salted caramel and dulce de leche, but they have many more options as well. I am also looking forward to trying one of their new seasonal flavors, apple pie. Lastly, customers choose their mix-n’s. My go-to is brownie, but I also like cookie dough and heath. After ordering, employees flash freeze all your flavors and mix-n’s with nitrogen in order to make the fluffiest and tastiest ice cream you will ever have.
4. Swensen's Grill & Ice Cream Parlor
If your looking for good, classic ice cream, Swensen’s is your place. With around 28 flavors, it’s hard not to find at least one that you will want. Some of their flavors include frosted chocolate malt, rocky road, chocolate brownie, raspberry sorbet, moose tracks and cookies and cream. I like to top mine off with hot fudge and some rainbow sprinkles.
5. My Yogurt Bliss
My Yogurt Bliss isn't everyone's go-to yogurt shop just because it's across from campus. Their wide array of flavors and toppings, including dairy-free options, makes it a great place for any type of dessert lover. And if you aren't in the mood for frozen yogurt, you can always fill up a cup with toppings like cookie dough and hot fudge.
6. Misha's Cupcakes
Misha's Cupcakes is located in the same strip mall as My Yogurt Bliss, making it convenient to pick up dessert for now and later. Misha's has what seems to be every flavor of cupcake possible and even has vegan options. Being a chocolate lover, I recommend getting a few of the dark chocolate cupcakes because I always need multiple of these bite-sized desserts to satisfy my craving.
While there are tons of restaurants and other dessert spots in Coral Gables, these are the tastiest and most convenient. So next time you need dessert, look no further than the streets near campus. And who knows, you might even see me there.