Thinking about something sweet?
Florida has some of the best dessert shops in the country, with delicious candy, doughnuts and ice cream just waiting to ruin your diet. But don't take our word for it.
Every week, USA TODAY's 10Best ranks the very best in travel, food + drink, and lifestyle by inviting a panel of industry experts to nominate the best in their fields and then asking readers to vote.
This week, it's desserts, and some Florida places got their attention.
Best Donut Shop: No. 2, Donnie's Donuts, Daytona Beach, Florida
"When visiting Donnie's Donuts, make sure your taste buds are up to the task," 10Best said about Daytona Beach's Donnie's Donuts. They weren't alone, Donnie's was also named in Yelp's “Best Donut Shops in Every State, according to Yelp Elites” this year and featured on the Food Network's show "The Extra Mile" in 2019.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Whether you like vintage cake doughnuts, “handcrafted artisan doughnuts" that are delicious and Instagram-ready, or just want a good glazed, Donnie's Donuts in the One Daytona complex across from Daytona International Speedway is the place to go.
You can get flavors from the old classics or experiment with banana pudding, French toast, Fruity Pebbles, Maple Bacon, Worms-n-Dirt, apple pie, and more, and wash them down with specialty drinks like the Velvet Queen and the Chocolate Hammer.
Donnie's began on Daytona Beach's Seabreeze Boulevard and expanded to Ormond Beach and New Smyrna Beach but those locations have closed in recent years due to hurricanes and other factors. There are now two locations.
- WHERE: 225 Daytona Blvd., Daytona Beach. There is also one in Georgia at 701 N Highland Ave., Suite 4, Atlanta.
- WHEN: Sunday-Thursday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Friday- Saturday, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
- MORE:donniesdonuts.com
Donnie's Donuts missed the No. 1 spot, though. That went to City Donut in Orange Beach, Alabama. Here's the list, in case you need a reason for a road trip.
- City Donut: Orange Beach, Alabama
- Donnie's Donuts: Daytona Beach, and Atlanta, Georgia
- Fox's Donut Den: Nashville, Tennessee
- Blackbird Bakery: Bristol, Virginia
- The Bakery Unlimited: Winterset, Iowa
- Mountain Donuts: South Ogden, Utah
- Darling Doughnuts: Saratoga Springs, New York
- Jupiter Coffee and Donuts: Fairfield, Ohio
- Holtman's Donut Shop: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Beiler's Doughnuts: Maryland and Pennsylvania
Best Candy Store: No. 3, Sweet Pete's Candy, Jacksonville, Florida
Want to explore a world of pure imagination? And calories?
Sweet Pete's has become a Jacksonville institution. The three-story, 23,000-square-foot location (nicknamed the "candy mansion"), is located across the street from City Hall in a building that has seen several other places come and go the last few years. Sweet Pete's is a fully functioning candy-making factory and one of the largest candy shops in the U.S., featuring handcrafted quality chocolates and over a thousand different types of candy, plus hands-on classes, events, children's field trips and more. Gluten-free and vegan items are available.
"From Pete's Famous Sea Salt Caramels to caramel chocolate apples to an assortment of packaged candies," 10Best said, "Sweet Pete's Candy offers quite the variety of sweet treats."
Sweet Pete's also offers a wide variety of novelty craft soda flavors, along with hot dogs, hamburgers, Impossible burgers and fries in its Fizzies & Fare soda parlor inside the main building.
- WHERE: 400 N. Hogan St., Jacksonville
- WHEN: Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, 10 a.m. * 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, closed Monday
- MORE: sweetpetescandy.com
Top on the 10Best candy list? The Taffy Shop in Estes Park, Colorado. Here are the rest.
- The Taffy Shop: Estes Park, Colorado
- The Sweet Granada: Emporia, Kansas
- Sweet Pete's Candy: Jacksonville
- Bright's Candies: Walla Walla, Washington
- The Farris Wheel Candy Co.: Wichita, Kansas
- Samuel's Sweet Shop: Rhinebeck, New York
- Candyality: Chicago, Illinois
- Windy City Sweets: Chicago, Illinois
- Wilton Candy Kitchen: Wilton, Iowa
- True Treats Historic Candy: Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Best Ice Cream Shop: No. 6, The Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery, Boynton Beach, Florida
The in Boynton Beach had one goal when it opened in 2015: to bring you back to the feel of walking down the Jersey Shore boardwalk.
"Boynton Beach's Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery offers a wide array of icy treats to beat the Sunshine State heat," 10Best said. "In addition to cones, cups, and banana splits, those who prefer their refreshment in liquid form are welcome to spring for a root beer float or malted milkshake."
- WHERE: 209 N Federal Highway, Boynton Beach
- WHEN: 1-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1-9 p.m. the rest of the week
- MORE: There are Facebook, Instagram and X accounts but they haven't been updated in years. But plenty of people have posted TikToks about their Boardwalk Ice experience.
The top ice cream shop: the oddly named An's Dry Cleaning in San Diego. Here's the list.
- An's Dry Cleaning: San Diego, California
- Coneflower Creamery: Omaha, Nebraska
- Owowcow Creamery: New Jersey and Pennsylvania
- Leopold's Ice Cream: Savannah, Georgia
- Peewee's Ice Cream: Medford, New Jersey
- The Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery: Boynton Beach
- Island Creamery: Maryland and Virginia
- Andia's Ice Cream: Cary and Raleigh, North Carolina
- Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream: Charleston, West Virginia
- Penn State Berkey Creamery: University Park, Pennsylvania
Sadly, Florida didn't place in the other top ten sweet lists, but check them out anyway: Best Cookie Shop 2024. Best Chocolate Shop 2024, and Best Pie Shop 2024.
Best Dessert/Treat Chain 2024
But good news, there are Florida locations of several of the places that made the 10Best Best Dessert Treat Chain 2024:
- Crumbl Cookies
- Baskin-Robbins
- Marble Slab Creamery
- Insomnia Cookies
- Baked by Melissa
- Cold Stone Creamery
- Tim Hortons
- Nothing Bundt Cakes
- Culver's
- Krispy Kreme
