Discover 16 desserts to eat in New Orleans when you’re not eating gumbo or fried chicken. Some of these sweet treats were created in New Orleans. They’re all decadently delicious.
1. Bananas Foster
Bananas foster is one of those ‘only in New Orleans’ dishes that’s not to missed. And, while you could hypothetically eat bananas foster dessert at another New Orleans restaurant, Brennan’s has built its reputation as THE place to savor caramelized bananas floating in liquor and topped with ice cream.
Explore More: Breakfast at Brennan’s
2. Beignets
Although the beignet wasn’t invented in New Orleans, this pastry become an integral part of the city’s food culture since the 18th century when Acadian settlers started frying French fritters in Louisiana. It’s even the state’s official donut. Open since 1862, Cafe du Monde is the most famous spot to eat beignets in New Orleans and therefore the world. It’s also one of the city’s best cheap eats.
Explore More: Cheap Eats in New Orleans
3. Bread Pudding
Though their ancestors didn’t invent the dish, New Orleans bakers take bread pudding to the next level by topping the ‘carbolicious’ desert with creamy sauces featuring bourbon and rum. Parkway Po Boys makes an outstanding version that’s served in a paper boat and smothered in sweet rum sauce.
Explore More: Best Po Boys in New Orleans
4. Bread Pudding Soufflé
Commander’s Palace takes bread pudding to the next level with ingredients like day old French bread, butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, heavy cream and raisins. Servers pour on creamy whiskey sauce at the table for good measure. The result is decadently delicious.
Explore More: Lunch at Commander’s Palace
5. Peach Cobbler
Ppeach cobbler is a lazy version of peach pie without a pie crust or fancy lattice. Although the dessert has roots in Georgia, Leah Chase turned peach cobbler into a New Orleans classic. Her version, topped with a dollop of whipped cream, is a must-eat at Dooky Chase’s in Tremé.
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6. Turtle Cookies
A New Orleans fixture in much of the 20th century, McKenzie’s Pastry Shoppes were beloved for baking desserts like king cakes (see below) and turtle cookies. Although the NOLA bakery chain closed in 2001, its turtle cookie lives on in both a cookbook and at Bywater Bakery.
Exploe More: Best American Cookies
7. Pecan Pie
There’s no debate that pecan pie was invented in America. There’s also no debate that bakers in New Orleans bake delectable versions. The best ones add a healthy amount of Karo syrup to a mixture that includes butter, eggs, sugar and lots of pecans. The result is a sweet yet utterly nutty dessert favorite.
8. Grilled Pecan Pie
Grilling pecan pie in butter seems like overkill… until you bite into a slice of luscious grilled pecan pie at The Camellia Grill. This bold move isn’t just over the top, it’s also a winning move that earns the grilled dessert its own category. This ooey-gooey dessert is even better when it’s topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
9. Pralines
Although the French Quarter is less than a square mile in size, this relatively small space is more than big enough for two iconic praline shops – Aunt Sally’s Pralines and Leah’s Pralines. Not to be confused with praline shops in France, these two praline purveyors craft a style of praline involves smothering local pecans with a mixture of real butter and sugar. Less traditional pralines feature additional ingredients like chocolate, caramel, marshmallows and even rum.
10. King Cake
Made with braided dough and frosted with icing, king cakes are cinnamon-flavored cakes notable for having the Mardi Gras tricolor of purple, green and gold sugar on top. Each king cake contains a plastic baby hidden inside the cake. You can bake one at home if you can’t make it to New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
11. Snoballs
Snoballs have been a thing in New Orleans since 1934 when the Hansen clan started shaving ice and topping each cup with homemade syrup. Fast forward to the present and you can eat a snoball at Hansens’ Sno-Bliz or at another New Orleans snoball shop.
12. Donuts
Beignets aren’t the only fried dough in New Orleans. Donut shops like Blue Dot Donuts sell traditional varieties like simple yeast, buttermilk and cake donuts as well a trendy flavors like maple bacon and red velvet. The city also has modern donut shops like District Donuts which pair donuts with third wave coffee.
Explore More: Best Donuts in America and the World
13. Chantilly Cake
Since Chef Chaya Conrad invented berry chantilly cake while working for Whole Foods in New Orleans, it’s fair to call chantilly cake a New Orleans dessert. She now makes a version at Bywater Cafe, the cafe she owns and operates with her partner Alton Osborne, with white almond cake, mascarpone chantilly icing and seasonal berries. She also bakes chocolate strawberry chantilly cake and lemon chantilly cake.
Exploe More: Bywater Neighborhood
14. Doberge Cake
Beulah Ledner introduced doberge cakes to New Orleans dessert eaters decades after József C. Dobos, a Hungarian, created the dobos torte in 1885. While both cakes stack a tower of layers and cover them with icing, the Hungarian cake does this with a crunchy caramel layer. Ledner modified the recipe to use caramelized custard instead. You can try one or more flavor at Bakery Bar.
15. Sweet Potato Pie and Scones
Sweet potato pie wasn’t invented in New Orleans – it’s an American food favorite with direct ties to African American food culture beyond the Louisiana city. However, typically available at New Orleans eateries that serve Southern American soul food, this dessert hits the spot with its earthy yet sweet flavors.
Explore More: American Food Favorites
16. Banana Brown Butter Tort
Unlike bananas foster, the banana brown butter tort has crust and doesn’t involve huge flames. Iinstead, the rich custard pie gets its excitement from caramelized bananas and a dollop of whipped cream. Adding ice cream isn’t necessary… unless you’re in New Orleans.
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There’s more to eat in New Orleans than desserts. Discover the city’s food favorites and start planning a food trip now.
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