Seattle sweets make me smile. There are so many delightful things to eat, you’ll have to pack a couple toothbrushes to keep up. Join me on an eating adventure! And, if you have a car or are near West Seattle, hit up Original Bakery for their Pershing doughnut. It’s fresh, fluffy, and absolutely delightful.

Items listed in priority order, neighborhood in parentheses, and anything in italics is on my to-do list.

1. Dahlia Bakery

(Belltown): made to order doughnuts and mini coconut cream pie, the doughnuts were featured on the Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Please get this.

Dahlia Lounge made-to-order donuts - the vanilla mascarpone spread is unbelievably good. — Dahlia Lounge made-to-order donuts – the vanilla mascarpone spread is unbelievably good.

2. Bakery Nouveau

(West Seattle, Capitol Hill): Twice-baked Almond croissant or smoked salmon croissant. Uh-maze-ing.

3. Hello Robin

(Capitol Hill): Delicious cookies and Molly Moon’s ice cream together make ice cream sandwiches of love.

4. Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt

(Downtown): Located conveniently at Pike Place Market, try a sample and buy a tub – any flavor! I like the lemon curd greek yogurt the best – so thick, rich, and perfectly sweet.

5. Volunteer Park Cafe

(Capitol Hill): Available for brunch, their pastry case selection is unbeatable. Try any of their cakes, cookies, and bread puddings.

6a. Kurt Farm Shop

(Capitol Hill): Delicious ice cream in a hipster corner with beautiful decor and the freshest ingredients and mind-tingling flavors like bay leaf, quince, and beyond.

6b. Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream Shop

(Multiple locations): If you can’t make it to Kurt’s Farm shop, this is the Seattle brand of bourgeoisie ice cream will do the deed just fine. Ice cream – tasty but I’ve had better in California. Still good here, though. Worth a try since you’re here – sometimes it’s too sweet.

7a. Cafe Besalu

(Ballard): Known to some as the best bakery in Seattle to croissant lovers, this tiny shop has morning pastries and bread for you to-go! Limited hours of Wed-Sun from 7am-3pm.

7b. Coyle’s Bakeshop

(Greenwood): Open Wed-Sun, 7am – 4pm. Delicious cherry almond croissants and cretzels (croissant pretzel). I got the carrot cake and it was perfect – not too sweet and amazingly tasty.

Coyle's Bakeshop in Greenwood — Coyle’s Bakeshop in Greenwood

7c. Crumble & Flake Patisserie

(Capitol Hill): Some people like for croissants and kouign amanns and I’m okay with it. Small store front with no seating area.

8a. Mighty-O Donuts

(Multiple locations): This is local Seattle chain, but it’s glazes and mixes are certified organic. You gotta try these light and fluffy doughnuts with flavors like lemon poppyseed and french toast!

8b. Top Pot Doughnuts Hand-Forged Donuts

(Multiple locations): This is another local Seattle chain, but it’s fancy and classic doughnuts. Top Pot donuts are large; the cake donuts are dense and the yeast donuts are a lot of fluffy dough. I’ve also had better in SF but worth a try, especially if they’re fresh. All their cafes are beautifully crafted and spacious.

8c. Family Donut Shop

($, Haller Lake): If you’re into simple, super duper cheap (less then $2 each) but delicious donuts from a no-frills mom-and-pop store, then pop into this cozy joint for some donut holes and extra cheap, excellent donuts.

9a. Fuji Bakery

(Multiple locations): I miss my Asian bakeries in the Bay Area but this is a cute substitute. Japanese pastries that aren’t too sweet. Get the brioche saumon (a salmon cube pastry). It’s so cute and light and fluffy!

9b. Hiroki Bakery

(Wallingford): If you really want Japanese desserts – get the green tea tiramisu if it’s available – selection has always been pretty limited whenever I’ve gone.

10a. Macrina Bakery

(Multiple locations): Good and available for sweet and savory, and though I prefer their savory sandwiches over pastries, their nutella brioche and cocoa puff are very light and super tasty!

10b. Nielsen’s Danish Pastries

(Lower Queen Anne): Located conveniently near the Space Needle, get the Snitter and/or the Kringle at this homey bakery

EXTRA CREDIT

Columbia City Bakery

(Columbia City): It’s not super close to Seattle without a car but this bakery is so worth it. I crave its kitchen sink cookie and pretzel sandwiches all the time.