During your trip to Disneyland, you’re going to have a lot of challenging decisions to make regarding where you’d like to eat throughout your vacation. Between Disneyland Park and Disney’s California Adventure, there are dozens of options to choose from at all the different carts, walk-up windows, and restaurants.
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Finding the Best Desserts at Disneyland
If you have a sweet tooth, you may be overwhelmed by the number of delectable treats you can find around the parks. The Disney chefs are constantly putting out new creations, so you may not even be aware of some of the best items that are available during your vacation. To make your selection a bit easier, we’ve compiled the top 10 most addictive desserts at Disneyland. There is a lot of variety on this list, with a little something for every flavor fan, so keep reading to find out which sweet to pick up on your next visit!
Matterhorn Macaroon
Some of the coolest Disney desserts are those that resemble iconic characters and attractions. The creators of the treats had to get extra creative when designing them to make them not only taste excellent but also look just like the Disney icon they represent. One of the best examples of that is the Matterhorn Macaroon.
Modeled after the famous Matterhorn Bobsleds ride, the Matterhorn Macaroon can be found at Jolly Holiday Bakery Café on Main Street USA in Disneyland. Instead of being shaped like a normal macaroon, the large sugary coconut cookie is modeled into a mountain shape, baked until lightly browned, and dipped into melted white chocolate to give the effect of a snow-capped peak. The Matterhorn Macaroon does a great job paying homage to such a beloved attraction, and it is tasty too—what could make a dessert more addictive?
Tigger Tail
While most of the addictive desserts on this list are available at restaurants and food stands throughout the parks, there are also a few items that can be found at some of the shops offering candy and bakery case treats. The Tigger Tail is one that falls into that category since it can be found at Pooh Corner in Critter Country at Disneyland Park.
The Tigger Tail is a popular choice among parkgoers, and for good reason. It’s made up of several marshmallows that have been drenched in caramel loaded onto a stick and covered in orange confectioners coating. A dark chocolate drizzle gives it the finishing touch to look like Tigger’s tail! It’s an adorable treat that both kids and adults will enjoy, and the stick makes it portable, so you can grab it and enjoy it while heading to your next attraction.
Mangonada Smoothie
While we wouldn’t normally classify a smoothie as a dessert, the Mangonada Smoothie from Schmoozies! is too good not to include in this list. You’ll have no problem finding this excellent drink in Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure Park since it is such a standout from the rest of the standard options on the menu. The fresh chunks of mango, banana, and pineapple blend together perfectly with the tropical pineapple and guava juices.
What really makes the Mangonada Smoothie special are the additions of sweet chamoy sauce and chile-lime seasoning. These toppings balance out the sweetness of the fruit flavors and give the smoothie a tasty kick. The presentation is finished off with a mango-chile lollipop, again adding in a small bit of heat to the sugary drink. Although it is a relatively large smoothie, it is light enough to have at any time of the day. You could even enjoy this addictive dessert for breakfast!
Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait
We couldn’t make this list of the most addictive Disneyland desserts without including at least one frozen alcoholic drink! Although not technically a dessert per se, there’s nothing better than an icy, sweet drink on a hot day at the theme park. Our pick for the most addictive frozen drink is the Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait with Blue Curaçao from Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats at Disney California Adventure Park.
Based on the tasty lemon treats the Abominable Snowman makes with “yellow snow” in Monster’s Inc, the Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait starts with a base of nondairy lemon soft serve. In this concoction, the lemon is swirled with blue raspberry flavor and Blue Curaçao liqueur is poured over the top. The best way to enjoy this drink is to let the soft serve melt a bit (which won’t take too long in the hot sun!) and then mix it together with the liqueur. You’ll end up with a deliciously fruity and boozy milkshake to sip on while you continue to enjoy the rest of Pixar Pier!
Churro Toffee Square
Another addictive bakery case item is the Churro Toffee Square. These can be found at several different shops, including Trolley Treats at Disney California Adventure Park and Candy Palace in Disneyland Park. The idea of combining the flavors of churros and toffee may sound a bit odd, but somehow it just works so well.
The creamy, buttery toffee is dipped in melted white chocolate and then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar before the chocolate hardens. Each of these three ingredients has a different kind of sweetness to it, so the mixture of the three together has its own deliciously unique taste. And the variety in textures makes it interesting as well, with the crunchiness of the toffee blending with the soft chocolate and sugar. All around, this is an addictive dessert you won’t be able to get enough of!
Bread Pudding
There are a couple of items on this list that are always on their restaurant’s menu but change slightly throughout the year. While the main premise of the dessert remains the same, the toppings or flavors will be updated from time to time to reflect the season or a special event. One of those items is the Bread Pudding you can find at Pacific Wharf Café at Disney California Adventure Park.
Because the Pacific Wharf Café offers homemade breads and pastries from San Francisco’s world-famous bakery Boudin, it makes perfect sense that they would have some type of bread pudding on the menu. They always start out with a dense, sweet, sticky base, and then depending on what time of year you are visiting, the pudding may be topped with a variety of different items.
The current treat available in summer 2023 is the Strawberry Cheesecake Bread Pudding. The main layer is made of a thick cream cheese cheesecake, which is then smothered in fresh strawberry topping and whipped cream. Graham crackers are added as a final touch to complete the delicious snack. This is a very filling dessert that may be challenging to finish without the help of some family or friends, but it’s so addictive that you may want to keep it all for yourself!
Raspberry Rose Mickey Macaron
The Jolly Holiday Bakery Café in Disneyland Park has lots of different amazing selections, and another one of their addictive desserts has made it onto this list! The Raspberry Rose Mickey Macaron takes the ever-popular macaron treat and makes it even more enticing by adding in a few special touches.
Just as they did with the Matterhorn Macaroon, the Jolly Holiday Bakery made this macaron resemble another famous Disney icon. The Mickey-shaped pastry is loaded with a refreshing raspberry-rose-flavored almond filling and fresh raspberries, giving it an interesting mix of flavors and textures. Although it’s larger than a typical macaron, you may find it difficult to eat just one!
Trying out all these addictive desserts can add up quickly. For advice on how to spend your Disney money wisely, check out our Disneyland Food Budget guide.
Mickey Beignets
If you find yourself looking for a dessert in New Orleans Square in Disneyland Park, there’s no better choice than some classic beignets. The powdered donut-like treats are a staple in Louisiana cuisine, and Disneyland’s version comes shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head. You can find the Mickey beignets at the Mint Julep Bar, where you can order a pack of either three or six.
If you’ve never experienced a beignet before, it may not sound all that enticing, especially when there are so many other sweet concoctions available around the park. But trust us on this one, as we promise it will far exceed your expectations. The light dusting of powdered sugar combined with the flavor of the sweet pastry is truly addictive, and they have a light, flaky texture and hollow inside that gives them an almost airy feel.
When you order your beignets, they will arrive to you hot and fresh out of the oven, which is by far the best way to eat them. They also pair nicely with a mint julep drink, so if you get both and enjoy them together, you’ll experience a delightful blend of warm and cool sensations. Mickey beignets make for a sweet breakfast or afternoon treat that will keep you full until it’s time to have your next main meal.
For more dining hacks and ideas, read our 2023 tips and tricks about Disneyland dining.
Jack Jack Cookie Num Num
If you are a chocolate chip cookie fan, by far the best version you’ll find is at Disney California Adventure Park on Pixar Pier at Jack Jack Cookie Num Nums. Their warm chocolate chip cookies are massive, filled with chocolate chunks, and extra tasty thanks to the brown butter and sugar they’re baked with.
Chocolate chip cookies are nothing without a cold glass of milk to wash them down, and thankfully there are several different milk options available to choose from. You can select from chocolate and 1% dairy milk or soy or vanilla almond milk for a plant-based option. If you’re in the mood for a comfort dessert that is definitely addictive, Jack Jack’s is the place you need to be, and the Cookie Num Num is what you need to eat!
Funnel Cake Fries
The number one addictive dessert on this list is another item that has its toppings switched up every so often: the Funnel Cake Fries from Award Wieners in Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure Park. Funnel cakes are amazing in any form, so the idea of making them into fries is already genius. However, having more sugary goodness added on top makes them even more incredible.
As of summer 2023, there are two specialty funnel cake fry options being offered: Strawberry Cheesecake Funnel Cake Fries a la Mode and Tropical Funnel Cake Fries. The Strawberry Cheesecake Fries have a scoop of vanilla ice cream placed on top and then are drizzled with strawberry syrup and covered in small cheesecake bites. When the ice cream is added to the fresh, hot fries, it melts on top, and mixing it in with the strawberry drizzle really levels up this dessert.
The Tropical Funnel Cake Fries, on the other hand, are covered with a delicious pineapple and cherry compote and whipped cream. Toasted coconut shavings and a maraschino cherry complete the treat. The combination of pineapple, cherry, and the cinnamon from the fries gives this item a uniquely sweet flavor, and they have a lighter, airier taste compared to the Strawberry Cheesecake Fries. No matter which set of fries you choose, they’re going to be filling, fruity, and delicious.
Which dessert do you need to have every time you make a trip to Disneyland? Share it with us in the comments below!
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