After a good meal, there’s nothing like a sweet treat. If you’re looking to try something other than the standard desserts, then it’s time to try some of the over-the-top desserts that will rock your world. From milkshakes that are loaded with goodies to waffles covered in sherbet, there are a lot of tasty treats to discover out in the world, and you won’t believe some of this stuff until you see it with your own eyes. So, if you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, then consider trying some of the most over-the-top desserts.
For this list, we’ve come up with 10 treats that you simply cannot miss. To compile them, 24/7 Tempo researched various restaurants, food experts, and culinary sources, such as the well-known Insomnia Cookies brand and cronut inventor, Dominique Ansel, to come up with the wildest treats. (Hungry for more? Click here to find out your state’s most iconic desserts.)
1. Black Tap Milkshakes
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 18: CrazyShakes displayed at the opening of Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes at Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort on May 19, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Black Tap Craft Burgers and Shakes)
If you have $15 and are hankering for a tasty milkshake, then make your way to a Black Tap restaurant in your neck of the woods. They have locations in New York City, Tennessee, Florida, Texas, and more.
Their crazy milkshakes have taken social media by storm over the last couple of years, and it’s no surprise as to why. There’s a flavor for everyone, from The Cooke Shake, loaded with cookies, chocolate chips, and vanilla frosting to the Strawberry Shortcake, which has strawberry ice cream and other goodies, including crumbled cake, a full strawberry shortcake ice cream bar, and more.
2. Clinton Hall Waffles
Delicious waffles with fruit
This next insane dessert on our list is similar to the craziness of the Black Top milkshakes; only it’s in the form of a waffle. Created by Clinton Hall in New York, which is an up-and-coming eatery that has recently won several awards, these sweets are called WTF waffles, and they’re like a party in your mouth.
Different locations will have unique options. However, their current claim to fame is the Birthday Cake WTF waffle, which is a Belgian waffle that’s loaded with ice cream, raspberry sherbet, a sugar cone, lollipops, and rainbow sprinkles. They also have Carnival waffles that have hot fudge, caramel corn, cotton candy, and sprinkles.
3. Smith Island Cake
If you ever find yourself traveling to Maryland, then do yourself a favor and try the state’s official dessert, the Smith Island Cake, which gets its title due to the island of the same name. Depending on where you go, you’ll either find this cake made up of eight, nine, or ten layers.
This over-the-top dessert is typically made of yellow cake that’s smothered with chocolate icing. However, there are many other ways to make this crazy treat with your preferred flavor profile. You can make the cake and cover it in coconut frosting and flakes, go for cookies and cream, and try red velvet, among many others.
4. Freddy Fazbear’s Cookie Pizza
Chocolate chip cookie cake on white background
This is a delicious treat to enjoy if you like cookies and the popular game, “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” It’s brought to us by the company Insomnia Cookies. This is a great dessert to share with friends. It has a cookie crust, cookie topping, icing, drizzle, and a candy topping. The cookie crust can be chosen from many variations. There’s an M&M cookie crust, double chocolate cookie, carrot cake, confetti crust, and more.
It’s just one of many different tasty treats that you can get at Insomnia Cookies. They also sell double- and triple-layer cakes, many types of chocolate chip cookies, and several varieties of vegan and gluten-free treats.
5. The 20-Layer Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
Closeup photo of a delicious slice of chocolate cake in a white plate and black background.
When you spend time in Las Vegas, you’re bound to see at least one wild sight during your visit. On top of everything else, the desserts at many of the casinos and restaurants are a sight to behold. However, nothing in Sin City compares to the 20-layer peanut butter chocolate cake you can get when you visit Lavo, which serves brunch and dinner. It’s located in the Palazzo Tower in The Venetian.
While you’re there, check out the menu and the $21 multi-layer cake. It’s made with Devil’s Food cake and peanut butter mascarpone. Granted, it’s not an entire cake, but just a slice. However, you likely would not be able to eat it all alone, so bring some friends and have a dessert to remember.
6. Cronuts
This is an oldie but a goodie and is certainly an over-the-top dessert that you need to try at least once during your life. You may remember when the cronut became a national phenomenon way back in 2013. If you don’t remember what it is, as the name suggests, this dessert is a combination of a donut and a croissant.
While you can make your own cronuts using recipes you can find online, if you want the official version, then you’ll want to stop by a bakery run by its inventor, Dominique Ansel. He even registered the name “cronut.” Every month, they make a new one with a different flavor, and they never repeat flavors. While you’re at his bakery, you should also check out some of the other tasty desserts, including their blossoming hot chocolate and their “What-a-Melon Soft Serve,” which is watermelon ice cream inside of a slice of ripe and juicy watermelon.
7. PieCaken
Christmas piecaken slice on white plate
This is one of the craziest over-the-top desserts, and it’s a mishmash of various desserts with several available options. As an example, you could get an apple upside-down cake that sits on top of a pumpkin pie that sits on top of a pecan pie, and the whole thing is smothered in cinnamon buttercream.
The company that has made a name for itself when it comes to PieCaken, the PieCaken Cake Shop, has many variations of this crazy dessert. One of them is the Christmas PieCaken. It consists of three layers: cherry swirl cheesecake, chocolate pecan pie, and red velvet cake, and then covered in cream cheese buttercream. It’s definitely worth a try.
8. Portillo’s Chocolate Cake Shake
Sweet milkshake drink with dripping sauce, cream and chocolate
If you love ice cream shakes and chocolate cake equally, then you must stop by Portillo’s. It’s there where you’ll get a chance to check out the next of the over-the-top desserts: the world-famous chocolate cake shake. It’s just like it sounds. They mix up their very delicious chocolate shake and then blend in a full piece of chocolate cake, and the result is a smooth and tasty treat.
While not a nationwide restaurant, you can find Portillo’s if you’re in Illinois, California, Florida, or Nevada. While you’re there, check out some of their regular desserts, like the strawberry shortcake and chocolate eclair cake. Everything at Portillo’s is pretty great, so consider a road trip so you can say that you’ve eaten there at least once.
9. Golden Opulence Sundae
Chocolate ice cream sundae dessert topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and cherry.
The Golden Opulence Sundae is the most expensive of the crazy desserts on this list, costing close to $1,000. In fact, it holds a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most expensive dessert. This treat has it all. It’s served in a baccarat crystal souvenir goblet, which is also what they drink out of at the Vatican.
The dessert itself is made with a base of Madagascar vanilla ice cream. You also get passion fruit caviar, 23-carat gold leaf, and fancy candies from exotic places. It’s such a big deal that you need to order it in advance. Best of all, you’ll feel like a movie star as they bring it to your table. Take your time on this one and savor every bite.
10. The Idaho Ice Cream Potato
Our final entry on this list of over-the-top desserts is the Idaho Ice Cream Potato, which looks like a hearty meal, but in fact, it’s all made of sweets. This is a stark difference in price from the last entry. Instead of spending $1,000, you can dish out about $6 for this treat. The state of Idaho is famous for its food and you can get this one at Westside Drive-In restaurants.
The “potato” is actually vanilla ice cream that’s covered with cocoa powder. It’s also topped off with whipped cream that looks like sour cream. There’s also nuts and chocolate syrup that’s meant to look like gravy. This restaurant has been featured on the show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and you can be part of the hype. It may be a bit too much for one person. So, get your friends and family and visit Westside Drive-In to try this treat. (If you’re planning a road trip, click here for some great roadside restaurants.)