Warning: Once you taste The Greenwich's Basque-style cheesecake, you may not be able to think about anything else for days. This lighter, creamier style of cheesecake will consume your thoughts and take over your dreams; it's just that good. Finished with a drizzling of olive oil, a sprinkling of sea salt, and a torched top (trust us), this is one of the best desserts in Denver. If, for some reason, you're cheesecake averse, their dark chocolate mousse with dulce de leche is worth an order, too.
The Bindery is known for putting sophisticated twists on classic menu items, and this extends to the most important meal of the day. (Dessert, of course.) Take the craquelin choux, a sort of French cream puff with a cookie-esque crust, made with passion fruit, yogurt mousse, bruleed marshmallows and gooseberries. Or the maple syrup tartlet gussied up with gin-soaked blueberries and rosemary lace tuille. Bonus: The grab-and-go pastry counter means snagging a chocolate croissant or hand pie doesn’t even require a reservation.
The pastry programs at Ace Eat Serve and Steuben's, both umbrellaed under the Secret Sauce restaurant group, are diabolically good. From the Thai tea carrot cake with maple coconut mousse and mango sticky rice pudding at Ace Eat Serve to the fan-favorite donut holes with house-made raspberry jam and butterscotch pudding at Steuben’s, the post-dinner finales are masterpieces of finesse and refinement, while flavor profiles deftly straddle the line between sweet and savory.
There’s always something fantastically wacky and wonderful to try at this progressive West Highland dessert emporium from Ian Kleinman, a molecular magician and science lab wizard who taught Denver that things like Twizzler space foam, exploding whipped cream, spun sugar, clouds of smoke and pomegranate fizz pop-rocks reach way beyond Willy Wonka’s fictional candy factory. Just make sure you book ahead for the show; tickets are required.
What’s better than a honey-drizzled, powdered sugar-dusted sopapilla? A honey-drizzled, powdered sugar-dusted sopapilla topped with a scoop of Little Man ice cream, of course. That hot/cold combo is how you should crown your meal at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.
Little Man Ice Cream
It's hard to miss Little Man Ice Cream in the Highland neighborhood — just look for the 28-foot-tall milk can and you'll know you're in the right place. There's usually a line, but it's worth the wait for this handmade, locally sourced sweet. In addition to standards like butter pecan and mint chocolate chip, sample innovative flavors like Bhakti chai and salted Oreo. Little Man also offers vegan ice cream and sorbet for the dairy-averse, so it'll make everyone's day. You can also find Little Man Ice Cream at the Milkbox Ice Creamery in Denver Union Station.
Corridor 44
Crossing any cultural, historical and intellectual barriers is the molten chocolate lava delight found all over the state. A moist chocolate cake exterior with a gooey molten center, complete with powdered sugar, thinly sliced almonds or a mound of fresh fruit — it's everything the quintessential chocolate dessert should be. Whatever the name, wherever the restaurant, each provides an original take on the mouthwatering modern classic. Celebrate the success of this cocoa indulgence with Corridor 44's version, which is topped with whipped cream and berries.
Pig & Tiger
Inspired by chef Darren Chang’s childhood shave ice go-to order (pineapple with almond Jell-O), his version at Pig & Tiger levels up the nostalgia. It’s a full-on texture experience, a light, refreshing blend of super-silky almond panna cotta tucked beneath pineapple ice and juicy chunks of fruit, finished with crunchy almonds and drizzles of condensed almond milk.
The Cake Bar
This vegan, plant-based bakery is basically a choose-your-own-adventure situation, with hundreds of possible cake cup combinations. Start with a base like lemon, vanilla funfetti or chocolate cake, pick your frosting (strawberry buttercream and cookie dough are favorites), then go wild with toppings ranging from vegan M&Ms to bee-free honey to peanut butter cookie crumble.
Luchador Taco & More
A luchador is a masked professional wrestler in Mexico’s high-flying lucha libre, but we’d happily step into the ring for Luchador Taco & More’s churros. The Whittier restaurant makes one dessert, and they make it very, very well: a trio of caramel-filled churros, crisp and golden, served with mascarpone tres leches mousse and whatever fruit happens to be in season. You won’t want to tap out until the last swipe of mousse is gone.
Duffeyroll Cafe
Start your day with dessert! With two locations in Denver and one in Englewood, you're never too far from this bakery's signature Duffeyrolls: cinnamon rolls made with a proprietary dough recipe. The Original is a classic crowd-pleaser, but we also love the Zesty Orange, Irish Cream, Mountain Maple, English Toffee and Pecanilla Crunch flavors, all perfect to dip in a cup of dark roast coffee.
Jerusalem Restaurant
It's no wonder baklava's origins are foggy. It seems that every known ethnicity wants to claim this delicious, age-old dessert. Maybe the best in Denver is at Jerusalem Restaurant, where each layer of the baklava's crunchy phyllo dough fully absorbs the simple sauce of butter, water, sugar, vanilla, honey and cinnamon to boast unceasing flavor. Chopped nuts, also the product of hours basking in the sweet sauce, add a muted crunch. It's no wonder that, located near the University of Denver, the restaurant has become a go-to for ravenous co-eds. The baklava glistens in a puddle of syrup as it arrives at your table, but after eating a well-seasoned lamb kabob or falafel, you'll be the one soaking it all up.
