Spoil yourself sweetly with the best desserts in Leeds!
Word of advice: if you’re a sweet tooth trying to save a few quid or on a diet, better steer clear of Leeds. The sweets here will be your gym instructor and diet plan’s downfall.
We’re talking doughnuts, cheesecakes, cannoli, ice cream (especially if it comes from these shops [ice cream leeds]), and many other temptations too indulgent to say no to. Trust me, I’ve tried and failed…miserably.
But if you’re giving in anyway (won’t blame you for that), I’ve scooped and stacked every shop in town worthy of every calorie and penny. Consider this a cheat day guide, signed by a fellow sugar-mad fellow.
Stuzzi
From stuzzileeds
Address: Grand Arcade, 7 Merrion St
Contact Details: 0113 245 5323
Operating Hours:
- Tue – 5 pm to 9 pm
- Wed to Thu – 12 pm to 9 pm
- Fri to Sat – 12 pm to 10 pm
- Sun – 12 pm to 6 pm
Stuzzi (pronounced stut-zee) dishes out tiny bits of Italy. The dolce lineup here offers staples like homemade tiramisu and imported cheeses, all authentic and rolled for sharing.
Bombalone is what got me hooked, thanks to its decadent layers. Inside this doughnut is a filling of raspberries and hazelnut gelato, sealed with a hazelnut crust and chocolate sauce.
| Tip: There’s a 12.5% service charge. Don’t forget that when budgeting. |
Whitelock’s Ale House
From whitelocksalehouse
Address: Turk’s Head Yard
Contact Details: 0113 245 3950
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Wed – 11 am to 11 pm
- Thu to Sat – 11 am to 12 pm
- Sun – 11 am to 11 pm
Royally approved by Prince George in 1912, Whitelock’s Ale House is historically impressive. You only need a shot of their real ales, a slice of the Sunday roast, or a taste of their desserts to know.
For us, it was the latter. The blackcurrant iced parfait gets my vote, with its berry acidity and meringue crunch, an ideal end to a day of savoury pub bites.
If you want a stronger treat, dark chocolate delice is the way to go. A stacking of sweetened hazelnuts, salted caramel, and chocolate ice cream will always be bob-on.
| Tip: On Sundays, the place is less crowded. |
Friends of Ham
From friendsofham
Address: 4-8 New Station St
Contact Details: 0113 242 0275
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Thu – 11 am to 11 pm
- Fri to Sat – 11 am to 12 pm
- Sun – 11 am to 10 pm
Friends of Ham may have ruined cheesecakes for us. Their £6 (per slice) burnt basque pud hits the right notes; it’s proper velvety, bitter, caramel-ish, and somewhat tangy.
The alternatives rotate throughout the season. Our last trip was in spring, so we had two affogatos on the side: one classic, the other laced with fruity-sweet and chocolatey Pedro Ximénez sherry.
| Tip: Friendly pups can enter the bar! |
Insomnia Cookies
From insomniacookies_uk
Address: St Johns Centre, 2 Merrion St
Contact Details: 0113 323 8173
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 11 am to 3 pm
- Sat – 11 am to 4 pm
- Sun – 11 am to 3 pm
It’s never too late for late-night bisky; just ask our teammates mad about Insomnia Cookies. See, this bakery doesn’t mind delivering American-style delights at daft o’clock.
Choosing which to gobble might be hard, though, so we suggest sticking to the classics first. Think bangers such as caramel popcorn, hot fudge sundae, carrot cake, and cinnamon.
| Tip: Student IDs are a must to nab discounts. |
Sultan Dessert House
From sultan_dessert_house
Address: 35-37 Ashley Rd, Harehills
Contact Details: 07956 939997
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Sat – 10 am to 9 pm
- Sun – 11 am to 9 pm
All halal and traditionally Middle Eastern, Sultan Dessert House never fails to sort out our baklava cravings. Theirs especially lean toward nutty and milky, with cheap prices as the cherry on top.
Kanufa, an Arab offering made of spun pastry dough, is another can’t-miss item. It won yours truly over with its cheesy notes and buttery, syrup-laced exterior.
| Tip: Better follow them on Insta if you want to grab their specials fast, like the moist choco cake. |
Fluffy Fluffy Leeds
From vanessa_blogs_
Address: 62 The Headrow
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Thu – 12 pm to 9 pm
- Fri – 12 pm to 10 pm
- Sat – 10 am to 10 pm
- Sun – 10 am to 9 pm
Fluffy Fluffy’s Japanese-inspired soufflé pancakes are for fans of wobbly and thick delights. Anybody who’s had the Nutella-strawberry and tiramisu variants knows that.
Personally, though, I’ll vouch for the crème brûlée, given it’s more loaded. A single plate comes with berries, banana slices, and jiggly, caramelised pancakes, then finished with custard cream.
| Tip: Honestly, service here isn’t the quickest. Ordering online is often more convenient. |
Sunday’s Leeds
From sundaysleeds
Address: 372 Harrogate Rd, Moortown
Contact Details: 0113 513 1888
Operating Hours: Sun – 12 pm to 8 pm
Sunday’s fish and chips is best finished with their fresh gelato. The dessert’s daily-made range often features 10-plus flavours, mainly classics like chocolate and strawberry.
The milkshakes come close, but if you’re into ‘make-your-own’ blends, it’d top your list. Our kids love that option, with them always mixing chocolate with bananas, Oreos, Biscoff, and even gelato.
| Tip: Ring the digits above to pre-order. |
GET BAKED
From getbakeduk
Address: 3, Gateway House, 15 North Ln, Headingley
Contact Details: 0113 543 3216
Operating Hours: Daily – 12 pm to 10 pm
GET BAKED doesn’t do half measures. Their famed Bertha, for instance, is an absurd layering of 12 chocolate cakes (read that right), dark choc grenache, with Colombian milk tying it all.
Too tall (or pricey) for your liking? Well, you can try the pudding version, which uses the exact Bertha recipe, just made more fudge-y.
| Tip: Orders beyond £40 won’t incur shipping fees. |
Crêpeaffaire
From sophdoinglife
Address: Trinity Leeds, K25, Albion St
Contact Details: 0113 247 1588
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Sat – 9 am to 8 pm
- Sun – 10 am to 5 pm
If you’re torn between sweet and savoury, Crêpeaffaire is the solution. Their crêpes offer the best of worlds, plus the shop has coffee, loose-leaf teas, and milkshakes to wash it down.
Sugar, however, wins us every time we’re here. Banana and milk chocolate take the cake for our lot, though we’re not against going The Whole Shebang route, which, as the name suggests, has a lot to offer (banana, hazelnuts, whipped cream, and more).
| Tip: Want £4 crêpes? Get some by visiting from 2 pm to 5 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. |
Meet Fresh
From meetfreshleeds
Address: Merrion Shopping Centre, 57a Arena Way
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Sat – 12 pm to 8:30 pm
- Sun – 12 pm to 5:30 pm
With Meet Fresh in town, having a slice of Taiwan’s dessert scene only takes one trip to Merrion Centre. Do that, and you’ll land their bestselling shaved ice, kissed with warm syrup, tofu pudding, rice ball, and winter melon jelly.
A mango version is offered as well, and it’s the pick if you’re in the mood for something milkier. It’s just about 4 quid pricier.
As for me, it’s taro balls all the way, both the hot and cold versions. The former has shaved ice and red beans, while the latter swaps the ice for an earthy red bean soup.
| Tip: One-day offers, like buy-one, take-one items, are announced first on their Insta. |
Heavenly Desserts Leeds
From heavenlydesserts
Address: Arcadia Ale House, 30 Otley Rd, Headingley
Contact Details: 0113 531 2659
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 11 am to 2 am
- Sat to Sun – 10 am to 2 am
One joint that lives up to the name is Heavenly Desserts. Their American waffles and croffles are dead proof of that, both picks typically slathered in Nutella, white chocolate, or Biscoff.
I love the cookie dough selection as well, especially the one accented by crushed pistachios, dark chocolate, and smoky-sweet Madagascan vanilla gelato. It simply lands for anyone not into overly sweet yet complex desserts.
| Tip: The click and collect option is handy for skipping queues. |
Haute Dolci Leeds
From hautedolci
Address: Haute Dolci Unit 20A The Light, The Headrow
Contact Details: 0113 244 6566
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Thu – 10 am to 11 pm
- Fri to Sat – 10 am to 12 am
- Sun – 10 am to 11 pm
A single glance at Haute Dolci’s sleek pinks and quilted lounges will give you an idea of what they plate up, and that’s sweet, sweet luxury.
Option-wise, it’s international here: French crêpes, American waffles, and Viennese pan au chocolate, to name a few. Vegan and gluten-free items are also offered.
If we have to pick, though, it’s a toss-up between the sponge cake in Belgian grenache and the burnt San Sebastian cheesecake.
| Tip: Check out their current deals first. |
Doh’hut
From dohhut
Address: 2 Trevelyan Square
Operating Hours: Mon to Sat – 8 am to 6 pm
I never had to gobble day-old or stale doughnuts at Doh’nut. Every piece is rolled and fried at the day’s start.
Most of the magic comes from the generous fillings, chiefly the consistently balanced chocolate ganache and raspberry jam.
Now, we’re not knocking the no-filling OG (that’s the actual name). In terms of dough, this one is the fluffiest, and the caster sugar just sweetens it all up.
| Tip: It’s best to avoid the 12 pm period if you’re not a fan of lining up. |
My Cookie Dough Leeds
From mycookiedough
Address: Spencer House, 24 Albion Pl
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 12 pm to 7 pm
- Sat – 11 am to 7 pm
- Sun – 12 pm to 6 pm
Cheat days are best done at My Cookie Dough. A scoop of Jersey ice cream alongside gooey dough in Nutella or pistachio sauce will always be a W in our books.
As if that’s not indulgent enough, they blend milkshakes made of ice cream, too! Usually, I balance things a bit by picking the salted caramel one, but it’s your shot.
| Tip: Sign up for their newsletter and get 15% off your order. |
Batch’d
From batchduk
Address: Trinity, Unit K27, Albion St
Contact Details: 0330 043 4575
Operating Hours:
- Mon – 9 am to 8 pm
- Tue to Wed – 10 am to 8 pm
- Thu – 9 am to 8 pm
- Fri – 10 am to 8 pm
- Sat – 9 am to 8 pm
- Sun – 10:45 am to 6 pm
Batch’d always solves our ‘cookies or brownies?’ dilemma. You can grab a box with both in one go.
Specifically, we stick to the Best-Seller Bundle, which has a white chocolate cookie pie, NYC-style cookies, and Belgian brownies—all crowd-pleasers. The cool bit? You can add four doughnuts to the mix.
| Tip: Joining the loyalty program will rack you points. Those can be used for redeeming free doughnuts or cookies. |