Got a sugar craving? Here are five brand-new (or about-to-open) spots serving seriously sweet treats across the East Bay that we’ve reviewed or covered here in the Bay Area Telegraph.
From beach-worthy Hawaiian scoops in Livermore to Paris-level pastries in Danville, these newbies prove dessert innovation is alive and well in the 925.
5. Chip Cookies – Walnut Creek
Remember when oversized, frosting-topped cookies were just an Instagram trend? Chip Cookies has made them an everyday event in North Walnut Creek. The pint-size storefront on Oak Grove Road turns out plate-sized sugar and OG chocolate-chip bases, then lets you drizzle on condensed milk, Nutella, or white-chocolate “snow.” We called them “tiny cakes in disguise,” and noted that Chip now bookends the city’s cookie scene alongside Crumbl down south.
Want the full sugar rush? Read our review and see the toppings lineup →
4. Tifa Chocolate & Gelato – Walnut Creek (coming soon)
Sneakerheads may mourn Bottom Bunk’s closure on Locust, but dessert lovers should rejoice: the space is transforming into Tifa, a SoCal chain famed for silky gelato flights, European drinking chocolate, and hand-crafted truffles. We spotted the transfer notice in April and confirmed the brand within 24 hours—proof that investigative pastry journalism is a thing. Expect creative flavors and plenty of indoor seating once build-out wraps later this summer.
Gelato on your radar? Track construction updates in our scoop →
3. Ananas Coffee – Walnut Creek
Dessert meets third-wave coffee at this pineapple-themed café downtown. Yes, you can grab a pour-over or açai bowl—but locals are losing it over the Turkish coffee service and impossibly creamy banana pudding cups (plus a strawberry magnolia that tastes like summer). Late-night hours till 10 p.m. on weekends make Ananas the rare spot where you can snag a sweet treat after dinner in WC.
Pineapple vibes calling? Peek inside and get the full menu →
2. Maison Benoit – Danville
We didn’t mince words: “Some of the best French pastries outside of Paris.” Maison Benoit backs up the brag with Best-Croissant-in-the-Bay-Area bragging rights and a case full of pavlovas, tarte aux fruits, and $1 sugar-dusted chouettes. The blue-and-gold salon doubles as a laptop-friendly café, but the real art is in those laminated layers. Get there early—this Left-Bank fantasy won’t stay low-key for long.
Butter-layer goals? See our pastry photo tour →
1. Lappert’s Ice Cream – Livermore
Aloha, 580! Hawaii’s legendary Lappert’s just landed downtown, bringing Kauai Pie (Kona-coffee ice cream studded with mac nuts and fudge), bright-purple ube, and a lineup of tropical flavors that taste like vacation. We covered the June grand-opening lines snaking past the door and dubbed Livermore the Bay’s new Hawaiian-dessert hub. Perfect for a post-wine-tasting cool-down (or anytime the Tri-Valley sun cranks up).
Ready to island-hop by spoon? Get our first-scoop impressions →
