Naples’ Best Desserts: Local Favorites Worth the Indulgence
From classic ice cream parlors to artisanal chocolate shops and European-style bakeries, Naples is home to an impressive collection of dessert destinations. Each blends fresh baking, premium ingredients, and time-honored Italian, French, and American influences to create treats that are as reliable as they are indulgent.
Perfect for post-dinner cravings, shareable surprises, or thoughtful gifts, these local standouts offer something sweet for every occasion.
Casual Bakeries
Mitch’s Cookies stands out for doing one thing exceptionally well: big, soft, bakery-style cookies baked fresh every day. With more than 50 rotating flavors, there’s always something new to try. The old-fashioned dessert bar adds milkshakes, floats, and cookie sundaes, making it an easy stop for casual dessert plans or a take-home treat box.
Grace & Shelly’s Cupcakes keeps things playful with a rotating daily menu of flavors baked fresh each morning. Options like Raspberry Romance, Tiramisu, and Turtle Cheesecake give regulars a reason to keep coming back. With ice cream and gelato also available at select locations, it’s a fun, straightforward dessert stop that leans into variety and consistency over trendiness.
Ice Cream & Frozen Treats
Sweet Melissa’s leans fully into its beach-town roots, offering creamy homemade ice cream and a wide lineup of Key Lime desserts. Their award-winning pies are a highlight, along with milkshakes, banana splits, and ice cream sandwiches. With plenty of options and a tropical atmosphere, it’s an easygoing dessert stop that feels fun rather than fussy.
A longtime local favorite, Royal Scoop has been making homemade ice cream for more than four decades. The shop balances classic flavors like Mint Chocolate Chip with playful, Naples-inspired options like Imperial River of Fudge. The ice cream is rich without being heavy, and the walkable locations make it a great place to stop after dinner or during an evening stroll.
European & Italian-Inspired Pastries
Crème de la Crème offers French and Italian-inspired pastries made fresh daily, including tiramisu, Nutella crêpes, pavlova, and fruit tarts. The space encourages you to sit and enjoy rather than rush out, making it a posh dessert break that feels a little different from the usual.
Bontà Bakery specializes in traditional Italian pastries and gelato, with consistent standouts like cannoli, tiramisu, fruit tarts, and maritozzi. Their appeal lies in their clean, balanced simplicity—familiar desserts executed carefully, paired naturally with espresso.
Angelic Desserts stands out for its breadth, offering croissants, baklava, chocolate-forward pastries, and custom cakes made from scratch. European techniques guide the baking, making it a strong option when you want variety or a dessert sized for sharing.
Landert Bread brings European-style pastry to Naples after years supplying restaurants and hotels across South Florida. Mini pastries, fruit tartelettes, and pain au chocolat highlight its craftsmanship. In addition to in-store pickup, many items can be ordered for delivery, making it easy to put together a polished dessert spread at home.
DeRomo’s Gourmet Market Bakery is a go-to for classic Italian desserts made to be enjoyed at home or shared after a meal. Their cases are stocked with cannoli, tiramisu, napoleons, cream puffs, and traditional Italian cookies, including an impressive selection of biscotti—useful for picking up reliable, crowd-pleasing sweets while shopping for dinner, wine, or prepared foods.
Chocolates & Confections
Norman Love Confections is best known for its meticulously crafted chocolates, each designed with as much attention to appearance as flavor. The truffles range from rich and classic to bright and fruit-forward, all made without preservatives using premium chocolate. Whether you’re gifting a box or selecting a few favorites, it’s a classic spot for desserts that feel elegant and intentional.
Olde Naples Chocolate produces handcrafted chocolates in-house, from classic bars and salted caramels to Florida-themed shapes. Customizable gift boxes and nationwide delivery make it especially convenient for gifting without sacrificing quality.
Bakery-Café Hybrids
Tony’s Off Third combines a bakery, coffee bar, and wine shop into a comfortable space. Their scratch-made desserts like the Key Lime Tart, carrot cake, and rotating fruit tarts are thoughtfully done and not overly sweet. The courtyard seating makes it a nice place to slow down, whether you’re stopping for coffee and a pastry or picking up dessert to bring home.
Known for supplying high-end hotels and events, Mikkelsen’s Pastry Shop’s cakes, tarts, and pastries are made to order with detailed attention to flavor combinations and fillings. It’s a standout for anyone looking for a tailored dessert—especially when presentation and personalization matter as much as taste.
From old-school ice cream counters to European-style pastry shops, these local favorites offer something worth sharing—or keeping all to yourself.
