A coffee break in Edmonton, AB

Brownies are often an underrated dessert. There aren’t entire shops devoted to them, like their cousin, the cupcake, but, when baked just right, they’re heavenly bites of fudgy chocolate delight. The sweetest brownies in the city can be found at these bakeries.

Coffee is the best. It keeps us awake, motivated and kicking through long days. Local food blogger Phil Wilson aka Baconhound fills us in on his favourite places downtown and in the Oliver area to grab a cup of java.

Buttery and flaky goodness, a croissant is possibly the best thing since ... sliced bread? Actually, the croissant’s ancestors date back well before sliced bread. Regardless, known as a “Viennoiserie” or a Vienna-style pastry, the croissant gets its name from its crescent shape, or croissant in French. So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the history of the best breakfast pastry has been served. Bon appétit!

Sherwood Park is a growing community with a variety of fantastic restaurants and thriving businesses. These are my picks for the Top 10 places to enjoy a bite to eat in the Park.

Ice cream is an awesome treat year-round, so it’s lucky that Edmonton’s ice cream shops have enough variety to let you try a different flavour every day of the year. But as we all know, ice cream truly shines in summer, when the heat makes you crave an ice-cold treat. These ice cream shops serve decadent ice creams in creative flavours – and they’re made with fresh ingredients, too. [Image credit: iStock/RapidEye]

While the south side of Edmonton doesn’t have the majority of its coffee shops concentrated in one area, excellent coffee can still be found south of the North Saskatchewan. Whether you stroll down Whyte Avenue or head to the Mill Creek area, you can enjoy a top-notch latte from these stellar coffee shops.

When the sun starts making daily appearances and the snow retreats (for now), it marks the beginning of iced coffee and iced tea season. Break out your shorts and tank tops and stroll on down to one of these fine establishments, all of which serve some of the most refreshing iced drinks in town.

Stroll down 124 Street in Edmonton and you’ll find a ton of lovely spots to stop and recharge with a steaming hot cup of coffee. Some of them stick to simple brewed coffee while others create delicious coffee concoctions but all of them believe in freshly roasted, quality beans.

Doughnuts are more than just fluffy little pillows of dough doused in sugar. OK, that is all they are, but they are still the best thing to happen to humankind. These Edmonton bakeries and restaurants whip up the best doughnuts in the land.

A scrumptious dessert recipe doesn’t have to include lots of butter – vegan desserts get by just fine without the milk fat and animal products, thank you very much. These Edmonton spots serve up vegan desserts that taste so good, even non-vegans will clamour to taste them.

Coffee may wake us up but more versatile tea can both rev up our engine or calm us down, depending on which type we drink and what we need from it. Whether you’re a fan of chai, rooibos or white tea, these Edmonton tea houses serve a mean cuppa.

Whether you drink it iced or hot, coffee is the ultimate way to refresh and refuel. These downtown coffee shops are popular not only for their ambiance and convenient location, but also for their fantastic beans. You’ll remember every sip long after your caffeine buzz wears off.