A sugar rush in Calgary, AB

Moist chocolate cake layered with chocolate icing – it’s wonderful way to end a meal. While basic is beautiful, some restaurants get wild with the classic dessert recipe, adding mousse and chocolate ganache or further layers to the mix. Here’s a list of some of the best chocolate cake spots in town.

If you’re a cookie connoisseur, you know how difficult it can be to find them on restaurant menus. Fortunately, some of Calgary’s favorite casual and upscale restaurants serve up some of the tastiest cookies in the city. Whether you have a hankering for a moist ’n’ chewy peanut butter skillet cookie or a batch of fresh, mini-chocolate-chip cookies, here are the restaurants that’ll satisfy your cookie craving.

Rich and chocolatey, brownies are pure comfort food, the dessert equivalent of a big, warm hug. These Calgary restaurants and pastry shops serve some seriously satisfying brownies. Topped with fudge and cherries, turbo-charged with marshmallows and peanut butter or decadently dressed with caramel and pecans, each is of the following desserts is sweetly special.

Nothing beats a warm, flaky serving of sweet pie topped with a mountainous scoop of vanilla ice cream or a heaping cloud of rich whipped cream. A select few city restaurant serve just such sweet slices. Whether you’re looking to feed a traditional apple pie craving or want to get more adventurous with a French-toast pie or pie milkshake, here are the places to go to get your fill of crust and filling.

An Asian drink made with black or green tea mixed with fruit juice or milk, bubble tea gets its name from jelly-like tapioca balls that are added to the drink. It’s a delicious treat that’s available in seemingly endless varieties and is often served with snacks. Find bubble tea at the following cafés and dessert houses.  

Of all the fattening breakfast pastries available, none has seen more recent growth in popularity than the humble waffle. Served with maple syrup, fried chicken and umpteen new twists, the beauty of the waffle lies in its versatility. These hearty cakes of sweet and savoury goodness are available everywhere lately. Here’s our shortlist of some the best spots. [Feature photo: The Brokin Yolk]

Calgary has never had such a profusion of pastry shops. On a daily basis, the patisseries, bakeries and cafés below roll out sweet desserts and savoury snacks that are warm and fresh. Enjoy these flaky treats on the spot (with a premium cup of coffee where it’s available), or take a selection to go.

Whether you’re lactose intolerant, vegan or dieting, no one should have to sacrifice ice cream. And so, we all scream for (dairy-free) ice cream! Fortunately, city ice cream shops are better than ever at giving customers milk-free options. While all of these ice cream parlours feature deliciously creamy frozen treats, they also pack dairy-free options with just as much punch. Image credit: iStock.com/bhofack2.

You know a dessert is special when a song is composed in its honour. Jazz legend Louis Armstrong wrote just such a delicious ode in his 1966 hit song “Cheesecake.” Fans related to the desire and anticipation for the sweet, layered cake of Mediterranean origin. These establishments will have you singing your own praises for their creamy slices of cheesecake. Image credit: iStock.com/pickingpok.

YYC Hot Chocolate Fest is a month-long competition that takes place every year in February. Vying for the title of Calgary’s Best Hot Chocolate, local cafes and restaurants craft up signature hot chocolates for Calgarians. A portion of proceeds from each beverage sold are donated to Calgary Meals on Wheels. Here are 10 places to check out during YYC Hot Chocolate Fest 2017.

Ah, those buttery, flaky crescent rolls – there are few things more satisfying with a cup of coffee than a perfectly executed croissant. A good, authentically French croissant isn’t easy to make at home, but you can have yours and eat them, too, with a visit to any of these bakeries and patisseries. Image credit: iStock.com/robertsre.

The city’s pathway system is one of the longest in North America. Given its lengthy stretches, the occasional rest and snack stop, though few and far between, are a welcome sight when walking, biking and inline skating. Here are a few restaurants, cafés and snack shacks located on or near our scenic cycling system. Image credit: iStock.com/mihailomilovanovic.