With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s the perfect time to find some unique sweet treats in the Washington, D.C. area. No matter what you’re looking for, the District has a lot to offer for your significant other, friends, or just for yourself. Here are some unique and tasty treats to give (or receive) this Valentine’s Day.
Known as a local favorite, Baked and Wired offers a wide selection of unique flavors. Their limited edition pistachio honey cupcake with honey cardamom cream cheese buttercream and mainstays like red velvet or carrot cake are worth checking out. Are cupcakes not your thing? They also have a selection of brownies, cookies, and cake slices. Vegan and gluten-free options are also available. With a 4.5 star rating on Yelp based on over 4,000 reviews, it’s safe to say that Baked and Wired is a crowd favorite.
Yellow’s pastry case may be easy to overlook with their lineup of wood-fired pitas and hummus, but don’t miss it. Presenting pastries using french techniques while incorporating middle eastern flavors, selections include orange blossom croissants, date and labneh coffee cake, and sweetly laminated lemon sumac kouign amann. If that doesn’t get your mouth watering, perhaps try out their distinctive coffee offerings such as their golden date latte or baklava mocha. New to Georgetown, but a mainstay in Navy Yard, Yellow is always packed with people lining up to try their elevated fast-casual options and incomparable sweets.
Just for Valentine’s Day, this Georgetown bagel establishment known for its striking pink exterior and reliably delicious bagel sandwiches will be serving up a festive sweet treat. Their black and pink cookie will be a spin on their classic black and white cookie that has been a lesser-known hit on their menu for years. Other sweet offerings include a variation on their babka muffins with banana and dulce de leche, chocolate chunk cookies, and confetti cookies. Picking up a bagel and a black and pink cookie sounds like a great way to start your Valentine’s Day.
Located in Mount Pleasant, this cozy cafe by day, restaurant by night is known for its innovative, creative twists on classic flavors and dishes you know and love, like their tempeh katsu or chicken-fried mushrooms. The same goes for their robust pastry selection, which includes an assortment of scones, including blueberry ginger, orange cranberry, and kale and parmesan. Along with a vegan olive oil poached pear tea cake and orange rosemary coffee cake. Also worth noting is their seasonal beverages, such as a red milk tea with rooibos, chicory root, cardamom and vanilla, and their rosemary thyme latte. If an impressive coffee and pastry sounds like the way to your special someone’s heart, Elle is the place for you.
Partnered with the renowned Happy Gyro, Happy Ice Cream is celebrated for its truly one-of-a-kind ice cream flavors. They’re constantly rotating flavors and coming up with new ones, so order online to shop their available pints. Rest assured, no one would be upset to receive a pint of their Yuzu and Rhubarb Pie or Basque Cheesecake and Passion Fruit ice cream. Not convinced? The Washington Post named them one of the best neighborhood ice cream shops worth going out of your way for. With Happy Ice Cream, no matter the flavor, you can count on a creamy, unparalleled ice cream experience.
No matter how you end up celebrating this Valentine’s Day, it’s fair to say that no ones mad at an excuse to discover new tasty sweets in Washington, D.C., and share them with loved ones.