Sugar, Sugar: Where to Find the Best Dessert in Canberra

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a sweet tooth, you’ll be glad to know that the national capital is home to more than a few excellent dessert spots. From decadent bakes to the most indulgent frozen treats, there’s no shortage of places to get your sugar fix. Need hand sorting your sugar cravings? Here’s where you’ll find the best dessert Canberra has to offer.

Goodberry’s

Goodberry’s does epic frozen custards using only top-notch ingredients, with both vanilla and chocolate flavours available. In the mood for something more decadent? Order a Frozen Custard Sundae or a Frozen Custard Concrete, which lets you choose add-ins like cookie dough, peanut butter cups, nuts, fruits, different flavours of fudge sauce and more.

Locations across Canberra 

Honey Toast 

Cafe by day, dessert bar by night, Honey Toast is a dream post-dinner destination. Linger a while longer over a Vietnamese coffee and a dessert menu decked out with croffles, souffles and, of course, honey toast! This signature offering involves Japanese milk bread topped with honeycomb, honey and vanilla ice cream. Fancy a tipple with that? They're fully licensed so feel free to grab a cocktail, too! 

148 Bunda Street, Canberra 

Sweet Bones

Everything at Sweet Bones is entirely plant-based, but you’d never be able to tell. The baked goods that come out of Sweet Bones’ kitchen have all the taste and indulgence of their non-plant-based counterparts.

We can’t get enough of their cinnamon buns and brownies, but their monthly cake specials and celebration cakes are also well worth ordering for a birthday, wedding or special occasion. And while you’re there, make sure to hang around for brunch or lunch – the cafe is one of the best eateries on Lonsdale Street, Braddon.

Scullin & Braddon 

Future Swirl

Future Swirl is a newcomer to Canberra’s dessert scene, only launching its tasty creations at the end of 2022. But it’s already garnering rave reviews for its ingenious oat milk-based soft serve. The frozen treat comes in different flavours (vanilla, chocolate or a mix of the two) and can be served in a cup, cone, milkshake or spider, and levelled up with toppings (our pick is the warm Biscoff).

Naturally, the soft serve is dairy-free, but it’s also clear of eggs, gelatin, nuts, coconut and soy – making it ideal for anyone keen to avoid these additives.

Check socials to stay abreast of where the Future Swirl truck will pop-up next 

Formulab

Got a special event coming up that needs to be celebrated with cake? Your best bet is to order one from Formulab, which makes some of the best and most inventive cakes in Canberra. Think flavours like strawberry basil, carrot yuzu, chocolate blackberry and pistachio earl grey, among others. You can also order two, three and four-tier cakes if you really want to go all out.

Formulab is an online-only venture, so you’ll have to order virtually, but you can pick up your cake at The Boat House in Barton or in the Turner area.

The Boat House, 7 Menindee Drive, Barton

Spilt Milk Bar

There are plenty of places slinging gelato around Canberra, but one of our favourite spots is Spilt Milk Bar in Dickson. The flavours are interesting and very tasty – think lemon cheesecake, jaffa, maple pecan pie, Christmas pud and Biscoff caramel – and the ingredients are high-quality. You can also turn up the indulgence factor by adding oozy chocolate hazelnut sauce, salty pretzel crunch or hazelnut crunch to your gelato.

And if you’re travelling outside Canberra and happen to be visiting Orange or Tamworth, you’ll be glad to know there are Spilt Milk Bar outlets there, too.

Unit 70/2 Cape Street, Dickson

Prefer something savoury? We’ve got you covered. Here are our guides to the best burgers in Canberra, the best Japanese restaurants in Canberra and the best fine dining restaurants in Canberra.