If you’re anything like me, you need a daily sweet treat to keep morale up. Fortunately, Bloomington is a dessert haven — whether you’re craving a gooey, melty cookie or a refreshing Italian ice, there is a place for you on every street.
These are five sweet treat spots in Bloomington that you can’t pass up.
Hartzell’s at 107 N. Dunn St. sells small batch, local frozen desserts, from ice cream to malts. While the shop has all the core ice cream flavors like vanilla and cookie dough, Hartzell’s also offers rotating seasonal flavors like ceylon cinnamon and chocolate sweet Italian basil.
As a self-proclaimed s’mores addict, I recommend trying the campfire spinner, a rich soft-serve dessert with graham crackers, marshmallow fluff and chocolate cone dip. However, you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
Located inside the Indiana Memorial Union, Sugar & Spice is a go-to sweet treat spot on campus. The bakery offers bagels, pastries and various beverages including coffee, smoothies and tea.
The coffee can be pretty hit or miss — sometimes the lattes are great, and other times they are 95% milk, but the baked goods are consistent and reliable. The brown butter pecan cookie is a great option if you’re craving something decadent.
Sugar & Spice is also one of the more reasonably priced sweet treat spots in Bloomington, with most of the pastries costing around $3. Affordable and conveniently located, I frequent the bakery between classes for a pick-me-up.
La Dulce Chocolate, which opened in August 2025, is one of Bloomington’s newer dessert locations. The locally-owned business is located at 530 E. Kirkwood Ave. and sells a variety of Dubai chocolate treats, including strawberry cups and crepes. In addition to Dubai chocolate, the sweet shop sells waffles, churros and cheesecakes, all in decadent flavors.
While the shop is delicious, it’s not cheap. A 12-ounce Dubai strawberry cup costs $14; a Dubai or cookie butter chocolate bar costs $15.50.
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard
I can’t think of a better summer treat than Rita’s Ice. Located at 430 E. Kirkwood Ave., the menu features dozens of Italian ice and custard flavors to choose from. Options range from refreshing fruit options like key lime and clementine to rich flavors such as caramel macchiato and chocolate cake.
My all-time favorite Rita’s order is the gelati, a cup of Italian ice topped with its creamy custard. While the flavors do rotate daily, I recommend trying a mango gelati with cheesecake custard.
Located at 115 N. College Ave., The Peach Cobbler Factory is a must-try. The expansive menu has cobblers, banana pudding, churros and more. The mango peach cobbler, a warm and flaky pie crust with candied mangos and vanilla ice cream, is phenomenal.
I recommend visiting The Peach Cobbler Factory in the fall; the warm, crumbly cobblers and cookies are the perfect dessert to pair with a cozy autumn day.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's spring 2026 Source Campus Visitor's Guide.
