Best Sweet Treats Restaurants in Highland Park
7 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Magpies Softserve
Chef-created soft serve and pies that treat frozen dessert with restaurant-level creativity.
Notable Picks
8.9
Vibes:
Sweet Treats Escapes
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Family Friendly Favorites
Trendy Table Hotspots
Chef-driven Magpies brings scratch-made soft serve and over-the-top frozen pies to York Boulevard, carrying on the dessert-focused vision Warren and Rose Schwartz launched in 2016. Expect rotating dairy and vegan flavors plus cult pies that locals treat more like special-occasion cakes than casual ice cream cups.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cornflake Softserve Pie, Strawberry Shortcake Softserve Pie, Original Fried Softserve Pie (vegan corn almond)
What Makes it Special: Chef-created soft serve and pies that treat frozen dessert with restaurant-level creativity.
#2
Scoops
8.5
Scoops’ Highland Park outpost, opened in 2012, is a bare-bones counter that lets Tai Kim’s famously experimental flavors do all the talking. With rotating scoops like Brown Bread and Blueberry Lavender at neighborhood-friendly prices, it’s the kind of spot regulars hit multiple times a week.
Must-Try Dishes:
Brown Bread ice cream, Banana Oreo scoop, Blueberry Lavender scoop
What Makes it Special: Long-running LA ice cream pioneer known for creative, often offbeat flavor combos at everyday prices.
#3
Donut Friend
8.4
Vibes:
Sweet Treats Escapes
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Trendy Table Hotspots
Family Friendly Favorites
Since 2013, Donut Friend’s Highland Park flagship has been drawing lines for over-the-top vegan donuts and, increasingly, its in-house ice cream. With sundaes like the Taking Back Sundae and affogato-style creations built on their Creamo ice cream, it doubles as both a bakery and a serious dessert stop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Taking Back Sundae donut ice cream sandwich, Vanilla Bean Creamo ice cream scoop, Off!ogatto espresso-over-ice-cream
What Makes it Special: Cult-favorite vegan donut shop that backs up its reputation with house-made ice cream and donut sundaes.
#4
Modu Cafe
8.4
Opened in October 2024, Modu Cafe is a minimalist bakery and coffee bar from pastry chef Jiyoon Jang specializing in Korean-inspired pastries with meticulous design. Items like dark chocolate mochi brownies, milk cream buns, and sweet potato or kabocha tarts draw early crowds and frequent sell-outs.
Must-Try Dishes:
Dark chocolate mochi brownie muffin, Perilla lime tart, Milk cream bun
What Makes it Special: Design-driven Korean-inspired pastries that feel both playful and refined.
8.3
Born in Orange County in 2014 and now a West Coast mini-empire, Afters’ Highland Park shop channels the brand’s social-media-famous energy into cereal-inspired scoops and their signature Milky Bun. Late hours, colorful interiors, and big, indulgent flavors make it a go-to dessert stop after dinner on Figueroa.
Must-Try Dishes:
Milk & Cereal scoop, Cookie Monster Milky Bun, Ube Brownie ice cream
What Makes it Special: Flashy, trend-driven ice cream with flavors and Milky Buns built for late-night cravings and photos.
8.1
Launched in 2019 after a trip to a family froyo shop in Jalisco, Swrlies turns a small York Boulevard base into Mexican-style, real-fruit frozen yogurt and ice cream served from eye-catching carts. Their made-to-order mixes and spicy chamoy-forward creations have made them a word-of-mouth favorite for both walk-ups and catered events.
Must-Try Dishes:
La Toxica mango-pineapple froyo, Horchaty real horchata froyo, Mazapan vanilla-banana swirl
What Makes it Special: Women- and Latin-owned froyo-and-ice-cream concept focused on real fruit, chamoy, and fully custom mixes.
Worthy Picks
#7
Jugos Azteca
7.7
Jugos Azteca is a juice shop–taqueria hybrid offering fresh juices, aguas frescas, breakfast burritos, tortas, and Mexican snacks from morning to night. It’s a casual counter spot where locals mix healthy-ish orders with indulgent chile relleno burritos and esquites.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chile relleno breakfast burrito, Torta de milanesa, Esquites cup
What Makes it Special: Colorful juice shop doubling as a Mexican antojitos counter all day.