Best Sweet Treats Escapes Restaurants in Walnut Creek
11 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Lottie's Creamery
House-made, seasonal flavors posted daily with sundaes and floats.
Notable Picks
8.5
Small-batch creamery making ice cream, sorbets, and sundaes in-house with rotating, from-scratch flavors. Lines move quickly; the waffle cones and seasonal pints are worth the wait.
Must-Try Dishes:
Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip, Honey Lavender, Vanilla Salted Almond Toffee
What makes it special: House-made, seasonal flavors posted daily with sundaes and floats.
8.4
Bay Area’s mochi specialists turn out chewy butter mochi donuts with seasonal glazes alongside their famed Mochi Muffins. Lines are steady for colorful, gluten-free treats that travel well and pair with matcha lattes.
Must-Try Dishes:
Butter Mochi Donut — Matcha White Chocolate, Ube Coconut Mochi Donut, Strawberries & Cream Mochi Donut
What makes it special: Chewy butter mochi donuts with rotating, vibrant flavors.
8.3
Plant-based scoop shop serving cashew-milk ice cream in classic and seasonal flavors with a rich, dairy-free texture. Downtown location makes it an easy stop for pints, cones, and flights after dinner on Locust.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cool Mint Chip, Chocolate Orange Chip, Cold Brew Coffee
What makes it special: All-organic, dairy-free cashew-milk ice cream with inventive flavors.
8.1
Vibes:
Sweet Treats Escapes
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Weekend mochi donuts share the stage with boba at this Plaza Escuela spot. Flavors skew fun—think churro, black sesame, and strawberry shortcake—made in limited batches Friday to Sunday.
Must-Try Dishes:
Churro Mochi Donut, Black Sesame Mochi Donut, Strawberry Shortcake Mochi Donut
What makes it special: Limited-run mochi donuts drop Fri–Sun alongside boba.
8.0
Old-school parlor and diner known for house-made ice cream, hot fudge, and oversized sundaes. The famous Kitchen Sink challenge adds a bit of TV lore to downtown dessert runs.
Must-Try Dishes:
Hot Fudge Banana Sundae, Kitchen Sink Sundae, Banana Split
What makes it special: House-made ice cream and the Man v. Food ‘Kitchen Sink’ challenge.
Worthy Picks
7.9
Plant-based café baking house vegan donuts—often blueberry, cinnamon sugar, and maple—alongside espresso drinks. A downtown morning staple with a short, focused pastry case.
Must-Try Dishes:
Vegan Blueberry Donut, Cinnamon Sugar Donut, Maple-Glazed Donut
What makes it special: House-made vegan donuts with rotating flavors.
7.9
Newer gelato shop scooping Italian-style flavors plus vegan and dairy-free options, along with chocolates and coffee. Flavor board ranges from classics to olive-oil and goat-cheese swirls.
Must-Try Dishes:
Olive Oil with Rosemary & Sea Salt, Stracciatella, Lavender Panna Cotta Blueberry Swirl
What makes it special: House-made gelato with adventurous seasonal flavors and vegan picks.
7.8
Family-run bakery-café (since 1984) offering sandwiches, pastries, and cookies. The downtown counter serves quick lunches and bakes that recall classic neighborhood bakeries.
Must-Try Dishes:
Turkey avocado sandwich, Cinnamon roll, Chocolate chip cookie
What makes it special: Long-running neighborhood bakery with scratch-made staples and sandwiches.
7.8
Napa-born bakery famous for pillowy English muffins, now with an early-opening downtown shop. Quick counter service suits grab-and-go mornings or light brunch with coffee.
Must-Try Dishes:
Breakfast Sandwich on English Muffin, Morning Bun, Bacon Breakfast Burrito
What makes it special: English muffins with a national following anchor the breakfast lineup.
#10
Mr. Green Bubble
7.7
Taiwanese tea café offering mochi donuts by the trio with rotating glazes. It’s an easy downtown stop for a quick box to go plus a milk tea.
Must-Try Dishes:
Ube Mochi Donut, Pandan Mochi Donut, Mochi Donut Trio (mix-and-match)
What makes it special: Grab-and-go mochi donuts paired with classic milk teas.
#11
Marvel Cake
7.6
Design-forward patisserie specializing in custom cakes, glossy tarts, and croissants. A quieter side-street stop for special-occasion sweets and coffee near Broadway Plaza.
Must-Try Dishes:
Spiral croissant, Mango tart, Red velvet cupcake
What makes it special: Pastry case leans artistic with sleek tarts and couture cakes.