Whether you’ve got 50 Instagram followers or 50 thousand, these 9 LA confections are ready for their close-up. Both grownups and little ones will appreciate the eye candy, along with how good said eye candy tastes. Get ready to blow your kids’ minds with Cookie Monster ice cream, animal-shaped cotton candy creations, adorable unicorn donuts and more! Read on for all the details.
Bae
Introduce your kids to soft-serve ice cream at this Little Tokyo spot. While the most popular item on the menu may be Mixed Feelings (a striking combo of black charcoal pineapple and vanilla ice cream), kids will probably be more into Pegasus, a pink-and-blue swirl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruity Pebbles flavors. In addition to traditional toppings (think sprinkles plus assorted cereals, cookies and candies), Bae also offers decadent (and photogenic!) edible gold or silver hearts and stars. If you're feeling really indulgent, there's also 24 karat edible gold leaf for an extra $5.
369 E. 2nd St.
Downtown
Online: baebae.co
Lee' Poof Cotton Candy
File this one under why didn't we think of it first! It's flavored cotton candy that can be spun into sweet custom creations kids will love. For now, you'll have to settle for finding Lee' Poof at events and farmers markets around town, or you can always book a Lee' Poof cart for your next bash.
Online: leepoofs.com
California Donuts
While this Koreatown shop has been in business since 1980s, we're pretty sure they weren't serving up Unicorn donuts back then. The fanciful dunkers are just begging to be on the cake stand at your next kid's party. California Donuts also offers custom designs and letter-shaped donuts so you can spell out something extra sweet!
3540 W. 3rd St.
Koreatown
Online: cadonuts.com
The Dolly Llama
With locations in Sherman Oaks, Koreatown, Downtown and Northridge, the Dolly Llama is spreading waffle-centric ice cream joy to Angelenos all across town. Kids are sure to go for the bright blue signature treat, Dolly's Dream, which includes Cookie Monster ice cream, strawberries, brownies and chocolate sauce all in a bubble waffle cone. The portions are huge (hence the $9 price), so we recommend going halfsies.
Deal alert: During the week from 1p.m. to 4p.m., you can score a "happy hour" scoop for just $2.
Multiple locations
Online: thedollyllamala.com
Wanderlust Creamery
Broaden the palates of little ones by way of ice cream with flavors inspired by ingredients from around the globe. Favorites include the Japanese Neapolitan, a creamy and sweet (but not too sweet) trio of matcha, hojicha and black sesame; and the signature Ube Malted Crunch, made with malted milk and sweet purple yams.
Milk Shop
Head to either the original location on Beverly or the newer one in Silver Lake for oversized macaron ice cream sandwiches. Flavors range from cookies and cream and red velvet to Froot Loops and Fruity Pebbles. Of course, the shops also carry cookies galore, cakes and more, so prepare for major temptation.
SuperCool Creamery
Kids can get a scoop silky-smooth ice cream along with a mini science lesson at this Los Feliz spot. Trained "ice cream artisans" put on a show using liquid nitrogen to freeze ice cream on the spot. The smoke created in the process is actually evaporation—cool, huh?
4469 Sunset Blvd.
Los Feliz
Online: supercoolcreamery.com
Turn Dough
The latest ice cream trend isn't about the ice cream—it's about the vessel in which you put it. Instead of traditional cones or even a bubble waffle, Turn Dough turns to cinnamon-and-sugar pastries known as chimney cakes. Kids can fill the "cakes" with the soft-serve flavor of their choice and top it with gummy bears, fresh fruit, a giant s'more and more!
1425 Ocean Front Walk
Venice
Online: turndough.com
Honey & Butter
The macarons made here are truly tiny works of art with each one crafted individually by hand. You'll have to travel to one of their Orange County locations to admire (and eat!) the creations. Be sure to arrive when they open for the biggest selection of sweets as popular designs have been known to sell out.
—Shannan Rouss
featured photo: Mike C. via Yelp
RELATED STORIES:
Iconic LA Restaurants Kids Will Love
10 Themed Restaurants Every LA Family Needs to Experience
100 Unforgettable Things to Do with Kids in LA (That You Haven’t Already Done!)
