The only thing better than pumpkin spice season...is peppermint season! From eggnog flavoring to gingerbread spice to peppermint mocha goodness, these are some holiday treats you won’t want to miss.
1. Cake Affection
Location: 4691 100th Way N Suite B, St. Petersburg
These decorative Euro-American cupcakes from Cake Affection are a must-try for the holidays. Seasonal flavors include Gingerlicious, Holiday Berry, Hot Chocolate, Eggnog and 12 other options! Each cupcake has a surprise filling and is topped with a European buttercream. Try one for $3.75 or get a dozen for $38.
Other sweet treats include signature cakes like the Christmas Reindeer Cake, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan pie, mini cupcakes, gingerbread cookies and much more. To check out the full holiday menu, click here.
2. Little Midway
Location: 1205 S Howard Ave, Tampa
Bern’s dessert parlor is serving up holiday twists on their classic desserts, as well as some new seasonal treats. Try the Valrhona Cake (Devil’s Food chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and dark chocolate buttercream) with festive sprinkles, the Queen Midas cupcake with holiday sprinkles, and vanilla cupcakes and jars decorated with the colors of Christmas.
Little Midway has also introduced the Peppermint Krunch Brownie—a dark chocolate brownie with white chocolate peppermint ganache and crushed candy canes—and a new peppermint brownie ice cream flavor made from sweet cream ice cream mixed with white chocolate ganache and dark chocolate brownie chunks. Yum! Check them out before the end of December.
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3. Moreno Bakery
Location: 737 W Brandon Blvd, Brandon
This family-owned bakery has everything you can think of for the holidays—festive cupcakes, decorative cakes, miniature and regular pies, seasonal pastries and lots and lots of cookies. Their shortbread iced cookies come in a variety of fun holiday shapes, from snowflakes and Christmas trees to snowmen and Mickey Mouse heads.
And don’t forget to try the gingerbread and holiday sugar cookies! Moreno Bakery’s seasonal cookies range in price from $1.25 to $2.50. Grab some in time for Santa’s arrival!
4. Sweet Stack Shack
Location: 1041 Central Ave, St. Petersburg
Sweet Stack Shack is offering a non-traditional holiday treat—the Holiday in the Sun ice cream sandwich, with snickerdoodle cookies, French vanilla ice cream and coconut shavings. It’s the perfect representation of Christmas time in Florida—light, tropical and great on those unpredictably hot days in December. And the best part? You can get this sandwich year-round!
You can also create your own take on a holiday ice cream sandwich with more than 1,400 different combinations. If you want something more on-the-nose for a holiday treat, you can check out Sweet Stack Shack’s booth at Enchant Christmas until December 29.
RELATED | Create your own ice cream sandwich at Sweet Stack Shack
5. Born & Bread Bakehouse
Location: 1113 Florida Ave S, Lakeland
This last spot is definitely worth the drive. Born & Bread serves the best kind of carbs—breads and pastries.
Their signature treat? Cruffins! These delectable pastries are croissants baked in a muffin tin and then pipped full of pastry cream. The Peppermint Mocha cruffin is filled with housemade peppermint mocha pastry cream that’s made with real Patriot coffee and topped with housemade peppermint bark. There is also an Eggnog cruffin available for purchase and other rotating flavors.
And it’s not too late to pre-order a Christmas pie! Choose from Pumpkin, Brown Butter Apple, Banoffee, and Pecan Custard. Pie pick up is December 24th, between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Keep in mind—this bakehouse is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays (plus it’s open Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas), so plan your visit accordingly!
RELATED | Great places to get delicious dessert in Tampa Bay
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