Forget sweet home Alabama; sweet home Chicago is what it’s all about now. As a top city for foodies, this Illinois hotspot knows exactly how to satisfy any sugar craving in endlessly inspiring ways. From dessert tacos to lingonberry-almond cake to tricked out shakes, Chicago is filled to the brim with ingenious delicious treats.

Ryan Bluestone reports that locals and tourists alike in any part of the city can find sugary decadence that will help them realize Chicago’s sweet tooth revolution for themselves.

Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits

2051 N California Avenue

Perhaps the most unassuming of them all is this diamond in the rough, boasting many seasonal savory and sweet pies made entirely from scratch.

With creative flavors like sweet honey and chocolate pecan to the classic key lime treat, Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits is the place to be for pie lovers — and it has a full early morning queue to prove it, especially on the weekend.

While they may not have the most Instagram-worthy desserts, they’re certainly revolutionizing the city’s sweet scene with their unique tastes and textures.

Garrett Popcorn

Across the city and the two major airports

Known to Chicagoans simply as “Garrett’s,” Garrett Popcorn is the home of the iconic caramel corn and cheese popcorn.

However, the current owners aren’t actually the official creators — customers originally made this delicacy themselves by mixing separate caramel and cheese bags together. It’s safe to say Garrett’s certainly made the right executive decision when they included it on their own menu. There’s no telling where the city’s sugary (and salty) landscape would be today without it.

The Commons Club

203 N Wabash Avenue

The Commons Club is home to Juan Gutierrez himself, a pastry chef who made a splash after overhauling Longman & Eagle’s sweet menu by showing diners the magic of cashew cheesecake and peppermint ice cream bars.

Gutierrez brought his revolutionary talents to The Commons Club, where he utilizes his Colombian heritage to inspire ethereal desserts by taking advantage of corn-flavored ice cream, plantains, and smoked vanilla.

Specializing in gluten-free and vegan treats, he ensures that there’s something for everybody on his exquisite menu.

Dessert Dealer

Across the city

There’s nothing new about savory tacos, but making them sweet is Dessert Dealer’s specialty.
With servings of loaded sugary tacos, topped brownies, and sublime carrot cake slices, those with perpetual sweet teeth will find it hard to stay away.

Lost Larson

5318 N Clark Street

While Bobby Schaffer at Lost Larson didn’t initially aim to create a bakery dedicated to Scandinavian desserts, it seems that fate intervened.

Whether it’s his glorious chocolate croissants with cardamom hints or his flawlessly layered lingonberry and almond cake, both regulars and tourists are awestruck by his creations.

Rainbow Cone

9233 S Western Avenue

Rainbow Cone may have unofficially (and perhaps inadvertently) boosted Chicago to number one on the sugary map since it began serving cones back in 1926. Amazingly, its iconic rainbow ice cream cone still boasts the same five flavors — Palmer House cherry, orange sherbet, pistachio, chocolate, and strawberry.

Each slice is stacked on top of the others on a cone with a dip tray attached to provide the ultimate enjoyment. Although, locals note that there’s a neat trick to eating these delicacies: lick from the bottom and follow a swirl pattern up to the top.