The Beehive State loves desserts. In Utah County alone, you could taste as many as eight unique desserts, some of which come from recipes across the globe. If you’re craving for something Thai, there’s a restaurant that serves sweet sticky rice with mango. Waffle cones, a treat imported from Hong Kong, are available at a store in University Avenue. If you like keeping up with dessert trends, you can order a delicious unicorn float.
Dessert trends are big deal in Utah. The cravings of the state’s sweet tooth hold a lot of sway in the dessert scene. So what are the latest trends when it comes to satisfying Utah’s sugary cravings? The answers are cookies and dessert bars.
These Cookies aren’t Crumbling Just Yet
The cupcake craze defined the dessert scene of 2018, but the desire for the fluffy pastries has waned. This year, cookies are dominating the desert dessert scene. Although there’s still some competition from other kinds of confections, cookie bakeries are opening up all over Utah, from Provo to Salt Lake City. This is a boon to oven repair companies and baking supply chains and a welcome development to foodies who can enjoy all sorts of cookies thanks to the fierce rivalry between competing bakeries.
To stay ahead of the pack, bakers are whipping up different kinds of cookies and gimmicks to tempt people into their stores. One bakery boasts cookies with over 50 different flavors such as pumpkin cheesecake, key lime white chocolate, and PB&J. Others have chosen to focus on perfecting classic cookie flavors, such as chocolate chip. Some try to change business models instead of taste and have included catering options to their listed services.
Sometimes, what’s important isn’t whether a bakery serves cookies or cupcakes; it’s whether they’re open at all. Enterprising Utah confectioners have come up with a solution.
A Different Kind of Bar
Dessert bars are perfect if you want to dig into something sweet late at night, but all the shops are closed. Some of these places are open until eleven at night during the weekdays. Dessert bars often serve a varied selection of confections. There are places that serve traditional fare, like cakes and pies, and more experimental dessert bars that can whip up a chocolate and banana taco for the more adventurous foodie. Anyone who needs a sugar rush or that comforting feeling when you’re tucking into a sweet dish can just head to a dessert bar and eat the night away.
Dessert bars, and desserts in general, are so popular in Utah for many reasons. Perhaps it’s because families in Utah tend to have more children than families in other states. Children typically love their sweets, and Utah’s bakers are only happy to oblige them. People have theorized that another reason is because of the large numbers of Mormons who call Utah home. Members of the Church of Latter Day Saints abide by the Word of Wisdom, which tells them to abstain from harmful beverages, such as alcohol. Perhaps dessert bars offer an alternative to alcohol, one that’s family-friendly and healthier in reasonable servings.
Whatever the reason, the Beehive State intends to stay saccharine. Will cookies remain the dominant dessert in the years to come? Who knows. Does it really matter as long as you can take a bite of something delicious and sweet?
