A little while back, The Huffington Post presented a finely curated list with all the best foods one should eat before they die. Of all the types of bucket lists out there, we think ones involving food are really the most important. That's why we've taken it upon ourselves to delve deeper by focusing our bucket list on desserts, the best part of every meal.
We live in a time of amazing confections. Not only do we have a never-ending supply of recipes to bake things at home, but purveyors are also making fine creations like the Cronut that make long lines well worth the wait. We gathered 19 desserts you should definitely eat before you die -- and we suggest you get started on this very important bucket list today, because a life without sweets really isn't a life worth living. (Maybe just don't eat them all at once.)
1
Cocoa powder brownies.
Shutterstock/Martin Ezequiel Gardeazabal
Never have more chocolatey brownies existed than ones made with cocoa powder in place of actual melted chocolate. We're not sure why, we just know it's true. These brownies right here are the only ones you'll ever need to make.
2
Soft serve from Big Gay Ice Cream.
Dan Nguyen @ New York City/Flickr
Ain't no soft serve like Big Gay Ice Cream soft serve. Go bold and order the Salty Pimp, which is made with loads of dulce de leche and chocolate dip.
3
A jar of dulce de leche -- and a spoon.
sunday driver/Flickr
Speaking of, dulce de leche is Latin America's Nutella. It's a milk caramel that makes everything it touches taste better -- like alfajores and even bananas -- but it tastes really great from a spoon too. It's made by cooking down milk and sugar, requiring hours and hours of stirring (the best things in life are worth working for). Or, it can be simply made by simmering a can of sweetened condensed milk for a few hours.
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4
Chocolates from Mary Chocolatier in Belgium.
Tony Wu/Flickr
Not Godiva, Mary. It's the purveyor to the Royal House of Belgium, which is impressive considering the fierce competition for chocolate in Belgium. Don't worry, they deliver.
5
A Cronut.
Noam Galai / noamgalai.com
OBVS. You can wait in line for one next time you're in New York City. You can make your own at home with the original recipe that takes up to three days. Or, you can make a cheat. Whatever you do, just eat a damn Cronut.
6
Chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven.
Veganbaking.net/Flickr
Nothing compares. Do it with one of these awesome recipes.
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7
Baked Alaska.
vxla/Flickr
Dessert + fire = everything.
8
Gourmet donuts.
h-bomb/Flickr
No matter how much we love a classic old fashioned donut, the new gourmet versions are truly something special. Homemade is delightful, but if you can make your way to Dough in NYC or Voodoo Donuts in Oregon, you'll quickly learn that Dunkin' is never worth it.
9
Hawaiian shave ice.
bionicgrrrl/Flickr
Beaches and waterfalls have got nothing on the allure of Hawaii's shave ice. It's made with actually shaved ice, from a giant block of ice, rather than crushed iced like we get everywhere else in America. With actual shaved ice, you get a snow-like texture and the flavors -- which are tropical -- actually infuse the shavings instead of just collecting at the bottom. Plus, it can be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom and a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk on top. It is awesome.
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10
A submarino a la Argentina.
bittermelon/Flickr
This is next-level hot chocolate stuff. It's warm milk served with a chocolate bar on the side. Drop the bar in the glass, watch it melt, stir and drink.
11
America's best cake.
Damon Dahlen
Prantl's in Pittsburgh makes a burnt almond tart that is like no other cake you've ever tasted -- that's why we named it America's best cake when we tried it a couple years back. (Yes, they also deliver.) And if that isn't good enough for you, give the world's best cake a try. It's a Norwegian cake that also boasts almond flavor.
12
Rice pudding that's been infused with cardamom.
sarverr62/Flickr
Wonderfully rich, and beautifully fragrant. India knows what they're doing when it comes to rice pudding -- try this recipe, you'll see.
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13
A classic ice cream sandwich.
Shutterstock / AnjelikaGr
The kind that sticks to your teeth when you take a bite. The kind that costs 99 cents. It's the original, and the best.
14
Homemade chocolate chip cannoli.
wonggawei/Flickr
Bonus points if it's chocolate-dipped, too. If making this fine Italian pastry at home isn't in the cards for you, many claim the best one can be found at Mike's Pastry in Boston.
15
Real deal gelato.
h-bomb/Flickr
We've got two great options for you: Pistachio gelato from San Crispino in Rome or Sparkling Peach gelato from Caogiro Gelato Artisans in Philly. Either way, you can't go wrong.
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16
Nanaimo bars.
miss604/Flickr
It's a wafer crumb topped with butter frosting and a thin layer of chocolate, and we can't thank Canada enough for coming up with this glorious dessert bar.
17
A macaron from the original Ladurée in Paris
bgolub/Flickr
If only for a glimpse of the beautiful colors.
18
Chocolate molten lava cake.
Shutterstock/Razmarinka
Taking a bite into a piece of chocolate cake only to be rewarded with melted chocolate oozing out from the center is the stuff great dreams are made of. And you can make it in your own kitchen.
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19
Carrot cake (or cupcakes) from Billy's Bakery in NYC.
Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake/Flickr
Seriously, it's the best you've ever had.
Correction: A previous version of this story referred to "the world's best cake" mentioned in slide 11 as Swedish. It's Norwegian.
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