Are you seeking the perfect sugar fix? Look no further! The Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg area offers a plethora of decadent desserts, from fresh, hot donuts to creamy, slow-churned ice cream to crispy, melt-in-your-mouth funnel cakes.
Read on to discover how to satisfy your sweet tooth during your visit to the Smoky Mountains area!
The Donut Friar
It’s more than a donut shop with a good pun in its name: The Donut Friar, located in the Village Shops in Gatlinburg, offers some of the area’s best coffee and espresso drinks in addition to fresh-baked cruellers, eclairs and glazed donuts.
They’ve been doing it since 1969, and they do it well: Don’t blame us if you get addicted to the locally famous, fresh-baked cinnamon bread (go early—they sell out fast). Come prepared – they only accept cash.
The Old Mill Creamery
This isn’t your typical dollop of Cookies ‘n’ Cream. The Old Mill Creamery offers classic and creative ice cream in flavors that incorporate local ingredients from the nearby Lafayette Farm and grains from the Old Mill.
Try the Oat Mill Cream Pie, studded with chunks of homemade oatmeal cream pieces made from Old Mill rolled table oats. Or savor a waffle cone of Whiskey Ribbon, made with Old Forge Distillery moonshine and homemade fudge. And if you just happen to stop by around breakfast time? You’re practically obligated to try the Biscuits ‘N’ Honey.
Fudge Shoppe of the Smokies
It’s fudge. You’re on vacation. Don’t bother trying to resist. There are a handful of fudge shops in Gatlinburg, but our favorite is the Fudge Shoppe, where you can see them creaming the fudge daily on giant marble slabs behind the counter.
Free samples are plentiful, as are flavors: Chocolate lovers will dig the Rocky Road, and non-chocoholics (do those exist?) will be delighted by flavors like maple walnut and penuche, a caramel-flavored fudge reminiscent of New Orleans pralines. Tip: Print a coupon from their website and get a third slice free when you buy two.
The Funnel Cake Factory
Move aside, memories of stale, stiff, and cold funnel cakes of state fairs and small-town carnivals. The funnel cakes here are made fresh and served piping hot, with a crunch on the outside and a tender interior. They’re served with powdered sugar and a side of friendly, old-fashioned service (they’re so old-fashioned, in fact, that they don’t even have a website). It’s cash-only, so make sure to have a few bucks on hand.
Cakes by Bakin’ Bishop
And on the eighth day God created chocolate, reads a kitschy vintage sign hung on the wall at Cakes by Bakin’ Bishop, and the desserts here are nothing less than a religious experience.
Tucked away off the main strip in Pigeon Forge, the small-batch desserts at Cakes by Bakin’ Bishop are top-notch, from ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls to chocolate chip cookies to fresh, moist mini-cupcakes. We love the white wedding cake with key lime frosting, but the variety box is sure to please a spectrum of palates.
And After Dessert’s Over…
Want to burn off some of those calories? (Hey, we’re not judging.) Try your hand (or, rather, your feet) at one of the Smoky Mountains National Park’s many beautiful hiking trails, such as Laurel Falls. And be sure to check out our many cabin rentals for lodging in the Smoky Mountains!
