Best Dessert Subscription Boxes

Harry & David takes the cake with classic desserts

By
Irvin Lin
Irvin Lin
Irvin Lin
Irvin is a critically acclaimed cookbook author and food blogger. His cookbook "Marbled, Swirled, and Layered" was chosen as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016 in the New York Times.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated February 04, 2022
Irvin Lin

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

a plate of chocolate oatmeal cookies

Grace Cary / Getty Images

Baking up desserts can be an absolute joy and pleasure for some folks. But for others, it can be a chore. And if you’re hosting a party or in need of a sweet treat, coming up with a dessert on your own can be challenging. And if you’ve got a sweet tooth that the local grocery store or corner bakery can't satisfy, a dessert subscription box is the perfect solution. A monthly delivery of your favorite treat arrives at your door like clockwork, without the need to wash dirty mixing bowls or turn on the oven.

From ice cream to cookies to cakes and pies, here are our picks for the best dessert subscription boxes. 

 Best Dessert Subscription Boxes

  • Best Overall: Harry & David

    Harry & David logo

    Courtesy of Harry & David

    Why We Choose It: Harry & David is a long-standing heritage brand that offers classic desserts every month including pies, cakes, and cheesecake.

    What We Like
    Rotating selection of desserts
    Reliable heritage company
    Excellent customer service

    What We Don’t Like
    Packaging feels corporate
    Minimum subscription is three months

    Since 1934, Harry & David have been delivering food and produce to folks around the country. Known for its classic Royal Riviera pears and their fruit-of-the-month club, the company has since expanded its delivery and shipping to signature products like Moose Munch caramel popcorn and the Tower of Treats, which offers boxes of Moose Munch, caramels, chocolates, nuts, fruit, and other delights.

    So, it’s no surprise that Harry & David’s dessert of the month club offers top-notch desserts. Each month features a seasonal dessert, ranging from a deep-dish pumpkin pie in November, a carrot cake in March, and a lemon strawberry cheesecake in April. They even offer a tin of their classic Moose Munch popcorn in February, as well as Peach and Berry Pie in May.

    All desserts are showcased ahead of time, so you will know exactly what you are getting for each delivery throughout the year. Subscriptions range from three to 12 months, starting at $129.99 for three months, and you can pick the month you wish to start.

  • Best for Ice Cream: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

    Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

    Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

    Why We Choose It: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams focuses on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients to churn out the best premium ice cream available.

    What We Like
    Seasonal ice cream flavors
    Some shipments include sneak peak flavors
    Flexibility of 3, 6, and 12-month subscriptions

    What We Don’t Like
    Ice cream is on the sweeter, richer side
    No substitution on flavors or requests

    Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, out of Columbus, Ohio, is known for its premium ice cream that is rich, creamy, and sweet. The innovative flavors are inspired by seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, and their limited-edition offerings are often fleeting.

    Luckily, you can join their pint club and get an inside scoop before those flavors are gone. Four pints of curated ice cream will arrive at your doorstep every month, often with flavors that aren’t even available for sale to the public yet. This could include flavors like Rocket Pop, blueberry and pineapple churned with buttermilk and yogurt, or mango cheesecake swirl. Classic flavor options could include brambleberry crisp or salted caramel—you won’t know until the pints arrive at your doorstep.

    Pint club memberships start at 3-months for $199, which features four pints of ice cream a month, for a total of 12 pints. The first shipment will also include a welcome letter that tells you the delivery dates and a set of ice cream spades or an ice cream scoop.

  • Best for Candy: Treats Box

    Treats Box

    Treats Box

    Why We Choose It: Treats Box offers three different size boxes and a wide selection of candies for those with a true sweet tooth.

    What We Like
    Three different box sizes
    Wide range of candies offered
    Can cancel anytime

    What We Don’t Like
    Shipping not included in the price
    U.S. shipping takes longer and costs more

    If you have a true sweet tooth, Treats Box is the subscription service for you. Once a month, a box of various candies will be sent to your home and it’s always a delight. A box could include classic Jolly Ranchers, a 100 Grand candy bar, Altoid mints, or a bag of Australian red licorice. The candies range from nostalgic old-school candies and foreign imported ones to everything chocolate-based. It’s like Halloween every single month of the year.

    Pick from three different sized boxes per month: The Regular size box contains eight to 10 treats; the Epic holds 18 to 22 products; and the Colossal features a whopping 30 to 34 different candies.

    Regular size boxes cost $25 a month and ship off on the 5th of each month. Keep in mind the boxes are shipped out of Canada, so if you live in the United States, shipping may cost more, and there might be delayed delivery time due to customs.

  • Best for Cookies: The Cravory

    Cravory Cookie Subscription

    Cravory Cookie Subscription

    Why We Choose It: Fun flavors and flexible subscriptions make The Cravory a standout cookie subscription service.

    What We Like
    Innovative and fun cookies
    Flexibility on subscription options
    Baked fresh for delivery

    What We Don’t Like
    Free shipping only on 2 dozen cookie subscription
    Whimsical cookie flavors might not appeal to everyone

    The Cravory, a cookie bakery based out of San Diego, has been creating new flavored cookies since 2009, baking up more than 5,000 unique flavors since they started. Though the company is known for its innovative and fun flavors, classic cookies like red velvet, ultimate chocolate chip, and vanilla sugar are always on the menu.

    Still, it’s the creative whimsical cookies that put The Cravory on the map, with flavors like birthday cake, pancakes and bacon, and the cookie monster (a blue cookie packed with caramel bits, Oreos, mini marshmallows, and white and semi-sweet chocolate chips). Every month they release six new cookie flavors, and you can subscribe to the cookie of the month to taste them.

    The cookies subscription box comes in three different sizes (6, 12, and 24) which offers the new cookie flavors in each box. If you order the box of two dozen, you get 12 of the new flavors and 12 classic flavors. Prepaid subscriptions will save you 25% off the price, but if you don’t want to commit, you can just pay for one month, making the subscription plan flexible for you. Six cookies per month start out at $13.95 plus $6.95 shipping, though if you upgrade to the two-dozen a month, shipping is free.

    Continue to 5 of 8 below.

  • Best for Cakes: Goldbelly

    Goldbelly

    Goldbelly

    Why We Choose It: Goldbelly offers cake subscriptions featuring bakeries from all over the United States, giving you a chance to try signature cakes nationwide.

    What We Like
    Wide variety of cakes from different acclaimed bakeries
    Flexible subscription length from 3 to 12 months
    Free shipping

    What We Don’t Like
    Different bakeries mean inconsistent products


    Goldbelly partners with small businesses, bakeries, and restaurants to offer nationwide delivery of their food products. This means you can have access to bagels from New York, king cake from New Orleans, or smoked brisket from Texas. Goldbelly also offers food subscription services featuring products from all these various food establishments.

    The cake subscription service offers signature cakes from some of the best bakeries in the nation. Every cake lover out there will appreciate a chance to sample items from a wide range of bakeries. Fresh cakes available for shipping include Ovenly’s Brooklyn Blackout Cake, Elle’s Belles Huckleberry Cheesecake, and Caroline’s Cakes 7-Layer Caramel cake. Each cake serves eight to 12 people.

    Subscription plans are fairly flexible, ranging from 3 months to six months, nine months, and a year. Goldbelly offers the plan at $74.95 a month regardless of the length of your subscription and free shipping is included.

  • Best for Cupcakes: Not Pie

    Not Pie

    Not Pie

    Why We Choose It: Not Pie offers flexible subscription plans as well as innovative cupcakes with gourmet flavors each month.

    What We Like
    Unique gourmet cupcakes each month
    Flexible subscription plans
    Vegan and gluten-free options

    What We Don’t Like
    Cupcake delivery only has one flavor, not a variety mix
    Gourmet flavors might not be to everyone’s taste

    Cupcakes flavors can be a little basic, but luckily Not Pie doesn’t fall into that trap by constantly creating sophisticated flavor combinations in its monthly cupcake subscription service. Each delivery comes with a six-pack of cupcakes in a gourmet flavor that's inspired by the seasons.

    Previous flavors have included a Yuzu cake and a Jam and Honey cake in January, a fresh apple and fall birthday cupcake in November, and a lemon raspberry and chocolate coconut cupcake in May. Not Pie is also one of the few bakeries that offers subscription services with a vegan cupcake option and a gluten-free cupcake option. 

    Monthly subscriptions (with no commitment) start at $33 and free shipping. Three-month, six-month, and 12-month options are available. There’s even a quarterly plan that ships a box of cupcakes every three months, for those oddball folks who don’t want to indulge in cupcakes more often.

  • Best for Pies: Grand Traverse Pie Company

    Grand Traverse Pie Company

    Grand Traverse Pie Company

    Why We Choose It: Grand Traverse Pie Company offers seasonal fruit pies that are baked fresh and shipped out immediately for the freshest pies delivered to your doorstep.

    What We Like
    Wide range of fruit pies
    Ability to pick pie flavors
    Pies baked fresh to order

    What We Don’t Like
    Only offers fruit pies, no other styles
    Shipping is expensive

    Grand Traverse Pie Company started in northern Michigan, in Traverse City which is known as the cherry capital of the world. It’s no surprise that it is known for its tart Montmorency cherry pies. But what isn’t surprising is the other fruit pies are equally fantastic, with seasonal fruits that are mostly sourced locally in Michigan.

    The pie of the month club offers a sampling of pies, with selections that can either be hand-picked by them or individually picked by you, something that is rarely an option with subscription services. So yes, that means if you wanted it, you could have cherry pie with every single delivery. But then you’d also be missing out on the blueberry crumb, strawberry rhubarb, and apple pie, or the ABC pie which features apples, blueberries, and cherries.

    Pie of the Month Club memberships has a three-month, six-month, or 12-month option, with the three-month starting at $98.97. Shipping is a bit pricey, starting at $59.97, but the fragile pies are shipped two-day FedEx because they are perishable.

  • Best for Vegan Desserts: Tubby’s Taste Cookies

    Tubby’s Taste Cookies

    Tubby’s Taste Cookies

    Why We Choose It: Tubby’s Taste cookies are inspired by the founder’s Jamaican and Caribbean roots and her cookies are made with completely plant-based ingredients.

    What We Like
    Plant-based vegan cookies that everyone will love
    Each cookie has a story behind how it was developed
    No preservatives; just whole, recognizable ingredients

    What We Don’t Like
    Jamaican and Caribbean flavors might not be to everyone’s taste
    All cookies use coconut oil which lends a particular flavor

    If you’re living the vegan plant-based lifestyle but still want treats, or if you have a complicated relationship with eggs or dairy, there’s no reason you shouldn’t still be able to treat yourself.

    Tubby’s Taste offers cookies that are inspired by her Jamaican and African-American heritage. A browse through the site not only describes each cookie available but also tells a story about the inspiration behind it. You’ll not only love eating cookies like the Taste of Paradise, featuring coconut, oatmeal, and cinnamon, the Speakeasy cookie an oatmeal rum raisin, or the Home Sweet Home cookie which has mango, coconut, and lime, but you’ll love reading about how Tubby’s grandmother gave her the mango seed to eat over the kitchen sink or how her mom soaked raisins for two years in rum to make her fruitcake, the inspiration behind her speakeasy cookie. These are cookies with stories and that makes them all the more special.

    All cookies are made from plant-based ingredients, and are organic with no added preservatives. Tubby’s Taste subscription plan is about $22 a month for 12 cookies and includes a chance to be a taste tester a well. Not only do you get a dozen cookies every month, but every three months you get to sample new cookie flavors that the owner is testing out to give her feedback. 

Final Verdict

Dessert subscription boxes are a great option for those who have a sweet tooth and want treats delivered with minimal effort. Subscription services allow you to order the desserts once, and then not have to think about it again, as they magically arrive at your doorstep. We picked Harry & David as our best overall dessert service as they have a strong history of excellent customer service, a wide variety of desserts to offer in their subscription box, and they tell you exactly what you will receive each month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Customize My Dessert Subscription Box Order?

Each company is different, but most companies do not allow for customization of subscriptions. You rely on the company to curate a selection of desserts for you. There are a few companies that allow you to pick the dessert you want, like the Grand Traverse Pie company. Other companies, like Harry & David, tell you upfront what desserts you will be getting per month, so you know what to expect. But most subscription services are a surprise delivery.

Are There Gluten-Free Dessert Subscription Boxes?

There are a few gluten-free dessert subscription boxes, including Not Pie, which offers a gluten-free option. As always, if you are celiac or very sensitive to gluten, read any disclaimers from the company about its products to make sure they aren’t sharing equipment or space with gluten products which can lead to cross-contamination. When in doubt, email or contact the company to ask about its gluten-free products and protocols.

Can I Send a Dessert Subscription Box as a Gift?

Nearly all subscription box services can be gifted. Often there is a checkbox or an option that will allow you to let them know it is a gift. The receiver will be sent a note as well as a delivery schedule, so the gift receiver will know when to expect delivery. If there isn’t an option for gifting, reach out to the company directly via email or phone. Often they can set up a gift subscription for you.

Methodology

We researched numerous companies and reviews and consulted with food industry experts and dessert enthusiasts to come up with this list of the best dessert subscription boxes. Criteria considered included the range of dessert flavors, the ability to customize the subscription, and the quality of desserts.

We looked at many dessert subscriptions services, including McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream, David’s Cookies, Cheryl’s Cookies, Rococo, PostSweet, Baked by Melissa, Candy Club, and others. Though all of these are excellent choices, the ones we selected stood out for their quality of products, customizable delivery, great customer service, and range of desserts.