9 Game-Changing Desserts to Try Around the U.S.

Cronut® from Dominique Ansel Bakery
We start our sweet stroll down memory lane with a legend, a croissant-donut hybrid developed by celebrated pastry chef Dominique Ansel in 2013 as a special item for Mother’s Day. The inaugural rose vanilla Cronut® instantly rose to fame via the food blogosphere and in the coming months hundreds would form early morning lines outside Ansel’s NYC bakery in SoHo. His creation spurred a number of copycats as well as a larger hybrid craze, including the arrival of the ramen burger in NYC.

On the subject of iconic hybrid pastries, we’d be remiss if we did not mention the cruffin, a cream-filled croissant-muffin popularized by San Francisco–based Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. The bakery’s signature neon sign and creative pastries quickly drew a loyal following and inspired many variations.