Cinnabon
Fast food desserts may not carry the weight of the meal on their shoulders the way the first and second courses do, but they bear a fair share of the load. Chain sweets range from churros to milkshakes to hand pies, so who's got the best ones? Which restaurants know how to make a great dessert and which restaurants are just dumping lemonade into some fake ice cream? Here are the best and worst fast food desserts.
Is there anything Popeyes can’t do? It's at the top of its game with that chicken. It's at the top of its game with those biscuits. And still, Popeyes is at the top of its game with this cinnamon apple pie. Simply put, this pie destroys every other hand pie in the fast food world. It's autumnal, soul-warming, and overflowing with Thanksgiving vibes. Pop, you’ve done it again.
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Are there worse mass-produced soft options out there? Yes, undoubtedly. Is McDonald’s soft serve the best of the mass-produced soft serve it out there? Nah. It's a real middle-ground cone, but the truth is that you'd be hard-pressed to find a more convenient or budget-friendly option. No matter where you are in this great big country of ours, you’re probably spitting distance from McDonald’s. Grab a cone; they're a dollar.
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As a relative newbie to Sonic and its many mysteries, there's been nothing but surprises in store for me as I've begun my exploration of the menu. Sonic Blasts are a very delicious, though unfortunately named, treat. Ain't nothing wrong with a milkshake — certainly not when it's spun with "100% real ice cream" — mixed with a bunch of your favorite candy, like Snickers, Butterfingers, and Reese's.
I will defend the mighty Bee until the day I die. Every other fast food restaurant is out here slinging some sort of cinnamon-based hand pie, but Jollibee has the courage to go tropical. Wonderfully balanced, fruity, and original, the Jollibee peach mango pie is magical enough to make the whole visit worth it.
The “chocolate” Frosty at Wendy’s is a bit of a misnomer: It’s actually made with a mix of chocolate and vanilla, and that right there is the key. Life is about balance; it's about mixing all your different joys. Life isn't chocolate, life isn't vanilla — life is a Wendy's Frosty.
Bojangles may not get a lot right, but there are a few hits scattered about the menu. The thing is, sweet potato pie isn't just a hit, it's a bat-breaking home run. Drenched in deep brown butter and brown sugar flavor, this is exactly what you want after you eat fried chicken.
I don’t get it with these things. People lose their dang minds over them. If I wanted a crunchy pastry covered in cinnamon and sugar, I would get a churro. A light, airy treat like a cinnamon twist may not, in fact, be the best vessel for cinnamon and sugar. Save those flavors for bulkier things, like a big cinnamon roll or bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The twists are also served with a variety of different Taco Bell combos, which means that once you've finished your meal and are staring down the barrel of that leftover nacho cheese sauce, you just might be tempted to take one for a dip. Don't.
A little bit ice cream. A little bit chocolate pie. A lot bit disgusting.
Chick-fil-A makes one thing that's worth braving the insufferable drive-through line: Chick-fil-A sauce. The frosted lemonade (made with Chick-fil-A Lemonade and something called "Icedream"), much like the rest of the menu, is alright at best. And that's only if you're a creamsicle fan.
Mini churros, baby. They're what Taco Bell, Sonic, and a slew of other chains wish they were serving. Not too light and airy: bingo. Stuffed with ooey-gooey cinnamon sugar filling: obviously. Five of them for $2.50: That's how Jack rolls. Don't let them escape your order.
There is probably no fast food dessert more decadent than Cinnabon. There is also probably no fast food dessert as perfect as Cinnabon. The classic roll is a by-the-numbers perfect cinnamon roll: warm, moist, and drowning in sticky icing. The problem with Cinnabon, of course, is that if you eat more than one per decade, your teeth will explode and your heart will quit right there on the spot. Worth it.
