Cookie Lover’s Guide to LA — 4 Places to Fulfill Your [Ice Cream + Cookie] Sweet Tooth
I am obsessed with chocolate chip cookies. The warm, soft, fresh-baked ones. Cookies probably make up my largest food group in and of themselves — but don’t tell my doctor that!
Now for the sake of honesty, I must admit that my mom’s cookies are the best on the planet. But luckily LA has quite a few great options for fellow cookie lovers who don’t have access to her kitchen. Whether you like indulging in cookies straight out of the oven or savoring the flavor combinations in ice cream cookie sandwiches, this is for you.
Best Fresh-Baked Cookies (with Ice Cream!)
1. The Go-To: BJ’s Pizookie
- About the Cookie: Pizookies are fresh-baked cookies served straight from the oven in round tins with a few scoops of ice cream on top. They offer a range of cookie flavors — from s’mores to salted caramel to monkey break to classic white chocolate macadamia nut. They definitely will have whatever flavors you’re craving — and whatever flavors you didn’t even realize you wanted. If you can’t decide what to get, you can order a trio — pick 3 different cookie + ice cream combos and share with your friends (if sharing is your thing).
- About the Place: BJ’s is officially a Brewhouse/Pizza and Grill, but honestly they might be more known for their pizookies. There are various BJ’s locations throughout Southern California.
- Inside Info: If you have a BJ’s receipt you can get discounts at certain movie theatres. Ask the hostess at your restaurant — never hurts to try!
2. Hidden Gem: Truxton’s Bistro Cookie for Two
- About the Cookie: It’s a huge chocolate chip cookie served straight out of the oven in a cast-iron skillet with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, drizzled with caramel and chocolate. Hands-down my favorite cookie ever. Besides my mom’s. It’s the only cookie flavor Truxton’s offers because they’ve perfected this classic American dessert.
- About the Place: Truxton’s is a classic American Bistro with a couple of locations in LA. It’s fairly small and it’s known for hosting private events. I’ve never been here when there wasn’t a event being hosted in the private dining room.
- Inside Info: It takes about 15 minutes to make the cookie so I recommend ordering it early. And believe me: it’s worth the wait. The Bistro Cookie is made for two, but if you’re ambitious — like me — you can finish the cookie by yourself (and be extremely full).
Best Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
3. The Go-To: Diddy Riese Ice Cream Sandwich
- About the Cookies: Cookies at Diddy Riese are made from scratch every single day. And you can tell they’re fresh because of how soft they are. They offer all variations of chocolate chip, oatmeal, and sugar cookies.
- About the Place: Diddy Riese is an LA staple. Not only is it super tasty, but it’s inexpensive and open late — til midnight on weekdays and 1am on weekends. Cookies are only 50 cents each and an ice cream sandwich is only $2. They also offer brownies, ice cream sundaes, and shaved ice. Diddy Riese is in the heart of Westwood, one of LA’s mini-college towns. It’s next door to In-N-Out — another LA staple — and in walking distance to the Hammer Museum.
- Inside Info: Plan to be standing for a little while when you go here. There’s almost always a line during peak times, such as lunchtime or late at night. Also, there isn’t much space to sit inside so you’re going to order to go. I recommend eating your ice cream sandwich while taking a walk around the area and soaking in the LA sunshine.
4. Hidden Gem: Manhattan Beach Creamery Cream’which
- About the Cookies: “Home of the Original Artisan Ice Cream Sandwich.” This is not your average ice cream sandwich. A Cream’which is two soft cookies + ice cream dipped in chocolate and topped with more goodies. There are tons of options for cookie, ice cream, dipping, and topping flavors. This thing is massive. My stuff-myself-with-cookies tolerance is high and it’s even hard for me to finish an entire Cream’which in one sitting.
- About the Place: Manhattan Beach Creamery is a quaint-looking, yet eclectic, “sweet treat shop.” They sell everything from candy to frozen bananas to edible underwear. They started off as an ice cream shop, which makes sense given the old-school ice cream parlor ambiance. It’s a few steps away from Manhattan Beach and there’s no better place to enjoy a refreshing treat than with the sand between your toes listening to to the ocean.
- Inside Info: If you love Cream’whiches, you can buy pre-packaged ones (with standard flavor combinations) at Ralphs, 7-Eleven, and a few other locations throughout Southern California.
If you’re like me, you appreciate warm, soft, straight-out-of-the-oven cookies. Not stale store-bought ones that are sold in bulk and hard as rocks. You enjoy them with ice cream either on top or sandwiched between them. And maybe even sprinkled with chocolate. However you enjoy eating cookies and ice cream, LA has got you covered.
What’s your favorite ice cream or cookie place?#VoyadiSweetTooth
Taylor is the newest member of voyadi.com. She is a self proclaimed #CookieConnoisseur with a deep appreciation for fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. Learn more about her at taylordmills.com and contact her at taylor@banianlabs.com.
© taylordmills 2017
