London's best desserts, delivered: 25 ways to get your sugar hit

"Sugar. Ah, honey, honey. You are my candy girl, and you got me wanting you..."

Yeah, the Archies sung it right all the way back in 1969: for all its evils, sugar sure is a hard habit to kick. For sweet-toothed junkies, lockdown put an end to fancy desserts – sure you could buy a bar of chocolate down the supermarket, but could you put your face in a stack of profiteroles? Newsflash folks: in these testing times, banana bread just ain't gonna cut it any more.

However, in among the flurry of innovations – the restaurant meal kits, the bottled cocktails – bakers and purveyors of the sweetest treats have also turned their hand to home delivery.

Behold! From out-there vegan ice cream to crodoughs, the gorgeous love child of croissants and doughnuts, we've got something to cure every craving. Layers of flaky pastry, towering cakes, cute caneles: you can truly have it all, and it'll arrive right on your doorstep. Dangerous, but then we've always liked to live on the edge...

And besides, we all need to cope in whichever way we can right now. So bag yourself a treat, put up your feet and be kind to the most important person in your life. Because sometimes, self-love comes in no better package than a pudding...

The best ice cream to get delivered to your door

1. Chin Chin

*Spoiler alert* double chin incoming... Chin Chin has gathered a cult-like following on social media for its extraordinary range of vegan and non-vegan ice creams which come in magnificent, eccentric flavours such as burnt butter caramel, tonka bean and yuzu meringue pie. Using a liquid nitrogen technique to keep the flavours colder for longer, Chin Chin is now churning out deliveries straight to your front door. But the fun doesn't stop there – it's also created a range of DIY kits so you can recreate their other delicious classics. Our favourites include the rich, signature hot chocolate with torched marshmallow fluff, or the 'Warmie' chewy brownie cookies [pictured above] layered with your choice of hand-packed ice cream, honeycomb and hot chocolate sauce.

chinchinlabs.com

2. Freezecakes

The world's first frozen cheesecake in a tub. What else do you need to know? Brought to you by cheesecake masters Pleesecakes, these layers of indulgent cheesecake are mixed with homemade biscuit streusel, gooey pockets of chocolate ganache and butterscotch, and are studded with nuggets of chocolate and butterscotch. There are currently three flavours of Freezecakes available to order in packs of three, six and nine (starting from £6.33), or you could grab a Pick N Mix pack to mix and match your flavours.

pleesecakes.com

3. Bears Ice Cream

Using the freshest ingredients available and the finest Jersey milk (or rice, oat and soy for vegan), ice cream shop Bears Parlour has created inventive flavours such as lavender jam meringue swirl, salted pumpkin seed nougat and rhubarb crumble and custard, to name but a few. Initially based in Shepherds Bush, it now has a second opening in Hammersmith delivering tubs and offering socially distanced collections of soft, delicious serve.

One tub from £8.50 and delivery is free on orders of two or more. bearsicecream.co.uk

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4. The Proof [pictured above]

This East London company, set up by music journalist turned baker Francesca Strange, offers an impressive array of puds: think chewy coconut macaroons, vegan sticky toffee pudding, tiramisu and zingy lemon meringue tart. Or, for the indecisive among us, there's The Proof Box which gives you a little something of everything (get this, definitely get this). The pièce de résistance however, has to be the signature 'Proofiteroles': choux buns filled with Chantilly cream, caked in chocolate sauce and accompanied with salted caramel, honeycomb and strawberries on the side. We won't judge you if you just put whole profiteroles in your mouth rather than building a fancy tower. Who has time for that anyway?

The eight-piece Proof box is £22.50 and profiteroles start from £15. the-proof.com

5. Crème Cookies

As the name suggests, Crème cookies are the 'creme' of the crop - in fact, we challenge you to find a thicker, gooey-er centre. This is literally, cookie porn. Go classic with milk chocolate chip [pictured] or mix things up with white chocolate miso, or banana and dark chocolate. Or just get a box of them all.

Boxes of six, eight or twelve are available for click and collect or delivery (starting from £22). cremelondon.com

6. Cake or Death

It's impossible to ignore Cake or Death's exotic leopard print packaging coming through your door. These aren't any ordinary brownies, they're fudgey, indulgent and moreish – all made with the very best quality plant-based ingredients. Yes, you read that right: these are vegan. Whether you're after a classic sea salt flavour or fancy pushing the boat out with the Lotus Biscoff peanut butter and strawberry jam, they make the perfect treat for yourself or a friend.

Boxes of six start from £17. cakeordeath.net

7. Hash Blondies

After being furloughed from his job at the famous Hummingbird Bakery in South Kensington, ex-Rolls Royce engineer Hashim Mastan founded this East London brownie company during lockdown. He started out selling 16-20 brownies a week and now sends out nearly 300 to an abundance of delighted customers. Using the finest ingredients, whether that's butter from grass-fed cows or making his own salted caramel, Hash Blondies is a sellout and we can see why.

Order online via Instagram.

8. The Exploding Bakery

The Exploding Bakery has a strong ethical stance on the ingredients it uses, the people it works with and the products it makes. And that's very good, given the company has just launched 12 very different, very delicious flavours of letterbox brownies, and quite frankly, we're already sold. All of the flavours are gluten-free, six are vegan and there's the option to add biodegradable balloons, candles and even Round-Hill single-estate coffee. Therefore, they're the perfect ethical gift to send missed friends... Or just have for yourself. Our favourite has to be the Blood Orange, although the one made with Pip & Nut peanut butter gets a look in too.

Brownie boxes start from £13.95.explodingbakery.com

9. Kipferl

Kipferl's sachertorte

Tucked away on Camden Passage, Kipferl is one of Angel's low-key hitters. When there isn't a pandemic on, the Austrian café and restaurant serves schnitzel bigger than your head, sauerkraut to make the hipsters swoon, and cheese-smothered spätzle – not to mention a wide array of Austria's famed cakes. There's kipferl, the shortbread vanilla cookies the place is named for; guglhupf, a traditional bundt cake; and sachertorte, the famous Viennese chocolate and apricot jam cake. As you might've guessed, Kipferl has done the pandemic pivot to bring its cakes to your door, sachertorte included. Oh, and you get Austrian wines delivered too... Just saying. 

kipferl.co.uk

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10. Where The Pancakes Are

London Bridge's Where the Pancakes Are is home to some of the best buttermilk batter pancakes in town. And you might think you know how to make pancakes, but once you try these bad boys... You realise you don't know diddly squat. The restaurant's brand new brunch boxes are £45 and offer everything from bacon (or vegan bacon) to Canadian maple syrup, bananas, blueberries and more. Why not upgrade to the special gift kit and treat yourself to the additional prosecco and poetry?

DIYKits start from £12.50.wherethepancakesare.com

11. Crêpeaffaire

Whether you have a sweet tooth or craving something savoury, you won't be disappointed with Crêpeaffaire's vast menu of thin, French-style pancakes (including gluten-free options). Starting from an affordable £5 each and delicately topped with classic flavours like lemon and sugar or Nutella, to the more luxurious cinnamon, banana and butterscotch, there really is something for everyone. If you are in the market for a food coma, you can order a six pack (six rolled up crepes in a box). All you need is love and a good frying pan.

DIY kits start from £10. crepeaffaire.com

Other sweet treats

12. Tender Caramel

Sometimes you want Bircher muesli and a herbal tea for breakfast, and sometimes you really don't. Sometimes you need something sweet, but you can't quite commit to a full slice of cake. Look no further than Tender Caramel. Biochemist turned chef, Bethany delivers a range of homemade tender eclairs, wrapped caramels (flavours include sea salt, gingerbread and peanut butter), bonbons, caramel bars and jars of liquid caramel straight to your door. Better still for every purchase, she donates £1 to charities and projects raising awareness about mental health.

Mixed boxes start from £22.tendercaramel.co.uk

13. Henrietta's Caneles

Digital product designer Henrietta got into baking at the start of the first lockdown, and has now mastered the art of these small French pastries. Flavoured with rum and vanilla, her caneles have a soft and tender custard centre and a dark, thick caramelised crust. It's the ultimate in simplicity: she sells caneles and only caneles.

Boxes of four start from £15 and can be ordered viaInstagram.

14. Big Mums Samosa's

If you thought a samosa couldn't possibly make a tasty dessert, think again. You obviously haven't tried Big Mum's comforting apple pie masterpiece: locally sourced apples cooked in a reduced sweet apple sauce with cinnamon, sandwiched between two triangle-shaped layers of the crispiest filo pastry around, and served with a custard dipping sauce. What's not to love? Having been in the business for over 50 years, we can see why Sushma Rani Makol is a household name to her locals. Order online well in advance, the bespoke slots fill up fast.

Samosas start from £8. bigmumsamosas.com

15. Prils Pantry

Having worked everywhere from The Clove Club to Blue Hill at Stone Barnes to The Ledbury, April Lily is a National Young Chef of the Year OFM finalist. Throughout lockdown, she's been sending out weekly deliveries of homemade dishes. We particularly love her homemade marmalades and curds, and her roll of brown butter and chocolate chip cookie dough.

Order online via Instagram.

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16. Lily Vanilli Bakery

Wedding cake for one? Why not. This Columbia Road bakery is normally busy creating the most extravagant, bespoke cakes that would make the average Bake Off contestant weep. But now, Lily Vanilli is mixing up more affordable casual brownies, cupcakes and pastries of only the finest quality to be sent right to your front door. Keep your eyes on the Instagram feed for an idea of the ever-changing spectacular array of options. There's always a huge choice of vegan and gluten free options available every Sunday.

Mixed box of six cupcakes are £25. lilyvanilli.com

17. Astrid Bakery

We love a lockdown project and so it makes sense that we love this Muswell Hill pop-up Astrid Bakery. Former fashion journalist turned baker Charlotte O'Kelly is delivering the finest breakfast boxes that can be enjoyed as a dessert or any time of the day. The blood orange cake and the rhubarb danish is a good place to start, or upgrade to the champagne breakfast box to enjoy the strawberry shortcake croissant and the chocolate hazelnut brioche feuilletée.

Boxes start from £20. astridbakery.co.uk

18. The Painted Dog Bakehouse

In the immortal words of Seinfield, "You can't beat a Babka" and we have to add that few puddings look just as enticing raw. With skills passed down by her Jewish mother and grandmother, pastry chef Talia has mastered these unique, braided bread cakes and earned a well deserved spot in Selfridges Food Hall. Thankfully, we can now order them online too. Indulge in delicious swirls of Cinnamon and Raisin, or the Walnut, Tahini and Halva flavours.

From £11. painteddogbakehouse.com

19. Cutter & Squidge

Quality over quantity they say, but why not have both? Initially known for its signature biskies (cake/cookie/biscuit hybrid), the all-natural bakery Cutter & Squidge now offers everything from impressive picnic hampers and afternoon teas, to brownie boxes, truffles, macaroons and more.

cutterandsquidge.com

20. GAIL's Delivery

Love it or hate it, GAIL's is a London stalwart for a reason – everything it makes is friggin' delicious. And so are its new hampers: from breakfast bundles to afternoon tea to all things sweet. The parcels even include a tote bag and a handwritten message, for GAIL's signature personal touch. Bake-at-home cinnamon buns? We'll take five.

Minimum order £20 and hampers start at £30. gailsbread.co.uk

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21. Doughnut Time

They're wild, they're wacky and they look great on the 'gram – Doughnut Time is always a good time, especially now it's delivering six-packs and DIY kits straight to your door. Fun flavours we're loving right now include the David Hassel-Bischoff or the (Kinder) Bueno Mars. If that doesn't hit the spot, it's also offering Mother's day sets and vegan classics all starting from £22.

doughnuttime.co.uk

22. Crosstown

If you haven't tried Crosstown's doughnuts yet, well, we feel sorry for you. In our opinion, they're a dough-brainer. Sorry not sorry. Founded in 2014 and leading the way in the doughnut revolution, Crosstown now also does small-batch ice cream, warm cookies and speciality coffee – and it's all as delicious as its original doughnuts. There's now an endless variety of Mothers Day offerings and gift-box combos too that include craft beers, wine and merch.

Boxes of six start from £22. crosstowndoughnuts.com

23. Happy Donuts

In an enviable spot on London's famous Portobello road, Happy Donuts creates littles bites of joy that are pretty much on par with receiving a hit of serotonin right in the cerebral cortex. It does free delivery on orders of 10 or more – but when there are 14 flavours on offer, you might as well try them all... We recommend the Ferrero Roche (a slow-matured dough filled with Valrhona 55% chocolate and a roasted hazelnut ganache, topped with Valrhona Cocoa chocolate icing and a whole Ferrero Rocher) or for the traditionalists among us, a classic raspberry jam.

All doughnuts are £2.50 each and gluten free upon request.happydonuts.co.uk

24. The Treats Club

Hackney's newest doughnut bar The Treats Club (and oh boy, is it a treat) serves hot, fresh doughnuts. Mmmmhm. But just in case you can't make it to the shop for fresh-out-the-oven cake, it's set up the UK's first and only DIY doughnut delivery kits, packed with ready-made dough and a choice of Oreo Smores, Bischoff Vegan or Nutella Fudge Brownie centres. If that's not enough, there's a range of fun toppings including homemade sauces, sprinkles, honeycomb and marshmallow fluff.

thetreatsclub.com

25. Rinkoff Bakery

First in the UK to coin the 'Crodough' – a hybrid croissant-doughnut combo – Rinkoff Bakery is our saving grace for allowing us to indulge at breakfast. Confused? Let us talk you through it: croissant pastry is fried like a doughnut to give extra height and a layered effect, and then filled with delicious flavours such as salted caramel, custard and chocolate – and you can get it delivered to your door with Deliveroo. Thank heavens for small mercies.

Cronuts start at £3.75 each. rinkoffbakery.co.uk