The Best Bakeries, Ice Cream & Sweet Treats in Nantucket

There’s a certain sweetness to summer on Nantucket. Maybe it’s the cobblestones still warm from the afternoon sun, the harbor turning gold, or a waffle cone melting just a little faster than you can keep up with it.

Around here, some of the best vacation memories are the simplest ones: a pastry picked up on the way to the beach, an ice cream after dinner, or something chocolatey discovered while wandering downtown without much of a plan.

Staying at The Beachside puts you close to all of it. These are a few of our favorite places to find the best ice cream, bakeries, and desserts in Nantucket.

Where to Find the Best Ice Cream in Nantucket

Ice cream is practically an evening ritual on Nantucket. After a day at the beach, there’s nothing better than heading into town for a scoop and taking the long way home.

The island has no shortage of contenders for the best ice cream in Nantucket, with homemade waffle cones, small-batch flavors, and seasonal favorites that feel especially right after a day in the sun.

A few places worth adding to your list:

• The Juice Bar — Perhaps Nantucket’s most iconic ice cream stop. On summer evenings, the line can stretch down the block, but waiting is part of the tradition. Homemade waffle cones are baked fresh and filled with favorites like Green Monster and The Carl alongside the classics. Our advice? Embrace the line, choose your flavor, and enjoy your cone while wandering toward the harbor.
• Island Kitchen — A favorite for house-made ice cream with a smaller-batch feel. Flavors rotate throughout the season, which gives you an excellent reason to come back more than once.
• Jack + Charlie’s — A sweet stop for an afternoon or evening scoop, with plenty of classic flavors to satisfy an ice cream craving. Pick your favorite, take it to go, and enjoy it while wandering the nearby streets.

Our favorite way to do ice cream? Always get the cone, then walk it off. A little melting is part of summer.

The Best Bakery in Nantucket for Slow Mornings

Ask around for the best bakery in Nantucket, and you’ll quickly discover that everyone has an opinion. That’s part of the fun. From crusty sourdough and buttery morning buns to Portuguese bread and blueberry-packed pastries, there’s plenty worth waking up for.

A few favorites:

• Born & Bread — Tucked along historic Petticoat Row downtown, Born & Bread specializes in naturally leavened sourdough made through a long fermentation process. You’ll also find breakfast sandwiches, paninis, and plenty of things you didn’t intend to order when you walked in. Consider that part of the experience.
• Nantucket Bake Shop — A longtime island favorite known for Portuguese bread, chocolate chunk cookies, Irish oatmeal cake, Boston cream pie, whoopie pies, and other classics. It’s a little outside downtown, but well worth the trip.
• Wicked Island Bakery — A local favorite worth seeking out for a morning treat. If there are morning buns available, don’t overthink it.

One important piece of island advice: go early. The best pastries have a habit of disappearing before the morning does.

Then bring your finds back to The Beachside, settle in somewhere sunny, and remember that there is absolutely nowhere you need to be in a hurry.

Finding the Best Dessert in Nantucket

Ice cream may get most of the attention, but Nantucket has plenty more for anyone who believes dessert deserves its own itinerary.

Start with a wander downtown. You’ll find candy counters filled with fudge, saltwater taffy, chocolates, and the sort of treats that somehow end up coming home in your beach bag.

A couple of stops to know:

• Aunt Leah’s Fudge — A classic harborside stop for small-batch fudge, saltwater taffy, and old-fashioned candy. Pick up a little something after dinner and stroll the wharf while the boats come in.
• Cymbals Café — When a donut craving strikes, Cymbals Café is an easy stop for something sweet. Pair a fresh donut with a coffee for an afternoon pick-me-up, or grab a few treats to share as you explore the island.

And don’t forget about Nantucket’s seasonal fruit desserts. Blueberries and cranberries have a way of finding their way into everything from buttery crisps and cobblers to tarts and cakes throughout the island. When you spot something made with local or seasonal fruit on the menu, order it. It’s a delicious way to get a little taste of the island.

How to Plan a Nantucket Dessert Crawl

One of the best things about staying close to town is how easily an afternoon wander can become a full-fledged dessert tour. No complicated itinerary required.

A few Beachside-approved rules:

• Start early. Bakeries sell out, especially during the height of summer.
• Leave room after dinner. Some of the island’s best desserts arrive at the end of the meal.
• Ask around. Nantucket locals tend to have strong opinions about where to find the perfect cookie, cone, or pastry. We recommend listening.
• Walk whenever you can. Downtown Nantucket was made for wandering, and an extra stroll conveniently makes room for another scoop.
• Taste the flavors of Nantucket. From cranberry ice cream and Portuguese bread to locally made chocolate, these island favorites add something extra to your stay.

Most importantly, don’t try too hard to make a schedule of it. The best discoveries on Nantucket have a way of happening when you’re simply out for a walk.

A Little Something Sweet, Close to The Beachside

That’s the thing about Nantucket: indulgence doesn’t need to be a big occasion.

It’s an ice cream cone on the walk home. A warm pastry before the beach. A box of fudge tucked into your bag for later. Dessert ordered for the table, and then quietly guarded once everyone realizes how good it is.

Whether you’re searching for the best ice cream in Nantucket, tracking down the best bakery in Nantucket, or conducting some very important research into the best dessert in Nantucket, we think the sweetest part is everything that happens along the way.

At The Beachside Hotel, you’re close enough to town to follow whatever craving strikes, while still having a relaxed place to return to when the day winds down.

Come hungry. Wander often. Order the waffle cone.