Cobb County dessert makers go harder in summer than any other time of year. It’s not just the usual rotation getting refreshed. These are limited runs, small-batch flavors, and builds that only make sense when Georgia farms are in full swing. Some of this disappears next month. Here’s what’s actually worth going out of your way for right now.
Bonnin’s Bakery
📍 4200 Wade Green Rd, Ste 136, Kennesaw, GA 30144
Bonnin’s menu is built around French-inspired baked goods made by hand: croissants, crepes, beignets, baguettes, brioche, and a rotating selection of pastries. The crepes are the summer draw: made to order and available in sweet builds with fresh fruit, Nutella, and seasonal fillings.
The beignets are light and properly done, which is rarer in Cobb than it should be. The full menu also runs Croque Monsieur, Quiche Lorraine, and savory options, which makes this a legitimate lunch-and-dessert stop in one visit.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
📍 93 Church St, Marietta, GA 30060
Jeni’s opened on the Marietta Square and the summer menu is where it shines. The Brambleberry Crisp is the seasonal standout: raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries in cultured buttermilk and cream with passion fruit. It’s bright, tart, and tastes like actual summer fruit rather than a sweetened version. The Watermelon Taffy is another limited summer build with puckery watermelon and citric acid.
There’s also a Bridgerton collaboration running this summer: a lavender-hued Almond Buttercream with Raspberry Rose Jam and Honey Sponge Cake. Pints are $14. The Church Street location stays open late, making it a natural last stop after dinner or a Glover Park show.
Frozen Cow Creamery
📍 2870 Cherokee St NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144
Voted Best Ice Cream in Cobb County multiple times, Frozen Cow Creamery is a family-owned creamery in a converted house in downtown Kennesaw. Every order starts with liquid cream and gets flash-frozen with liquid nitrogen right in front of you. The process produces smaller ice crystals and a noticeably creamier, smoother result. Summer highlights: key lime cheesecake, tiramisu, apple pie ala mode, strawberry shortcake, carrot cake.
You can also build your own combination from scratch. The process takes a few minutes and watching it happen is part of the experience. Seating inside and outside, and the park across the street is a good walk-off after. Starts around $6.50 a cup.
Paleteria Michoacana Ice Cream Shop
📍 737 Roswell St NE, Suite 202, Marietta, GA 30060
Paleteria Michoacana makes homemade paletas alongside fresh fruit, natural juices, esquites, and traditional antojitos. The paletas use real ingredients and the summer fruit builds, mango, strawberry, tamarind, coconut, are what drive the regulars. The chamoyada is the summer order: mango sorbet, chamoy, lime, and chile salt. Cold, sharp, and built for heat.
Open earlier than most dessert spots on this list, starting at 9 AM, which makes it a practical stop whenever the craving hits. Budget-friendly across the full menu. One of the more underrated spots in Marietta that gets overlooked in favor of the Square.
The Peach Cobbler Factory
📍 2752 Cumberland Blvd SE, Smyrna, GA 30080
Warm peach cobbler with a flaky pie crust, topped with creamy vanilla ice cream and dusted with the house spice blend. That’s the core and it earns Peach Cobbler Factory’s reputation. Beyond the classic peach, the Caramel Apple, Blackberry, and Sweet Potato Pecan Cobbler all have strong followings. The cinnamon roll stuffed with cobbler filling is its own category entirely.
No artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial flavors in anything. Pricing starts at $8.50 per cobbler with ice cream. Warm dessert against cold ice cream hits differently on a hot day, and that’s exactly what this place was built around.
Lolita’s Parlour
📍 1147 Powder Springs St SW, Marietta, GA 30064
Lolita’s Parlour is an independently owned dessert parlour on Powder Springs Street with over 300 items on the menu and a first-generation owner who takes the variety seriously. The menu goes well beyond ice cream: churros, fried dessert biscuits, macarons, and specialty builds that change with the season. The churros here are fresh and served with dipping options.
The cardamom fresh cream paired with cinnamon sugar churros is the combination that keeps people coming back. Cold brew ice cream and dark chocolate truffle round out the ice cream standouts. Open late when most dessert spots in Cobb are already closed. If you’re in West Marietta after 10 PM and want something worth eating, this is the answer.
Vanilla Café e Gelato
📍 4475 Roswell Rd, Suite 1010, Marietta, GA 30062
Vanilla Café e Gelato is a family-owned café in East Cobb that makes artisan gelato fresh in-house every batch. The pistachio is the most talked-about flavor: real pistachio, not the sweetened artificial version. Stracciatella, seasonal fruit builds, and rotating flavors fill out the regular menu.
The café pairs gelato with house-made syrup-infused coffee, which makes this a sit-down experience rather than a grab-and-go stop. The Roswell Rd location is easy to reach from most of East Cobb and the surrounding corridor.
Every summer, I end up saying I’m going to try a bunch of new places, then somehow keep going back to the same one. So this list is as much a reminder for me as it is for you.
If you’ve been looking for an excuse to get out of the house, this is it. Order the dessert you’ve been thinking about all week. Summer’s too short to keep putting it off.
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