Humans haven’t always eaten desserts. Going back to some of our earliest ancestors, prehistoric hominins probably had similar diets to modern chimps: fruit, leaves, and insects. They were omnivores, so they probably weren’t whipping up a batch of cookies after dinner. (Also, they didn’t have ovens, which made the whole “baking” thing difficult.)
So where did dessert come from? Scientists say a shift in the diet of our hominin ancestors occurred about 2.6 million years ago when pre-humans started incorporating meat into their meals. This likely played a substantial role in human evolution since meat provides nicotinamide, a key vitamin for brain development.
Jumping forward a few million years, modern humans have meat-fueled brains and now they want something sweet to eat. The first record of the word “dessert” comes from 1539 when people snacked on candied fruits after big meals. By the 1700s, the idea of eating something sweet after a meal caught on as access to refined sugar increased. That brings us to today when dessert is pretty common around the world.
Desserts are usually affordable — but how expensive can they get? From thousand-dollar cupcakes to million-dollar strawberries, these are the most expensive desserts in the world.
- The Decadence D’Or Cupcake
- The Golden Opulence Sundae
- Bloomsbury’s Gold Cupcake
- Krispy Kreme’s Golden Doughnut
- Frrozen Haute Chocolate
- Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel Pudding
- Three Twins Record-Breaking Ice Cream
- Strawberries Arnaud
Maker/Chef: Sweet Surrender (a Las Vegas eatery)
Origin: The Palazzo (Las Vegas)
Flavor Profile: Chocolate and cognac
photo source: homecrux.com
Las Vegas is home to a lot of money. Whether it’s a casino or a high-end hotel, it’s not hard to find signs of wealth in Sin City.
But what about the food in Vegas? Is it pricey too? Yes, definitely. It’s pretty easy to spend hundreds at a nice restaurant, but you could also drop close to $1,000 at Sweet Surrender inside The Palazzo hotel. That’s right, this sweets shop offers $750 chocolate cupcakes complete with notes of cognac and edible gold flakes. The cupcake is designed by chef Olivier Dubreuil, a French chef who attended culinary school in Arcachon, France.
Did you know?
Chef Dubreuil uses Louis XIII de Remy Martin Cognac in his cupcakes. Amazingly, that cognac has ingredients dating back about 100 years.
Maker/Chef: Serendipity 3 (a restaurant in NYC)
Origin: New York City
Flavor Profile: Carmel, chocolate, raspberries, and more
photo source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
How much would you pay for a sundae? What if it had edible diamonds and real gold leaf? Well, Serendipity 3 in New York City thinks the crazy dessert is worth about $1,000 — you read that right, this is a thousand-dollar ice cream sundae.
So what do you get for that price tag? The whole thing starts with a creamy gelato base before caramelized pecans add some crunch and toasty sweetness. Some tart flavors are added with a raspberry macaron and fruit-filled pipettes, then edible diamonds and real gold leaf turn the whole thing into a shimmering masterpiece.
Did you know?
Serendipity 3 says its goal is to remind customers of their childhood through delicious ice cream sundaes. Did your ice cream cost $1,000 as a kid?
Maker/Chef: Bloomsbury (a cafe in Dubai)
Origin: United Arab Emirates
Flavor Profile: Chocolate
photo source: usatoday.com
Dubai is home to a lot of pricey destinations and wealthy shoppers. From luxury hotels to expensive indoor ski slopes, the city is filled with high–end and costly attractions that only the richest travelers can afford.
Enter Bloomsbury’s gold cupcake: a thousand-dollar sweet treat featuring chocolatey flavors and gold-infused ingredients (there’s even a sheet of edible gold included just for good measure). The whole thing is served on an impressively shimmering gold-rimmed plate alongside a golden spoon. Yeah, it’s a lot of gold.
Bloomsbury prices the gold cupcake at just over $1,000, making it the sixth-most expensive dessert on the planet.
Did you know?
Dubai isn’t just home to one of the world’s most expensive desserts — it also has the world’s tallest building: the Burj Khalifa.
Maker/Chef: Krispy Kreme
Origin: United Kingdom
Flavor Profile: Champagne and white chocolate
photo source: firstwefeast.com
Krispy Kreme isn’t exactly known as a high-end bakery. The company started in July 1937 as a doughnut shop and has sold relatively affordable fried pastries ever since. You can usually buy a dozen classic glazed doughnuts from the company for less than $15, but that didn’t stop Krispy Kreme from creating an ultra-expensive version of their adored dessert.
How “ultra-expensive”? Try $1,685. That’s right, this is a sixteen-hundred-dollar doughnut. The wildly expensive dessert was offered in the U.K. and some of the proceeds went to charity. The doughnut itself featured gold-dusted white chocolate and notes of champagne alongside edible diamonds and real gold leaf. Krispy Kreme topped things off with a unique design that looks more like a sculpture than a doughnut — but it’s all totally edible.
Did you know?
This pricey dessert came with a cocktail featuring Courvoisier Cognac.
Maker/Chef: Serendipity 3
Origin: New York City
Flavor Profile: Chocolate
photo source: luxurylaunches.com
A $25,000 frozen hot chocolate? Sure! Why not! The wildly expensive creation by Serendipity 3 was titled Frrozen Haute Chocolate (spelled with two Rs). Reports say the pricey creation features edible gold (of course) and is served in a fancy goblet lined with more edible gold.
Not enough gold for your taste? Check out the 18-karat gold bracelet at the base of the goblet. It’s yours to keep if you buy the dessert! The pricey bling boasts one carat of white diamonds, so maybe it’s worth that $25,0000 price tag. Reports say the eatery partnered with Euphoria New York, a jeweler, to bring this dessert to life.
Serendipity 3 was co-founded by Stephen Bruce. The iconic artist Andy Warhol has been cited as an influence on the success of Bruce’s restaurant.
Did you know?
Serendipity 3 is really popular. The eatery accepts reservations up to 30 days in advance — it gets that crowded.
Maker/Chef: Marc Guibert
Origin: The United Kingdom
Flavor Profile: Chocolate
photo source: dailymail.co.uk
Do you love pudding? What about caviar? How about gold?
Chef Marc Guibert seems to like all of the above — the British cook created a $35,000 dessert featuring all three ingredients. Yes, pudding with caviar (fish eggs). But he didn’t stop there, a real diamond was added for good measure. You can’t eat it, unlike some desserts on this list, but it’s pretty, right?
This wildly expensive treat was designed for Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel in England’s Lake District, a popular vacation spot for people across the globe.
Beyond this dessert, Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel offers slightly more reasonably priced meals like Sea Bream and Cod Loin for about $30 while a room goes for at least $150 per night.
Did you know?
According to the hotel, “Lindeth Howe was built as a summer holiday home for a wealthy mill owner in 1879.”
Maker/Chef: Three Twins Ice Cream
Origin: Tanzania
Flavor Profile: Unknown
photo source: cnbc.com
In 2018, Three Twins Ice Cream announced a crazy new ice cream product. Customers could purchase the wildly expensive dessert experience and get flown out to Tanzania to have their very own batch of luxury ice cream created before their eyes while standing on Mount Kilimanjaro. The unique idea was created by the company’s founder, Neal Gottlieb, after he traveled to the mountain and made ice cream on its snowy surface.
When it comes to the experience itself, the whole process starts by collecting ice from a glacier which will be used to make the ice cream. The ice cream can be vanilla or any other flavor requested by the customer. The whole process is done by hand by none other than Neal Gottlieb before the wealthy customer enjoys their pricey treat.
Did you know?
Some of the money Three Twins earns from their dessert experience goes to environmental charities.
Maker/Chef: Arnaud’s
Origin: New Orleans
Flavor Profile: Strawberries
photo source: forbes.com
Strawberries Arnaud is the most expensive dessert in the world.
Coming in at a jaw-dropping $9.85 million, this wildly expensive dessert features strawberries alongside a real 10.06-carat diamond ring. The dish was designed by Arnaud’s, a high-end restaurant in New Orleans.
Beyond the strawberries and the ring, this dessert showcases a golden spoon and whipped cream. If $9.85 million is a little beyond your budget, you can buy a $9 version without all the bells and whistles.
Did you know?
Arnaud’s restaurant was opened in 1918 by a French salesman. The popular spot serves everything from oysters to sauteed wild mushrooms.
