Best Hot Desserts In Minnesota

We eat a lot of ice cream in Minnesota, and while that is great year-round, there is something about a hot dessert that makes the cold months more bearable. Who cares if blustery winds blow outside when the goodness of these desserts are warming your soul inside? Whether it's at the very end of dinner or a sweet treat at any time of day, these warm desserts will always hit the spot.

Molten Chocolate Cake At Barbette
1600 Lake St W
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 827-5710
www.barbette.com

One of the staples of the Kim Bartmann empire, Barbette has provided fantastic and accessible French cuisine for the people of Minneapolis since opening in Uptown. Known for dinner, happy hour brunch and the popular Bastille Days festival, the restaurant isn't often mentioned when talking about dessert. This is a missed opportunity. The chocolate cake, oozing with molten chocolate and with the most delicious salted caramel you may have ever tasted, is worth the trip alone.

Cast Iron Skillet Cobbler At Copper Hen
2515 Nicollet Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 872-2221
www.copperhenkitchen.com

Made hot to order, this dessert reminds us of what grandma used to make (or should have if she didn't). Made with seasonal fruit, another reason to keep coming back again and again as the weather changes, the to-die-for crumble on top is the perfect complement for the fruit. The whole thing tastes exactly how dessert in Minnesota should: wholesome, sweet but not too sweet, fresh and delicious. It's also worth trying the chocolate chip cookies, also made hot in a cast iron skillet.

Bananas Foster At Salt Cellar
173 Western Ave N
St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 219-4013
www.saltcellarsaintpaul.com

This retro-classic steakhouse from Heartland alum Alan Bergo takes the supper club model and reintroduces it with local ingredients and a few modern twists. But ultimately it stays true to it's roots, and it's someplace that Don Draper would feel right at home. Case in point: the bananas foster, made table-side while you watch and with all the panache you could hope for. The flames fly and you can smell the sweetness in the air before you take a bite. It's a great way to end the meal.

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Chocolate Lava Cake At Harry's Cafe
20790 Keokuk Ave
Lakeville, MN 55044
(952) 469-5696
www.eatatharrys.com

This bundt cake dessert (bundt cake is itself a Minnesota staple) is a decadent treat. They make their own chocolate cake here, which is the first step in creating the rich texture from which the fudge flows, and also their own ice cream which is served underneath. This is unlike any lava cake you've had before (and an interesting counterpoint to the molten chocolate cake from Barbette), and certainly worth the visit. You can try something from their menu as well if you're hungry for dinner, but make sure to try this dessert.

Bourek At The Barbary Fig
720 Grand Ave
St Paul, MN 55105
(651) 290-2085
www.barbaryfigrestaurant.com

While typically a savory dish, the bourek at this Greek mainstay on St. Paul's Grand Avenue has turned in into dessert, and we're all the better for it. Served hot and filled with chocolate and hazelnuts, with lavender and honey on top, it's similar to baklava but with an added richness from the chocolate. It's crispy, it's sweet, it's a great dessert to share (or have all to yourself) after a warm meal in the cozy dining room.

Related: Best Places For Chocolate Chip Desserts In Minnesota

Adrian Schramm is a resident Saint Paul writer with a passion for all things local. Through his work with Saint Paul Almanac and Minneapolis Examiner at Examiner.com, as well as in the kitchens of bars and restaurants around town, he has discovered what truly makes the Twin Cities tick.