food + drink (sweet treats)
Ice Cream, Donuts & Desserts on Pleasure Island
Calories don't count at the beach. We don't make the rules.
Whether you're craving ice cream after a long day in the sun, donuts for breakfast, something sweet after dinner, or a treat while walking the Carolina Beach Boardwalk, Pleasure Island has plenty of ways to satisfy your sweet tooth.
From longtime local favorites to colorful vacation-worthy creations, here are some of our favorite places to grab something sweet in Carolina Beach and Kure Beach.
Britt’s Donut Shop
You can't talk about sweets in Carolina Beach without starting with Britt's.
Located directly on the Carolina Beach Boardwalk, this local institution has been serving its famous glazed donuts since 1939. Don't come expecting an enormous menu of flavors and toppings, Britt's keeps things beautifully simple.
Hot glazed donuts. That's the move.
Why you'll love it:
Iconic Carolina Beach tradition
Fresh glazed donuts
Boardwalk location
Perfect morning or evening treat
One of those places you simply have to try at least once
Vesta Tip: Britt's is seasonal and lines can get long during peak summer. Don't let that scare you away. Get more than you think you need, somehow the box always empties.
Wake N Bake Donuts
If Britt's is the classic, Wake N Bake is where you go when you want your donut to be a little extra.
Known for creative flavors and over-the-top combinations, Wake N Bake has become a favorite for visitors and locals looking for something beyond the traditional glazed donut.
Expect everything from decadent chocolate creations to fruity, cereal-topped and specialty flavors.
Why you'll love it:
Creative specialty donuts
Tons of flavors
Fun options for kids
Great vacation breakfast
Perfect for grabbing a box for the whole house
Vesta Tip: Pick up a mixed dozen one morning and let everyone fight over their favorite. Vacation memories!
Squigley’s Ice Cream & Treats
A Carolina Beach tradition since the 1990s, Squigley's is known for its signature frozen creations made by blending ice cream with your choice of candies, fruits and other mix-ins.
With seemingly endless combinations, everyone can create exactly what they're craving.
Why you'll love it:
Tons of flavor combinations
Custom mix-ins
Family-friendly
Classic beach-town atmosphere
Great after-dinner stop
Perfect for: That inevitable 8:30 p.m. vacation conversation: "Does anybody want ice cream?"
The answer is yes.
Celtic Creamery
For rich, handcrafted ice cream, Celtic Creamery is another Carolina Beach favorite.
Known for small-batch ice cream and a wide variety of flavors, it's a great place to cool off after walking around town or finish the evening with dessert.
Why you'll love it:
Handcrafted ice cream
Rotating flavors
Rich, creamy texture
Casual atmosphere
Great evening treat
Krazy Kones
Nothing says beach vacation quite like walking around with an ice cream cone that's melting slightly faster than you can eat it.
Krazy Kones serves up ice cream and frozen treats in a colorful, casual setting that's especially popular with families.
Why you'll love it:
Ice cream and frozen treats
Fun atmosphere
Kid-friendly
Perfect after a beach day
Plenty of choices for the whole family
Fudgeboat
Located near the Carolina Beach Boardwalk, Fudgeboat is a dangerous little stop if you have a sweet tooth.
You'll find homemade-style fudge in a variety of flavors along with chocolates and other treats that are perfect for enjoying during your trip, or taking home as a souvenir.
Why you'll love it:
Fresh fudge
Multiple flavors
Chocolates and candies
Great Boardwalk treat
Easy edible souvenir
Vesta Tip: Buy some for "later." Whether it actually survives until later is between you and the fudge.
The Southerly Biscuit & Pie
We love The Southerly for breakfast, but the sweet side of the menu deserves its own attention.
Along with its scratch-made Southern biscuits, you'll find pies, cookies and other baked treats that make an excellent afternoon pick-me-up or dessert to bring back to your rental.
Why you'll love it:
Fresh baked goods
Homemade-style pies
Cookies and sweets
Local, Southern feel
Easy grab-and-go option
Happy Hippies Java Hut
Sometimes the sweet treat you need comes with caffeine.
Happy Hippies Java Hut is a fun local stop for specialty coffee drinks, frozen beverages and other sweet creations, perfect when you need an afternoon boost before heading back to the beach.
Why you'll love it:
Specialty coffee drinks
Frozen beverages
Fun flavor combinations
Casual beach-town atmosphere
Perfect afternoon pick-me-up
Don't Forget Kure Beach
Kure Beach is quieter and has fewer dedicated dessert shops than neighboring Carolina Beach, but that doesn't mean you're going without dessert.
Several restaurants around the Kure Beach Pier offer desserts and sweet options after dinner, and Carolina Beach's ice cream and donut shops are only a short drive away.
Our favorite plan?
Have dinner in Kure Beach, take an evening walk around the pier, then head toward Carolina Beach for ice cream.
Nobody said dessert had to be geographically convenient.
Make It a Boardwalk Night
If you're staying in Carolina Beach, save at least one evening for the Boardwalk.
Grab dinner nearby, walk along the oceanfront, check out the shops and seasonal attractions, then finish the night with donuts, fudge or ice cream.
During the summer, the area is especially lively with events, entertainment and that classic beach-town energy that makes Carolina Beach feel like Carolina Beach.
Vesta Tip: Let the kids stay up late. Get the donut. Buy the ridiculous ice cream. You're on vacation.
Bringing Dessert Back to Your Rental?
Absolutely encouraged.
Grab a box of donuts for tomorrow morning, pick up pie or cookies for later, or bring your favorite treats back to enjoy on the deck after everyone showers off the sand.
And if you're staying in a Vesta home with a great outdoor space, we'd argue dessert outside with the sound of the ocean nearby beats a fancy restaurant most nights anyway.
Treat Yourself with Vesta
Some vacation memories are big, your first glimpse of the ocean, a perfect beach day or watching the sunset together.
Others are much simpler.
Sticky fingers from a melting ice cream cone. A warm donut on the Boardwalk. Sneaking another piece of fudge after everyone else went to bed.
At Vesta Property Group, we're here to help you discover all the little things that make Carolina Beach and Kure Beach worth coming back to year after year.
Explore Vesta vacation rentals and start planning your sweetest stay on Pleasure Island.
