If a bakehouse café is your jam (doughnut), then go to Doughed, go directly to Doughed. Do not collect $200….and if you’ve never played Monopoly, you’re hearing crickets right now. This Hope Island newcomer is literal heaven, serving up cracking good coffee (and mind-blowingly good matchas), taste-bud-titillating toasted focaccia sangas, and the holy grail of sweetness, doughnuts.

And if you’re thinking ‘oh but my waistline…’, stress not because the centre is 100% fat free #EatMoreHoleFoods. They also specialise in choice chunky NYC style cookies, fresh outta the oven and straight into your belly.

This gastronomic Graceland is the brainchild of prior café owners and smart cookies Alannah Bell, Kyle Davidson, Yuki Soga, Jay Jeon, who wanted to revolutionize the GC dining experience with a one-stop-shop satisfying every craving. Recognising the immense potential of Hope Island and its promising trajectory for growth, they landed on northern Gold Coast fave, Hope Island Marketplace to set up shop. On behalf of all northerns, we salute you.

Opening to a frenzy of food lovers in mid March, locals were instantly wooed by the vibrancy and vitality Doughed brought to their ‘hood. Providing both indoor and outdoor seating options, it’s more than just a place to grab a bite; it’s the perfect spot for friends and fam to come together and share their passion for doughlicious food.

Inside, they’ve crafted a clean, minimalist vibe with just the right splash of color courtesy of their bright blue logo and eye-catching packaging. It’s a space that’s both calming and invigorating, setting the perfect backdrop for your Doughed experience.

Everything on the menu will evoke your inner foodie, but let’s take a moment to shout out their signature dishes. The Early Riser Focaccia Sandwich is available all day and rises to any occasion. The slice of life we all need features maple bacon, a fried egg, hash brown, American cheddar, tomato relish, and everyone’s fave; aioli. If you’re keen to grab another, their other focaccias are just as smashing including Chicken Schnitzel, The Doughed Reuben, The Benny, Mortadella Medley, and The Vego.

Back to the sweet stuff, their signature dish Chunky NYC Cookies race out the door faster than Jono hooking up with Ellie post MAFS, including Hot Cocoa, Ferrero, Biscoff, Salted Caramel Pretzel, Red Velvet to name a few. For the doughnut devotees, have a go of Vanilla Glazed, Crème Brulee, Tirimisu, Apple Crumble, Gaytime, Strawberries and Cream and more. Apologies in advance to your dentist.

A visit to Doughed isn’t complete without a beverage and our vote goes to their signature Iced Strawberry Matcha. Using the highest possible qualiTEA, we dare you find a better drop.

Coffee lovers are in for a treat too with their already-famous coffee brews, or if you’d like to cool off with something fruity, grab an Allie’s Cold Pressed Juice, available in flavours like Watermelon, Daily Greens, Sublime Pine, or Valencia Orange. They also serve frappes, standard teas, and sparkling iced tea.

So, dough’nt delay! Pop in and say hi (and nom) to this new kid on the block, where focaccia fantasies, doughnut dreams, matcha memories, and cookie castles-in-the-sky are made.

Where: 99-103 Broadwater Avenue, Hope Island
When: 7am- until sold out (due to high demand), Monday to Sunday

Words by Bianca Trathen
Images by Mathilde Bouby

Are you the kind of person who skips right to the desserts page of a menu? Yep, well, you’re not alone. Taking tactical consideration of what sweet things can and will follow is a clever move by anyone’s standard. Luckily we are spoilt for choice with sweet treats and desserts on the Gold Coast.

Why not seek to fix that sweet craving you have? Here’s our list of the best places on the Gold Coast to grab a dessert, worthy of that extra time on the treadmill!

Tarte Bakery & Tarte Beach House
As if all self-control didn’t already tank at the mere sound of the word Tarte, our reigning pastry queen Chloe Watts went all out earlier this year to bestow upon us a knockout second site – Tarte Beach House #havemercy #we’reweak. The chic sister venue bringing Tarte’s trademark goodies to the banks of Currumbin’s picture-perfect creek, and in the process, blowing the bar previously set by our OG dessert darling out of the water.

We’d stop at ‘muffin’ to get our hands on the signature Crueller, or a Raspberry, Strawberry & White Chocolate Muffin Top, or.. okay basically everything they’re churning out. Which begs the question, can one ever have too much Tarte? We think no.
Where: 2 West Street, Burleigh Heads and 2 Thrower Dr, Currumbin

Oh My, Waffle
Make no mistake about it, if you find yourself in and around Burleigh Heads and are hit with a hankering for something sweet, head directly to Oh My, Waffle to have your mind (and calorie intake, lbh) blown –#ohsoworthit.

Prepare those ravenous, post-surf appetites to meet their match at the sight of some seriously loaded waffles and thick shakes. Though word to the wise – you may need to waddle home afterwards.
Where: Shop 6 / 1837 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

My French Pastries
Husband and wife duo, Jen & Antonio Marchesi are the French maestros behind some mighty salivating goodies at this Robina bakery, and what these folks don’t know about sweet and crunchy European desserts frankly isn’t worth knowing!

Don’t delay. Head along for the shiniest looking caramel eclairs and the flakiest known pain au chocolats this side of the equator — Bon appétit!
Where: Shop 5/361 Robina Parkway, Robina

Custard Canteen
Is a breakfast dessert a thing? If it’s not, we’re officially calling it. And if you find yourself down by the ever-majestic Tallebudgera Creek dipping in its crystal clear waters, we suggest you hot foot it right away to Custard Canteen.

Get into some great coffee — and a bacon & egg burger to end all burgers — before rounding things off with one of their ooze-tastic cookies or the flakiest of Portugese Tarts. YUM!
Where: 1525 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach

Bam Bam Bakehouse
Inventive, indulgent, and darn tasty in every department: Bam Bam Bakehouse is the goods — period. The line of sweets and desserts are nothing short of mesmerising (even attracting the likes of Margot Robbie and Matt Preston).

With so many mouthwatering morsels on offer, attempting to choose only a couple of them is a challenging feat (as is not allowing ourselves to immediately to scarf down the lot).
Where: 2519 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach

D Point Ten
Bringing an exclusively sweets-based offering to the GC’s sea of swole and shredded rigs surely required a seismic leap of faith, but any sceptics are now eating humble pie thanks to D Point Ten’s growing donut empire.

These days, their dough-licious conquest of the Coast spans across three official outlets – Pacific Fair, Varsity Lakes and Hope Island – with northern residents now also able to get their hands on the seductive looking donuts at sando sister venue, Janus Deli.

The delectable flavour rotation includes the likes of Golden Gaytime, Ferrero, and S’mores, all of which keep us wanting more. Whip out a box of these bad boys at your next gathering, and watch how fast you become everyone’s bestest bud.
Where:  Hope Island, Varsity Lakes, Molendinar and Pacific Fair – Broadbeach Waters

Paddock Bakery
One of the Gold Coast’s game-changing cafes, the level of baked and sweet goods that these guys consistently punch out is utterly jaw-dropping.

If you haven’t treated yourself to several (hundred) coffee dates at one of the cutest mini-Queenslander’s gracing the GC… welcome, you must be new here?! To remedy this immediately, we suggest you get together some of your nearest and dearest and get in on some brunch action before you launch a full-scale attack on the cracker assortment of sweets.

Be sure to try the crowd-fave Biscoff Cheesecake Doughnut or their whopping 1kg Giant Cookie! (Remember, Mum says sharing is caring.)
Where: 20 Hibiscus Haven, Burleigh Heads

Franquette
If you live in or around Tamborine, and haven’t yet wrapped your mitts (and tastebuds) around some Franquette… frankly, it’s time to re-evaluate your priorities (unless you’re gluten-free, obvi, in which case, commiserations).

Under the expert eye of master baker Jérôme Favier, Franquette (pronounced Fraen-ket) assuages hinterland hankerings with authentic French-style sweets, rolls and scrolls, and of course, the ever-crescent croissant.

They’ve teamed up with the Tamborine Mountain Gelato Co. gang to bring us ‘The Gelaffin’… a freshly baked cruffin loaded with small-batch gelato – aka the most glorious ice cream sandwich you’ve ever laid eyes upon. Officially our new favourite franken-food obsession for summer. Brain freeze (and bulk satisfaction) incoming.
Where: 1/159 Long Rd, Tamborine Mountain 

Basque
We’ve been giddy over Basque since the gorg new specialty bakehouse-cum-sippery sauntered into Chirn Park earlier this year, bearing mind-blowingly good cheesecake and French champagne. Umm, did we just become best friends?! Two of our very favourite modes of celebration under one chic roof – consider us, and our ‘coffee and cake catch up’ standards, spoiled forevermore.

Owners Laura and Zach Guertin devised the dreamy concept in answer to the age-old conundrum, ‘what should I bring?’ – and yeah, we can attest, one taste of Laura’s incredible creations and you’ll forget alll about the box of Favourites.

Luckily for the lot of us, we need not wait for a special occasion to partake in their signature Spanish Cheesecake and Champagne selection, with both available by the slice, and glass – any old time you please to cheese.
Where: 33b Musgrave Avenue, Chirn Park

My Favourite Baker
The very aptly named My Favourite Baker is one beloved among locals as a lifeline for incredible, last-minute cakes (that look and taste anything but).

The GC’s everyday cake heroes ‘crumb’ through with the (baked) goods – delivering same day turnaround on their delectable range of cakes and cupcakes almost every day of the year. Saving our bacon bakin’ from all kinds of sticky, special occasion situations, ‘logistical oversights’ and baking fails – with rave reviews, might we add. Phew! *backs slowly away from the packet mix*

Forgotten occasion? What forgotten occasion?

Only bulk brownie points to be found here (shhh.. it’ll be our little secret).
Where: 4/1 Inventory Ct, Arundel

Aux Fines Bouches
For devout pastry buffs (there’s an oxymoron in there somewhere – and hats off to anyone who manages to be buff, and a pastry enthusiast simultaneously) we do éclair, Aux Fines Bouches is the place to be.

This place is really not flaking around – run by decorated French pastry chef, Richard Le Deunff – locals in the know can’t get enough of the authentic, buttery baked-goods they’ve been doling out since 2019.

An unassuming space tucked away in Burleigh’s industrial outskirts, with a window where you can marvel at the culinary wizards whipping up the delectable works of art. Meticulously crafting tarts, cakes and custard-laden pastries Wednesday through Sunday, with a level of obsession matched only by that of our enthusiasm for consuming them.
Where: 2/43 Taree Street, Burleigh Heads

Cheeky Waffles
This naughty noshery has been getting sweet lovers hot under the collar since they burst onto Surfer’s nightlife strip, boasting a decadent and debaucherous range of genitalia-shaped desserts.. that also leave the sweet cravings totally satisfied.

The novelty (and priceless bants) of a choc-dipped coochie or pecker-shaped waffle might be too good to pass up, but don’t be tempted to write them off as a ‘one-time thing’. This place is the whole package, with the famously soft and fluffy waffles (described as ‘the best I’ve had’) the kind that keep lip-licking locals coming back for more.

Swing by and get yourself a ‘sugar daddy’ for happy endings all round.(in case you were wondering, no, we’ll never tire of writing about this place).
Where: 3189 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise

Madisons Cafe & Patisserie
A name that certainly needs no introduction among cake fans, alas no GC sweets list worth it’s salt sugar would dareth omit local mainstay, Madisons. The Broadbeach institution has long been hooking us up with our daily coffee and cake needs, with the sight of their specialty cakes becoming somewhat of a staple at our celebrations over the years.

The online ordering process is as dreamy as the buttercream (no phone call necessary, millennials rejoice) simply build your own from the options on offer – oh alright, make it a caramel mud + vanilla buttercream, since you asked (and smattering of gold dust, if you don’t mind.)
Where: Ground Floor, Oasis Shopping Centre, 12 Charles Avenue, Broadbeach

Dipcro
All hail the buttery king-of-pastries, the mighty croissant (controversial? We think not). Chevron’s debutant sweet-snackery, Dipcro delivers our sweet fix in the form of artisan baked goods like Cinnamon Buns, Croissants, Mille Feuille and Palmiers.

The venue’s namesake and signature item (a play on the words ‘Dip’ and ‘Croissant’– à la, ‘Dipcro’), invites us to take the blessed croissant to a whole new level – served with an array of signature toppings & fillings for your dunking pleasure. Oh if we must.
Where: 55 Thomas Drive, Chevron Island,

Captain’s Candy
The childhood rite of passage that was letting loose on the local pick and mix may merely live on as a fond, yet distant (albeit a little more distant than we care to admit) mem these days, but luckily us locals can venture to Captains Candy to fulfil even our most obscure candy cravings. The willy wonka-vibing wonderland inconspicuously tucked away in Ashmore’s outlet precinct, fully loaded with floor-to-wall goodies (including a hefty selection of international faves for our expat friends).

You need not *only* leave with a sugar rush, you can also stock the pantry with slightly more responsible provisions such as hot sauces, pickles, seasonings and rubs while you’re at it.

Whatever lolly your heart desires, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll find it here (even some formerly erased icons.. shout out green frogs and spearmint leaves).

Responsible adults to chaperone our candy expeditions, apply within.
Where: 12 Central Park Avenue, Ashmore

Words by Kellie Leader.

Indulging in the gooey, nutty godsend that is Nutella is a guilty pleasure that knows no bounds. Fortunately for Gold Coasters, there’s no shortage of spots across our sunny shores offering tantalising Nutella treats to satisfy those sweet cravings.

There’s no denying the joy it brings to enthusiasts, so here are 10 spots offering delectable Nutella creations (listed North to South).

D Point 10 –  Nutella Doughnut
The Nutella Doughnuts (filled with lashings of the good stuff) are some the very best things in the entire world and you (and should) can eat them by the dozen at D Point 10. So soft, so fluffy, so great.
Where: 201 Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes

Rosé Gelateria
In addition to serving up delicious gelato this pastel-infused beauty is a veritable fountain (literally) of nutella goodness. They have Nutella Cheesecake Dessert Jars, Nutella stuffed Cinnamon Cruffins, Nutella Shakes and the pièce de résistance, Nutella on tap! You are guaranteed to walk out of here in a sugar coma.
Where: Sanctuary Cove, Shop/39A Masthead Way, Hope Island and Shop 6/19-21 Tedder Ave, Main Beach.

Cheeky Waffles
The naughtiest kid on the block, Cheeky Waffles offer a nutella “love injection” into their genitalia-themed desserts. Perfect for those who like their waffles extra saucy! 
Where: 3189 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise

Paradox Coffee Roasters – Iced Nuttellate
So it’s an Iced Latte but with Nutella which, as far as we’re concerned, makes it one of the best things in the world. Need we say more.
Where: The 4217, 7/10 Beach Road, Surfers Paradise

Elk Espresso –  Nutella Thick Shake
Elk Espresso are famous for their insane Nutella Thick Shake, which is one of the most delicious things you’ll ever taste. Maybe order two.
Where: Shop G044, Oasis Shopping Centre, 12 Victoria Ave, Broadbeach

Joe’s Deli – Two Tone Hollywood cheesecake
This traditional Italian style deli is known for its killer sandwiches, but its sweets are equally spesh. Next time you’re shopping up a storm at Pac Fair refuel with a slice of Joe’s Famous Two Tone Hollywood cheesecake. This is a true crowd-pleaser, served with a decadent drizzle of liquid Nutella and a perfectly torched marshmallow brulee topping.
Where: Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Hooker Boulevard, Broadbeach

Bam Bam Bakehouse – Nutella Cronuts
Bam Bam’s Nutella Cronuts are the best way to start every day. The nutty spread is wrapped up in a soft buttery and sugar-coated flaky croissant dough and honestly who even needs an explanation, just go eat some.
Where: 2519 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach

Paddock Bakery – Nutella Bots & Coco Pops Milkshake
Paddock is the queen of OTT sweet treats but we just can’t go past their sweet little Nutella Bots. Lashings of Nutella inside their soft sourdhou cinnamon doughnuts. Bite-size and so very excellent. If you prefer your Nutella in liquid form order a Coco Pops Milkshake and thank us later. Coco Pop flavoured milk finished with Nutella & fresh Coco Pops – crack it & let the fun begin!
Where: Hibiscus Haven, Miami

Ze Pickle – Oreogazm
Deep fried Oreos in doughnut batter with ice cream and Nutella drizzled on top. The dream.
Where: 1/37 Connor Street, Burleigh Heads

Custard Canteen – Double Choc Brownie Cookie
Chunks of epic choc brownie, Lindt milk and dark chocolates, topped with Nutella. Is it hyperbole to call a cookie life-changing?
Where: 1525 Gold Coast Hwy, Tallebudgera Creek

Words by Belinda Symons