America's Best Salty-Sweet Desserts

Taza chocolate crémeux, $11
Pastry chef Brian Mercury created this dessert to highlight "the classic flavor combination of chocolate, caramel and salt — the trifecta." Passionate about using local ingredients, Mercury sources Taza chocolate produced in the neighboring town of Somerville, and even collects water from area beaches to make sea salt. A cross between fudge and mousse, the crémeux contains a salty caramel center and comes with malted milk chocolate sauce, brown sugar granola, and whipped vanilla mascarpone.
harvestcambridge.com

Salted pistachio religieuse, $5
Creator of the pastry sensation, the cronut, Dominique Ansel also offers inspired religieuses at his downtown bakery. The French classic consists of two stacked cream puffs, and his version is filled with both whipped white chocolate–pistachio ganache (on top), and a custardy, salted pistachio mousseline (on the bottom).
dominiqueansel.com

Buttered popcorn pot de crème, $7
After finding a large bag of popcorn in the kitchen, pastry chef Matt Danko jokingly told executive chef Brian Goodman that he'd use it to make a pot de crème. "Chef Goodman kept razzing me until I made the dessert," Danko says. "It took some tweaking, but about six recipes later, I came up with what's on the menu now." With smooth, buttery cream resting under a layer of salted caramel with coarse sea salt flakes, this has become a staple at the Gateway District gastropub — and one customers won't let Danko take off the menu.
thegreenhousetavern.com

Chocolate crémeux, $13
Pastry chef Sarah Jordan presents chocolate in three ways in one dessert: as a silky crémeux, a flourless chocolate cake, and a caramel-filled chocolate sphere. Candied crouton pretzels, Goose Island beer caramel, and briny potato chips further intensify the flavor and add texture. "This was intended to have everything that is bad for you — beer, chocolate, chips and pretzels," says Jordan, who is celebrated for her fun, whimsical style. "I wanted to present all of these simple comforts in an elegant plated dessert that was interesting to eat."
bokachicago.com

Salted caramel ice cream sundae, $14
Jean-Georges Vongerichten and chef Dan Kluger run this acclaimed farm-to-table spot off Union Square. It's home to one of the city's cult sundaes. "It's like a deconstructed Snickers bar with salt," Vongerichten says. With a nod to the candy bar flavor profile, pastry chef Melody Lee's sweet-and-savory take on a classic sundae is transcendent, bringing together scoops of sea salted–caramel ice cream in a pool of rich chocolate fudge, garnished with crushed peanuts, whipped cream, and a scattering of crunchy caramel-coated popcorn.
abchome.com/abc-kitchen

Vinegar pie with salt brittle, $9
Initially discovered by chef Chris Shepherd in Hillbilly Cookin' (written in 1968), this tangy pie is now a signature dessert at his Southern eatery. To update the decades-old recipe, pastry chef Victoria Dearmond trades a standard crust for traditional tart dough, and uses cane vinegar and double strength apple cider for the filling. Crunchy caramel brittle dusted with Galveston sea salt is sprinkled on top. "I wasn't sure what to put with the pie because of the different flavors and textures," Dearmond says. "I used salt-and-vinegar potato chips as my inspiration."
underbellyhouston.com

Salty Malty ice cream pie, $7
Originally developed by executive chef Tenney Flynn as a New Year's Eve dessert, the Salty Malty delivers a crunchy brown butter pretzel crust filled with salted vanilla ice cream, malt powder, and whipped cream. A burned caramel drizzle and dark chocolate–covered pretzels complete the decadent pie. "We tried to hit all the cheap thrill receptors with this one," Flynn says. "Kudos to chef de cuisine Mike Nelson for his work on this incredibly popular dessert."
gwfins.com

Sesame sea salt cocktail cookies, $10 a stack
Pastry maven and blogger Dorie Greenspan uses local butter and hand-harvested French sea salt for the first flavor in her Cocktail Collection cookies. "I wanted a little crunch and a lot of shortbread tenderness," Greenspan says. "I love that this cookie is both elegant and munchable — a great combo." A hint of sweetness and strong salt punch create a lingering flavor that's amplified by nutty black and white sesame seeds. Available at select New York markets or online, this savory stack proves an ideal accompaniment for white wine.
beurreandsel.com

Blonde chocolate panna cotta, $11
Inspired by her mother's German chocolate–peanut butter cake, chef Kelly Fields aimed to create a dessert with the same buttery-salty-sweet profile for her menu at John Besh's flagship. To intensify the silky panna cotta, she uses Valrhona's Dulcey blonde chocolate. "The way it's processed and caramelized with French dairy really brings out the salty notes," Fields says. "It is my favorite quality of this chocolate." Accents of toasted coconut ribbons, dark chocolate, crushed pecans, and vanilla sea salt complete this beautifully composed dish.
restaurantaugust.com

Salted caramel pie, $2.50-$20
Based on a dulce de leche–style caramel, this salted pie has been a best seller since the California café opened its doors in late 2010. "It's really smooth and creamy and goes perfectly with a touch of fleur de sel," says cofounder Ryan Handel. The sweetened condensed milk filling is sprinkled with sea salt and baked until golden and gooey, then served chilled in a brown sugar graham cracker crust and topped with vanilla whipped cream.
simplethingsrestaurant.com

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