7 Local Treats Your Kids (and You) Will Love

S’mores Sensation — Archimallows

A is for Archimallows, light-as-air homemade (by Kyle Archibald) marshmallows that put rubbery mass-market marshies to shame. Decadent and inventive, the gluten-free and vegan goodies come in ever-changing flavours like lemon meringue, cream soda, cola float and more. Have access to an outdoor fire pit? Grab some Archimallows, graham crackers and chocolate and bust out a batch of s’mores!

604-346-0600

Creamy Confections — Rain or Shine Ice Cream

Want to keep their tongues from wagging? A cone from Rain or Shine Ice Cream will have them silently slurping the creamy confection – at least for a little while. Kid-friendly flavours include no-fuss chocolate or vanilla, but we’ll bet they’ll love peanut butter or even the vegan coconut chocolate chunk. And before spring turns into summer, sample a “seasonal fling” flavour such as Brown Butter Snickerdoodle or Malted Milk Chocolate Honeycomb.

Locations: 1926 West 4th Avenue, 604-428-7246 | 3382 Cambie Street, Vancouver; 604-876-9986

Quintessential Cupcakes — Sweet Bake Shop

For us, the quintessential kid treat is a single, superb cupcake that exemplifies how boutique bakery sweets outshine anything that comes from a supermarket. It’s like giving them their very own birthday cake, even if it’s not officially “the big day.” Our favourite Sweet Bake Shop flavours to captivate the kiddies include the Vanilla Cotton Candy, Root Beer Float and Butterscotch Vanilla cupcakes, each crowned with whipped frosting.

Location: 1141 Mainland Street, Vancouver; 604-424-8800

Splits for Sharing — Glenburn Soda Fountain & Confectionery

Nothing says caring like sharing, and Glenburn Soda Fountain is an ideal spot for satisfying their sweet-tooth – family-style. Grab extra spoons and dig into a massive banana split, covered with a trio of sauces (strawberry, hot fudge and pineapple) or OD on chocolate by choosing the Blackout: chocolate ice-cream smothered in hot fudge sauce, chocolate whipped cream, dark chocolate sprinkles and a chocolate wafer cookie.

Location: 4090 Hastings Street, Burnaby

Delectable Donut Holes — Lee’s Donuts

Don’t let the no-fuss nature of Lee’s Donuts’ decor detract you from the fact that this Granville Island mainstay is worth braving the weekend hoards of tourists and locals who visit the market. You don’t last for more than three decades without churning out irresistible donuts. You can get the classics like the massive apple fritter, plump jelly-filled or honey-dipped donuts, but we like grabbing a paper bag jam-packed with an assortment of donut holes that let the kiddies munch all day.

Location: 122–1689 Johnston Street, Granville Island

604-685-4021

Custom Chocolate Bars — Sugar & Co.

Delight them with handmade chocolate bars in flavours such as Worms in Dirt – it’s gummy worms and crushed Oreo cookies – or Rocky Road, which is studded with toasted salted almonds and mini marshmallows. Or let them get into the Sugar and Co. sweet-making by building their very own bar. They can choose from light, dark or milk chocolate and add super-cool toppings like gummy fish, neon frogs and blue raspberry sour bottles, among others.

Location: #159–1233 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver; 604-971-5331

Fantastic Floss — Cloud Nine Cotton Candy Company

Organic, all-natural, gourmet?! These are not words usually associated with cotton candy. But at Cloud Nine Cotton Candy Company, all-natural colours and more than 20 flavours like chocolate-mint, blue bubble gum and coconut are spun with cane sugar to create this confection. With ingredients this good, you’ll soon forgive the sticky fingers and faces and dive in for a taste of this fluffy sugar sensation.

778-885-7905