The Ultimate Guide to Dining Hall Sweet Treats
After surveying any and all sweet treats at the College of William and Mary’s two all-you-can-eat dining halls, Anna Harrington ’26 highlights some of the best and some of the worst.
Whether eating dinner in Sadler or the Caf, there is the inevitable challenge of finding the perfect sweet treat to complete your meal. Well, worry no longer: This is a comprehensive review and ranking of the dining hall desserts by someone who loves talking about food, especially of the sweet variety.
Starting off with a classic and major headliner in both dining halls, we have the chocolate chip cookies. They are a staple dessert, always soft with a satisfactory cookie-to-chip ratio. If I have one cookie, I am probably going to have another. They are also the number one answer when polling others about their favorite dining hall dessert. The one con: These cookies are never freshly baked, and therefore are often cold, having been recently defrosted. This has the polarizing effect of either eating a refreshing bite or a soggy cookie. If there are no other desserts that excite me, I will always reach for a cookie.
Next, we have the unreliable favorite: Sadler soft serve. The topping station is unmatched in variety, and the choice of cup or cone is luxurious. My favorite way to eat this dessert is on a cone with rainbow sprinkles and chocolate chips. A pro tip to enjoying your ice cream in a cone without the toppings falling off is to dispense it into a cup, mix it all together, and then transfer it to your cone. However, on days when I am headed to the ice cream machine with a smile on my face, ready to devour the creamy goodness and see the “Out of Order” sign, I rue the day I first put my hand on the chocolate-and-vanilla swirl handle. The seemingly near day the ice cream machine serves its last swirl will be a day of mourning across campus.
My all-time favorite dining hall dessert is the vegan chocolate brownies served in Sadler. The brownies are a great option for those with dietary restrictions and are jaw-droppingly delicious. As someone who often struggles with tummy issues, I am assured that when I grab this dessert that I am safe to continue my day in bliss. The subtle banana afternotes in these brownies are perfection, as it cuts through the rich cocoa flavor so that when I finish one, I am ready to go back for more. However, if you’re not a banana fan, this one may not be for you. The absolute best part about this dessert is that you can bring it on the go. The brownies are usually served in a plastic bag, so you eat this dessert in the comfort of your own room, on the walk to your third class of the day, or as you’re hanging out on the Sunken Garden with your friends. Additionally, if you are not a fan of chocolate, they often have vegan blondies too. The Sadler brownies are my underrated heroes, and I will always endorse them to everyone.
Another personal favorite of mine is the various cereal bars that fall under the category of Rice Krispie Treats — at least, in my mind. The diversity is off the charts with the use of Fruit Loops, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams, and Rice Krispies. The marshmallow is the perfect binding component for the cereal and the texture is altogether pleasing. I also love a surprise, so never knowing what cereal it will be on any given day is a thrill.
There are some desserts in the dining hall that I don’t dare put on my plate. Too many times I have gone to the dessert case in hopes of seeing a rice krispie treat or cookie, and instead have found banana pudding or some random cup of mysterious sludge with whipped cream on top. Let me say it here for the world to hear ... dairy products need to be refrigerated! The very thought of eating warm pudding that has been sitting out for hours in the dining hall air makes my stomach churn. Of course, this is my subjective opinion, but if you tell me your favorite dessert is pudding, I will gag.
Since I can’t highlight every dessert, I have included some honorable mentions. The dessert pizza is a rare commodity, Caf donut holes are always tasty, the Sadler mini muffins are consistently mediocre, and Caf milkshakes are good before they become soup. Whether your dining hall of choice is Caf or Sadler, there is no doubt the desserts can often make up for the undercooked chicken and the impossibility of finding a seat during lunchtime. Godspeed to your sweet treat hunting ventures!