Save room for dessert

October is officially National Dessert Month, and we can all agree that desserts deserve their own month — after all, treats are a necessity. Whether you prefer ice cream, shave ice, cake or other confections, here are some options to sweeten your day.

Crème brûlée

No dessert roundup is complete without mentioning the exquisite creations from chef Michelle Karr-Ueoka at MW Restaurant (888 Kapiolani Blvd.). While dessert specials can rotate, the confections Karr-Ueoka is most known for include the tropical crème brulee and shave ice made with shaved fruits (not syrup over ice).The brulee features lilikoi sorbet, custard, “gummies” tropical fruit and haupia tapioca.

My personal favorite, the MW Candy Bar, is made with peanut butter crunch, Hawaiian sea salt macadamia nut caramel, Valrhona chocolate ganache and black sesame ice cream.

Call 808-955-6505 or visit mwrestaurant.com.

Baked Waikiki

Aloha Steak House (364 Seaside Ave.) is known for its variety of meaty entrées, but it’s also home to the Baked Waikiki, which is the tropical version of a baked Alaska.

This social media-worthy dessert features a pineapple filled with haupia ice cream, lilikoi popping jelly and pineapple meringue. It’s finished tableside, flambé-style, with dark rum.

This extravagant dessert is available daily in limited quantities.

Call 808-600-3431 or visit alohasteakhousewaikiki.com.

Soda floats

Whether you’re craving shave ice, ice floats, soft serve or halo halo, Kawaii Ice Wave (1111 Dillingham Blvd.) has it all. The shop’s specialty treat is its ice wave — Korean-style shave ice with a twist — that includes soft, fluffy snow ice layered with fruit or cereal and soft serve. The most popular flavors are Cinnamon Toast Crunch and mango cheesecake.

Kawaii Ice Wave’s strawberry soda float is another customer favorite. These soda floats are especially photogenic with their soft serve topping.

Call 808-725-0651 or follow the biz on Instagram (@kawaii_icewave).

A unique shave ice

Banan (various locations) specializes in plant-based frozen treats made from bananas. If you want something truly unique, visit the business’s Waikiki Shore location (2161 Kalia Ave.).

This store isn’t your typical shave ice shack — you’ll find both plant-based `v serve and shave ice with syrups made from locally sourced fruits. If you want the best of both worlds, order The Rainbow, a colorful concoction of strawberry, mango, raspberry dragon fruit and blue lemonade shave ice served in a pineapple atop creamy banana soft serve. The dessert is finished with pineapple, strawberries, local honey and a drizzle of coconut cream.

Call 808-773-7231 or visit banan.co.

‘SHAKA-BOOM’

Located in Royal Hawaiian Center, Kokoro Café (2233 Kalakaua Ave.) is home to the famous “SHAKA-BOOM,” which is a shaka-shaped cone with a filling (coconut cream, red bean and more) and soft serve ice cream flavor of your choice. Finish off your sundae with toppings like chocolate Pocky sticks, matcha powder and more. Call 808-388-6552 or visit kokorohawaii.com.

Instagram worthy ice cream

Thrills Soft Serve (510 Piikoi St.) features a rotating lineup of ice cream flavors that change monthly. Current flavors include matcha cookie butter and melon milk.

While you can create the soft serve confection of your dreams, check out the preset sundae options, which can include toppings like strawberry mochi and toasted marshmallows. The shop recently introduced a dairy-free flavor each month. During October, pineapple lilikoi is available.

Call 808-888-6860 or follow the biz on Instagram (@thrillshnl).

Honey toast

No visit to Shokudo Japanese Restaurant & Bar (1585 Kapiolani Blvd.) is finished without ordering the eatery’s signature honey toast for dessert.

This specialty features thick, Japanese white toast that’s cut out and cubed, then drizzled with honey and topped with vanilla ice cream. Other flavors include caramel, chocolate, matcha and more.

Call 808-941-3701 or visit shokudojapanese.com.

Ice cream pies

Strawberry Shortcake. Matcha cookies and cream. These are just a couple flavors of the ice cream pies you’ll find at Slice by HB Baking (100 N. Beretania St.), which is located inside of Jolene’s Market.

The most popular flavor is Snuggy Bear, which features coffee almond fudge ice cream and English toffee ice cream on an Oreo crust with a salted milk crumble. Strawberry shortcake — with strawberry and birthday cake ice cream — is another customer favorite.

Call 808-202-8601 or visit hbbaking.com.

Bubble waffle sundaes

If you’re craving a larger-than-life dessert, look no further than Double Three (various locations). This shop features bubble waffle ice cream sundaes.

The ordering process is easy — choose your bubble waffle, ice cream and toppings. Check out Double Three’s social media pages to see the featured flavors of the day.

Pro tip: Order the charcoal bubble waffle and an ice cream flavor with a contrasting flavor to make your dessert more photogenic.

Follow the biz on Instagram (@double.three_33).

Edible cookie dough (sundaes)

Located in McCully Shopping Center, Edible Honolulu (1960 Kapiolani Blvd. Ste. 115) is famous for its soft, chewy, housemade cookies and edible cookie dough. The decadent treat is safe to eat, since the business uses pasteurized eggs and heat-treated flour.

Popular cookie dough flavors include ube haupia — coconut milk with bits of Okinawan sweet potatoes — and Cookie Monster, made with Oreos and housemade chocolate chip cookies.

Want something extra indulgent? Get a cookie dough sundae, which includes vanilla soft serve, two scoops of cookie dough and a topping (Oreo crumbs, sprinkles, Fruity Pebbles and more). You ‘dough’ not want to miss this one.

Call 808-947-7263 or visit ediblehawaii.square.site.