Guide to the Best Desserts Across the 5Cs

Everyone has their particular favorites when it comes to dining-hall meals. Whether it be ahi tuna bowls at Pitzer, make-your-own pizza at Mudd, ceviche tostadas at Frary, or even a humble Sunday-night Collins stir-fry, it’s dishes like these which tend to determine where dining-hall goers end up. Often times, however, when deciding where to eat, many tend to overlook a very important (and arguably crucial) aspect of their meal: dessert.

Are you sure Collins is really that mediocre on Sunday nights? Where do you go if you absolutely need a chocolate-fix at 7:30 am? Is it actually necessary these days to venture to Grizzby’s in order to find a decent donut?

Back and better than ever, The Forum is here to guide you through all of your dining decisions, this time, tackling the topic of sweets at the 5Cs.

**To clarify: We do not advise eating exclusively dessert for your meal.

Collins (CMC)

Winner: Bread Pudding

“Mediocre”

“Boring”

“Vanilla”

These are all adjectives real students across the 5Cs have used to describe Collins Dining Hall. While in some situations and contexts, these phrases could be viable characteristics, Sunday nights will always be the exception thanks to one item: bread pudding.

Arguably one of the best desserts across the 5Cs, Collins produces an overall magnificent product - warm, gooey and rich, it’s everything you could ever want as the conclusion of your meal. Varying flavors on a weekly basis, this delectable confection often includes chunks and morsels of other Collins desserts, from chocolate-chip cookies to cinnamon buns and coffee cake.

Whether you smother it up with caramel, top it with froyo, or just enjoy it in its pristine and natural state, this culinary masterpiece should never be overlooked when deciding where to dine. Though not everyone may deem it necessary to include a Gcal notification for “BP Sundays,” it’d be unwise to out-rule good ol’ Llin on account of misinformed mediocrity.

Available every Sunday night.

Runner-Up: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Having recently re-vamped their cookie game, Collins now serves freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies every lunch and dinner. Warm and gooey, you no longer have to make that 15+ minute walk to Some Crust if you have a pressing cookie craving that needs to be attended to.

Available every lunch and dinner.

Honorable Mentions:

Breakfast - Chocolate Chip Muffins (also available at brunch)

Lunch - Brookies (select meals), Butterfinger Pie, Pecan Pie, Froyo (topped w/ Caramel), Chocolate Lava Cake, Banoffee Pie, Yellow Cake w/ Frosting

Dinner - See Lunch Options, Chocolate Fountain (Fridays)

Brunch: Coffee Cake

McConnell (Pitzer)

Winner: Red-Velvet Bars

Quite honestly, you can’t really go wrong with most desserts at McConnell. One exceptional option, however, is its red velvet bars. With a thin, flaky exterior but soft and moist center,  these mouthwatering squares are even worth hoarding for after dinner when that 9 p.m. sugar craving kicks in. Studded with white chocolate chips that melt into its buttery core, they’re definitely on the sweeter side – but who said that was a bad thing?

Available most lunches/dinners.

Runner-Up: Oreo Blondies

Thick and chewy, these blondies are another standout option. Though their blondie-base is already super-soft, dunk them in milk to achieve the ultimate cookies and cream creation.

Available most lunches/dinners.

Honorable Mentions:

Breakfast - Caramel Bread Pudding

Lunch - Brown-Butter Blondies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars, Oreo Cheesecake, M&M Bars, Seven-Layer Coconut Bars, Nutella Twists, Lemon Bars, Pecan Pie Squares, Raspberry Oat Crumble

Dinner - See Lunch Options

Brunch - Donut Holes, Coffee Cake

Mallott (Scripps)

Winner: Tie between Nutella Bread Pudding and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nutella Bread Pudding

Quite frankly worthy of a James Beard Award, Mallott’s custardy bread base is interspersed with layers of luscious, hazel-nutty Nutella ribbons, creating a creamy, melt-in-your mouth sensory experience. Fluffy and less dense than Collins’ version, the pudding itself is sweet, yet not overpoweringly so, meaning you can have seconds (and possibly thirds/fourths) without going into a sugar-induced coma.

Unfortunately rarely available, and never listed on the menu, we recommend making a group chat with your friends to keep each other informed on when it’s being served.

Available on occasion.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Served fresh every single night on weekdays, Mallot’s claim to fame is consistently outstanding. Ridiculously gooey and melty, the consistency of these half-baked treats bears more resemblance to that of a molten lava cake than an actual cookie. We recommend putting them on a plate or cup, as they are physically impossible to pick up.

Available every weekday dinner.

Runner-Up: Donuts

Once a week, Scripps puts out a heavenly array of fresh-donuts for breakfast-goers to enjoy. Ranging from cronuts, to chocolate-glazed cake donuts, or even apple fritters, head over to Mallott to get your sugar-fix in early.

Available select breakfasts (usually once a week).

Honorable Mentions:

Breakfast - Scones, Mini-Danishes

Lunch - Other Cookie Selection: Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, White-Chocolate Macadamia, Chocolate w/ White Chocolate Chips; Oreo Cheesecake, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Chocolate Macadamia Cake

Dinner - See Lunch Options

Brunch - Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Cinnamon Buns (Select Meals)

Hoch-Shanahan (Mudd)

Winner: Sugar Cookies

As Pitzer, Mudd has their fair share of notable desserts. Amongst Hoch-Shanahan’s already- commendable selection however, is its outstanding sugar-cookies. With a quite generous butter and sugar content, these simple classics manage to be soft and melty in the middle, while still retaining an overall chewy exterior.

Runner-Up: Tres Leches

Though a number of dining-halls serve tres leches, a Latin American sponge cake that’s soaked in three different types of milk - evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream - none are as moist as Mudd’s. Rich but not overly indulgent, you can usually find it on the menu at least once a week.

Available select lunches/dinners (usually once a week).

Honorable Mentions:

Breakfast - Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

Lunch - Horachata Chocolate Bread Pudding (Select Meals), Cookies - Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate-Macadamia, Chocolate-White Chocolate-Chip

Dinner - See Lunch

Brunch - Banana Yogurt Coffee Cake

Frary (Pomona)

Winner: Heath Bar Crunch Cookies

Nestled away in the hidden cabinet that constitutes the Frary dessert aisle, these cookies don’t look particularly promising. Limp and plain-looking, they’re often neglected by many Frary-diners alike. Trust us though, you certainly don’t want to miss them.

Crispy on the edges yet chewy on the inside, the crunchy chunks of heath bar make for a delightfully diverse combination of textures. If these cookie-candy mashups aren’t warm by the time you arrive, pop them in the microwave for a couple seconds to attain cookie perfection.

Available at select lunches/brunches/dinners.

Runner-Up: Monkey Bread

Sweet and sticky, Frary’s monkey bread is sort of like a cinnamon/toffee/donut/bun hybrid, deconstructed into individual mini-bites. Usually available once a week at breakfast, they’re a great option for when you’re not feeling an entire sugar-based meal but still want a bit of something sweet.

Available at select breakfasts (usually once a week).

Honorable Mentions:

Breakfast - Pecan Sticky Buns (varies per week - check menus for time), Nutella Cruffins (select meals), Cinnamon Buns, Nutella-Banana stuffed-Crepes

Lunch - Chocolate Pudding Cake (Wednesdays), Milkshakes, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dinner - See Lunch Options

Brunch - Cinnamon Buns, Donuts, Limoncello Cake

Frank (Pomona)

See above.

As Frank and Frary have the same management, the same desserts are applicable.

Check dining hall menus to see when available, as days will differ with Frary.

Oldenborg (Pomona)

Winner: Chocolate Pudding w/ Brownie Bites

Though we don’t usually recommend going to Oldenborg unless you absolutely have to, the chocolate pudding with brownie bites is shockingly good - a silky chocolate base topped with chewy, fudgy brownie pieces, it’ll provide a nice conclusion to what was probably an otherwise unsatisfactory meal.

Available select lunches.

Runner-Up: S’mores Bar

With its crumbly graham-cracker crust, decadent chocolate center, and fluffy marshmallow top, Oldenborg’s s’mores bar is another surprisingly pleasant option.

Available select lunches.

Honorable Mentions:

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars

Honey Sticks (By the register)

Fortune Cookies (By the register)