Let’s take an Oak Cliff sweets tour

NOLA Snoballs

This summer may be the last chance for Cliff Dwellers to come get their favorites at NOLA Snoballs on Jefferson. Maureen Ehrlicher says she’s ready for her time as a business owner to come to a close.

“I’m just tired, you know?” she says. “I enjoy talking about it, but don’t enjoy taking this ice out and doing all the other work.”

For nearly a decade, Ehrlicher has been spending her March through November in the minuscule shop. Each day during the season, she uses her Southern Snow Shaved Ice Machine to get the perfect consistency for her hometown New Orleans’ staple snoballs.

Her white ’90s-style fridge within is filled with an array of flavors to top the dome-shaped treats.

Snoballs typically range from $3-$7 with the regular flavor options, and adding cream, sugar-free, natural flavors or adding topping tacks on 50 cents.

The most popular flavors include blue coconut and bubble gum. Sometimes snoballs are dressed up with condensed milk on top or there’s the knockout, which has a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom. You can get a snoball with a “chunk of cheesecake” in the middle or select from a variety of dye-free clear flavors. There is also a vegan strawberry natural flavor.

For Ehrlicher, her favorite is the chocolate.

“A lot of times people are like, ‘Oh no, I don’t want chocolate on ice,’ but I say, ‘Have you ever eaten a fudgesicle?’” she says. “Because that’s basically ice and chocolate.”

NOLA Snoballs, 349 W. Jefferson Blvd., 214.507.5843

La Super Ice Cream Parlor

For nearly three decades, La Super Ice Cream Parlor has been serving Mexican frozen treats alongside savory items like carne asada fries, birria tacos and elote. Since first opening in 1996, the family owned business has opened multiple locations the DFW area.

Customers can choose more fruity flavors such as guava, mango and lime or creamier flavors like piñon (pine nut), birthday cake, or strawberries and cream. La Super also offers paletas, or popsicles, aguas frescas and snow cones.

“It’s fun when people come in and try flavors that they’ve never heard of before or unique flavors and then really like them,” co-owner Juan Correa says.

Siblings Correa and Jasmine Pargas own the location on Jefferson Boulevard, which opened in December 2020. Their father’s location on West Davis Street was a big inspiration for them, but they say that they are implementing different things.

“It is cool because we are the next generation of La Super owners,” Pargas says.

La Super came out with 12 flavors of pint ice creams in March. The turquoise cups feature the Paleteria La Super logo and a design of Correa and Pargas’ grandfather with a story about the business’ roots.

“It’s always been our dream to have our own ice cream out there,” Correa says. “We also wanted to celebrate our grandfather who started this business. He was the backbone of the family, so I think putting that on it was very special to us.”

La Super Ice Cream Parlor, 539 W. Jefferson Blvd. and 3317 W. Davis St., 972.685.0900

CocoAndré Chocolatier

Since 2009, CocoAndré Chocolatier has been bringing delectable Oak Cliff-made chocolates to the community. First, it was from the house on Seventh Street in Bishop Arts and now at Olmo Market in Elmwood. Mother-daughter duo Andrea and Cindy Pedraza have grown their confectionery company into a Dallas staple.

CocoAndré Chocolatier is now moving back into its own space this summer on Centre Street, where they have slowly been transitioning their chocolate-making. But fear not, Elmwood — the sweet treats you know will remain at Olmo Market, too.

“People really enjoy having the chocolate here,” Cindy says.

The shelves at Olmo Market host an array of chocolate bars and molded shapes, recently introducing a limited-edition white chocolate and milk chocolate shaped soccer ball for the FIFA World Cup. Popular options include the pecan turtles with caramel made from scratch by Andrea and the Toasted Coconut bar, an oak leaf-shaped bar made with milk chocolate.

“I think everybody grew up eating chocolate-covered turtles as gifts and stuff like that,” Cindy says. “So it’s also really cool to see people that would get, like grandparents, that would get those box chocolates. And then they come and try our version, and they’re like, ‘Oh my god, this is so much better than what I was eating when I was a kid.’”

She says the truffles in the glass display are also popular at the market. Flavors available vary, but they can be purchased from a set of four to 25 for $12-$75.

CocoAndré Chocolatier & Horchateria, 423 Centre St., 214.941.3030

Olmo Market, 2111 S. Edgefield Ave., 214.941.3030

Last December, Jonathan and Christy Jantz opened Pinkitzel, a playful, energetic and very pink candy store in Bishop Arts. Inspired by figures like Marie Antoinette and Willy Wonka, the Jantzes opened their first location in 2010 in Oklahoma City. In August of last year, a second location was opened in McKinney. The Bishop Arts establishment is the third store, with another having opened recently in Waco.

Entering the store, visitors are immediately bombarded with splashes of color, energetic music and the smell of sweets. This over-the-top design was intentional, with both Jantzes coming from an artistic background.

“We really want an atmosphere where everyone feels like a kid in a candy store,” Jonathan Jantz says. “While they’re inside the store, we want everyone to really enjoy who they are and just have fun picking out some sweet treats.”

Candies and treats line the walls of the store. In addition to offering the traditional candy store experience, Pinkitzel also has a loft that can seat up to 15 and can be used for bridal showers, birthday parties or other events.

“We have over 200 varieties of bulk candy, so that’s our main attraction,” Jantz says. “We try to stay pretty consistent because we want everyone to be able to come back for something they want, but we have lots of holiday flavors and products that come out and change.”

The cakes are the chain’s flagship items. In particular, the Pretty in Pink cake is a triple-layer white cake adorned with handmade macarons, pareils, gumballs and gold sprinkles.

Pinkitzel, 417 N. Bishop Ave., 972.666.7465