7 Christmas Dessert Stops in Tampa Bay and Clearwater for 2026
For Christmas desserts in Tampa Bay in 2026, Christmas Town at Busch Gardens names the most sweets of any stop in this guide, with a dessert cabin, a cookie decorating cabin and a new Dessert Sampler starting November 13. On Clearwater Beach, the JW Marriott lists a gingerbread display in its lobby and a Holiday Pop Up Bar from November 27 through December 31.
Pick by the kind of sweet outing you want. For treats while you walk the lights, look at Busch Gardens or Winter Village. For a display to photograph, the JW Marriott on Clearwater Beach. For cookie trays to take home, Alessi in Tampa or Mazzaro's in St. Petersburg. For a sit down holiday tea or brunch, the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street or Sandpearl Resort.
These seven are grouped by the kind of outing rather than scored against each other, so choose the one that fits your plan. Dates and details come from each venue's own page, checked on November 11, 2026, and each entry notes what the venue had not posted yet.
1.Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
A dessert cabin, a cookie decorating cabin and a new Dessert Sampler inside Christmas Town.
Christmas Town's dining page lists food cabins numbered 1 through 14. Cabin 12, the Dessert Cabin, serves a chocolate mousse Christmas Tart, Peppermint Bark Fudge, warm apple pie, churros filled with dulce de leche and Frozen Hot Chocolate. At Cabin 8, Cookies and Cocoa, you decorate cookies or mini donuts with buttercream icing and sprinkles. Other cabins add Gingerbread Tiramisu, a Holiday Yule Log and Eggnog Bread Pudding.
- Know before you go
- Christmas Town is included with park admission. The new 5 item Dessert Sampler covers one hot chocolate and four Christmas Town desserts, and the park sells it online or at the Christmas Town Welcome Center.
- Best time
- Select nights from November 13, 2026 through January 4, 2027. Seasonal food and drink stands open at 4 PM on event nights.
- Local tip
- On December 19 and 20, the Rudolph & Friends Character Dine includes cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus, peppermint bark and warm bread pudding. It is a separate reservation, and park admission is required but not included.
2.JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa
A gingerbread display in the lobby and a Holiday Pop Up Bar at Latitude 28 Bar.
The resort describes its Gingerbread Display as an edible art installation, set in the lobby as a photo stop for guests of all ages. At Latitude 28 Bar, the Holiday Pop Up Bar serves a lineup of holiday cocktails. The resort also lists a 12 Days to Christmas activity countdown that ends with gingerbread house decorating on Christmas Eve.
- Know before you go
- The resort's page gives no dates for the gingerbread display and does not say whether people who are not staying at the hotel can view it, so call the resort before you make the drive. The address is 691 S Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater Beach.
- Best time
- The Holiday Pop Up Bar runs Friday, November 27 through Thursday, December 31, 2026.
- Local tip
- Christmas Brunch with Santa is listed for Friday, December 25, 10 AM to 2 PM, with booking through the resort's holiday events page.
3.Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
Winter Village pairs an outdoor ice rink with a cafe lineup that includes crepes and coffee.
Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park sets up an outdoor ice rink and The Cafe at Winter Village on the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa. The organizer lists four cafe vendors for this season: Blind Tiger, Gourmet Crepes & Coffee, Hot Dog Fever and Whatever Pops.
- Know before you go
- Winter Village is free to enter and skating needs a timed ticket bought online. Cafe menus were marked as coming soon when checked, so the organizer had not yet named any holiday sweets or hot chocolate.
- Best time
- November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027. Daily hours were not posted, and the organizer notes that cafe hours differ from skating hours.
- Local tip
- Glazer Children's Museum, next to the park, lists a Gingerbread Village in November and December where families build gingerbread style houses from recycled materials. It is a craft, not a snack, and it is included with museum admission.
4.Alessi Bakeries Food Market
Italian cookie trays by the pound from a Tampa bakery open since 1912.
Alessi's Fall and Winter 2026 holiday menu lists an Italian Cookie Tray in one, two or three pound sizes, plus mini traditional cannolis, mini cheesecakes, mini brownies, mini fancy pastries and a 22 piece Decadent Dessert platter. Its turkey, ham and chicken holiday meals come with a 9 inch apple or pumpkin pie.
- Know before you go
- The holiday menu does not list a yule log, gingerbread or panettone, and it gives no order deadline. It states that prices are subject to change, so confirm the total when you order.
- Best time
- Open Monday to Saturday 6:30 AM to 8 PM and Sunday 7:30 AM to 8 PM, per the bakery's site.
- Local tip
- The bakery is at 3003 W. Cypress Street in Tampa, and the holiday menu is a download on its homepage.
5.Mazzaro's Italian Market
More than 30 kinds of Italian cookies, including the market's own biscotti.
Mazzaro's says its bakery makes over 30 varieties of Italian cookies, including its own biscotti. That range is the reason to choose it if you want to build a mixed holiday cookie tray in St. Petersburg.
- Know before you go
- The market's site lists it as open on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day and the day after. That notice does not name a year or give Christmas Eve hours, so confirm before a December 24 trip.
- Best time
- Regular hours are Monday to Friday 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday 9 AM to 2:30 PM. The market is closed on Sunday.
- Local tip
- The market is at 2909 22nd Avenue N in St. Petersburg. Its site does not mention panettone, so ask at the bakery counter if that is what you want.
6.JW Marriott Tampa Water Street
A holiday afternoon tea with seasonal pastries at Beacon, the hotel's rooftop lounge.
The hotel's holiday page lists Holiday Spill the Tea at Beacon, an afternoon tea service with seasonal pastries, tea sandwiches, sweet treats and premium teas. It is the sit down option in this guide for anyone who wants holiday sweets at a table instead of a festival.
Official holiday events page: JW Marriott Tampa Water Street
- Know before you go
- The hotel is at 510 Water Street in downtown Tampa, and booking is through the link on its holiday page.
- Best time
- The page posts no dates, times or price for the tea, so confirm the day you want when you book.
- Local tip
- Beacon also lists three seasonal cocktails from November 1 through January 15.
7.Sandpearl Resort
A Christmas brunch on Clearwater Beach that finishes with desserts.
Sandpearl Resort lists a Christmas 2026 brunch at Caretta on the Gulf, its Clearwater Beach restaurant, and says the meal ends with decadent desserts. Choose it if you want dessert as part of a full holiday meal on the Gulf.
- Know before you go
- The resort's page does not print a price, a dessert menu or the exact day beyond Christmas 2026. Reservations are by phone through the resort.
- Best time
- Brunch service is listed from 11:30 AM to 7 PM.
- Local tip
- A photo on the page shows a gingerbread house as decor, but the page does not describe a gingerbread display, so do not plan a visit around one.
For dessert shops that are open all year, see The 25 Best Dessert Shops in Tampa Bay. To fill out the night, pair a sweet stop with one of the Christmas light displays in Tampa Bay, or find more ideas in Christmas things to do with kids in Tampa Bay.
Wayfind keeps a running list of Florida holiday events at Christmas in Florida. Venues are still posting menus and dates, so confirm with each one before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I see a gingerbread display in Tampa Bay in 2026?
The JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa lists a Gingerbread Display in its lobby for the holiday season, without posted dates. In Tampa, Glazer Children's Museum lists a Gingerbread Village in November and December where families build gingerbread style houses from recycled materials.
When does Christmas Town at Busch Gardens start in 2026?
Christmas Town runs select nights from November 13, 2026 through January 4, 2027. Seasonal food and drink stands open at 4 PM on event nights.
Where can kids decorate Christmas cookies in Tampa Bay?
Cabin 8 at Christmas Town, Cookies and Cocoa, serves cookies and mini donuts with buttercream icing and sprinkles to decorate. The Rudolph & Friends Character Dine on December 19 and 20 includes cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus.
Are there Christmas desserts in Clearwater?
On Clearwater Beach, the JW Marriott lists a lobby gingerbread display, a Holiday Pop Up Bar from November 27 through December 31 and a Christmas Brunch with Santa on December 25. Sandpearl Resort lists a Christmas 2026 brunch with desserts at Caretta on the Gulf.
Where can I order Christmas cookie trays in Tampa?
Alessi Bakeries lists an Italian Cookie Tray in one, two or three pound sizes on its Fall and Winter 2026 holiday menu. In St. Petersburg, Mazzaro's Italian Market says it bakes over 30 varieties of Italian cookies.
