Indulge your sweet tooth on Oct. 14 - National Dessert Day!

National Dessert Day, a day dedicated to indulging in the sugary delights that bring joy to our taste buds, is Monday, Oct. 14.

Whether you prefer a classic slice of chocolate cake, a rich brownie, or a decadent piece of pie, this special occasion offers the perfect excuse to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Here are some sweet shops and bakeries around northern Illinois to visit on this sweetest of days.

Morkes Chocolates – Huntley

A longtime gem in this southern McHenry County community, Morkes Chocolates dates all the way back to the 1920s. Their handmade candies and chocolates are made from scratch and the delicious doughnuts are baked fresh every day. Confections include chocolate-covered strawberries, fudge, specialty chocolates, and more. The bakery menu has a wide variety of cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, muffins, and scones. 11801 Main St., Huntley. morkeshuntley.com

Atrevete Confections – Montgomery

If you’re looking for macarons or other French pastries, you won’t want to miss Atrevete Confections. Owner and chef Jaqueline Mejia combines traditional French baking techniques with her own ideas to create her decadent pastries and desserts. Items available include eclairs, cookies, tarts, cheesecakes, croissants, and more. Macaron flavors include birthday cake, vanilla, cherry berry, salted caramel, lemon, and coffee. 216 N. River St., Montgomery. atreveteconfections.com

Sunshine’s Cupcakery – South Elgin

Opened in February 2024, Sunshine’s serves as a fun and cute showcase for the cupcakes that shop co-owner Wendy Medina has been serving up on the side for 15 years. The Cupcakery offers a scrumptious list of traditional favorites, as well as special weekend flavors and other inventions, along with cake pops, muffins, and smoothies. Visit Sunshine’s Cupcakery on Facebook for more information. 1012 McLean Blvd., South Elgin.

Pots and Pies Bakery – Crystal Lake

Visit this Parisian-themed downtown Crystal Lake bakery and check out their rotating specials, along with a wide variety of sweet and savory pastries, pies, cakes, and more. Fruit pies include classics like cherry, peach, and blueberry, as well as banana cream and lemon meringue. Other sweets include eclairs, cream puffs, tiramisu brownies, cookies, ice cream cookie sandwiches, and more. 67 E. Woodstock St., Crystal Lake. potsandpiesbakery.com

Cheesecakes by James – Shorewood

If you’re craving a rich cheesecake, stop at Cheesecakes by James in Shorewood and grab one (or two) of their decadent desserts to take home! Flavors include the classics like blueberry, cherry, and raspberry, and unique flavors like Oreo chocolate chip, triple chocolate, Reese’s peanut butter cup, and more. Also offered are cheesecake bite trays and personal cheesecakes, as well as holiday and special orders. 150 Brook Forest Ave., Suite D, Shorewood. cheesecakebyjames.com

The Village Bakery – Oregon

Stop by for lunch at this downtown Oregon bakery, and top it off with a scrumptious dessert. Freshly baked breakfast pastries include doughnuts, scones, sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, and muffins. Sweet treats include candy explosion cookies, cupcakes, thumbprint cookies, brownies, French silk pies, and so much more. The Village Bakery is proud to create job opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. 101 N. 3rd St., Oregon. thevillagebakery.org

Elleson’s Bakery – Sycamore

This family-owned bakery has been providing freshly baked goods and sweets to DeKalb County since 1987. The recipes for the cakes, cookies, doughnuts, and other goodies have been handed down from generation to generation. Elleson’s is famous for their cinnamon roll bread, sprinkled with sugar. 344 W. State St., Sycamore. For more information, call 815-895-4533.

All Chocolate Kitchen – Geneva

Award-winning chef Alain Roby is the mastermind behind this iconic downtown Geneva sweet shop. Menu items include homemade gelato, gourmet chocolates, a rotating selection of seasonal desserts, fudge, and more. There’s also a coffee bar, and savory delights like pizza and quiche. Marvel at Chef Roby’s incredible chocolate and sugar sculptures, some of which are located in the restaurant. Some of his life-sized sculptures have been featured on national TV shows. 33 S. 3rd St., Geneva. allchocolatekitchen.com/

Annie’s Sugar Buzz Bakery – Sandwich

Relax and unwind after a long day at Angie’s Sugar Buzz Bakery in Sandwich. The bakery was opened in 2014 by local resident Angie Davis. Guests can enjoy a freshly brewed coffee, cappuccino, or espresso with a pastry, pie, muffin, cookie, or cupcake. All treats are made fresh each day from scratch. Check out the selection of holiday-themed desserts. 1004 E. Church St., Sandwich. angiessugarbuzzbakery.com

Gather Bakery – Geneva

A family-owned business, Gather Bakery opened in 2021 in downtown Geneva. Try their freshly baked artisan breads and baguettes, homemade pop tarts, croissants, candies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and more. Try your hand at their DIY sugar cookies, or indulge in a tasty macaron. Enjoy a cup of coffee or whole leaf tea. 315 W. State St., Geneva. gatherbakerygeneva.com

Baker Street – Dixon

Have lunch, a gourmet cup of coffee, and of course, dessert, at Baker Street in downtown Dixon. Indulge in a scone, croissant, muffin, cupcake, eclair, cookie, cinnamon roll, or a lemon blueberry biscuit. Baker Street is famous for their legendary lemon blueberry biscuits. Baker Street can make specialty cakes and pies for special events. 111 W. 1st St., Dixon. bakerstreetcafeandcatering.com

For a listing of even more sweet shops around northern Illinois, click here.