OTT Desserts to Get Delivered to Your Doona For Those Movie-Marathon Days

Lukumades opened its first outpost in west Melbourne in 2017, and, last year, its delectable fried treats became available in Sydney via a store in Chippendale. The concept is a modern take on loukoumades — a Greek-style doughnut ball drizzled with sweet syrup.

Although Lukumades does have the traditional treat on the menu, it’s also given them a modern spin by releasing flavours such as Dark Delight, topped with melted dark chocolate, crushed pistachios and a scoop of hazelnut gelato, and Nutting About, injected with peanut butter sauce and drizzled with melted milk chocolate and peanut sauce. There are also vegan options available, including the Jam It — raspberry-filled jam doughnut balls generously coated in cinnamon sugar.

If you’re dealing with heartache only ice cream can fix, Mapo in Newtown has you covered with a range of dairy-free (and dairy-full) delights. Owner Matteo Pochintesta learned the art of gelato in both Italy and Melbourne (at cult-favourite gelateria Pidapipo) before opening up Mapo in 2019. The name comes from the first two letters of his initials. Before churning gelato, Pochintesta was an architect. He now proudly runs the shop with a focus on keeping things sustainable and seasonal.

With between 12–14 flavours on offer at any given time, Pochintesta sticks to both seasonal and traditional Italian tastes. Our picks for your late-night dessert is the stracciatella, made with Barambah organic milk, or, if you want a vegan option, the Massa di Cacao, made with pure cocoa mass. And if you want to jazz it up a little, request for it to arrive topped with homemade persimmon and lemon zest jam or sea salt caramel sauce, made with Pepe Saya butter.

Image: Kitti Gould

Gram Cafe opened up in Chatswood earlier this year, and its jiggly treats have become a massive hit with dessert fiends. Takeshi Takata opened the original store in Osaka back in 2014 and, to make sure the thick, fluffy soufflé pancakes were just as thick and fluffy here, he also trained the Sydney team.

Although the sky-high pancakes look heavy, they are actually ultra-light and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. And you can now order a serving of them straight to your doona for easy eating, starting at just $6.30 for one in the original flavour, which comes drizzled in syrup. But, let’s be honest, you’re not going to want to stop at one — so go ahead and order a box, stacked with five pancake pieces, starting at $29.95. There are also flavoured options, which come filled with rich cream — opt for earl grey, oreo, strawberry, chocolate or matcha.

You probably already love eating Mamak’s legendary buttery roti with fiery sambal. And, since the Malaysian hawker joint’s outposts in Haymarket and Chatswood normally have lines, it’s very good news that you can still tuck into these very affordable eats without leaving your blanket fort.

With so many tasty dishes to order from Mamak, its traditional desserts may get overlooked — but not by you. For something fresh and light after your savoury starter, try the roti with sliced banana or coconut and pandan ($12.50). Or, if you’re after theatrics with your dessert, opt for the roti tisu, a paper-thin, extra-crispy version of the flatbread served in a tall cone with ice cream.

Image: Alana Dimou

The team behind legendary brunch favourite, Devon Cafe (North Sydney, Surry Hills and Barangaroo) opened up Dopa by Devon in late-2019, focusing on donburi bowls and innovative desserts. Although this seems like an odd mix of servings, it has been winning the hearts of hungry visitors ever since. If you’re in this movie marathon for the long haul, start with a rice bowl or one the Japanese-style curries — think pork katsu, cheeseburger or wagyu beef tongue. Then, make yourself a smorgasbord of deliciously creamy puddings, which comes in flavours like black sesame, milk tea and matcha. And the best bit? It’s open until 9.30pm so your late-night cravings are sorted.

Image: Kimberley Low

Indian sweet treats are the perfect way to end date night with Bachelor in Paradise, and Harris Park joint Chatkazz’s offering is no exception. The popular venue’s takes on traditional Mumbai roadside sweets span from traditional to westernised. Take your pick from gajar halwa, made with carrots and dried fruit; gulab jamun, deep-fried balls made from milk solids soaked in sugar syrup; ras malai, a small flat paneer cake soaked in sweetened milk and nuts; and shrikhand kesar elaichi, a sweetened creamy curd with saffron and cardamom.

If you’re craving something less traditional, opt for chocolate pizza or a sizzling brownie, both served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup, or one of the house-made pastries.

Image: Cassandra Hannagan

Established in 2013, Passiontree Velvet creates custom cakes for any occasion — weddings, graduation and birthdays — and now, you can get them delivered straight to your door. With moreish flavours like raspberry and honeycomb trifle, tiramisu, passionfruit velvet and ruby berry, it has something for everyone. The most popular order is the S’mores Bombe cake, which has a marshmallow and caramel centre, chocolate mousse and a butter biscuit coating and is finished off with fluffy, torched meringue.

If a cake isn’t your thing, you can also order one of the macaron boxes — you can get 40 of the bite-sized treats for $120, and flavours include red velvet, strawberry, lavender, honeycomb, pistachio, salted caramel and cookies and cream. Or, if you’re settling in for a Christmas movie marathon (which we think is acceptable at any time of year), order a festive gingerbread ‘tree’ with 15 layers of Christmas spice cookies, icing and sprinkles.

Based on the LA street art scene, this Manly favourite is all bright colours and pumping music with flowing cocktails and burgers making the rounds. Sounds great, but not when you’re nursing the mother of all hangovers and can’t leave the couch. Luckily, the Peanut Butter Jelly team is also serving its snack food and delectable desserts for you to enjoy at home.

Its namesake is proven in the Peanut Butter Jelly Mousse — a chocolate dome filled with peanut butter mousse and a raspberry gel centre and sprinkled gold dust — and the PBJ Sandwich, which is the restaurant’s take on brioche french toast, filled with creamy peanut butter, poached raspberry jam and marshmallow fluff. Taking inspiration from more American treats are the S’mores Brownie Bomb and the fiery Chilli Chocolate Crack Pie, served with miso Chantilly cream. If you’re keen to make this a three-course affair, order spiced taters and miso eggplant to start, followed by a spicy chicken burger or roast pumpkin lasagne.

If you like having plenty of choice, Anita Gelato has you covered with over 150 delicious ice cream flavours on offer. Even better, it has a mix of gelato, vegan, sugar-free and frozen yoghurt options — so no one misses out.

Here, you’re encouraged to mix and match flavours. Tiramisu and hazelnut mousse, pavlova and salted bagel are some of the winning scoops, though the Cookieman — a vanilla base loaded with meringue, biscotti and Nutella — is by far the most popular. If you’re after something dairy-free or vegan, Anita offers more than just the simple fruit sorbet — try the soy-based oreo cookies or rich dark chocolate. For something lighter, go for green apple or watermelon and mint sorbet — or give sugar-free coffee a taste. If you’re really leaning into this treat-yourself moment, get your scoops served atop a crispy handmade waffle or blended into a decadent thickshake.