Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.
You've seen it all when it comes to subscription boxes, from makeup and spa products to arts and crafts - but sometimes with mixed results, right? If you're looking for a monthly delivery that will have just about anyone smiling from ear to ear, check out the options for dessert clubs! After all, who doesn't have a sweet tooth?
Most dessert clubs start out the same. Choose if you want a plan with deliveries for three, six, or twelve months, decide which month it should start, enter the shipping address and off you go. You or your gift recipient are now slated to get mouth-watering treats on the regular. But, there's a lot of variety when you compare one provider to another, and that's where your own unique personality can come through a little.
Friday, March 31st
Almost every time we look at a "something-of-the-month" club, Amazing Clubs comes out on top. Why? Simply put, there's no other subscription provider that hits all the right notes, all the time: great value, phenomenal customer service, super flexibility when it comes to payments and scheduling deliveries, and, of course, incredible treats and more. That's why, year after year, their dessert club earns our first-place ranking.
Perfect to give as a gift
Amazing Clubs is ideal for gift-giving (and there's nothing that says you can't treat yourself with a subscription here too). Everything about this dessert club is fun, from the monthly newsletter that comes with each delivery to the personalized announcements that can be sent on any date you choose (or printed out for hand delivery on your own).
Membership Overview:
Most flexibility for club length and delivery frequency
Another aspect of this dessert club that makes it a stand-out is the way you can set it up in whatever way fits your timing and your budget. You'll have to start by choosing a plan of 3, 4 (seasonal), 6 or 12 months, but you can stretch it out even longer by selecting a shipping frequency of every other month. Plus, you'll set the "start shipping" month for up to 12 months in advance. That's particularly helpful for those of us who often forget the same holidays every year: you can just set it and forget it.
Competitively priced and shipping is free
The dessert club here is competitively priced at anywhere from $40.95 to $42.95, depending on the plan length. Your shipping costs are included in that cost, and you can choose to either pay in full at the time you place your order or as each delivery is scheduled.
See what's coming and what's been sent
Enough about the nitty-gritty: what about the desserts? Amazing Clubs lists many months of their previous dessert club shipments, and we spotted everything from blueberry crumb cake to assortments of triple berry and s'mores cookies, with enough goodies for 6-10 servings (depending on the appetites of the eaters). Yes, please! You (or your recipient) will get an email about two weeks before each month's dessert is set to ship, and if there's something you don't really care for (or you're going to be out of town that week), you can go right into your account and ask for that one to be skipped. Most dessert clubs don't offer that kind of service, and it's one of the things we love most about Amazing Clubs.
Unparalleled reputation for customer satisfaction
Another reason this company gets our enthusiastic recommendation is their overall approach to customer satisfaction. You'll see it in the reviews people have left on their dessert club (and their other memberships): if there's anything at all that doesn't go according to plan with your subscription, Amazing Clubs will do whatever it takes to fix it, from a new delivery to a refund. We've tried almost all of their monthly clubs, from Hot Sauce to Pasta, and we can confirm that you really do get what you pay for and then some here.
First-place winner among dessert clubs
What are you waiting for? There's no better way to send a gift that keeps on giving - or to keep your own sweet tooth satisfied from one month to the next. The perfect dessert club exists, and it's offered by Amazing Clubs.
Brooklyn-based Phivi is one of the newest additions to the world of dessert clubs. Every box comes with eight or more artisan-crafted treats: no two boxes are the same from month-to-month. Each shipment centers around a theme, like holidays or seasons, and all of the treats inside are baked, molded or mixed within just a few days of shipping - making this one of the freshest options around.
Let's get personal
Phivi is one of very few dessert clubs that adds a personalized touch to each delivery (when possible). As you select the club length you prefer, you'll see a place to enter your birth month, any favorite treats, even your favorite color. They don't guarantee that every package will incorporate those details, but don't be surprised if you get a special something for your birthday or your treats are tied with a ribbon in your most-liked color.
Good option if you've got food sensitivities
This is also a solid choice for anyone with allergies or food sensitivities. If you let them know during the checkout process about any allergies you have, they'll make every effort to meet your needs - and all of their bakers have a strict cross-contamination policy. However, as with most services providing food, Phivi can't guarantee a total absence of those ingredients because items may be produced in a shared facility. You will also get a Nutrition Facts label on every Phivi treat, which takes the extra step of highlighting if it contains any of the top eight food allergens.
Membership Overview:
Priced under $50/delivery
You've got several different options for scheduling your Phivi dessert club deliveries. The biggest savings comes with the 12-month plan, with an annual price of $420. The six-month plan is $222, a three-month plan is $114, and a quarterly plan is $39 billed every three months. You can also try a one-time box for $40. Just don't forget to factor in the shipping costs: you can see your delivery estimate when you enter your address, and in our case we were charged $9.95 per delivery for flat-rate shipping.
More info, please?
Phivi offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee, but they don't take the extra step of explaining exactly what that means. Their refund policy says that all items are final sale and that no refunds are issued after your box ships - that could mean that if you've paid for a year in advance, you're eligible for a refund on any remaining months that haven't been delivered yet. You can reach out to Phivi via email if you're unhappy with your box; we'd like to think they'll let you receive a replacement delivery if your items come damaged or spoiled in some way, but they don't go into detail.
Reviews aren't numerous but are very enthusiastic
We wouldn't worry too much about that, though: while Phivi's dessert clubs don't have thousands and thousands of customer reviews, we found enough to reassure us that these monthly boxes rarely if ever disappoint. Recipients say that the variety of treats is always on point and that everything is super-fresh and tasty. Whether you're giving it as a gift or enjoying it yourself, your Phivi box should be a delight.
Easy to give as a gift
And speaking of gift-giving, it's easy to turn any of their dessert clubs into a surprise for a friend or family member. While they have a 3-month plan specifically designated as a gift, you'll find a small checkbox on every product that lets you indicate it's intended as a present and a place to enter a gift message. Otherwise, you can contact Phivi and ask for an emailed gift note, if you'd like to have something in-hand to give your recipient. If you have a specific date in mind, you'll need to plan ahead a bit: boxes are typically shipped within two weeks of the order date, but you can reach out to Phivi's support team if you have a later date in mind and they'll do their best to accommodate your request.
Top pick if you want lots of desserts in each box
If your ideal dessert club comes with a sampler of tasty treats and not just one big cake, pie or pastry, Phivi is your best choice. Every box will include an assortment that's sure to satisfy your sweet tooth (in at least eight different ways). Even though they're not as experienced as some of the clubs we evaluated, Phivi still ranks right up near the top.
Chocolate Maven is the dessert club with a homemade touch. This bakery and cafe is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and their Monthly Maven subscription takes some of their customers' favorite sweets and treats and delivers them right to you. Chocolate Maven has been featured in Conde Nast Traveler and on the Food Network, renowned for using "natural ingredients and old-fashioned artisan baking in an atmosphere of charm, delight and integrity." We can see why this bakery has been voted Best of Santa Fe for almost 20 straight years.
More is better
You're going to have a hard time resisting all of the treats featured in this dessert club. Chocolate Maven lists everything you can expect month by month, and we were very impressed with the variety: how about chocolate cherry brownies in January, strawberry rhubarb pie in July, or chocolate pecan pie in November? The Essentials Box will come with one full-sized, delectable dessert to enjoy, and it's priced at $36. For just $6 more per month, you can get a second dessert: the Deluxe Box takes the main treat and pairs it with a slightly smaller (but no less delicious) one. For example, September's Deluxe Box has Belgian chocolate brownies as the primary dessert with cherry almond granola as the second, while May pairs a Morning Glory bundt cake with a box of chocolate espresso cookies. Even better, shipping is included for free on every delivery.
Membership Overview:
Only month-to-month subscriptions here
You won't have any huge decisions to make with this dessert club, other than whether you'd like the Essentials or the Deluxe (we say go for the Deluxe because two is always better than one). Your subscription automatically goes month-to-month until you cancel it, so no long-term commitments or prepayments required here. That's a nice change of pace compared with many clubs-of-the-month, where you pay for 3-12 months upfront.
Not many gift-giving features
Also, be aware that Chocolate Maven's dessert club isn't really set up for gift-giving. Yes, you can have the Monthly Maven Subscription sent anywhere you like, but other than specifying in the order comments that it's a gift, you won't find anything related to gifting (no announcements to send via email, no way to schedule the subscription to start on a particular date, and so on).
Smaller business = more personal attention
However, because of the mom-and-pop nature of this establishment, we think there's a lot of possibilities for getting a personalized touch. We called and spoke with someone at Chocolate Maven (all while hearing the sounds of happy restaurant-goers in the background) who said that if there's a month with a dessert we didn't like, we could email or call in advance and ask for a substitution from any of the treats featured on the "shippable" section of the website. We imagine the same goes for any other tweak you might like to make (such as including a note for a gift or specifying a desired arrival date for your first delivery), so be sure to include that in the order comments when you place your subscription order online.
People love this bakery
It's not really a big surprise that Chocolate Maven doesn't have thousands and thousands of customer reviews, being a smaller establishment based out of a bakery in a single location. But, if the feedback on their Facebook page alone is any clue, you're going to love everything you get from their Monthly Maven subscription. People go well out of their way to visit the restaurant and bakery, and it's hard to find anyone with a bad thing to say about any of their goodies.
Delicious, affordable, and made with love
Even though the dessert club at Chocolate Maven isn't set up like most of the providers we checked out, that's okay. Not only is it more affordable than many competitors, but it also gives you the flexibility of a month-to-month membership that's easily modified by a phone call or an email to a friendly employee. Chocolate Maven is the newest addition to our dessert club reviews, and we think you'll be delighted by the love and quality that go into every sweet they send out.
12 different toppings and over nine million strawberries dipped annually: that's what Shari's Berries brings to the table. It's one of several brands in the 1-800-Flowers company, which also includes Personalization Mall, Harry & David, and The Popcorn Factory.
So many kinds of dipped berries
Since our last evaluation, Shari's Berries has expanded their dessert club options. You've got three featured dipped strawberry plans to choose from now: Decadent Milk Chocolate, Gourmet Dipped Fancy, and "Strawberry Smiles" (where all of the berries are dipped and some are decorated with smiley faces). But wait - those three clubs are just Shari's Berries' featured favorites. When you click on the "get started" button, you'll be taken to all of the possibilities. Iridescent dipped? Glittering gold? Unicorn sparkle? There are more than a dozen ways your berries can be decorated here, starting at $29.99 for a half dozen and going up to $74.99 for two dozen of their fanciest fruit.
Super flexible delivery options
You'll have to click on the box that says "start a subscription" if you want this to be a recurring delivery; otherwise, your purchase will just be a one-time order. We love that Shari's Berries lets you have it your way: you could get your desserts delivered weekly, every other week, or every four, six or eight weeks. You'll specify if you want your membership to last for three, six or twelve months - or if you want it to continue indefinitely until you cancel. That's a degree of flexibility you won't find with many dessert clubs.
Make the first shipment extra-special
Also, when you get to the checkout process, you'll have the option of adding one-time gifts to your first delivery. At the time of this review, those extras included seasonally-themed pretzel rods, a box of Godiva chocolates, or a mixed assortment of fruits and sweets.
They'll even suggest a message
At a loss for words on a gift message? No worries: you don't have to include one at all, but Shari's Berries has a helpful "suggested message" feature if you specify the occasion. They're pretty decent, too. Under Love & Romance, it recommended "I wish there were more ways to say all that you are to me" . We're filing that one away for later.
Membership Overview:
Save when you subscribe
At the time of our most recent visit to Shari's Berries, there was a 10% discount on their Monthly Berries subscription: just look at the top of the page to see if there's a promo in place when you're ready to order. Then again, the checkout page shows an always-there discount of 15% on subscriptions, so you may not need to worry about any limited time offers.
Want free shipping?
Speaking of saving money, you're going to want to seriously consider opting into the Celebrations Passport program. For a yearly fee of $29.99, you'll get free shipping on all eligible products. Not only does this include all of the dessert clubs through Shari's Berries, but also hundreds of other eligible items throughout the 1-800-Flowers brand family. Even if you only plan on sending three months of strawberries, you'll still be better off with the Passport - because shipping is $14.99 on a single delivery here.
Good track record for customer satisfaction
All of the companies in the 1-800-Flowers group, including Shari's Berries, have a solid promise of customer satisfaction. If anything goes wrong with your desserts, just reach out to their support team and they'll take care of it - either with a reshipment or a refund. Fortunately, you shouldn't have a problem: customer reviews say these treats arrive well-packaged and chilled, with delicious and juicy berries that don't disappoint.
On the rise
We've bumped Shari's Berries' rating up by a star since our last evaluation, since the company has added so many options and made their delivery choices much more flexible than before. We say keep it up. However, a lot of people looking for a dessert club are likely thinking of a bit more variety than just dipped strawberries from one month to the next. That keeps this subscription from earning one of our highest rankings, but it's absolutely worth getting if berries are your thing.
"Baked fresh since 1979" , David's Cookies started in Manhattan and quickly grew to over 200 stores worldwide. Switching over to mail order in 1987, the company now has a wide range of treats - not just cookies - that you can send just about anywhere, all made with fresh, natural ingredients. And - just in case it's important to you - all of the baked goods sold by David's are certified kosher by the Orthodox Union.
No secrets about what you'll get
We appreciate that David's Cookies posts a schedule for all of their dessert club deliveries: January is lemon bars, March is triple chocolate cheesecake, and so forth. That way, when you're deciding on a 3, 6, 9, or 12-month plan, you can choose to start it in a month where you know you'll love what you're getting.
Shipping details are... inconsistent
Prices range from $125 for a three-month club up to $450 for a full year. That works out to be a monthly cost of $37.50 to $42. Shipping details are a little iffy here: the main site says free shipping is included on every order, and that no matter which plan you select, your desserts will ship out on the second Tuesday of the month. But, when we got to the checkout process, we were given a range of dates to choose from - and charged a one-time fee of $6.95 for delivery (for the whole subscription, not for each shipment). You may want to reach out to the support team at David's Cookies prior to placing your dessert club order if you need a firmer delivery date.
Membership Overview:
Limited gift-giving features
Giving this dessert club as a gift? Don't forget to indicate that in the dropdown box, and then type in the name of the recipient. You'll add a gift message during checkout. There's not much more beyond that: no option to print something out or have an announcement sent via email on a date you select.
Some desserts a bigger hit than others
While there aren't many reviews about the dessert club posted on the David's Cookies' site (just 14 at the time of this evaluation), they almost all rate it as a perfect 5/5 stars. It seems that people are pretty happy with the larger desserts included in this subscription, like the full-size cheesecakes, but less so with the smaller selections such as the 8x8 tray of lemon bars. We can see how the latter treat might not feel worth the $37-$42 paid for one month of deliveries, and if you're not signing up for a full-year plan, you may want to start your shipments according to what's on the schedule. Overall, though, David's Cookies has a good reputation, with an "A+" from the Better Business Bureau (with zero complaints filed there) and over 900 five-star reviews posted elsewhere.
Great satisfaction guarantee
And, David's Cookies has an excellent satisfaction guarantee. If you're anything less than thrilled with the freshness or quality of anything you receive in your dessert club, reach out within 30 days of delivery and they'll either send you a new package or refund you for the total value.
Solid option among dessert clubs
If you're looking for a pleasing assortment of sweets from a reliable company, David's Cookies has a dessert club that fits the bill. This business earns one of our highest ratings.
Wolferman's Bakery got its start back in 1888 as a corner grocery store in Kansas City, most famous for its super-thick English muffins. The company is now a part of the 1-800-Flowers team, which includes several well-known brands like The Popcorn Factory and Harry & David.
Just baked goods with some unique selections
Since the last time we evaluated Wolferman's, their dessert club options have shrunk to just one: Bakery Favorites. It's a unique assortment of baked goods that ranges from traditional treats like brownies and coffee cake, to more breakfast-y selections like waffles and bagels.
Choose a start date and club length, that's it
There aren't a lot of decisions to make here. Do you want your dessert club to last for 3, 6, or 12 months? Also, Wolferman's tells you exactly which desserts ship out for each month, so you can tailor your club to start at a time when it's a treat you like (or avoid one that isn't your favorite). That's it. You'll pay $89.99 for the three-month plan, $169.99 for the six-month plan, and $289.99 for the year-long plan. That works out to a monthly average of $24-$30. Shipping fees of $6.99 per delivery aren't included in those prices.
Membership Overview:
No option for free shipping
Despite being a part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands, Wolferman's dessert clubs aren't eligible for the Celebrations Passport program. That's a shame, because on subscriptions for at least one of Wolferman's sister brands, the Passport makes shipping free for a year. (And yet they'll still try to sell you the Celebrations Passport at checkout here, even though you'll still pay $6.99/delivery for shipping.)
Needs some customer reviews
We wish there were reviews on the Wolferman's dessert club page, to give us an idea of how customers feel about their deliveries. Wolferman's and the 1-800-Flowers parent company both have a solid reputation, and there's a brand-wide satisfaction guarantee that makes it pretty risk-free to give this subscription a try. Still, it would be helpful to know if the waffles are really worth nearly $30, or if the brownies are in a quantity sufficient to satisfy a household of people with raging sweet teeth (sweet tooths?).
A name you can trust
The dessert club at Wolferman's is one of the more affordable options in our review, and we like that subscribers get an assortment of baked goods that aren't often featured by other companies. Wolferman's could get a bit of a bump in our ratings if they provide more feedback from previous clients, but we don't have any big worries about the reliability of the company overall.
As part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands, Harry & David has been a household name in gourmet gift-giving for decades. You may have already tried one of their delicious desserts, Moose Munch, commonly featured over the winter holidays. But, you'll find so "munch" more when you see everything on offer through their online store, including Harry & David's Dessert of the Month Club.
No guessing which desserts will be coming
What treats are included with this dessert subscription? Harry & David lets you see exactly what's scheduled for each upcoming month. You might see a cherry pie for July, truffle trios in August, and a cheesecake sampler in September: no guesswork here. When you start your Dessert Club, you can choose which month it should begin.
On the expensive side
There are just three options for Harry & David's dessert subscriptions: three months, six months, or a full year. They're priced at $129.99, $249.99, and $479.99, respectively, and every shipment will be charged a $6.99 delivery fee. It averages out to a total cost of about $47 to $50 each month. That's on the spendy side, but look for discounts: at the time of our most recent visit to the Harry & David site, there was a storewide promotional discount of 20%, which saved us almost $100 on our year-long subscription. Be aware that there's no way to skip a month or have your desserts delivered every other month, and you pay for the full subscription length upfront.
Membership Overview:
Need a specific delivery date?
How does Harry & David measure up with respect to gift-giving? During checkout, you can enter a message for your recipient - which is pretty standard and not super exciting. On the other hand, this Dessert Club is one of just a few that let you specify an arrival date, instead of sending out every delivery at a particular time of the month. You'll have a default date entered in (in our case, it was about 10 days away from when we placed the order), but you can click on "edit" and choose the date you prefer. Bear in mind that there's a $24.99 surcharge for Saturday delivery, and anywhere from $19.99 to $24.99 "upgrade" fee if you want your dessert to get there earlier than the default date.
Satisfaction guaranteed
Harry & David guarantees that you or your recipient will love the Dessert of the Month. If not, they promise to send a replacement or offer a refund. Given that the company has an "A-" rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been around for so many years, we're confident that they honor that promise.
Lukewarm customer feedback
On the other hand, they don't provide any customer reviews on their Dessert of the Month Club. In the past, we had seen some comments that the treats received weren't the level of quality that people were expecting. Some recent feedback left by Harry & David customers was less than glowing; while not specific to the dessert plan, comments described stale food, troubles getting help from customer support, and orders not arriving as scheduled.
Not bad, not great
Harry & David isn't the worst Dessert of the Month Club out there: it's priced comparably with most rival services, you've got some helpful options for scheduling deliveries (particularly for gifts), and you can see exactly which treats will come and when. But, we'd need to see a lot more - reviews from recipients, more positive trends with respect to customer service, and so on - to move Harry & David up in our rankings. Frankly, you'll probably have a better overall experience with a higher-rated dessert club.
Flying Noodle has offered Italian gourmet gifts since 1995. They feature a number of monthly clubs, ranging from wine and beer to chocolate and cake.
Standard options for club lengths and pricing
When you set up your Flying Noodle Dessert of the Month Club, you'll choose monthly shipments for 3, 6, or 12 months, or opt for a seasonal subscription with deliveries four times a year. Depending on which club you select, your monthly price will average out to $40.95-$42.95. Free shipping is included on all subscriptions here.
All desserts sent during the last week of the month
On the checkout page, you can indicate which month you'd like your club to start arriving. Be aware that Flying Noodle always delivers during the last week of the month. So, if you're setting this Dessert Club up as a gift, you have the option of having a message sent on a different date. For example, if you're celebrating someone's birthday on April 15 and their dessert won't arrive until the last week of the month, you can have the gift message delivered on or before the 15th - or print one out yourself right from the Flying Noodle site.
Membership Overview:
Not much info about specific desserts
Unfortunately, Flying Noodle doesn't go to any great lengths to tell you what to expect from their Dessert of the Month Club. Previous selections have included puff pastries, cupcakes and cakes, and cookies, and each shipment comes with a single selection that can serve 6-10 people. Beyond that, it's anyone's guess. Flying Noodle doesn't show you any kind of schedule for what's coming up in future deliveries or specific flavors/treats that have been delivered in the past.
Not enough positive reviews
Those details would have been helpful, because there's not a lot of feedback about this Dessert of the Month Club. Even the testimonials on the Flying Noodle store aren't specific to this membership. Also, the Better Business Bureau gives this retailer a disappointing "C+" rating for failing to respond to one complaint filed there. That's not a huge red flag, but it doesn't do Flying Noodle any favors, either. Sure, they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and you can cancel your club at any time for a refund of any remaining months, but that's not quite enough for us to overlook the ways that this dessert subscription falls behind its rivals.
Better dessert clubs are out there
Add all of that to the fact that the website had trouble loading several times we visited it, and that the main URL hasn't been updated for security (a protocol put in place internet-wide several years ago), and it's easy to see why we give our lowest ranking to Flying Noodle's Dessert of the Month Club.
Are you more of a "give me one big treat I can share" ? Or more of a "let me taste lots of smaller sweets" kind of person? You'll find dessert clubs that cater to either one.
Would you like to have some say-so over what gets included in each box, or would you rather let the bakery make those decisions? That's another good way to choose among the available dessert clubs: while almost all of them tell you in advance what to expect from month to month, some let it be a total surprise and others give you the chance to skip any upcoming shipments that aren't to your liking - or even request a substitution. Whether your style is "surprise me" or "follow my lead" can determine which dessert club is your ideal match.
The last factors influencing your delicious decision are schedule and budget. Most dessert subscriptions come in at a monthly price of around $40, give or take. That doesn't always include shipping, so don't forget to keep that in mind. Most require you to pay for all of your deliveries upfront, but a few let you pay as you go. Also, the majority of dessert clubs have fixed plans ranging from three months to a year, though there are options that can be set up as month-to-month for as long as you choose to subscribe.
You're almost ready to pick the perfect dessert club. Just watch out for a few more things as you decide:
To help you satisfy your sweet tooth, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked today's most delicious dessert clubs. We're sure this information will make it possible to get some amazing treats delivered right to your doorstep - or to your lucky gift recipient's. Bon Appetit!
Select any 2 Dessert Clubs to compare them head to head