From golden jelly beans to champagne-laced donuts, there is no shortage of decadent delicacies to excite our taste buds and lighten our wallets. Below, we have given our definitive list of the world’s most expensive, luxurious and (predominantly) edible desserts.
1. ‘Beyond Gourmet’ Jelly Beans, Leaf Brands
Price: US $500
Brainchild of Jelly Belly creator David Klein, the Beyond Gourmet range of luxury jelly beans takes everyone’s favourite bite size treat to unprecedented levels of decadence; with a price tag to match.
Expertly crafted using the finest ingredients from around the world, the beans are available in wacky flavours ranging from authentic Thai chilli to Wasabi, but these aren’t the priciest. Back in 2011, Klein unveiled a one-off jar of 24-karat gold leaf beans at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago, blending the rarest exotic flavours in the ultimate golden jelly bean. Packaged in a valuable crystal jar and protected by armed guards, the beans sold for a sickly sweet US $500.
2. Golden Opulence Sundae, Serendipity 3
Price: US $1,000
If you have a sweet tooth and money to burn, a trip to New York City’s Serendipity 3 for a sundae may be in order. As delicious as it is expensive, the Golden Opulence Sundae is just one dessert on a long list of pricey sweet treats at the East 60th Street restaurant, which has quickly garnered a reputation for lavish sundaes and expensive gourmet sweets.
Diners who decide to part with one thousand dollars for the sundae in question are treated with up to five scoops of rich Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream infused with Madagascar vanilla and smothered in 23-karat edible gold leaf. The dessert is then drizzled with melted Amedei Porcelana (one of the most expensive chocolates in the world) and sprinkled with exotic Parisian candied fruits, before being served with a bowl of sweetened Grand Passion Caviar.
3. The Golden Phoenix, Bloomsbury’s Cupcakes
Price: US $1,000
If you have a passion for puddings (and an equally impressive memory), you may recall that we featured the five most expensive cupcakes in the world on DOTWNews.com last summer. Topping our list of edible cakes was The Golden Phoenix from Bloomsbury’s Cupcakes, a Dubai-based confectionery whose founder painstakingly crafted the decadent dessert over a five-week period.
Served on a Villari 24-karat gold Maria Antoinette Princess Tea Trolley, the cupcake is made from the highest quality Amedei Porcelana chocolate, boasts 23 karats of edible gold-leaf sheeting and uses top-grade Ugandan vanilla beans for a depth of flavour matched only by its price.
4. Dom Perignon Jelly Donut, Krispy Kreme
Price: US $1,677
In a move that would keep Homer Simpson drooling for a decade, Krispy Kreme has unveiled the world’s most expensive donut – tipping the price scale at an incredible US $1,677. Created to mark National Donut Week, the extravagant dessert was on show at London’s iconic Selfridge’s department store this week and will be sold for the benefit of the UK Children’s Trust charity.
So, what makes the donut so costly? Firstly, the baked treat contains a Dom Pérignon vintage 2002 champagne jelly with a raspberry and Chateau d’Yquem crème; the most expensive donut filling ever created. It is then glazed with passion fruit, gilded with 24-karat gold leaf and finished with a hand-made 23-karat gold-dusted Belgian white chocolate lotus flower. The donut is served with a one-off ‘Krispy Kreme cocktail’, made using a 500-year-old Courvoisier de L’Esprit Cognac, of course.
5. Luxury Banana Split, Three Twins Ice Cream
Price: US $3,333.33
California-based Three Twins Ice Cream may have been creating delicious organic ice creams for less than a decade, but they have made quite the first impression. Hailing flavour as king, the company don’t skimp on cost and vow to make the best tasting desserts possible, irrespective of price. Which brings us neatly to their luxury banana split.
The decadent split is made using three syrups reduced from incredibly rare dessert wines, including a 1960s Vintage Port, a Chateau D'Yquem and a German Trockenbeerenauslese. This accounts for the bulk of the price, while each serving is enjoyed with a vintage ice cream spoon from the 1850s and accompanied by a personal cellist performance. The company also offer a sundae made from the glacial ice of Kilimanjaro for US $60,000, which includes a first-class ticket to Tanzania with five-star accommodation. As this is predominantly inedible, it hasn’t made our list.
www.three-twins-ice-cream.myshopify.com
6. The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate ice cream sundae, Serendipity 3
Price: US $25,000
Officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the most expensive dessert in the world, The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate ice cream sundae is the second entry on our list from decadent Manhattan-based restaurant, Serendipity 3. Created in conjunction with luxury jeweller Euphoria New York, the sweet treat uses a fine blend of 14 rare cocoas from Africa and South America, topped with shavings of the world’s most expensive truffle, the La Madeline au Truffle (US $2,500 per pound).
The sundae is further adorned with five grams of edible 24-karat gold and served in a gold leaf laced baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet, with an 18 carat gold and white diamond bracelet attached to the neck. This is all enjoyed with a US $14,000 diamond encrusted spoon, which the diner keeps after enjoying their bejewelled dessert.
www.serendipity3.com
