As the name implies, The New Sweet Indulgence is overflowing with tasty treats to satisfy your sweet tooth. Previously located on Kirby Avenue in Southwest Champaign, the bakery moved recently to Neil Street, south of Harvest Market and a few doors down from La Peep and Caribbean Grill.
Photo by Matthew Macomber.
Walking into the store, it’s impossible to miss the display cases packed with tarts, cookies, pies, cakes, and more.
Photo by Matthew Macomber.
Since there were no seats inside the store, I decided to take home a cinnamon roll, fruit tart, and two different oatmeal cookies. With the daily special for Saturday being “buy one cookie, get one cookie free,” I couldn’t resist getting two cookies. Before making a trip to The New Sweet Indulgence, it is worth your time to plan and pick a day with a special you especially enjoy. Staff are also happy to answer any questions about ingredients in their sweets, so don’t hesitate to ask if that’s important to you.
Photo by Matthew Macomber.
Starting off my sweet treat extravaganza, I took some bites of a cinnamon roll ($4). Totally covered in rich frosting (not cream cheese), this was quite a snack, so sharing is recommended. I also found mine much better warmed up. Even using a microwave didn’t take away from the quality of this large, fluffy roll.
Photo by Matthew Macomber.
For a different kind of sweetness, I moved onto a fruit tart ($6) next. Beautifully decorated with blackberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, strawberries, and blackberries, this tart made for a colorful and flavorful dessert. Underneath the fruit was a vanilla custard and a fruit glaze. Neither were too sweet which was great as the fruits were enough. Speaking of custard, it did a good job holding together the crumbly crust of the tart. Some tarts fall apart after one or two bites, so I appreciated this one holding together for longer than that.
Photo by Matthew Macomber.
For the first of the two cookies I purchased, I started with the chocolate butterscotch oatmeal cookie ($2). I love chocolate, so I appreciated that The New Sweet Indulgence didn’t hold back on the butterscotch and chocolate chips. Nice and soft thanks to the oatmeal, this was a great cookie for anyone who likes oatmeal cookies in concept but hates the texture of raisins or cranberries.
Photo by Matthew Macomber.
Granted, if you don’t mind the texture of raisins or cranberries, try out the cranberry oatmeal cookie ($2) at The New Sweet Indulgence. The dried cranberries made the oatmeal cookie even softer and provided a wonderful tartness that paired well with the general sweetness of the cookie. This was almost the ideal cookie for me, so definitely give it a chance.
Photo by Matthew Macomber.
After treating myself to The New Sweet Indulgence, I know that it clearly holds up to its name. While there were more indulgent options available like pies and cakes that I didn’t get a chance to sample, I imagine they are just as rich as what I did bring home for this review.
Next time you’re near Neil Street and your sweet tooth calls, consider a visit to The New Sweet Indulgence. Just remember to check their hours carefully, as they do vary from day to day.
The New Sweet Indulgence
2149 S Neil St
Champaign
Tu 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
W 8 a.m. to noon
Th 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
F 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sa 8 a.m. to noon